No name tags needed for the Colorado Avalanche, who had their first skate of training camp Monday.

The group is largely unchanged. A few pieces were added during the offseason to complement a deep roster. Free agent pickup Devon Toews was one of them, and the defenseman paired with last season’s NHL Rookie of the Year Cale Makar.

“It’s already a lot of fun to play with them,” forward Nathan MacKinnon said. “Man, those two can move the puck. In the (offensive) zone they’re a lot of fun to play with.”

Toews, 26, is from just outside Vancouver. The 6-foot-1, 185-pound blue liner played college hockey at Quinnipiac before spending two seasons in the AHL.

He carved out a spot on the New York Islanders the past two seasons. He appeared in all 68 games last year, registering six goals and 22 assists. He added 10 more points during the Islanders’ run to the conference finals.

Toews arrived in Denver about three weeks ago and has been getting acclimated. On Monday he got used to working with one of the best young defensemen in the game.

“I think we skate so well and we see the ice quite similarly,” Toews said of Makar. “We can both jump up and create offense as well, but I think we’re aggressive in our (defensive) zone. We try to stop play and stop pucks so we can go create offense.”

The Avalanche’s other big fall acquisition didn’t see the ice Monday. Brandon Saad, who was acquired in a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks for Nikita Zadorov and Anton Lindholm, was “unfit to practice” Monday. Joining him were some of the Avalanche’s biggest names in captain Gabriel Landekog, veteran defenseman Erik Johnson and goaltender Philipp Grubauer, plus defenseman Keaton Middleton.

Their status could be clarified Tuesday, Bednar said. On Sunday, the coach said everyone was healthy and expected to practice.

When Saad is able to join in, MacKinnon expects a big power forward and “great skater” who can play anywhere.

“You need guys that can do everything,” MacKinnon said.

In spite of the sudden upheaval, Bednar said the skates went well. Though Toews is “still in the feeling-out process,” Bednar saw the promise.

“(He’s) a lot like Makar when it comes to their defending because they skate so well. They’re hard to beat,” Bednar said. “And then when things transition, they’re looking to be part of it and looking to help lead our offense. They think alike.

“I think as the communication improves and they get playing together and know each other well, they could be a real tough pair to play against.”

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