Trevor Cheek

History

2009-10: Trevor Cheek, who hails from Vancouver, Washington in the Portland area, skated for the Arizona-based PF Changs U18 team in the Midwest Elite Hockey League. In 48 games he scored 36 goals with 24 assists and had 62 penalty minutes.

2010-11: Cheek made the Calgary Hitmen in training camp as an 18-year-old in what was a rebuilding year for the defending WHL champions. In 57 games he scored 10 goals with 15 assists and was minus-15 with 37 penalty minutes. One year after finishing with the league’s best record, the HItmen were last in the Central Division; winning a league-low 20 games.

2011-12: Cheek attended the San Jose Sharks’ training camp before returning to Calgary for his second season in the WHL. He scored 23 goals with 26 assists in 67 games and was plus-6 with 75 penalty minutes. The much-improved Hitmen made the playoffs after finishing second in the Central Division. Cheek scored 3 goals with 1 assist and was minus-2 with 4 penalty minutes in the five-game series with Brandon.

2012-13: Cheek participated in Carolina’s development camp before returning to Calgary and ended up playing for three WHL teams in his overage season. He played one game with Calgary before being traded to the Vancouver Giants in September and was obtained by the Edmonton Oil Kings in January at the WHL trade deadline. In 71 regular season games between the three teams he scored 32 goals with 28 assists and was plus-12 with 57 penalty minutes. Edmonton finished first in the Central Division and advanced to the WHL finals against the Portland Winterhawks. Cheek played 15 playoff games and had 8 goals with 8 assists, finishing plus-17 with 14 penalty minutes, but missed the final series against his hometown Winterhawks due to an undisclosed injury he suffered in the Eastern Conference finals against Calgary. Cheek signed a three-year entry-level contract with Colorado in April, 2013.

2013-14: Cheek skated for Colorado AHL affiliate Lake Erie in his first pro season. He made steady progress after seeing limited ice time early in the year before suffering a season-ending hamstring injury in March. Cheek scored 3 goals with 5 assists and was plus-1 with 30 penalty minutes in 46 games. Lake Erie missed the AHL playoffs; finishing fourth in the North Division.

2014-15: Cheek skated in 66 of 76 games for the AHL’s Lake Erie Monsters in his second pro season. Playing mostly a lower line role with the Monsters, he scored 6 goals with 9 assists and was -8 with 63 penalty minutes, third most on the team. Lake Erie finished fourth in the Midwest Division, missing the AHL playoffs. 

Talent Analysis

Cheek is a jack of all trades but master of none type of player. He can be slotted anywhere in the top-nine and has even played defense in the past. His size allows him to be used to screen goalies in front of the net on power plays and also as a shot blocker on penalty kills.

Future

Cheek is in the third year of his original entry-level contract with the Avalanche in 2015-16 and has split the season between new AHL affiliate San Antonio and the ECHL's Fort Wayne Komets. Drafted by the previous scouting group in Colorado, there is little chance the Avalanche will re-sign him and it is likely he will head elsewhere following the season. A good soldier-type capable of scoring at the ECHL level, Cheek appears to have a limited upside at this point and projects to being an AHL regular for the rest of his career.