Defensive depth is a key phrase in the hockey world; each team struggles to realize this concept, working with every draft to better their prospects. The Avalanche have worked, as every team does, to select prospects they think can be valuable assets to the team in the future. Some of these prospects have been drafted, and some have been signed as free agents. However they came to the Avalanche organization, they were chosen for a reason. One of the most promising of the defensive prospects selected currently in the Avalanche system is Mason Geersten.

Geersten is a big, strong defenseman who shoots left. He was drafted in the fourth round of the 2013 NHL entry draft, 93rd overall. Avalanche fans are excited for the continued development his smooth skating style and skill with an eye to seeing Geersten in the NHL sooner rather than later. He would also be considered shutdown defenseman, totaling a respectable amount of points and PIMs on a struggling Vancouver Giants team. Geersten earned an ATO with the Lake Erie Monsters when the Giants season ended, where he played limited minutes on a team with a surfeit of defensemen. Unfortunately, this limited tryout hasn't shown Geersten's true capabilities.

Background

Geersten is originally from Rocky Rapids, Alberta and was drafted by the Edmonton Oil Kings of the WHL. He started his major junior career in Edmonton in 2011-2012, where he played only 34 games before a concussion ended his season. The 2011-2012 Oil Kings won the Ed Chenowyth and played in the Memorial Cup while Geersten sat out injured.

Geersten returned to the Oil Kings for the 2012-2013 season but was traded to the Vancouver Giants on October 31, 2012. This lead to a period of adjustment where Geersten grew and took advantage of the increased minutes afforded him by the Giants weaker defense. Geersten took advantage of his new situation and earned an "A" in his first year with the Giants, eventually ending up with the "C" when Sward was injured mid-season this year, quite the advancement for a player who was a third pairing defenseman for the Oil Kings. By the end of his time in the WHL, Geersten had made a name for himself as a tough defenseman to play against and part of the heart of his team.

Vancouver have only made the playoffs once in the time Geersten played for them, not a condemnation of the players, but rather of the management and coaching staff. The Giants have had three head coaches in the last season alone, not an environment which is conducive to winning. Geersten has managed to develop and prove himself to be a valuable part of the Avalanche's future plans despite a less than ideal situation.

Improved Production

Geersten has increased his production in the last half of his last WHL season. Previous to his upsurge in points, Geersten was more likely to break up offensive plays than create them. He filled the role of shutdown defenseman but would not have been considered much of an offensive threat. He's capable of physical play, up to and including fighting, to prevent other teams from gaining an advantage.

In his last season, Geersten nearly doubled his point totals and tripled his number of goals. While it is currently impossible to know if this improved production will translate to the AHL (and this does seem doubtful), it is certainly a promising end to Geersten's WHL career. Geersten will need consistent minutes and a defined role at the AHL level if the Avalanche hope to see him create a decent number of points at the professional level.

Skill

Geersten is considered a shutdown defenseman, increased offense notwithstanding. However, the particular skill set he brings to a team in this role is more diverse than one might expect. Geersten skates well. He has greatly improved from his draft year, making him seem to be prospect to watch. Geersten is one of those special defensemen, being both huge and fast, which is a good combination for someone trying to take the puck from forwards entering the zone.

He is solid in the corners and has good puck possession. He's difficult to force off the puck, and in board battles, he comes up with the puck most of the time because he's not afraid to assert himself. Geertsen understands how to both play the man and the puck, often times simultaneously. Geertsen is also good when he doesn't have the puck.

He also makes smart defensive plays and doesn't try to do more than he's capable of safely completing. Geertsen is a known quantity. He's not looking to make the fancy play, he's looking to make the play makes the most sense for the team.

One of Geersten's most notable skills is his ability to fight. At the WHL level, Geertsen is also an accomplished fighter with a formidable reputation. One of Geertsen's most talked about bouts is with former teammate Mitch Moroz and was an impressive display of skill. Geertsen hasn't backed away from a physical challenge, be it a hit or a fight, during the course of his WHL career.

He has improved his shot over the last year, but it was already powerful. It simply needed to be more precise. Geersten has improved just about every aspect of his game, making him one of the Avs most highly-touted defensive prospects.

Work Ethic

Geertsen has an attitude that will be helpful in his continued development. Simply put, he is a "workhorse." Geersten isn't afraid to put in work to make his game better, and he's not afraid to keep at it even if the results aren't immediate.

Geertsen has earned high praise from Claude Noel, impressing his former coach with his work ethic, his physicality, and his shot. Geertsen has also earned praise from Avalanche bloggers for the way he's approached his off-season and the effort he's put into bettering himself and his game. For Geertsen, this is no game, and that shows in the why he prepares and treats each opportunity. This is a quality that will stand him in very good stead as he finds his place both in the AHL, and eventually, Avs fans hope, in the NHL.

Leadership

At first glance, Geersten doesn't seem to be the typical leader. He's not about speeches and impassioned pleas to teammates to do more or do better. Instead, he's the type of leader who leads by example. He was an anchor and major contributor to both the defense and the powerplay in his last WHL season with the Giants and was influential enough to both his teammates and coaches to earn the "C" when Sward was no longer able to play.

Geersten also picked up a handful of awards, including Vancouver's Season MVP, Humanitarian Award, and Best Defenseman awards. These show Geertsen has been able to balance both personal development and being a team player and leader. This balance is good for the Avalanche as Geersten is capable of providing the Avalanche with both good hockey and good publicity.

Geertsen has shown a remarkable amount of media savvy in his interviews since being drafted. His answers sound like they've all been PR approved, even in situations like not being able to play. He is always non-committal and polite in dealing with the press. This goes as far as being unwilling to air any dirty laundry about former teammates. All in all, Geersten's ability to deal with the press will be advantageous as he progresses in his career and has to deal with more and more press commitments.

Conclusion

There are a great many things that can be said about Mason Geertsen; one of those things seems to be that Geertsen is currently expected to play a large role in the Avalanche's defensive future. He's a prospect worth getting excited over. Geertsen has shown himself to be a responsible, forward-thinking player with a lot of upside.

He's smart on the ice and sees the game well, making the right type of play at the right time. He's physical, but he's not limited to fighting. Geertsen can use his size along the boards, both to force other players off the puck and to lay devastating hits. All of these factors combine to make Geersten a good stay-at-home defenseman with a bit of a mean edge because he's also a formidable fighter.

Geertsen will probably not be an offensive powerhouse. That being said, he does know how to find the back of the net and has worked over the last year to improve his powerful slap shot. While Geertsen might not be expecting to have a season like his last one in the WHL, he should be expected to contribute to the team offensively. He certainly knows how.

Geertsen showed a winning attitude in using being traded from a top-ranked team to a basement-dwelling team and not allowing it not to make him bitter but instead using it to grow. He took the opportunity it provided for more ice time to improve his play, which is good sign for continued improvement with whatever ice time he manages to secure in the AHL.

One thing that cannot be overstated about Geertsen is that he knows what it's like to win. He won a championship as a rookie but hasn't been able to find his way back into contention since then. He's got to be hungry to get back to his winning ways and will be looking to do so in the Avalanche organization. Geertsen can work. Since being drafted, Geersten has consistently worked at improvement of his shot and skating. He's done the work to make him a steal as a fourth round pick and excite Avs fans about his future viability.