Why The Avs Will Re-Sign O'Reilly

                                         Getty Images

After 113 days, the NHL and NHLPA finally came to an agreement on a new CBA and all that's standing in the way of the puck finally being dropped is ratification from the players and the owners. This is a step that should be done by Friday or Saturday. That would make training camps ready to be opened by sometime this weekend and a 48 game season ready to be started on January 19th.

Now that we're back to work on the ice, the Avs still have some work to do with last season's top scorer and probably best all around player Ryan O'Reilly who is still without a contract and a restricted free agent. Before the lockout when other teams' GMs were spending like crazy, the Avs chose not to do the same with O'Reilly for whatever reason. As what appeared to be a sign of displeasure with the organization, O'Reilly accepted a TWO year offer from Magnitogorsk of the KHL. There was an opt out clause in the deal in the event the NHL settled their lockout so now O'Reilly's agent is set to get back in talks with Greg Sherman and Co. O'Reilly knows how important he is to the team and knows this kind of game could be his ticket out of Denver for good but their are a few reasons why that may not be the case.

Historically, the Avs have had a take it or leave it mentality when it comes to re-signing their own free agents. If the offer wasn't accepted or a player filed for arbitration, that player was usually shipped out (see: Laperierre, Drury). This summer, Jamie McGinn filed for arbitration and while many thought that would be the end of his days in Denver, the sides worked and got a new deal done for McGinn before arbitration. The fact that McGinn got away with filing for arbitration and not accepting the first offer from the club and was still able to get a new deal with the team was a sign that the Avs finally put their own egos aside and did what was best for the club.

Also, the line of O'Reilly, Landeskog and Downie was the most productive line for the team all season last year. On either side of the ice, these three were making things happen whether it be a big hit or a huge defensive play that ended in a last second overtime goal. At the beginning of the season, most teams would've looked at that line as a third line but by the end of the season, they were a top line. Any GM with even half a brain could see that this is the kind of line that needs to remain together.

The last lockout saw the Avs have to say goodbye to fan favorites, and franchise legends, Peter Forsberg and Adam Foote due to salary cap constraints. This time around, there is no reason the team can't afford to hang onto such an important piece. As of right now, the Avs only have a little over $50 million in salary against a cap of $70.2 million for this season. Money cannot be an excuse after this lockout.

The Avalanche know exactly how important O'Reilly is to the team and especially the fans. All around the League, teams are thinking of ways to make this dumb lockout up to the fans. I can't see the Avs being any different. Sure it's a ballsy move by O'Reilly to force the Avs to make a higher offer than they may have originally wanted but the organization owes it to the fans and especially the very deserving O'Reilly..

Why the Avs need to trade for Bobby Ryan

Earlier tonight, Ducks GM Bob Murray told the LA Times' Helene Elliott that everyone on the Ducks roster is in play except for Teemu Selanne and Saku Koivu. Yes, this includes the big 3 of Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry and Bobby Ryan who just last season no one would of ever thought would be for sale.

Bobby Ryan is an interesting one as his name has already surfaced in trade rumors earlier this season. Another thing to note there is that the Avs did have some interest in possibly trading for Ryan. Sure, a lot of other teams also had interest and for good reason. Ryan is only 24 years old, in his 4th full season and has scored at least 30 goals in every season so far. The only player taken before him in the 2005 draft was some guy named Sidney Crosby. He also comes with some good size at 6-2 209 lbs. He may be having an off year with only 13 goals through 37 games but honestly who on that Ducks team is having a good year? Also, on his current pace he's still going to get pretty close to 30 goals.

He would fit in great with this Avs team who is one of, if not the youngest teams in the League. He already has more goals than anyone else on the team (in a down year). He is also a pure goal scorer which is one thing the Avs could really use in the top 6. With the exception of Hejduk, the Avs have no wingers who are capable of scoring 30-40 goals on the wing. Maybe Gabriel Landeskog will get there one day but after Hejduk is gone are the Avs supposed to rely on only Landeskog to score the goals?

Another argument is that Paul Stastny needs a winger to play with. That's a valid point since they've stuck him with just about everyone on the team including fellow center Matt Duchene. Ryan would be a huge upgrade to a Stastny centered line over guys like Winnik, Kobasew, Porter etc. They have also already played together for the USA during the Olympics 2 years ago so there should even be some chemistry. This would also take Duchene back to his natural center position to give the team added center depth.

Only problem is what the Ducks would want in return. In that same interview with Helene Elliott, Bob Murray said he is not interested in draft picks and would only want core type players if his core players are traded. This would mean for Ryan they would probably want a Duchene, Stastny or O'Reilly. Those 3 also would be considered untouchables from the Avs standpoint. One deal I would try to work out is one that centered around David Jones. Throw in a top prospect like Tyson Barrie and the other 2nd rounder that we still have and maybe Murray would think about it. Jones would have to start scoring for that to work out though. Another option would be to give them 2 forwards like Jones and Peter Mueller to give them some added depth on the wing.

Bobby Ryan is one of the top young players in the game right now and if the Avs are serious about wanting to build for the future, this could be the elite goal scorer that could help take them to the next step. It's all speculation at the moment and there's no guarantee that the Avs will even make an offer now that they've started winning again but it should definitely be something Greg Sherman and co. take a long hard look at.

Avs back in playoff spot after win over Kings

If you were to ask any of the hockey experts out there if they thought we would be sitting here just after the new year and have the Colorado Avalanche, they would probably all say no way. Well here we are 3 days into the new year and the Avs find themselves holding down the number 8 seed after their shootout victory over the Los Angeles Kings last night at Staples Center.

The Avs got a break early when Jason Williams allegedly tipped the puck into the net with a high stick. It didn't look like it was high but the war room in Toronto felt otherwise since they kept with the call on the ice that it was no goal. The Kings kept the Avs in their own zone for much of the 1st period and ended the first 20 with a 12-5 shot advantage but couldn't score a good goal.

It didn't take long for the Kings to find the back of the net in the 2nd period. King's captain Dustin Brown was able to slip the puck between Semyon Varlamov's legs just over a minute and a half into the period. The Avs were able to keep the shots a little bit closer in the 2nd but the Kings still had the 9-7 edge in the period.

Jonathan Quick looked like he was on his way to his league leading 6th shutout heading into the 3rd but Ryan O'Reilly had other plans. With just under 6 minutes left to play in the 3rd, he made a nice move around a Kings defenseman and fired a beauty of a wrister off the pipe and in the net on the far side of Quick.

Varlamov stole the show. He was brilliant the whole game and the reason the Avs held on for the win as he stopped some really good Kings chances in the final frame and all 3 shooters he faced in the shootout. Varly improved to 6-0 in shootouts. He ended the game with 31 saves and was the game's 1st star.

The win gave the Avs a 22-18-1 record on the season and moved them into 8th place in the West 1 point ahead of San Jose. The Avs have played the most games in the league so the teams behind them all have games in hand. It is very important that the Avs just keep winning to avoid losing that spot. Avs now have a 3 game win streak and have won 8 of their last 10 overall.

Avs Offseason Moves

Well, we're now into August and it doesn't appear the Avs will be bringing anyone else into the team. Since the team played their last game of the season, they have been building up for next season and into the future. Management has made some bold moves that could either make or break the team.

The offseason started on the last game of the season when captain Adam Foote announced his retirement after a very solid 19 year career which included 2 Stanley Cups with the Avs and a brief stint with Columbus. Foote was never very flashy but he was the rock on the back end that opposing forwards hated playing against. While it was apparent that last season would be Foote's last through his play on the ice, his presence off the ice will be missed next season. It won't be long before 52 is raised to the Pepsi Center rafters either.

The Entry Draft saw a few more additions to the organization and one that is a lock to make the team next season. Gabriel Landeskog was taken with the 2nd pick, the highest the Avalanche have ever had since coming to Denver. Landeskog was said by many to be the most NHL ready player in the draft. His combination of size, skill and leadership screams Mike Richards, a type of player the Avs desperately need especially after Chris Stewart was shipped off.

The other 1st rounder the Avs received was from St. Louis in the Stewart-Johnson trade. It was the 11th overall and they used it to select Stefan Elliott's defense partner Duncan Siemens from Saskatoon. He's a physical defenseman who is compared to Scott Stevens. Siemens has stated that he has no intentions of changing his style of play at any level. He's still a year or two away from cracking the Avs lineup. The other draft picks brought in at this year's draft were Joachim Nermark (4th round), Garrett Meurs (5th round), Gabriel Beaupre (6th round) and Dillon Donnelly (7th round). A lot of size added this draft.

Hours before the draft, the Avs shipped off veteran defensemen John Michael Liles to Toronto for 2nd round pick in next year's draft. The 2nd rounder will be Boston's so it likely will not be a very high pick. The move was made to make room for younger guys like Stefan Elliott, Tyson Barrie, or Cameron Gaunce who are all just about ready for primetime. Liles was the top puck mover but the prospects (mainly Elliott or Barrie) have higher ceilings than Liles.

Along with the Liles trade, free agency completely remodeled the back end both on defense and in goal. The Avs waived bye bye to both goalies who finished last season, Peter Budaj and Brian Elliot who went on the Montreal and St. Louis respectively. GM Greg Sherman knew goaltending was a problem and all signs pointed to veteran goalie Tomas Vokoun landing in burgundy and blue. That didn't happen for whatever reason and Vokoun ended up signing in Washington on the 2nd day of free agency.

The Caps had an open spot in goal because the Avs had acquired Semyon Varlamov from them for a 1st and 2nd rounder. This is a high risk high reward situation for the Avs. Varly is very athletic goalie who is capable of playing at a high level and is still just 23 years old. The problem, he has not been able to stay healthy but a new training regimen has him focused, strong and ready to show all the doubters wrong next season.

Backing up Varly will be veteran Jean-Sebastian Giguere. The former Leaf and Duck won the Conn Smythe in 2003 despite his Mighty Ducks' team's loss in the Finals. He was, however, a Cup winning goalie for the Ducks in their 2007 run. While he is older and no where near the level of play he was in 03 or 07, he is still a decent insurance policy in case Varly goes down with injury.

On defense, the Avs bulked up. Last season the back end was so small with Liles and Cumiskey or Hunwick. With the Likes of Erik Johnson, Ryan O'Byrne, Kyle Quincey and Ryan Wilson, the Avs also added 6'4" 237lb veteran defender Jan Hejda from Columbus and 6'3" 230lb Shane O'Brien from Nashville. Both guys are steady stay at home defensemen who are very capable of playing physical hockey. Hejda should be a good mentor and partner for Erik Johnson and also should take some pressure off Ryan Wilson so he won't have to get top pairing minutes anymore. Slotting both those guys in should give the Avs one of the biggest defense groups in the league.

The last move the team made was bringing in forward Chuck Kobasew from Minnesota. He's played full time in the NHL for 9 seasons and has scored 20 goals once with the Flames and twice with the Bruins but is coming off 2 pretty disappointing seasons for the Wild. He was brought in to add some scoring depth on the bottom lines and fill in for injury duties on the top lines.

The Avs have a very good core group of guys already in Stastny, Duchene, O'Reilly, Jones, Galiardi and Johnson. All of them should also get better next season and with the rebuilt defense and if Varlamov can stay healthy, play at the high level he is capable of, there is no question the Avs are a playoff team. Also with the potential arrivals of Stefan Elliott, Tyson Barrie and Gabriel Landeskog, the future is looking bright.

Vokoun interested in Avs?

Last week, I mentioned the Avs best option for a goalie would be Tomas Vokoun as he would only cost money and be a perfect stopgap until one of the prospects like Calvin Pickard or Sami Aittokallio are ready. Well it's sounding like Vokoun would be willing to accept an offer from the Avs. He told a Czech newspaper that he would accept an offer from the Avalanche and that he feels that they are close to contending for the Cup. Interesting stuff since most fans feel the team is still 3-5 years away from seriously contending.

Dater wrote tonight that GM Greg Sherman seemed pretty confident that the team will upgrade it's goaltending through free agency. Hopefully there isn't any tampering going on as that would leave a huge black eye on the organization who doesn't really need any more bad press coming off the worst season in Avalanche history. July 1 can't come soon enough.

A Tale of Two Luongos

When this Stanley Cup Final began, I was saying that the goaltending would be the best part about this series. In games 1 and 2, that was the case with Thomas and Luongo letting in a combined 6 goals on 133 shots. Since then though, Tim Thomas has been the only guy looking like a Cup finalist and Vezina candidate.

Luongo gave up all 8 goals in game 3's 8-1 loss (seriously, why wasn't he pulled?) and 4 more last night before being pulled. Roberto Luongo was the better goalie in games 1 and 2 and looked really focused, making great saves in those games. When the plane landed in Boston, the wheels fell off. He has now surrendered 12 goals in the last 2 games and some of the goals that have gone in have been really weak including a couple that he actually got a glove on.

Game 5 is going to be a very huge game for Luongo. If he falters again, the Bruins will have a chance to hoist the Cup in front of their home fans. All the momentum is in the Bruins favor and Luongo is looking like a goalie that has lost all confidence.

Goaltending Options

There's no denying that the Avs biggest weakness heading into next season is goaltending. Peter Budaj's days with the team are all but over as he won't be re-signed and Brian Elliott is a RFA who will more than likely return in a back up role next season. This leaves a hole in the starting position. The free agent pool is slim with little high end talent and now that Ilya Bryzgalov looks like he'll be off the market, the list is smaller.

The names that keep floating around are the young up and coming goalies from other teams, Jonathan Bernier from LA and Cory Schneider from Vancouver. That #11 pick in the draft would more than likely have to be sent off to acquire one of them so I don't see the Avs going in that direction listening to them say how important this draft is with those 2 high picks.

Back to free agents, Tomas Vokoun is looking like the best option for the team. He is 34 years old but could still could have about 3-4 good years left in him. He keeps putting up good numbers on pretty bad Florida Panthers teams having around a .920 save % every season in Florida. He would serve as a good stop gap until a Calvin Pickard would be ready to take the reigns assuming he develops as advertised.

Bryzgalov, although his rights were just acquired by the Flyers yesterday, is a possibility to still be out there come July 1. The Flyers will have to move out some cap space before signing Bryzgalov to a deal. It was rumored that Bryzgalov wanted $25 million over 4 years from Phoenix and the Flyers only would have around $4 million cap space, assuming the cap goes up to $63 million, with just 18 players signed not including Ville Leino who they would like to keep. Even if Bryz is still out there July 1, that price tag is not worth it and the Avs likely wouldn't give out that much coin anyway.

JS Giguere is also out there. Like Vokoun, he is 34 years old but unlike Vokoun, he hasn't maintained consistent numbers. Dwayne Roloson will probably re-sign in Tampa if he decides to play next season given the season they just had with him in net. If not, he's still 41 years old so probably wouldn't be good for more than a year. Josh Harding from Minnesota is an interesting one. He looked like a young promising goalie before missing most of last season with an injury. It may have been playing in Jacques Lemaire's defensive system that made him look better but I could see the Avs giving him a chance like they did with Craig Anderson. He's only 26 still too so just going into his prime.

Hearing Joe Sakic and Greg Sherman talk about goaltending being a big focus makes me feel a little optimistic that they might actually fork out some money to fix that hole. Would they go over $6 million for Bryzgalov? Probably not. But a guy like Vokoun for $4-5 million I could see them doing. Goalie is the one position you can't go cheap on as Philly found out this season so it'll be interesting to see how the Avs handle this one.

4 For Rome

Very rarely does a league suspension ever strike me as too long but that is exactly how I feel about the Aaron Rome suspension. The hit was a good hockey hit that just happened a little late. Had the hit happened a second sooner, there wouldn't be anyone even talking about a suspension.

This suspension could last into next season if the series doesn't go to 7 games. Ridiculous for a hit that was only a second from being a legal hit.

As for the game, I loved seeing the Bruins come out in the 2nd and 3rd and rally for their fallen teammate, who by the way will miss the rest of the season. More feel good stuff, in a game where 7 different Bruins scored a goal, it was the ageless Mark Recchi who potted 2.  Truly a great story there. Right now all the momentum is in the B's favor.

Draft Thoughts

Due to the building not being available, we're forced to wait an extra day between game 1 and 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals. So what else is happening in the hockey world today? The scouting combine. With the draft less than a month away, the top prospects are going through rigorous fitness tests and interviews with NHL teams.

This is going to be an important draft for the Avs since they have 2 1st rounders. Joe Sakic, Greg Sherman and the Avs scouting staff more than likely know who they're taking with the picks already.

I know the Avs will probably just go the best player available route and I fully support that philosophy but I just hope they get 1 forward and 1 defenseman with those 2 picks. If I were the Avs, I'd look to Adam Larsson with the 2nd pick then Mika Zibanejad or Joel Arnia with the 11th pick. If Larsson goes 1st then the Avs would have a choice of some other great players. In that case, I'd be happy with Jonathan Huberdeau or Gabriel Landeskog at 2 then grabbing the giant Jamie Oleksiak at 11. Whatever happens, the Avs will have 2 great players in the near future.

What a Game

Game 1 last night had just about everything a hockey fan could want in a Stanley Cup Finals game. Brilliant plays made by both teams, exciting back and forth action, a lot of shots (70) and hits (61), a dive by Henrik Sedin who fell to the ice like he had just been shot after being touched by a Bruins player, and Alex Burrows biting someone.

I wrote yesterday that this is one of the best goaltending matchups in the Finals since 01 and game 1 showed why. If 1-0 games are supposed to be boring, well Tim Thomas and Roberto Luongo didn't get the message. Luongo stopped all 36 shots he faced while Thomas stopped 33 of 34. These 2 set the tone for what should be an exciting series.

Just about everyone is picking Vancouver to win this series, myself included. Many also have said that it will probably be an easy series for the Canucks. Last night showed that wont be the case. I think Boston showed that they are capable of hanging with Vancouver and still stand by that 7 game prediction I made.

What Thrashers leaving means to Avs; SCF predictions

So unless you're living under a rock, you should've heard that the Atlanta Thrashers are relocating to Winnipeg next season giving Jets fans a team to cheer for again. According to Gary Bettman, the new Winnipeg team (which is yet to be named) will play next season in the Southeast division before moving to the Northwest division in the 2012-13 season.

The Northwest makes the most sense for the team to play in as they would be grouped with the other western Canadian teams. Obviously some western conference team would be forced to move east. There have been rumblings that Nashville would be moved to the east and play in the SE. I have also heard come people say that Columbus or Detroit could be moved east. That would also mean that one of the Wild or Avs would be booted out of the NW. Here's how I think the divisions should be realigned (teams in bold are the changes):

NW - Cgy, Col, Edm, Van, Wpg

Pacific - Ana, Dal, LA, Pho, SJ

Central - Chi, Clb, Det, Min, Stl

SE - Car, Fla, Nsh, TB, Wsh

NE - Bos, Buf, Mtl, Ott, Tor

Atlantic - NJ, NYI, NYR, Phi, Pit

---

Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals is tonight and if there is one team I'd hate to see win the Cup, it is Vancouver. I do believe that Vancouver has the edge in offense, defense and special teams however, I think the most even category in this series is between the pipes. This is probably the best goalie matchup that the Finals has produced since Roy and Brodeur went head to head in 01. This season's Vezina favorite, Tim Thomas, is very capable of stealing games and even series.

I would love to see Thomas, Chara and the B's hoist Lord Stanley's Cup, however, I believe that it will be Vancover in 7.

Should be a great series.

Return of the King

Peter Forsberg has finished all of his immigration stuff and joined the team in Columbus yesterday. He took part in this mornings skate and then announced that he will be in the lineup tonight when the Avs play the Blue Jackets. He will play on a line with Milan Hejduk and Matt Duchene.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5

Time to worry?

Ok so it is well known now that this Avs team is starting to sink and a top draft pick is starting to look like a reality. The defense has been terrible (why did we trade Hannan again?) and the goaltending has been a little sub-par (being very generous). They have only seen 5 victories in the 13 games since the new year started. This slide has taken the Avs all the way down to 12th place in the still tight Western Conference. While this is starting to look all doom and gloom, I'm here to offer a some sunshine on the whole situation.

The Standings

At first glance, the Avs look like they're out of it being in 12th place and all. However, the Avs sit just 3 points behind 8th place Phoenix. Wait, it gets better, the Avs also have 2 games in hand over both the 7th place Wild and the 8th place Coyotes.

Injured players returning

David Jones left last Wednesday's game against the Coyotes after suffering a shoulder injury. It was later reported he would be out indefinitely. Well apparently indefinitely means a little over a week as Jones is set to play tomorrow afternoon against the Ducks. He will add some much needed size and hopefully some scoring.

Ryan O'Reilly who hasn't played since January 14 against the Wild after that scary crash into the boards won't be suiting up tomorrow like Jones but he will be back in the next few games. He's been practicing with the team all week. He'll be a huge upgrade on the defensive end and penalty kill.

While probably a ways off, Peter Mueller has been skating with the team finally. This has been his first time on ice since his latest concussion suffered in the preseason. He is probably still anywhere from a few weeks to a few months away from returning but his presence on the ice alone should give the team and the fans a little more excitement.

The Foppa factor

By now, everyone is aware that former Avs star Peter Forsberg has been practicing with the team in hopes that he can return to the NHL this season. His foot appears to be feeling much better and he should be making his decision pretty soon. I'd have to agree with Dater that we will be getting a decision before the team leaves for the next road trip on Sunday.

With the loss of Tomas Fleischmann and not having Mueller all season, the Avs have become short at left wing. Forsberg would be a huge upgrade at the position even if he isn't at 100%. He's a guy who is nearly impossible to take off the puck. His vision can only be rivaled by guys like Sidney Crosby, Joe Thornton or Henrik Sedin. And the main thing Foppa will bring (other than ticket sales) is veteran leadership for the young guys.

Also, Matt Duchene is pretty happy about it.

Trade Deadline

While the Avs look like they'd be in a position to sell off pieces, the standings are too tight right now and they're still in alright position to make the playoffs. The biggest need for this team right now is defense and goaltending. Upgrading the defense would probably help in the goaltending department as Anderson and Budaj are being peppered with high percentage shots every night. Some players the Avs should consider to help on the back end include Boston's Mark Stuart who is rumored to be on the block as well as Edmonton's Kurtis Foster. Another possibility is Chris Phillips from Ottawa who could just need a change of scenery. The Avs need to get bigger on the back end and these guys would help in that department.

While it is looking like there may be little hope that the Avs will make the playoffs, with the right moves made by the players and management, there is still a lot of reason to believe that this team can do it. It needs to start happening now though before it is too late. Already feels like playoff hockey.

Colby Cohen Shipping Up to Boston

The Avs once again showed they have a pulse as GM Greg Sherman pulled the trigger on another trade today acquiring Matt Hunwick from the Boston Bruins. In exchange, the Avs sent prospect Colby Cohen to Boston where he spent the last 3 years playing for Jack Parker at Boston University.

Hunwick is another small (5'11" 195 lbs) puck moving defenseman which the Avs seem to love seeing as how they have a few of those already on the team and in the minors. He has tallied just 3 points (1G 2A) in 22 games played this season. However, Boston plays a very defensive minded game so the move to Denver could work out very well for him since Joe Sacco loves this up tempo high offense game.

On paper, it seems like a pretty bad trade for the Avs seeing as how Colby Cohen was pretty close to being NHL ready and has that booming shot from the point. There were some questions about his skating ability but those could still be fixed. Hunwick was a salary dump for the Bruins as they are trying to shed salary to get Marc Savard back from a concussion.

Many fans are going nuts about this trade but I'm sure there were things that management saw that we can't see in Cohen's or Hunwick's game. Given our recent trading history (Winnik, Mueller, Porter, O'Byrne), I don't have any reason to feel this will be a bad trade for the Avs.

Jack Edwards of NESN had a great article about Hunwick today. He seems like he's a great fit for the type of player this organization looks for.

A day to give thanks

Today is the American Thanksgiving and I'm sure everyone is set to be with their families to eat turkey and watch some football...err I mean Avs hockey tonight against the Oilers! A few days ago, Mike Verminsky over at Put It On Ice Blog made a post with numerous Avs fans/bloggers and what they are thankful for this Thanksgiving. Here are the things I am thankful for this Thanksgiving:

I am thankful for Joe Sacco for getting all these young guys playing a very fun to watch style of hockey. While it is very offensive, he still demands the boys be responsible defensively. It's been awhile since we've seen this kind of excitement from the Avs.

I am thankful for injuries because it gave Budaj a chance to gain some more trust from coach Sacco so he can play more and give Andy some more rest. Also, because we have now seen how beastly Kevin Shattenkirk will be for us.

I am also thankful for Peter Budaj playing like he did during Andy's absense. He gave us a chance to win every game he started was a huge reason we sit atop the NW division

Lastly, I'm thankful for Greg Sherman and co. for staying on course with the rebuild despite some tempting free agents that were out there that probably would've set us back a few years *cough*kovalchuk*cough*.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Vote for Avs in the All Star Game

Fan balloting for this years All Star Game begins today. The ballot features 3 Avs - Anderson, Stastny, and Hejduk. Head over to http://vote.nhl.com and get some Avs in the game.

While you're at it, write in Chris Stewart who's name, for some reason, was left off the ballot.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5

Thoughts on the O'Byrne deal

As everyone in the hockey world may have heard, the Avs made a trade today with the Canadiens bringing in a monster of a defenseman in Ryan O'Byrne. They gave up prospect Michael Bournival of Shawinigan of the QMJHL. The move wasn't surprising as the Avs defensemen seem to be dropping like flies lately even though Foote should be back soon and they were forced to play with 4 rookies last game.

This is a pretty big deal for the Avs as O'Byrne will bring some much needed size to the back end. At 6'5" 230 pounds, he's the biggest defenseman the Avs have now. From all accounts, he uses his size and likes to hit, he blocks shots, and he's not afraid to drop the gloves. Fans probably shouldn't expect him to put up Mike Green type numbers offensively but he will help solidify the back end with his physical play.

O'Byrne wasn't working out in Montreal. It seems like ever since this goal, the coaches never had the same confidence in him as he never really saw consistent playing time after that. Montreal is no easy city to play in because of the expectations the media and fans put on the players. O'Byrne fell victim to this and the change of scenery could be exactly what he needs. Guillaume Latendresse is a good example of what a move out of Montreal can do for a players confidence.

The loss of Bournival is certainly pretty big as he's starting to make a name for himself and playing himself onto the radar of Canada's World Junior squad. He was drafted this past June in the 3rd round (71st overall) and has put up 24 points for the Cataractes in just 17 games. He wasn't going to make the Avs anytime soon and should be able to be replaced in the upcoming draft.

Joe Sacco said that O'Byrne will be available to play tomorrow night when the Avs head to Columbus to take on the Blue Jackets. Foote will not play and neither will Ryan Wilson who is suffering from a blood clot in his leg.

Shattenkirk gets the call

Last season (and the end of the 08-09 season), there was a lot of excitement for me from the Avs because there were players getting their first shot at the NHL level. It was exciting because we finally got to see how our past drafts had worked out. Seeing 1st rounders Chris Stewart and Matt Duchene, 2nd rounders TJ Galiardi and Ryan O'Reilly, and late round guys like David Jones and Brandon Yip have such solid seasons was huge in establishing an identity for this club which it had lacked since the lockout.

This season didnt really look like it was going to have that same kind of excitement. The offensive core was pretty much set. Defense was still going to be old and slow. Goaltending was no question. Well thankfully there were injuries because not only have we already seen and been pleased with Jonas Holøs, but tonight we get to finally see 2007 1st round pick Kevin Shattenkirk.

Shattenkirk got the call yesterday and got word from coach Joe Sacco that he would receive a jersey for tonight in a big game against division leader Vancouver. Like we've been seeing recently, Sacco will go with 7 defensemen. Sacco also said Shattenkirk will play on the 2nd PP unit.

Shattenkirk was drafted to be a PP quarterback and he was great at it while playing for Boston University. While having not recorded a point yet this season with Lake Erie, he has been getting better all around as the season has progressed. Lets hope his PP magic will finally come around while he's up with the Avs.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.4

Avs open preseason with a W

The Avs (well half of them anyway) opened up their 2010 preseason schedule tonight with a 3-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues. There was no video feed of the game but thanks to some Blues fan, there was audio for those of us who weren't lucky enough to live in Denver.

The Avs were without their top 2 centers Paul Stastny and Matt Duchene and scoring wingers Milan Hejduk, Chris Stewart and Peter Mueller. They did get a healthy David Jones back after his knee injury last season. Jones contributed in a big way scoring a goal that ended up being the game winner. Rookies Kevin Shattenkirk, Colby Cohen and 2010 5th rounder Luke (sky)Walker made their Avalanche debuts as well. Shattenkirk scored the opening goal and Walker put the Avs up 3-1 just 30 seconds after Jones' goal.

All the offense came against the goalie who shut down Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby in the playoffs last season, Jaroslav Halak. Halak played the whole game and stopped 15 of 18 Av shots. Peter Budaj started the game for the Avs. He played half the game and stopped 9-10 shots while Trevor Cann came in for Budaj and played a very solid game stopping all 24 shots fired on him.

The Avs play again tomorrow night at the Pepsi Center against the Kings. I'd bet good money on Craig Anderson getting his 1st start of the preseason as well as some offensive help of Stastny, Duchene, Hejduk, Stewart and Mueller.

Avs and Mueller Finally Reach Agreement

Just about one week before training camp is set to begin, the Avs and restricted free agent Peter Mueller have finally come to terms on a new 2 year deal worth $4 million. Mueller will get $1.5 million next season and $2.5 million in 2011-12. Not a bad value for Mueller especially since the Avs were still under the salary cap floor - the only team that was still that far down.

Mueller only had 37 points last season with the Coyotes and the Avs but 20 of those points came in the 15 games he played after he was dealt to the Avs at the trade deadline. He was a major reason why the power play started picking it up at the end of the year as he was able to get off quality shots and scoring chances from the right point (something the defensemen were unable to do).

His point total after coming to Colorado probably had him thinking huge pay day but that last concussion he received after being put into the boards by Rob Blake had something to do with the lower salary. He missed the entire playoff series with the Sharks with that concussion and it was his 2nd concussion in his young career. The 2 years he received is a fair contract as it will give him enough time to show that he can stay consistent and injury free before being paid the big bucks.