In his first season with the Avalanche, Calvin de Haan continues to provide a steadying presence on the back end. A veteran defenseman of 655 NHL games, de Haan played for the New York Islanders, Carolina Hurricanes, Chicago Blackhawks, and Tampa Bay Lightning before signing a one-year contract with the Avs during the summer of 2024.
“[A] solid, stay-at-home [defending] mindset,” Jared Bednar said when asked what de Haan brings to the defensive unit. “He’s been blocking shots, he’s been a good penalty killer. He’s got that veteran experience so he doesn’t get rattled.”
This season, de Haan has played in 23 games, averaging 15:24 of time on ice per contest.
“He stays in the moment,” Bednar said. “[He] has a calming influence in our room. All the defending mentality that you want in a guy in certain situations.”
The transition to Denver has been pretty seamless for him and his family, de Haan said, adding that they are getting used to the area they live in. He also said that the hockey is pretty similar to where he’s played before.
“The ice is 200-feet long,” de Haan said. “[There are] 23 guys on our roster, so that stuff is pretty easy to adapt to.”
For most of the season, de Haan has been paired with 26-year-old Sam Malinski on defense. Malinski, who made his NHL debut with the Avs last season, has played 602 fewer games than de Haan. The veteran said he’s trying to take a mentorship role with Malinski, emphasizing the importance of having a well-rounded game.
“You’ve got to be able to play defense still in this league to earn a paycheck,” de Haan said. “You can’t just go out there and score billions of points and be minus-50. You have to still take care of your own end.”
“That’s one thing I’ve really tried to harp on him and communicate to him as well, is just, we have got to play good solid defense, and the rest will take care of itself at the end of the day.”
Malinski, who has played every game of this season, said playing on a pair with de Haan has been helpful.
“I think especially in times where we’re maybe struggling to get the puck out of the zone,” Malinski said. “He’s a guy that knows how to make the quick fix and simple our game down so that we’re playing efficiently.”
Bednar said a player’s defensive partner is their lifeline, and it’s important for those partners to help each other.
“So, [a] veteran guy that can read plays and talk through things in the defensive zone I think really helps Sam,” Bednar said. “And I think Sam really helps Calvin with his puck-moving ability and the ability to jump up and create offense when they’re on the ice as well.”
Malinski echoed those sentiments, saying he has more flair to his game while de Haan’s game is simpler.
“I think in the offensive zone, he lets me do my thing,” Malinski said. “And then he helps me out in the d-zone when I need it.”
One thing Malinski said he’s learned from de Haan is that sometimes, simple is better.
“I think he’s a player who plays the game really simple,” Malinski said. “And I think he would say the same about himself, and he takes pride in his defending, too.”
In his first season with the Avalanche, de Haan has helped the team both on the ice and in the locker room.
