The new players to the Colorado Avalanche are fitting in so far and continue to develop chemistry with their new team. Throwing a few new players into the mix [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/colorado-avalanche/featured/avs-new-additions-what-they-bring-to-the-team] can sometimes cause a shift in chemistry on a team, but that doesn't seem to be the case with the Colorado Avalanche so far. Nathan MacKinnon said the team doesn't need to work on a ton of chemistry [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/colorado-avalanche/featured/nathan-mackinnons-intensity-makes-him-good-leader], which is a good thing. The caliber of players GM Chris MacFarland and President Joe Sakic brought in seems to have fit right in. "I think the guys look great, to be honest. I hope I'm going to get there soon ... just now what I've been seeing, guys look great," Tomas Tatar said after Friday's practice last week. "I want to be there as fast as possible. I'm going to work my hardest to be there ... I'll do my best and I'm excited." Tatar has been practicing on a few different lines but head coach Jared Bednar hasn't made any final decisions for his opening night lineup yet. Ryan Johansen said constant communication on the ice is important to get that familiarity with the team. "Just out there, little things here and there, what they saw, what I saw, if we both saw it, if we both missed it — in every little play," Johansen said. "So things like that, just as time goes along keep building up chemistry. That's why usually chemistry doesn't happen right away. So that's something we're nonstop working at." MACKINNON AND DROUIN CHEMISTRY STILL THERE It helped that Jonathan Drouin and MacKinnon have a history together. Their chemistry was easy to see as soon as the two reunited on the ice for the first time. "It just feels normal where we're comfortable with each other. I think I know his game, hasn't changed much from juniors —he just got stronger and faster, same style," Drouin said about playing with MacKinnon again. "We still talk a lot of hockey, we still try to figure out stuff off the ice. So when we get on — we're on the same page and we're flowing." An example of those two continuing to work on that chemistry was highlighted on Wednesday when they remained on the ice for about a half hour after the rest of the players had gotten off. Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjAxMjY1MDkwMjE1ODE0NjU3/drouin-and-mackinnon-late.jpg] Drouin appears to be adapting well to the systems he's having to learn with his new team, which he said is very different from his previous team — the Montreal Canadiens. "Guys that talk a lot, coaches do as well but I see the players are — something happens and there's a missed play or something and then we talk about it and then we figure it out right away," Drouin said. "Which is super nice for the new guys. We don't have to have that in our heads for a couple minutes — right away we talk about it and figure out what we did wrong, so it's pretty easy, pretty nice." BEDNAR ON WHEN THAT CHEMISTRY HITS 'PEAK' Head coach Jared Bednar said the veteran players return with that chemistry established. But it's important for them to make the new players feel comfortable. "If you ask one of the new guys, they'd say there's a little bit of work to do with chemistry cause they're not feeling fully at home or comfortable," Bednar said after Friday's practice. "I think that's normal for training camp cause everyone does it. That chemistry starts to come when everyone has specific designed roles that they've bought into and we're still in the evaluation period." As training camp and preseason near an end, the communication on the ice has become more fluent. Although there's no exact timeline for when that chemistry is set, Bednar mentioned there is a time it hits a "peak." "When I don't necessarily even have to say who's up next. They already know — who's going first penalty kill, who's going second, who's going third — same thing power plays, who's going after the power plays, you kind of hit that point as the season goes on so there's some work to do for sure but I think the new guys are fitting in nicely. They're asking all the right questions." When that "peak" will hit is yet to be determined. But it doesn't look like it will be too far into the season.
