Domenick Fensore is headed to the AHL as Jared Bednar and the Colorado Avalanche move closer to locking down their opening roster.
Colorado assigned Fensore, Christian Wolanin and Saige Weinstein to the Colorado Eagles on Thursday, trimming three more names from the NHL camp group.
These aren't early-camp cuts buried in the first wave. The Avalanche are deep enough into September that every move now carries more weight.
Fensore, Wolanin and Weinstein stayed in the NHL picture long enough to reach one of the later stages of the competition. Their next stop is the AHL, but they pushed close to the final roster discussion.
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For Bednar, the move also clears up the blue-line picture. Every defenceman sent down means fewer bodies competing for the remaining NHL jobs and fewer combinations left to sort through.
Colorado still has decisions ahead, but this is the point of camp where management starts moving from evaluation to roster construction.
Avalanche roster battle reaches final stage
That makes this round of cuts significant. The Avalanche aren't simply reducing camp numbers anymore. They're getting closer to deciding which players will actually be around when the regular season begins.
Wolanin brings experience to the Eagles, while Fensore now gets another opportunity to push his development in a larger AHL role. Weinstein will also continue his progression with Colorado's affiliate.
For all three, being assigned doesn't close the NHL door. Injuries, performance and lineup needs can change a depth chart quickly once the season gets moving.
But Thursday's decision creates a clear separation. The players still in Denver now have one fewer round of competition standing between them and an NHL roster spot.
That puts more pressure on the final bubble players. A strong practice, preseason showing or special-teams role can carry extra weight when the available jobs have been narrowed this far.
The Avalanche have reached one of the most telling stretches of camp. The easy cuts are largely behind them, and the remaining decisions are becoming much tougher.
Fensore, Wolanin and Weinstein got close enough to make this a meaningful cut. Now Colorado's attention shifts to the players still fighting to survive the final roster squeeze.
Did the Avalanche make the right call sending all three players to the AHL?
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