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Jared Cowen aims to resurrect career with Avalanche

Toronto Maple Leafs v Ottawa Senators

OTTAWA, ON - JANUARY 21: Jared Cowen #2 of the Ottawa Senators prepares for a faceoff against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Canadian Tire Centre on January 21, 2015 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Jana Chytilova/Freestyle Photography/Getty Images)

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The Colorado Avalanche announced that they handed defenseman Jared Cowen a PTO for their upcoming training camp.

Cowen has experienced quite the wild set of highs and lows, even though he’s just 26.

Things started out great with the Ottawa Senators, who selected him with the ninth pick of the 2009 NHL Draft.

A combination of poor play and injuries made those high hopes fizzle out dramatically for Cowen, who was eventually part of the complicated trade that sent Dion Phaneuf to the Senators.

Cowen “went” to the Toronto Maple Leafs, yet he would never suit up for Toronto, who bought him out for cap/money reasons.

Part of that was the declining opinion of his all-around play. That said, a lot of his issues were health-related; hip problems dogged him for much of his career, and Cowen hasn’t played since 2015-16.

With that in mind, Cowen is the sort of long shot you’d expect to receive a PTO, rather than the Lee Stempniaks of the world who sometimes must accept tryouts because of a baffling lack of offers. It makes sense in a low-risk, likely low-reward standpoint for the Avalanche, too, as they can use all the defensive help they can get.

Again, it would be surprising to see Cowen land an NHL job. Even so, if that doesn’t happen, maybe Cowen could turn enough heads to at least prolong his hockey career.