The Colorado Avalanche decided today not to give Pierre-Edouard Bellemare a contract and to release him from his professional tryout. Bellemare appeared in three games for Avs this preseason and scored no points.

It’s a little surprising that Bellemare is such a well-respected veteran and is particularly popular in the Avalanche locker room, in addition to being a player who fits Colorado’s team needs well on the interior fourth line.

Bellemare is a faceoff ace who kills penalties, two areas that the Avalanche are particularly lacking and that would have been filled had he been given a contract. His offense was always lackluster, but it was the speed that gave the Avs the most concern.

If Bellemare was already struggling, what would he look like in the spring, after his 40th birthday and another 60-plus NHL games of wear and tear?

Colorado is back to the drawing board as Bellemare returns to the free agent market at age 39 and looks to continue his career.

Where do the Avs go from here at 4C? Let’s look at some options.

Parker Kelly

Signed to a two-year contract in the offseason, Kelly was a winger for the Ottawa Senators and was only used in faceoff situations when other players were ejected. In 177 games played, Kelly has only taken 60 faceoffs and won just 17 of them, or 28.3%.

Throughout the preseason, the Avs tried out Kelly at the center position and were happy enough with what they saw to call up Bellemare. Kelly’s speed and physicality were remarkable, which were two of his main selling points when the Avs signed him.

The questions about Kelly are more about positional suitability, but at least he’s a legit NHL player.

Chris Wagner

Wagner has long been a guy who has been almost a set-and-forget player on the fourth line, be it on the wing or in the middle. He had a solid performance in Boston with the Bruins and is now in his second stint with the Avs.

His speed has always played well in the NHL, but the rest of his game leaves a little to be desired. What exactly does he do so well that warrants keeping him? He’s not a great faceoff guy, he hasn’t shown any significant ability on special teams, and he’s not a strong offensive player.

Every team that gave him extended appearances has lost interest in playing him over time. He’s not a clearly bad player, but it’s hard to argue that he’s anything more than he would be in this situation: a clear weakness in the squad.

Once again, it’s speed and physicality that you like as an athlete in Colorado.

Cal Ritchie

The 19-year-old Avalanche prospect has received many different looks in practice and games so far. The size and hockey smarts played well, but he didn’t So Good to give a guarantee of being included in the squad at all.

I think the issue here has more to do with Ritchie and the job we’re talking about, the fourth-line center spot, not matching up. Ritchie is a crafty guy who wants to make plays for the guys around him. Putting him on the fourth line doesn’t set him up for success.

It also doesn’t help the team that much because rookie centers are almost always bad on faceoffs, which is good for the growing pains that are bound to show up at some point, and he hasn’t been on the penalty kill yet. If you don’t use your 4C on your PK, you’re either abusing a wing (see: Kelly perhaps?) or augmenting another of your centers to take on that task.

If that means Ross Colton, great, but if that means Nathan MacKinnon or Casey Mittelstadt, then that’s not what they’re doing.

There is also the question of Ritchie’s development. As Colorado’s top prospect and someone who looks like he could provide significant value on his entry-level contract, spending a year playing him as a 4C feels short-sighted. Would it really be best for Ritchie to play about 10 minutes a night in a limited role that doesn’t play to his strengths at all?

Ivan Ivan

Ivan has once again impressed the coaching staff. After a rookie year in the AHL in which he increased his playing time from deep center to a more prominent role, which led to him signing his own entry-level contract, Ivan is a name to keep an eye on.

He’s a smart player who does a little bit of everything well, but like Wagner, doesn’t have any standout individual skills that can compel the team.

There’s also the issue that the staff didn’t use it as a center much during this camp. He’s turning heads on the wing and could be pushing for a spot in the squad sooner than later. I just don’t think the staff view him as a midfielder at the moment.

Disclaimers

This is the most important thing for me to keep in mind. The Avs have been one of the most consistent active teams on the waiver wire over the past decade. This is the time when most borderline players become eligible through waivers, so the Avs will need to keep a close eye on rosters around the league and the players they think will fit.

The downside, of course, is that these people waive waivers for a reason and many claims will not stand.

It’s very difficult for a guy like me to predict what teams will do with their rosters next week, but I’ve had my eye on Derek Ryan of the Edmonton Oilers for this spot for a long time. If Edmonton can’t find a spot for him and tries to let him through, I hope the Avs make a claim.

Whatever the Avs do in the fourth-line center spot, they’ve just made this battle a lot more interesting after we spent the last two weeks thinking that Bellemare already had that job secured.