Last season, Cumiskey was finally on the verge of establishing himself as one of the Avs' top four blueliners, averaging almost 20 minutes of ice time per night with about two minutes per game on the power play. In the end, however, he managed to play in just 18 games after sustaining a concussion in late October. He returned to the lineup in January and played in a handful of games before shutting it down for the remainder of the season. Since then, the airwaves have been eerily quiet regarding his status, and it's hard to tell whether he will even be ready to resume skating once training camp opens in September. At this point, Cumiskey represents a major fantasy risk - stay away from him until his status becomes significantly clear.
Cumiskey went from being a bubble player on the Avs' roster early last season to being one of the team's top six defensemen, at one point stealing John-Michael Liles' job right out from under his nose. Cumiskey finished the season with 20 points (7 G, 13 A) in 61 games, and was fourth among Avs defenders in power-play ice time per game (2:00). With the recent departures of Brett Clark and Ruslan Salei, there is now a huge opportunity for Cumiskey to step forward and prove he serve a top-four role for the Avs next season. Keep an eye on this young blueliner as he continues to develop.
Cumiskey comes into this season looking like the odd man out on the Avs' blue line. If the Avs want to send Cumiskey back to Lake Erie of the AHL, he would have to clear waivers first, leaving him open to being snapped up by another team. This might be something the Avs are open to doing, as Cumiskey has been in their system for a few years now, and has never lived up to the hype that has surrounded him. A fresh start with another team might be the best thing for him at this point.
Cumiskey had five points in 38 games for the Avs last season before missing time due to a groin injury. By the time he was healthy again, the Avs had upgraded their blueline with the likes of Adam Foote and Ruslan Salei, forcing the team to send Cumiskey back to the AHL. This season, he lines up as the #7 or #8 d-man and will continue to find ice time hard to come by.
Cumiskey will try to land a spot on the last defensive pairing, but his size (5-10, 185) is an issue. He was assigned to Lake Erie of the American Hockey League in Sept. 2007.
