PSUDO-Seson's End Report Cards

[chewey]

I know we still have a few games left, however officially clinching the playoffs this team can breathe a sigh of relief that they've made it. I expect us to rest some of our top guns as we approach the final games to let them rest for the playoffs and potentially see a call up of Elliot and other prospects. I hope for this, but doubt it.

So with that said, here are my final grades for each player:

[CENTER]Matt Duchene: A[/CENTER]

[CENTER]PTS: 70 (23 G / 47 A)
GP: 71
+/-: +8
GWG: 6 (T: RoR)[/CENTER]

Our best offensive player. Was consistent throughout the year. He did have a small gap of the season after the Olympics were he did not score goals (could easily be due to him being over played) but still put up the assist. It is great to see him using his line mates more this season than constantly going to the opposing team's end, doing a spin-o-rama resulting in a turn over. He has also flat out taken over some games this season too and has a team leading 6 GWG. An example of his ability is the game against the Nucks where the opposing team couldn't contain his speed and strength on his goal and assist setup despite having 2+ guys covering him.

[CENTER]Paul Stastny: A- to B+

PTS: 52 (21 G / 31 A)
GP: 63
+/-: +10[/CENTER]

Arguably our best defensive player with Landeskog this season. Without a doubt having a great 2nd half of the season.

First Half (Oct - Dec): 37 GP, 11 G, 14 A, 25 P
Second Half (Jan - Cur): 26 GP, 10 G, 17A, 27 P

Not sure if the late surge is due to getting more comfortable with line mates, getting use to the system, or motivation to play for a better pay day. Either way, if this continues he will be producing like the Paul Stastny of old. Think this season does show that given the proper line mates and coach, Stastny can produce.


[CENTER]John Mitchell: B

PTS: 28 (10 G / 18 A)
GP: 69
+/-: +12[/CENTER]

Arguably the most frustrating player to watch on the team. He has skills to be a top 6 forward but his lack of IQ and ability to pass hold him back from reaching that level. Too often have we seen Mitchell go into the opposing team's zone with the puck, to take a shot or dangle through defenders instead of waiting for support or passing it to the open man.

With that being said, he is still a great 3rd line centre. He is at worst average defensively and does create opportunities in the opposing team's end. Plus, majority of the goals he scores seem to come at good times during the game. Usually when the Avs are down (this is off memory, too lazy to support idea). He also scored the GWG to clinch us to a playoff spot too!

[CENTER]Marc-Andre Cliche: C

PTS: 6 (1 G / 5 A)
GP: 68
+/-: -13[/CENTER]

Relatively average if not unspectacular. Should not be slotted higher than the 4th line. If he is on your 3rd line, you will see his weaknesses be more apparent. Overall I don't think he has caused us any games or gaffs. Hunwick and Cumiskey were worse roster players that had a bigger negative effect than Cliche, so he's got that going for him.

[CENTER]Ryan O'Reilly: A

PTS: 58 (26 G / 32 A)
GP: 58
+/-: -3

BONUS ROUND!
GWG: 6 (T: Duchene)
PIM: 2
Takeaways: 76 (league leading)[/CENTER]

Being asked to play a different position seems to be easier for some players than others. Moving to LW from C was barely a hick-up for RoR. Though you can argue that if he was playing centre he would be the team's best defensive player, him playing on the wing allows Duchene to have more freedom offensively without worrying about the defence and due to his ability to takeaway the puck create more chances for the duo in the offensive zone. His point production also hasn't missed a beat being moved looking at career highs in goals, points and potentially assists. He is also currently tied for 9th in points for a LW and given his defensive ability you can support the argument he has been a top 10 LW in the game this season.

[CENTER]Gabriel Landeskog: A

PTS: 61 (24 G / 37 A)
GP: 73
+/-: +21[/CENTER]

What. A. STUD. THOR-MUFFIN. Consistent throughout the season. He is still hitting people but not going out like a wrecking ball in his rookie season. This is great to see as his playing style would have resulted in injuries sooner in his career but he is developing into a Iginla-type player where he can play physical and smart. This will help him have a longer, more successful career. On top of this he has also faced the opposing team's best line with Stastny and effectively shutting them down. Arguable the best defensive player this season with Stastny. I had expectations of Landeskog being a 30/30 guy in his draft year but he may surpass that and be a 30/40 player. He is close to that already this season and may reach/break it.

Also, to note, Landeskog is 7th in points for LW, 4 points behind the top 5. Given his defensive ability he too has been a top 10 LW this season.

[CENTER]Nathan MacKinnon: A+

PTS: 56 (23 G / 33 A)
GP: 74
+/-: +20
GWG: 5[/CENTER]

18 years old and won't turn 19 until next year's camp (Sep 1), leading the rookie scoring race in points and goals. Broken Wayne Gretzy's record for consecutive games with a point by a rookie. Third in the team with 5 GWG behind RoR and Duchene by 1. Franchise Player? I think so. Kid's speed, strength, IQ are off the chats and won't be long before he is this team's best player.

[CENTER]PA Parenteau: C

PTS: 33 (14 G / 19 A)
GP: 53
+/-: +5[/CENTER]

From his lack of playing time in the top 6, to his feelings about his role on the team, rumors of being upset, defensive gaps, taking terrible penalties and injuries PAP has struggled this season. Though he looked the PA of old after returning from his last injury (5 Pts / 6 GP) it could have been a better year. I am not sure how this season effects his role on the team heading into the future as we have shown to be able to win without him and could be a trade bait/chip. Hopefully not for Rene ****ING Bourque. I would love to see him come back healthy next season, though this team will need to address the defence somehow.

[CENTER]Alex Tanguay: N/A[/CENTER]

Unable to grade a player that often was not in the lineup. Hopefully we can get a healthy Tanguay for next year as while he was here, he was great.

[CENTER]Maxime Talbot: B+

w/ Avs:

PTS: 22 (7 G / 15 A)
GP: 62
+/-: +3

w/ PHI:

PTS: 2 (1 G / 1 A)
GP: 11
+/-: +1[/CENTER]

I was at a loss when we traded Downie for Talbot as I am sure many of you were. We needed help on defence and were unsure as to Roy traded for Talbot. Despite his slow start, we certainly are not complaining about the results of the trade now. Downie has been in and out of injury with the Flyers and still taking bone headed penalties. Talbot has been a pleasant surprise offensively, healthy which given the injuries to PAP/Tanguay is a big plus in this lineup and a beast defensively. He is the perfect 3rd/4th line grinder player. Someone who can effectively kill penalties, chip in every now and then and disciplined. He also seems to have a extra gear that is starting to show and given his playoff success in the past, he can help our younger players.

[CENTER]Jamie McGinn: B- to C+

PTS: 34 (18 G / 16 A)
GP: 71
+/-: -4[/CENTER]

Along with Mitchell, McGinn has also been a polarizing player to me. He has the skills to be a top 6 player but lacks the consistency to put it all together. While his overplay at both ends of the ice has improved since coming to the Avs I still am left a little disappointed on his performance now to where it was when he first arrived. With that being said, he is a solid top 9 forward. Can fill in the top 6 during injuries and not hold our players back and provide an offensive spark when playing on the 3rd line. He is still physical, not afraid of contact and has room to grow/develop at 25 years of age. He looks to be a 20/20 type player heading into the future which is not bad to have at all. He is the best Galiardi/Jones-ish type forward we've had in this role.

[CENTER]Erik Johnson: Ninja Edit!: A (Originally had: A- to B+)

PTS: 35 (8 G / 27 A)
GP: 72
+/-: +3[/CENTER]

[s]I wanted to give Johsnon an A. I really did. However[/s] EJ, like all other Dmen, had his inconsistent offensive play throughout the year (10 points in 9 games, 3 points in 1 game) and overall play at parts of the year (i.e. right before the olympics, though in his defence he was playing injured) [s]hold him back from getting that grade[/s]. With that being said, there is a lot to love about his play this year. He has been a beast defensively, taken over games and due to Roy's confidence in his ability his offensive play has started to flourish again. Even better, his shots from the point are actually getting through more often now. It still misses the net or hits someone in the leg, however it is far less than before. No longer is he just a "no. 2 dman due to his limited offensive ability but defensive play". He is trending towards a no. 1 defence man. If he can continue this play into next season, be more consistent offensively and put up a 10G/30A + campaign, I'd have no issues calling him a no. 1 dman then.

Highlight of the year for him: http://video.avalanche.nhl.com/videocenter/console?id=2013020107-269-h

[CENTER]Jan Hedja: B

PTS: 16 (6 G / 10 A)
GP: 70
+/-: +6[/CENTER]

Hedja has looked better this season than previous ones. Looking more confident and knocking guys off the pucks. With that being said, he has been inconsistent in his games at times throughout the year. Some games he and EJ are the perfect no. 1 - no. 2. Other games he should clearly be a no. 3 - no. 4 dman with Barrie. Part of the inconsistency can be due to him being asked to play a bigger role than he should and he has provided us with solid defence. I cannot recall a time where he has made a bone headed move or cost us a game. That is great for a dman. He is definitely an un-sung hero of our defence.

[CENTER]Tyson Barrie: F-, for proving me wrong. B+ otherwise.

PTS: 32 (10 G / 22 A)
GP: 57
+/-: +16
GWG: 4[/CENTER]

Tyson Barrie clearly needs to work on his defensive game. If we based the role of no. 1 - no. 6 based on defence alone, I'd be hard press to put him anywhere near a no. 4 or better. He needs to get stronger if he ever wants to hold up against bigger/physical teams like Boston, LA, SJ, Flyers or he might find himself on the 4th line again. With that being said, it is something that is workable given his IQ. His offensive instincts cannot be taught, he has a great vision on ice and despite his size he isn't afraid to battle for the puck/be physical. His offensive is without doubt top notch and has an impressive 4 GWG in 57 games for the team. He gets a B+ as his offensive ability did translate later on in the season and had periods of questionable performance at the beginning of the year. It is great to see a success story in this team in regards to developing a dman and if/once he rounds his defensive ability, he will be a no. 3 dman in the mold of Boyle-Rafalski range.

[CENTER]Semyon Varlamov: A+

GAA: 2.49 (22nd)
SV%: .926 (T-4th w/ Bishop)
W: 37, League Leading
Shots Against: 1853, 2nd in the league (1st is Mike Smith at 1871 with 4 more games played which Varly will likely overcome by next game)[/CENTER]

If I had to pick and MVP this season, it would be Varlamov. He has easily stolen a game or two (okay, maybe he stole the entire season.. same thing!) for the team. Given this team's defence you have to be at awe at his stats. He also played a few extra games for team Russian in the Olympics despite being unable to win a medal, his performance was solid there as well. I would argue he definitely should get a Vizena nomination with Bishop and Rask with Rask ultimately winning. Working with Francois Allaire has obviously helped him this season and if he can provide this level of performance again next year, I would easily have him in the top 5-10 goalies in the league. His performance this year has been that of a top 5 goalie.

[CENTER]AVS Marketing Team: F -

Though I am sure the team had fun, I'd like to give a big fuck you on the gay video. [/CENTER]

Too lazy for the rest.

[chewey]

Talbot has been an amazing pickup for us. Haven't had someone in his capacity since Winnik or Yelle.

Don't understand your range for EJ's score. Everybody has streaks.

Thinking on it more, I agree that I may have been a little too hard on EJ. I feel that if he was more consistent with his point production he would be a elite no. 1 and honestly he is being faulted for my expectations. He has surpassed any general expectation that was set on him before the season so he should get an A.

[chewey]

I think the future will be good for him now that he's shaken off the expectation demon.

What expectation demon are you referring to? Not being a dick, honestly EJ has had lots of expectations ....

If we acquire somebody like Markov, Boyle, Edler, or Enstrom, that might help EJ a lot. Hejda has been excellent but on any good defense he's a 2nd pairing guy. Not necessarily saying those previous four guys are all surefire 1st pairing guys, but setup with EJ, there'd be a bit more offense and movement from the pairing, and blueline presence.

I think Enstrom would be fantastic. Markov + Boyle while skilled are at the end of their careers. I am sure they would want to make bank and/or go with a championship challenging team (Boston/LA/Pens/Chi). Edler seems like a "project". While I do not think he fits Trots system, I would be concerned who would be helping who more in the EJ - Elder relationship. Plus the Nucks will likely be asking for a ransom for him.

Kulikov, Methot, Enstrom, Bogosian, Greene might be good targets. I am not sure on how available they are but would help EJ.

[VLoo]

What expectation demon are you referring to? Not being a dick, honestly EJ has had lots of expectations ....

That's his point. Moreso in St.Louis, but when he came over here I think a lot of people expected him to be something he wasn't/hadn't developed into yet. Those have kind of dissipated and he just started playing and this year has happened. Should give him a lot of confidence going forward.

[Brain of J]

Landy leads the NHL in primary 5 on 5 assists. Who ever saw that coming? He's been a tank all year.

[NHL33]

That's a lot of text.

[ABasin]

A: I think pretty much the first two lines get A's - Duchene, Landeskog, O'R, MacKinnon, Stastny. They've all been quite good all over the ice. I'm giving EJ an A also. Dude's finally putting up points, and he's playing sound defense. His turnaround has been fantastic.

B: Mitchell, McGinn, Hejda, Barrie, Holden, Talbot. Mitchell, McGinn, and Hejda are solidly in the B category. An awful lot of people rag on Mitchell, but that dude is pretty versatile and valuable. I'm happy he resigned, his over handling of the puck notwithstanding. McGinn's been pretty consistently good. Hejda was worthy of an A at the midseason mark, but he's tailed off a bit lately. Barrie and Holden get this grade for what they do in the offensive zone, period. Both guys' defense isn't very good. Talbot's doing what he's supposed to do.

C: Guenin, Benoit, McLeod, Bordeleau, Cliche, Giguere, Parenteau. Maybe I'm being too hard on the 4th line, but they're just so-so. Cliche PK's pretty well, but he's awful handling the puck and in the face-off dot. Bordeleau's fun and all, but if he's not the worst regular skater in the NHL, I don't know who is. Guenin/Benoit - meh. Giguere - meh. Parenteau? Not sure what to make of him, but he was nowhere near the player the Avs had last year.

D: Malone, Sarich. Maybe neither guy has been really this bad, but they're both just out there. Sarich played a nice first 10 games or so, but looks very, very slow now.

F: Wilson. Dude's career is parked on the side of the road.


A+: Varlamov. Team MVP of the season, without a doubt.

[WarriorOfGandhi]

Karl Stollery gets an A and everyone else gets an F

[chewey]

That's his point. Moreso in St.Louis, but when he came over here I think a lot of people expected him to be something he wasn't/hadn't developed into yet. Those have kind of dissipated and he just started playing and this year has happened. Should give him a lot of confidence going forward.

Fair enough.

A: I think pretty much the first two lines get A's - Duchene, Landeskog, O'R, MacKinnon, Stastny. They've all been quite good all over the ice. I'm giving EJ an A also. Dude's finally putting up points, and he's playing sound defense. His turnaround has been fantastic.

B: Mitchell, McGinn, Hejda, Barrie, Holden, Talbot. Mitchell, McGinn, and Hejda are solidly in the B category. An awful lot of people rag on Mitchell, but that dude is pretty versatile and valuable. I'm happy he resigned, his over handling of the puck notwithstanding. McGinn's been pretty consistently good. Hejda was worthy of an A at the midseason mark, but he's tailed off a bit lately. Barrie and Holden get this grade for what they do in the offensive zone, period. Both guys' defense isn't very good. Talbot's doing what he's supposed to do.

C: Guenin, Benoit, McLeod, Bordeleau, Cliche, Giguere, Parenteau. Maybe I'm being too hard on the 4th line, but they're just so-so. Cliche PK's pretty well, but he's awful handling the puck and in the face-off dot. Bordeleau's fun and all, but if he's not the worst regular skater in the NHL, I don't know who is. Guenin/Benoit - meh. Giguere - meh. Parenteau? Not sure what to make of him, but he was nowhere near the player the Avs had last year.

D: Malone, Sarich. Maybe neither guy has been really this bad, but they're both just out there. Sarich played a nice first 10 games or so, but looks very, very slow now.

F: Wilson. Dude's career is parked on the side of the road.


A+: Varlamov. Team MVP of the season, without a doubt.

More or less what I had as well. Agreed!

[NHL33]

Skaters
Duchene: A
Best team forward during the regular season.

MacKinnon: A
Second-best for large stretches during the regular season. Seemed to tire at the end, but was rejuvenated for the playoffs, where he was arguably our best forward. Never was out-of-place as an 18 year-old...unreal.

Stastny: A
One of the best forwards during the regular season, and right up there with MacKinnon during the post-season.

O'Reilly: A
Handled the transition to the wing extremely well. I think he actually struggled at times offensively, but it all came together. Not an easy job to do but he accomplished it with aplomb.

Landeskog: A-
Growing as a leader but still had his moments of inconsistency. His best has yet to be seen.

Mitchell: B
Good 3rd line center not devoid of offense. Can fill in at times in the top-6 when desperately needed. Lacks passing skill / vision, but that's what makes him "Johnny Malkin". Hard-nosed player.

Talbot: B
Playoff warrior and served his purpose as helping solidify the third line. Not enough offensive punch - unsurprisingly - to warrant a higher score.

McGinn: C+
Inconsistent and had a hard time even making himself feel present until maybe around mid-season.

Parenteau: C-
Strong regression from last season and a likely trade candidate. Did not fit in.

McLeod: D+
Suspension neutered him. Ended up as a shell of his former self. Needs to step up his ES and PK play.

Cliche: D
Great PKer, but nothing else. Cannot play ES or on PP. I don't believe he was very good on faceoffs either.

Bordeleau: D-
Big and an awkward skater. Does not assert himself physically at all times, which is what he needs to justify an NHL roster spot. Not likely to fight even when the occasion may warrant it. AHL player.

Tanguay: INC
Good presence when healthy, but he was injured most of the time. Was a boost to the PP. Easy upgrade over Jones, but hopefully we can get to see a lot more of him next season.

Hishon: INC
He had, what? Three games? Not the easiest debut and while he showed some good puck skills, it's a nothing sample size. Hopefully back in '14-15 to bolster our depth.


Defensemen
EJ: A
Stepped up to being a #1 defenseman, with a clear increase in regular season offense. That offense dipped in the playoffs, but overall an excellent campaign.

Barrie: B+
Terrible start at the beginning of the season, but clearly stepped up to be a pivotal cog in the offense & defense, with more than adequate defense being provided. Excellent (limited) playoffs.

Hejda: B
Inconsistent, with stretches of #2 caliber defense. Although he had broken fingers in the playoffs, we've seen him be flaky at times even when (seemingly) healthy in the regular season. Great veteran presence but a 2nd-pairing defenseman playing above his role due to the roster make-up.

Holden: B-
Defensively shaky but did show enough offensive skill to warrant his third-pairing position. Might be replaced by in-house options like Elliott moving forward, but has a cheap cap hit. Boosted to B- for his playoff showing.

Benoit: C- to C
Started off strong maybe the 1st half-dozen to dozen games, but the bottom fell out after that. Streaky, with a good finale in the post-season for himself. Unfortunately for him he was outplayed by Holden.

Guenin: C- to C
Good PKer and at times decent on ES (defensively), but realistically belongs with our AHL affiliate or as #7 defenseman.

Wilson: D
Mostly injured, and when healthy not very good. He has shown some promise in the past. None to be found in '13-14.

Elliott: INC
Not much playing time.


Goalies
Varlamov: A+
Team MVP. Stellar play behind a less-than-stellar blue line. His play was Hart caliber and he was strong in the playoffs too. Immense.

Giguere: C- to D+
Regression from last season.

Berra: F
Here's hoping next season is better...

[stan:getz]

I defended the Berra trade when it went down, presenting the point that Roy and Allaire obviously saw something they really liked in him.

It's still too early to say they were wrong, but that's a pretty large disappointment for sure. It seems like his size and movement are okay, but his head is not. That's not really something that's easily fixable as a 27 soon to be 28 year old goaltender. I really do not like to see mentally weak players in the organization. It doesn't fit the mold of the team we saw this season at all. They know it, and you saw how their play was totally deflated when he was in the nets, even before he started giving up goals.

[chewey]

I defended the Berra trade when it went down, presenting the point that Roy and Allaire obviously saw something they really liked in him.

It's still too early to say they were wrong, but that's a pretty large disappointment for sure. It seems like his size and movement are okay, but his head is not. That's not really something that's easily fixable as a 27 soon to be 28 year old goaltender. I really do not like to see mentally weak players in the organization. It doesn't fit the mold of the team we saw this season at all. They know it, and you saw how their play was totally deflated when he was in the nets, even before he started giving up goals.

Thankfully all of your past goalie predictions have been off (Bryz/Holtby) so ..... Berra for Vizena next year?

Jokes aside, he had looked terrible in Calgary and Avs. It sucks that Oilers traded for Schrivens first as I'd rather have traded our 2nd for him. Hopefully spending the summer training and working more with Allaire will get him to be a dependable backup.

E: Corrected Allure with proper spelling. Thanks V-man.

[VLoo]

Actually deleted the post cause I didn't want to look like a snarky dink, but glad I could help.

[stan:getz]

Thankfully all of your past goalie predictions have been off (Bryz/Holtby) so ..... Berra for Vizena next year?

Jokes aside, he had looked terrible in Calgary and Avs. It sucks that Oilers traded for Schrivens first as I'd rather have traded our 2nd for him. Hopefully spending the summer training and working more with Allaire will get him to be a dependable backup.

E: Corrected Allure with proper spelling. Thanks V-man.

I don't think I was way off base for Holtby. That team is a fucking mess.

What did I say about Bryz? That he was awesome? He was in Phoenix. I was unaware of his complete mental instability then. So in that case, I was wrong.

Although he is still playing, and Varlamov is not..

[chewey]

I don't think I was way off base for Holtby. That team is a fucking mess.

Fair enough. He also has time and I am sure if he got a good goalie coach/proper development he too could be a good goalie.

What did I say about Bryz? That he was awesome? He was in Phoenix. I was unaware of his complete mental instability then. So in that case, I was wrong.

Yep, you were big on Bryz before he signed with Flyers. You did admit that he should be the team's offseasons' plan once Anderson was traded but admitted we couldn't be able to afford him. Bullet dodged!
Don't think anyone was aware of his mental instability before the TV series.

Although he is still playing, and Varlamov is not..

Too soon man, too soon.

[VLoo]

Honestly though, the looks I got of Bryz in various WC's and time in ANA plus his solid play in PHX, I was a big fan of his. Was a very smooth player moving around the net and I really enjoyed watching. He seemed to have gotten a bad case of fumblefuckitis and is no longer able to stop the puck very well, but he still looks pretty good not stopping pucks. Just one of those things.

[ABasin]

Skaters
Duchene: A
Best team forward during the regular season.

MacKinnon: A
Second-best for large stretches during the regular season. Seemed to tire at the end, but was rejuvenated for the playoffs, where he was arguably our best forward. Never was out-of-place as an 18 year-old...unreal.

Stastny: A
One of the best forwards during the regular season, and right up there with MacKinnon during the post-season.

O'Reilly: A
Handled the transition to the wing extremely well. I think he actually struggled at times offensively, but it all came together. Not an easy job to do but he accomplished it with aplomb.

Landeskog: A-
Growing as a leader but still had his moments of inconsistency. His best has yet to be seen.

Mitchell: B
Good 3rd line center not devoid of offense. Can fill in at times in the top-6 when desperately needed. Lacks passing skill / vision, but that's what makes him "Johnny Malkin". Hard-nosed player.

Talbot: B
Playoff warrior and served his purpose as helping solidify the third line. Not enough offensive punch - unsurprisingly - to warrant a higher score.

McGinn: C+
Inconsistent and had a hard time even making himself feel present until maybe around mid-season.

Parenteau: C-
Strong regression from last season and a likely trade candidate. Did not fit in.

McLeod: D+
Suspension neutered him. Ended up as a shell of his former self. Needs to step up his ES and PK play.

Cliche: D
Great PKer, but nothing else. Cannot play ES or on PP. I don't believe he was very good on faceoffs either.

Bordeleau: D-
Big and an awkward skater. Does not assert himself physically at all times, which is what he needs to justify an NHL roster spot. Not likely to fight even when the occasion may warrant it. AHL player.

Tanguay: INC
Good presence when healthy, but he was injured most of the time. Was a boost to the PP. Easy upgrade over Jones, but hopefully we can get to see a lot more of him next season.

Hishon: INC
He had, what? Three games? Not the easiest debut and while he showed some good puck skills, it's a nothing sample size. Hopefully back in '14-15 to bolster our depth.


Defensemen
EJ: A
Stepped up to being a #1 defenseman, with a clear increase in regular season offense. That offense dipped in the playoffs, but overall an excellent campaign.

Barrie: B+
Terrible start at the beginning of the season, but clearly stepped up to be a pivotal cog in the offense & defense, with more than adequate defense being provided. Excellent (limited) playoffs.

Hejda: B
Inconsistent, with stretches of #2 caliber defense. Although he had broken fingers in the playoffs, we've seen him be flaky at times even when (seemingly) healthy in the regular season. Great veteran presence but a 2nd-pairing defenseman playing above his role due to the roster make-up.

Holden: B-
Defensively shaky but did show enough offensive skill to warrant his third-pairing position. Might be replaced by in-house options like Elliott moving forward, but has a cheap cap hit. Boosted to B- for his playoff showing.

Benoit: C- to C
Started off strong maybe the 1st half-dozen to dozen games, but the bottom fell out after that. Streaky, with a good finale in the post-season for himself. Unfortunately for him he was outplayed by Holden.

Guenin: C- to C
Good PKer and at times decent on ES (defensively), but realistically belongs with our AHL affiliate or as #7 defenseman.

Wilson: D
Mostly injured, and when healthy not very good. He has shown some promise in the past. None to be found in '13-14.

Elliott: INC
Not much playing time.


Goalies
Varlamov: A+
Team MVP. Stellar play behind a less-than-stellar blue line. His play was Hart caliber and he was strong in the playoffs too. Immense.

Giguere: C- to D+
Regression from last season.

Berra: F
Here's hoping next season is better...

Agree with everything pretty much, except Bordeleau. He was more effective than McLeod for much of the season, minus the PK.

[NHL33]

Agree with everything pretty much, except Bordeleau. He was more effective than McLeod for much of the season, minus the PK.

I would be OK with Bordeleau if he wasn't so flaky. McLeod isn't a PK god but at least he seems somewhat NHL caliber with that input. Bordeleau, though, is so hit-and-miss on a regular basis; he doesn't want to be a fighter and doesn't need to be, but he does need to punish on the forecheck and he doesn't do that consistently.

[ABasin]

I would be OK with Bordeleau if he wasn't so flaky. McLeod isn't a PK god but at least he seems somewhat NHL caliber with that input. Bordeleau, though, is so hit-and-miss on a regular basis; he doesn't want to be a fighter and doesn't need to be, but he does need to punish on the forecheck and he doesn't do that consistently.

Fair enough. In the end, I felt that Bordeleau's overall production wasn't awful for a 4th line scrub. He does hit, he can fight, and (and this may sound nutty) he is a positionally sound player. He knows where he's supposed to be on the ice and does his best to get there. Clearly, his hands and skating aren't NHL caliber. But if they're going to have a heavyweight on the team, he's not a bad choice. If you line up all of the NHL heavyweights in their 20s and look at their non-fighting hockey abilities, I'm guessing he wouldn't compare poorly.

[The Seaward]

Dump em all.

Whole new team.

[WarriorOfGandhi]

my opinion of Bordeleau will forever lie on a shift he had a year or so ago. The other two forwards had knocked the puck out of the zone, gone on the forecheck, and had sustained pressure...only to have the play blown dead...because Bordeleau was in the neutral zone starting a fight.

[NHL33]

Fair enough. In the end, I felt that Bordeleau's overall production wasn't awful for a 4th line scrub. He does hit, he can fight, and (and this may sound nutty) he is a positionally sound player. He knows where he's supposed to be on the ice and does his best to get there. Clearly, his hands and skating aren't NHL caliber. But if they're going to have a heavyweight on the team, he's not a bad choice. If you line up all of the NHL heavyweights in their 20s and look at their non-fighting hockey abilities, I'm guessing he wouldn't compare poorly.

I don't necessarily disagree with the assessment of Bordeleau, but I think he's useless because I disagree philosophically. Enforcers are pointless to have on the roster and are a dying breed. I think Malone is a career AHL player and I'd rather play him before Bordeleau any day of the week.

my opinion of Bordeleau will forever lie on a shift he had a year or so ago. The other two forwards had knocked the puck out of the zone, gone on the forecheck, and had sustained pressure...only to have the play blown dead...because Bordeleau was in the neutral zone starting a fight.

For an enforcer he hardly ever fights though. It's like Laraque - sure, great fighter, but what's the point if there is generally little interest? He's not really going to protect other players necessarily.

Again, I don't think he needs to be a fighter, but with the game the way it is today, you need to forecheck hard...less so to strip the opposition of the puck, and more to grind them down. It's actually unfortunate since it deteriorates the game, but that's not going away and he doesn't fill that role. So, what purpose does he truly serve and is it sufficient? I say no to the latter.

He seems more effective than he is - arguably - since when he does strike, it is with impact. I don't believe it occurs very often though.

I will credit him for not being dumb. AB is right in that he does know where to go, so the IQ is fine for a 4th liner, but as stated other basic hockey skills are mediocre.

[ABasin]

I don't necessarily disagree with the assessment of Bordeleau, but I think he's useless because I disagree philosophically. Enforcers are pointless to have on the roster and are a dying breed. I think Malone is a career AHL player and I'd rather play him before Bordeleau any day of the week.

For an enforcer he hardly ever fights though. It's like Laraque - sure, great fighter, but what's the point if there is generally little interest? He's not really going to protect other players necessarily.

Again, I don't think he needs to be a fighter, but with the game the way it is today, you need to forecheck hard...less so to strip the opposition of the puck, and more to grind them down. It's actually unfortunate since it deteriorates the game, but that's not going away and he doesn't fill that role. So, what purpose does he truly serve and is it sufficient? I say no to the latter.

He seems more effective than he is - arguably - since when he does strike, it is with impact. I don't believe it occurs very often though.

I will credit him for not being dumb. AB is right in that he does know where to go, so the IQ is fine for a 4th liner, but as stated other basic hockey skills are mediocre.

I have no problem with the "heavyweights are a dying breed" mantra. And you may be right.

However, if Roy believes he needs one (heavyweight), then he has a fairly OK one. Bordeleau had 6 fights in last year's half-season, and 6 more this season, but he was fucked by a wrist ligament (or some such) injury for a lot of the season. Let's assume half. 12 fights (on average) in a season isn't "he doesn't fight". He does. And he's pretty good at it. If you believe in that sort of thing.

Another thought to ponder is this: is it the number of fights that is the gauge of such a player, or the number of shitty/dirty hits to skill players that don't happen? Subjective, I know. But a thought to ponder.

And the dude runs $1M per against the cap. Mice nuts.

[NHL33]

However, if Roy believes he needs one (heavyweight), then he has a fairly OK one. Bordeleau had 6 fights in last year's half-season, and 6 more this season, but he was fucked by a wrist ligament (or some such) injury for a lot of the season. Let's assume half. 12 fights (on average) in a season isn't "he doesn't fight". He does. And he's pretty good at it. If you believe in that sort of thing.

Another thought to ponder is this: is it the number of fights that is the gauge of such a player, or the number of shitty/dirty hits to skill players that don't happen? Subjective, I know. But a thought to ponder.

And the dude runs $1M per against the cap. Mice nuts.

Well, I was judging him from memory in scenarios where I felt we needed an answer and he wouldn't respond. It's very arbitrary and subjective on my part. I don't believe I am wrong, but it is possible that I may be guilty of confirmation bias; the stats should carry reasonable weight. We'll never know the true importance of each fight unless one of us goes back to review every such game...and it's completely not worth the effort.

I don't remember his injury this season, so my bad on that. Not sure if it's significant to my perception of him as a player. I will say, however, that back when I periodically checked on the Lake Erie Monsters' forum 3+ years ago, there were some complaints about his consistency and willingness to fight.

I'm OK with him. Never hurts to have (potential) protection just in case...better than not. But if we're going to carry him then we need to upgrade on McLeod and Cliche.

[chewey]

The dirtiest players in the NHL aren't deterred by "heavyweights" because they never fight them anyway. I've never bought into the "protection" myth.

I got to agree with hek here. Cooke did more damage to this team than Bordeleau did to the entire Wild. Yea, he was big and talked a lot but didn't stop other team's players from taking a run at us (Cooke vs. Barrie, Koivu vs. Landeskog, Nino/Stooner vs anyone else). While I disagree on the "protection" myth as I do feel your players need to be protected I disagree on the way the Avs are doing it with Bordeleau. They would be better "protecting" the players if they had someone like Lucic/Marchand/Torres/Cooke/Burrows. Players who have a perception of being dirty and do cross the lines at time but have no issues standing up to the other team's players and making them hurt by being a pest. Plus they do not cause the team to be shorthanded often with players like Downie/Ronaldo/Avery/etc.

I think you need security, but a "enforcer" is a outdated system. Skilled pests are better.

I think the Avs know this and getting a player like the ones I mentioned above isn't easy, I feel that it is something the Avs would like to acquire. I am hoping the Avs draft Lemieux this draft but at the same time, that may be a waste of a pick.

[NHL33]

Is he the second coming of Claude? Roy gooning it up?

[chewey]

Is he the second coming of Claude? Roy gooning it up?

I haven't followed this year's draft at all but from all reports (*ducks from KayEl*) he does play similar to his father. Roy already realizes our need to address size. I am sure he will work on support our offense with skilled, smart pests. Too bad Downie lacked the "smarts".

[ABasin]

Well, I was judging him from memory in scenarios where I felt we needed an answer and he wouldn't respond. It's very arbitrary and subjective on my part. I don't believe I am wrong, but it is possible that I may be guilty of confirmation bias; the stats should carry reasonable weight. We'll never know the true importance of each fight unless one of us goes back to review every such game...and it's completely not worth the effort.

I don't remember his injury this season, so my bad on that. Not sure if it's significant to my perception of him as a player.

Agree on that 'not worth the effort' thing. But he did hurt his wrist this season - some ligament damage or something like that - and the docs told him he couldn't fight. That lasted a couple of months at least.

The dirtiest players in the NHL aren't deterred by "heavyweights" because they never fight them anyway.

I agree. Which is why I always felt that Chris Stewart was valuable to the team. A guy like that (or Lucic, or Simmonds, or Backes ) who can play on a scoring line and fuck up guys who mess with the skill players, is far more valuable than any "enforcer".

I'd take Stewart back on the roster, btw.

[chewey]

I'd take Stewart back on the roster, btw.

I believe that bridge is burned. IRRC 2PadStacked stated that Stewart sent himself out when he got in a fight with Adam Foote. Considering Foote may have some input in this management setup, doubt he'll be back. I also don't think this team would do well with two potential floaters. So essentially you'd be looking to trade PaP.

I wouldn't mind Stewart back if he plays with Stastny as those two were magic but I think he is going to head down a "Wolski" path.

[NHL33]

This team looks so dead. It's like they're not even playing.