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Long Shadows

July 2, 2011 By

There are three banners hanging beside the center ice scoreboard in the Pepsi Center that cast long shadows on the ice.  The shadows reach from end to end, and are particularly dark near the goal crease.

The one with the number 77 on it has the shortest shadow of the three.  Some people who aren’t fans of the Colorado Avalanche don’t think it should be there, and I’m sure there are some fans who agree.  Ray Bourque was with Colorado for a moment, but his presence was as necessary to the Stanley Cup winning team as any other person on the ice.

The shadow cast by the banner with the number 19 is pretty long.  It also has the captain’s C on it, and that is the part that makes this shadow particularly insidious.  The Avalanche had a great captain in Joe Sakic.  He was a leader on the ice, and in the locker room.  But the key word is ‘was.’  He retired as a player and moved to the front office when it was time to do so, but it is as if the rest of the organization and the fans don’t want to move on.  Moving on doesn’t have to mean forgetting the past, but it’s time to put the past where it belongs.  There is a reason the NHL keeps going back to nostalgia when it comes time to sell something.

The number 33 banner is the hardest to overcome.  The shadow is a back breaker, because it is held so highly in the minds and hearts of the fans.  Patrick Roy was an unbelievably good goaltender, the kind that doesn’t come along very often.  He helped change and refine the position.  And he left the crease for good when it was time.  He moved on, but the fans don’t want to move on.  They still want Roy back.  They want him as a coach, a GM, and falling short of that, they want his reincarnation.

The Avalanche needed three things desperately coming off the bust of last season: goaltending, a bigger defense, and goaltending.

The Avs gave up two draft picks to sign Semyon Varlamov, and wound up bringing in JS Giguere, both for two years.  Eerily similar to Craig Anderson, the Avs are taking a chance on Varlamov, and if it pans out, they will look like geniuses.  It looks like a huge price to pay, until you start looking at how many top draft picks have worked out for the team, and how many goaltenders that were drafted by the Avs ever played for the Avs.  HockeyDB provides the Avalanche draft history, and when you take it all in, it’s an interesting picture.

Here’s the goalies drafted by the Avalanche to play in the NHL through their history, starting with the most recent:

Tyler Weiman – Drafted 2002 –  Played 1 game (16 minutes in relief) for the Avs

Peter Budaj – Drafted 2001 – Played 242 games for the Avs

Philippe Sauve – Drafted 1998 – Played 17 games for the Avs

David Aebischer – Drafted 1997 – Played 174 games for the Avs

Marc Denis – Drafted 1995 – Played 27 games for the Avs

Brent Johnson – Drafted 1995 – Played 0 games for the Avs

This is only a list of goalies the Avalanche drafted.  It doesn’t include draftees of the Quebec Nordiques, such as Tim Thomas, who never played a game for the Nords.  You may have heard of him?

The thing with that list is, the most successful goalie, in terms of games played and longevity in the league, never played for the Avalanche (and you can include Tim Thomas in that as well).  The ones who did play for the Avs did so in the shadow of Roy.  How does your guy feel when you read their names?  Most of them are disappointing, but I don’t feel like it was entirely deserved.  The Avs haven’t developed a goalie that could steal games like Roy could, or like Craig Anderson could in his first season with the Avalanche.  Taken in that context, to me, a first rounder and a second (that is made up for with the trade of John-Michael Liles to Toronto for a second round pick) seems like a small price to pay for a good goalie.  He doesn’t have to be Roy, and hopefully he won’t be held to the fire to be Roy.

The defense got bigger starting with Eric Johnson coming to the Avs for Stewart and Shattenkirk (who I think will be the one who got away), and the Liles trade made way for Jan Hejda, a free agent signing by way of the Columbus Blue Jackets.  Ever since Scott Hannan was traded to the Washington Capitals, the need for shutdown defensemen was obvious.  If the Avs have their men, then that need was addressed, even if it isn’t completely solved.

The final shadow belongs to the captain.  The Avalanche are only one person removed from the captaincy, and that was a fairly obvious choice at the time.  There wasn’t another person who had the respect of the team, or the fans, to wear the C.  But by continuing to hold out and make the C a bigger deal, it becomes heavier and heavier.  The Avs are going to have to announce a captain at some point, and the longer they hold out, the worse it is going to be for the person who has to wear it.  The obvious choice to me is Paul Stastny, and if it doesn’t work out or someone else steps up in a few years, give it to them.  It’s sacrilege to the faithful, but you shouldn’t even try.  Joe Sakic was the original captain, and after that, it’s someone else’s turn.  Let them do it their way.

Those shadows, they loom large, but they aren’t helping.  Living in the past doesn’t work anymore.  By continually looking back and wishing things were like the old days, there is no room for the new.  There isn’t room for success, or possibility.  It’s time to let the boys be boys.  Let them play, without having to live up to the standards of 2001, and come out from the shadows.  It’s time for the new Avalanche to emerge.

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Free Agency Afternoon Thoughts

July 1, 2011 By

Just some general thoughts on day one of free agency:

Florida Panthers – Dale Talon has a lot of people scratching their heads today, but I’m not one of them.  Talon knows how to build a team, and the team he’s building looks a lot like the 2010 Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks.  They don’t have the younger draftees, and they don’t seem to have a rookie goalie in the wings to scoop the team up, but he looks like he could be a few years away from just that.  I don’t doubt the man, so long as he stays comforably away from the upper limit of the salary cap.  And considering he is in Florida, that shouldn’t be an issue.  Jose Theodore is the new Christibol Huet, Scotty Upshall is the new Dustin Byfuglien, and Brian Campbell is still Brian Campbell.  I don’t know where Jovanovski fits in yet.  The big difference here is that Florida got better.  That’s been a long time coming.

Vokoun – I don’t think we will hear much from Vokoun until later, but his options are waining.  It’s been suggested that the Panthers should have given him one more year, but I couldn’t imagine how that would help Vokoun.  His market value is as high as it’s going to get, even as his options for locations are shrinking.

Jagr – AH HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!! But seriously, it’s probably Jagr’s last year in the NHL ever.  He needed to follow the money.  Heart has never been his strongest suit, but it was kind of a dick move for Ray Shero to try and tug at those heartstrings.  Manipulative? Maybe.  But Jagr made them pay.  Hockey hate in Pittsburgh is going to be at an all time high.

Christian Ehrhoff – What a joke of a contract.  Two signing bonuses? A signing bonus 4 times the amount of the salary for the year it’s handed out? Just a freaking joke.  Contracts like this give the owners more ammo for the next CBA.  This is the bastard child contract of Brian Campbell and Ilya Kovalchuk.

Colorado Avalanche – I’ll do more on the Avalanche later, but for now, the best I can say is that they got better.  They worked towards filling holes on the club with the available market.  I’ll go deeper later.

Carcillo to the Blackhawks – AH HAHAHAHAAH!!!!! Oh, how the Canucks are going to hate the Hawks twice as much next year.

Erik Cole – I would have liked to have seen him in an Avs jersey.  He’s quietly good, the kind of player the fans like here in Colorado.

 

Overall, lots of teams got better today.  I think the overall sentiment online has been, “why can’t I be a GM?”  In this market, there are more role players than difference makers.  If you had a hole to fill, this is the market to do it in.  If you need big stud, you have few options, and you will pay for them.

More later….

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Varlamov to the Avs: Why I’m Not Worried

July 1, 2011 By

Semyon Varlamov is now an Av.  After making a lot of noise about going to the KHL, the Avs traded a first and second round pick for Varlamov, and the Capitals got out of a bind.

To Caps fans, the general sentiment on Varlamov is, don’t let the door hit you.  It reminds me of how fast the Avalanche faithful turned on Budaj after his stellar season that almost shoehorned the Avs back into the playoffs in 2006-07, after Jose Theodore (who signed a two year deal with Florida) tanked.  Then again, Budaj and his agent weren’t talking smack about the Avalanche either.

The knee-jerk reaction on twitter (which is where I go for my calm and well thought out analysis) is that the Avalanche overspent by a country mile on this deal.  A first and a second is a lot to give up for what was essentially negotiating rights, and word is the 2012 draft is kind of deep.  And the Avs faithful don’t think they will do much better next season than they did this season.

But then again, the Avalanche seem to be addressing some of their needs, regardless of the ‘rebuilding’ tag.  They have a much bigger defense (Liles and Shattenkirk out, Johnson, O’Byrne, and Hejda in), and from the goaltending tandem of Budaj and Elliot, we have Varlamov and (insert someone here).  It’s not like the Avalanche have been good at developing goalies anyways.  Look at the time spent on Tyler Weiman, and he was shipped off.  Vitaly Kolesnik didn’t get a legitimate shot,.  And the Avalanche system was stocked with third and fourth goalie talent last season, and doesn’t look much more promising this season.  At this point, if you were going to stick with Varlamov, and not go after Vokoun (which I am not convinced that the Avs are out of the Vokoun race yet), you might as well bring back Budaj (too late, 2 years with Montreal).  If there isn’t anything worth using in the system, why not give up a pick for a guy who at least has NHL talent?  If you can’t develop ‘em, buy ‘em.

It’s way to early to pass judgement on this deal.  People think Varlamov is washed up, but what do the fans know?  I’ll refer you to the fans in Boston who thought Tim Thomas was washed up a year after winning the Vezina.  He had lost the starting job (and justifiably so) to Tukka Rask.  One off-season hip surgery later, and he won the Stanley Cup, Conn Smythe, and his second Vezina.  I don’t think Varlamov is going to do the same thing, but there is a lot of unknowns for those of us who are sitting behind our keyboards.

In the end, it’s going to be up to Varlamov as to how good this deal is for the Avalanche.  If he plays his ass off, he will make those two draft picks less and less valuable for the Capitals.  Since he signed a 2 year, $5.5 million contract, he’s with the Avs for the foreseeable future.  I’m happy to sit back and see how it goes.

Besides, if the Avs can get this kind of thing from Varlamov, why not?  Maybe the Avs can capture lightning in a bottle again.

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Dog Days of Summer

August 18, 2010 By

Alf

Last summer seemed like the longest off-season ever. For me, it dragged and dragged, and I couldn’t wait for October to come. This summer has a different feel to it, with the impending approach of training camp and the start of the season feeling like a bulldozer riding up my ankles.

I’m looking forward to the start of the next season, but it sure does feel like summer is going by fast. Perhaps it’s the entertainment that we have had all year. I haven’t been chiming in much lately, so I just wanted to throw some thoughts up here.

I’m happy the NHL won the Kovalchuk case:

Yeah, I know. Evil Bettman. I’m not a Devils fan. Whatever. But I didn’t like this contract for a multitude of reasons. It did more than just circumvent the salary cap, it circumvented parity, created a false market for star players, and restored the have and have not spending of the pre-cap days. It also wasn’t bargaining in good faith, which should be expected across the entire leagues, all teams, all agents, and all players. I understand that some people didn’t want to see the NHL win this case. I’m certainly glad they did.

The Avalanche are doing nothing:

This is the offseason of our discontent. The Colorado Avalanche haven’t touched the free agent market, and that has some fans concerned. I don’t blame them, but for the moment, I’m going to take the approach that the Avs have confidence in their minor league system (which just fells strange to type), and are very happy with the team they have now. I would have liked to see the Avalanche plug a few holes in the lower end of the market (two 20 – 25 goal scoring wingers and a bottom three defenseman), but looking at the over-spending that went on in the first part of free agency, I’m glad they didn’t repeat the mistakes of a few years ago (how did that Ryan Smyth / Scott Hannan free agency ‘splash’ work out?). I wouldn’t be surprised if a few bargains are picked up along the way. I would rather see two half Kovalchuks on the team than the real deal.

Twitter is killing my blogging:

I’ve been on twitter a lot lately (@Tapeleg). It’s a great time waster, but also a great place for conversation (not every conversation is great, mind you). I got into hockey blogging to have a conversation about hockey, to talk to people about hockey in a way that I wasn’t getting in my day to day life. Twitter is decent for that, but it isn’t perfect. It does fulfill some of my needs as a hockey fan, but not all of them. Twitter is great for reactions and instant analysis, but that doesn’t mean it’s superb at either. And staying away from my blog make me a worse writer. Those stumbling blocks come up more often, and I get more frustrated when I haven’t been regularly writing. It’s time to get back to the blog.

Jerseys to come:

Remember when I hated the RBK EDGE jerseys? Yeah, about that. I still hate the EDGE 1.0 version, which are just garbage. And the retail versions are an insult to your wallet. More expensive for a cheaper product? If you buy an off the shelf jersey, you are being had. But the player’s RBK EDGE 2.0 jerseys? Pretty nice. I’m still not convinced of the cut, but it’s a huge improvement over the 1.0. I now own two 1.0 jerseys, and a 2.0, all player jerseys. The 2.0 is a much nicer jersey than I was expecting. I will have photos to post at some point.

I also have some more jerseys to post. Photos have been taken of some jerseys I have owned for a while. The new ones still have to be photographed, but their day will come. For now, I will go back into the archives. And check out the jersey posts from Jay at The Avs Hockey Podcast and from Greg at The Post Pessimist Association blog.

More to come, I promise.

And if you need your fix, there was a new episode of The Rink posted. You can find it here.

Filed Under: Avalanche, NHL Tagged With: ,

Free Agency Day, 2008

July 1, 2008 By

It’s always amuses me that Canada Day and Free Agency Day occur simultaneously. While it may make sense to some, Canada being a hockey mad country, I think the pain associated with losing a player in the free agent market would make many Canadians wish the two were separated (Ryan Smyth anyone?). Also, with phones that have data plans, I hope those of you keeping a constant vigil keep your eyes on the road, and don’t ignore the kids too much.

Twelve noon, every July 1st since starting this blog, a little buzzer goes off in my head. I get excited, and watch the screen. At 12:02 PM, I start pacing, and about a minute later, I start to realize that this is going to be a long day. A feeding frenzy doesn’t look like a frenzy until it’s well under way.

Last year, I had to get on a plane, and found out when I landed that Ryan Smyth had signed a five year deal with the Avalanche. As exciting as it was to get one of the big four free agents, I am yet to be seriously impressed with his output (55 game, 37 points, yee-haa).

The year before, I was salivating over my keyboard, and all I got for it was Tyler Arnason, and watching Rob Blake go to the Kings, and Dan Hinote go to the Blues. Disappointed? Sure. Could I see the writing on the wall, that the Avs would miss the playoffs? No.

This year, the Avs need goaltending help. The market is thin, and while conventional wisdom says that Jose Theodore is the best one out there, which should tell you about the market. The Avs still have Tyler Weiman in the system, but he needs a little more time down there before being a solid choice for the big club. Aside from that, what does the team need?

Defense? Sure, you can never have too much, but with Liles locked up, and Adam Foote signed, show me the holes?

Forwards? A few wouldn’t hurt, but until the decision of Joe Sakic is made (and for all we know, the decision will be made to be a free agent), there aren’t going to be any big splashes.

Check back later for updates.

1:39 PM EST: Andrew Brunette is back with the Minnesota Wild. Three disappointing things here. 1) He is no longer an Av. 2) He is back with the Wild. 3) TSN’s free agent tracker is so lame, this news hasn’t popped up yet. My reputable sources right now are Alanah at Kukla’s Korner and James Mirtle. Bloggers win again.

2:51 PM EST: I thought this was old news, but I guess not. From the Colorado Avalanche:

The Colorado Avalanche Hockey Club announced today that it has signed forward Per Ledin to a one-year contract.

Ledin, 29, spent this past season with HV 71 Jonkoping of the Swedish Elite League, where he tallied 33 points (16g/17a) and 137 penalty minutes in 52 games. The left winger finished third on the team in penalty minutes, fifth in goals and sixth in points. He also appeared in all 17 playoff games for Jonkoping, which captured the league title.

Um… OK. I have no idea what to make of this. Are the Avs still looking to make up fro the sins of Hlinka?

BIG UPDATE: 3:00 PM EST: Things are starting to pick up, with some Avalanche related signings. Jose Theodore is going to be with the Capitals for the next two years, and Kurt Sauer got signed by the Phoenix Coyotes for four years, continuing a tradition of Avalanche defensemen going directly to the ‘Yotes.

The Theodore signing is big for the Capitals, and could tip the team in either direction, depending on which Theo shoes up that night. I haven’t seen a dollar figure yet, but I can’t wait to see how it lines up with his previous contract. I’m guessing that a one year deal was all the Avs wanted to offer, and Theo was looking for two. But that’s only a guess. Now, if the Avs signed Huet….

3:12 PM EST: This was one deal I thought may happen, and puts the fear back in my heart. Andrew Raycroft signed a one year deal with the Avalanche. Seriously. One bad goalie for another? Peter Budaj had better be ready, or this could be a wild ride. This had better be a two way deal, meaning they can send him down to the minors if need be.

3:22 PM EST: The day is getting worse and worse. From Jori at Colorado Avalanche Prospects:

According to NHL.com, it is now confirmed that Mitch Love, Dan DaSilva and Tyler Weiman were not extended qualifying offers. All three are unrestricted free agents as of 10:00 AM MST today.

I like Mitch Love, and I think the world of Tyler Weiman. This sucks. Nuff said.

3:26 PM EST: It seems like as soon as I update, something else happens. Jeff Finger was just signed as a free agent by the Toronto Maple Leafs, for 4 years at 3.5 million a season. There was no way the Avs were going to sign him for that long, with the signings of Liles and Foote. I think the Leafs are overpaying for someone who isn’t as proven as other defensemen out there, but good for Finger. The debate will last around four years as to who the Avs should have signed, Liles or Finger, but I feel the right choice was made. Leafs fans, pray he doesn’t drop his stick.

3:32 PM EST: I’m reading that the Theodore deal was for 2 years at $4.5 million a year. And with that, you can forget about feeling bad about Jose moving on. Overpaid? Sure, but he’s able to play a market where goalies are a little harder to come by, and number one goalies are in short supply. I don’t feel much of a loss here, other than a few blogging stories about how bad he’s playing. I’m sure Raycroft will more than make up for things.

4:19 PM EST: I go to the grocery store, and the Avs sign Darcy Tucker. The Avs got him for 2 years at $4.5 million total. I guess this isn’t a bad deal, but we’ll wait and see.

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