Offseason plans

[ABasin]

So, that was fun. Now what?

UFAs: Stastny, Malone, Sarich, Benoit, Giguere.

In my opinion, all 5 of these guys are gone. Two have already been replaced, two are fringe players anyway, and Stastny will cost too much on the open market.

RFAs: O'Reilly, McGinn, Barrie, Elliott, Hishon, Carey.

I think they sign the first three of these (all fairly obvious, IMO), and possibly Hishon. Elliott? Not sure here.

O'R and Barrie simply must be resigned. Don't think we need too much detail there. Hishon should probably be resigned, since he's still a solid prospect (while healthy), but likely has very little trade value (because he's infrequently healthy). McGinn is a great 3rd line guy IMO, and I'd like to keep him on the team. However, he would be a good trade chip to get a defenseman, and if they have to move him to do that, I'm on board. Ditto for Elliott, since Barrie seems to be adequately filling the need for an offensive D, and Holden has shown he can do some of that also. If it costs Elliott to get a real defenseman, do it. Carey is a scrub.

Signed scoring forwards remaining: Duchene, MacKinnon, Landeskog, Tanguay, Parenteau.

All good here, but again, if they have to move either/both Parenteau/Tanguay for a solid defenseman, I'm cool with it (Tanguay likely has no trade value though). I think 20 goal wingers aren't terribly hard to find as FAs most seasons. The other three are obviously untouchable.

Signed checking forwards remaining: Talbot, McLeod, Mitchell, Bordeleau, Cliche.

Given that one or two of the above-mentioned scoring forwards will be playing on the 3rd line, this isn't a grotesque group. There are a few decent PK guys in that mix, they can pop a few goals, they can forecheck. I'd trade absolutely any one of them (or all of them) to potentially improve the team, and never think about it again.

Signed defensemen remaining: EJ, Hejda, Wilson, Holden, Guenin.

At this point, Wilson and Guenin shouldn't even be getting 3rd line minutes. They were pretty shitty hockey players there at the end. Holden has proven he belongs as a 3rd pairing guy, as he puts up good points, albeit at the expense of semi-shoddy defense. But that's what 3rd pairing guys often are. They do one thing well, some other thing not well. Hejda has one more year on his contract, and they need to keep him. EJ is untouchable. This shit needs work.

Goaltenders: Varlamov, Berra.

They've got a starter and a complete unknown, but they insipidly spent a 2nd round pick and almost $5M over three years for the backup, so he's here to stay.

Needs:

- A proper defenseman or two.
- A forward with some real size on one of the first two lines.

What do you think?


Oh, and can we get better food and beer at the arena, for those of us who don't put ourselves into poverty by paying for club seats?

[WarriorOfGandhi]

many scattered thoughts:

-letting Stastny walk is bad, but committing more than $5 million for his services is worse. He hasn't done better than 60 points since 2010 and likely will not be worth whatever dollar value teams will throw at him. Still a bummer to see him go, and a bummer that his legacy will be being the best player during the Avs' worst period in team history.
-Hedja fell off the map after the Olympic break. Not sure how reliable he can be as a top-flight shutdown guy going forward, would greatly prefer him on the 2nd pairing with Barrie.
-Top-pairing LHD is very clearly the team's biggest priority, which sucks because half the teams in the NHL would say the same. The best-case scenario is Siemans blowing everyone away at training camp and working up to the job, the odds of which I'd put at about 14%. UFA options are really lousy. I'd be happy to have Greene, who is at best a second-pairing guy, but that's about it.
-I like Holden a lot more lately than I did six months ago. His defense is lukewarm, but his ability to score goals from the slot is a welcome commodity. That said, if the plan is to have Elliott compete for a slot on the bottom pairing, it doesn't make much since to have two shooting dmen who cannot do much better than lukewarm defense. I'd say trade one or both of them, but how much value do they realistically have?
-I don't mind trading Parenteau or Tanguay, but I don't think any teams will want to trade a good defenseman for either of them.
-I profoundly doubt either Benoit or Sarich are brought back
-My faith-o-meter is reading a 0.0 in Berra. Sincerely hope that any of Pickard, Aitokallio, Millan, Patterson, whoever can push for the backup spot if he doesn't turn a corner
-I don't think we'll be anywhere remotely as happy with Roy this time next year.

[WarriorOfGandhi]

you seem obtuse, faggot

[VLoo]

WoG is quite surly lately. Everything alright there champ?

[WarriorOfGandhi]

it's possible i'm grouchy about last night

possible

[stan:getz]

You acute faggot

[NHL33]

PAP will get us a top-4 defenseman back. Unfortunately we need a top defenseman, and there's not too many of them around.

I'd kick the tires on 'retreads' that Dempsey has mentioned on and off during the season, like Campbell. If we do get an expensive guy, then the other team will need to retain some cap. For a team like Florida, I don't think it'll be a big issue.

Agree pretty much with everything that AB said. Need to shore up the bottom-6, which means improvements over the likes of Bordeleau, Cliche and McLeod, while building around Talbot.

Keep Hishon. Put him on the NHL roster. Go.

[NHL33]

Winnik. We should sign Winnik. Our PK improves markedly if we replace Cliche and Guenin with Winnik and Greene.

I'd re-sign him for under $2M if that's the cost. We originally let him go because he was seeking upwards of $3.5M, right? He had to settle for the $1.8M he's earning now once realizing the market was gone.

I'm OK with adding Greene, it'd be certainly welcome, but we need another defensive addition. I don't know about him on the 1st pairing.

??-EJ
Hejda-Barrie
??-Holden
Guenin/??

Although the sample size would have been small, I really wanted to see how Elliott fared in the playoffs. Oh well.

[NHL33]

I think Grabovski would be a good fit.

[chewey]

Winnik. We should sign Winnik. Our PK improves markedly if we replace Cliche and Guenin with Winnik and Greene.

Agree with this. Would love to get Winnik back and he is a big guy (6'3? 200+). Roy would like that!

I don't like losing Stastny one bit, but why don't we just replace him with Bolland at a discount? Stastny: 0 cups, Bolland: 2 cups.

Disagree completely. Bolland is a shell of his former self and is likely looking to make bank. I doubt anyone pays him 5M or over but I'd still stay clear of that bidding war. Getting someone like Kulemin / Goc / McClement would be a lot better for this team. They can handle the defensive end of things while allowing to spread the offense with MacK, Duch, RoR, etc. Plus, they can *stay* in a line up for a whole season. Kind of a big factor.

I think Grabovski would be a good fit.

Disagree on this. I think Kulemin would be the better fit on the team. Garbo is too inconsistent in his play. He started hot but had like... 5-6 points in his final 20 or so games? It was pretty bad... I also don't see him having chemistry with anyone on the team and be a large frustration.

[NHL33]

I'm suspicious of Belarusians. They're a swamp people.

You believe in Finnish sisu horse crap. I see through your bullshit.

Disagree on this. I think Kulemin would be the better fit on the team. Garbo is too inconsistent in his play. He started hot but had like... 5-6 points in his final 20 or so games? It was pretty bad... I also don't see him having chemistry with anyone on the team and be a large frustration.

I like Kulemin for the 3rd line too. I wouldn't worry too much about Grabovski's performance with the Capitals. Washington is a sink hole; maybe they'll be better with the management and coaching changes.

[chewey]

Have you considered that Bolland has been fouled in your eyes by his time in Toronto? Frankly, I think it's worth the risk to take him on, so long as we don't pay north of $4M for him. His impact on both Cup runs for Chicago was immeasurable. His absence is the reason I think LA or BOS beat them this year.

With his injury history & his overall play this season - no. Not at all. For a 1 year or 2 year deal? Sure, I would be willing to see how things go. However given what he will likely be looking for a long term contract, not at all. I know what he was, I don't think it is who he is anymore. With his injury history, he is closer to breakdown then stepping up. To each their own though.

I think that given this team's cap situation in the future, the need for a actual top paring/top 4 dman, the money is better off invested in other needs. If Bolland comes down to the reason as to why a team was eliminated ... there are other issues on the team not being addressed.

[VLoo]

I'm suspicious of Belarusians. They're a swamp people.

Small hands. Smell like cabbage.

[stan:getz]

Denverpost is hella fucked up right now

[WarriorOfGandhi]

Niskanen would help the team quite a bit, if not for the fact that he's a right handed shot

[NHL33]

Chambers says the Avs are very interested in re-signing Stastny still, and that Guenin could likely stick around in our plans, while Hejda may be out sooner than later:
http://www.denverpost.com/avalanche/ci_25692041/avs-do-list-taking-shape

Also says Niskanen possibly at the top of our shopping list this summer:
http://blogs.denverpost.com/avs/2014/05/04/sampling-pending-nhl-free-agent-defensemen-colorado-might-pursue/18192/

Guenin is a great story, but if we want to do very well next season I don't think you can pencil him beyond an emergency 7th defenseman or AHL call-up.

I would keep Hejda. He can be inconsistent at times but that's because he's being overplayed -- he's not a top pairing defenseman.

[chewey]

I think his injuries this year, playing for the Leafs, and his struggles overall might guarantee us a great deal on him. His year with the Leafs means nothing - it was the Leafs.

I think I am unintentionally misrepresenting my concerns to you. My concerns wasn't how he looked playing for the Leafs, my concerns are how he looked while playing.

I don't want the Avs to "David Clarkson" Bolland due to past success, which given his most recent play, is not indicative of future performance.

To each their own and we'll soon see what he ends up going for and to whom.

Denverpost is hella fucked up right now

When are they not?

I would keep Hejda. He can be inconsistent at times but that's because he's being overplayed -- he's not a top pairing defenseman.

I see no reason as to why the Avs would trade Hejda. The only scenario is where trading him makes the team significantly better. If that is the case, sure. However it is highly doubtful.

[chewey]

David Clarksoning Bolland is akin to Sean Bergenheiming Parise, it makes no logical sense in this universe.

Now it is possible we Bobby Holik Bolland, that's another story, and i'd agree: caution.

Fair enough, not the best example and the only one I could recently think of. But as long as we agree on caution, we're good!

[NHL33]

Watching what Gibson is doing for the Ducks, I had a thought because of how similar the Boudreau Ducks are to the Roy Avs. Maybe the secret to success for firewagon systems, or at least the secret to reaching the greatest possible ends against puck possession or defense-first teams (I'd say those teams have the upper hand in this era), is to lean on a really great goalie, shoot for as high PDO as possible, and stock up on talented and speedy d-men. Green and Varlamov might've been more instrumental to the Caps' success than Ovechkin, and if it wasn't for Crosby, they might've won the cup that year.

Dux have a lot of depth and high end talent. That's how they win. That's also how we win.

But they have a much better blue line. So calling them fluky is being disingenuous even if they are faux-contenders.

[Brain of J]

Sharks are letting Boyle go. Easy to acquire and cheap left handed reliable vet who's worth a short contract.

He's right handed. And over the hill.

[chewey]

Given what is being said about Boyle here: http://hfboards.hockeysfuture.com/showthread.php?t=1664799 and considering where he is at in his career, it is likely he goes to a team like Chicago (they could then ship out Leddy for more depth as a Hammer - Boyle pair would be pretty good), Pens (replace Niskanen) or Bruins (they are built to win..). Dark horses being Tampa and Wild (every free agent is going to this cap free location apparently).

[NHL33]

What is being said there? And is any of it not being pulled out of their ass?

[chewey]

What is being said there? And is any of it not being pulled out of their ass?

Its a poll where majority of the SJ fan base does not want Boyle back at any cost.

One thing I credit the HF fan base of doing and doing well is criticizing their own players. I usually take stock in that. I don't buy the hype they have with their own players nor the comments they have on players of other teams. When it comes to a whipping boy and a large portion of the fan base agrees on it, more often than not, they are right.

[NHL33]

Its a poll where majority of the SJ fan base does not want Boyle back at any cost.

One thing I credit the HF fan base of doing and doing well is criticizing their own players. I usually take stock in that. I don't buy the hype they have with their own players nor the comments they have on players of other teams. When it comes to a whipping boy and a large portion of the fan base agrees on it, more often than not, they are right.

Oh, OK. Not really sold on Boyle at his age but even a shitty version of him is an upgrade. I'd take him depending on the cost and term, but I do agree he's more likely to go for a Cup contender.

[chewey]

Oh, OK. Not really sold on Boyle at his age but even a shitty version of him is an upgrade. I'd take him depending on the cost and term, but I do agree he's more likely to go for a Cup contender.

True. I am sure he's an upgrade for the Avs and could be a good "mentor"/"stop guy" until we get a prospect/trade/another UFA to fill in. However I just don't see him being high on our priority list and vice versa.

[Bow Tie]

What're you bitchiss gonna pay Barrie?

[WarriorOfGandhi]

$4ish

[Bow Tie]

Whompwhomp


fair enough, i suppose

[NHL33]

You're not getting your grubby hands on our future Norris Trophy winner.

[Bow Tie]

I was asking for my imaginary team, not my real one.

Sheesh, some people.

[NHL33]

I was asking for my imaginary team, not my real one.

Sheesh, some people.

[NHL33]

I had to edit your post because the lack of capitalization was bothering me.

[stan:getz]

Roman Will is a playboy. He won't make it in the NHL.

[PredsFan77]

hey stan i thought you were hanging out in santa barbara these days.

[stan:getz]

I don't know why you thought that

[stan:getz]

Although I would rather be

[ABasin]

A buncha fucking no names with zero talent. Whoopdie fucking do.

How can we know whether they're good or not?

[NHL33]

They're no Joakim Lindstrom, that's for sure.

[ABasin]

What are the implications on Spezza requesting a trade for Stastny's negotiations? Right now, Dater says both camps are just playing a waiting game, but if we go into July without a deal, does Spezza's availability make Stastny less attractive to buyers?

It may be a factor, in that one less team will be after an expensive center. Unless of course, this puts Ottawa in the market now.

Then again, Stastny comes free (from an asset standpoint), while Spezza will cost significantly.

[NHL33]

And Stastny's the better player since Spezza is going into severe decline.

[NHL33]

That seems ... wrong. Especially considering how severe Stastny's decline has been.

Spezza's decline is health related. Stastny's decline is potential team comp / coaching related, and coming off a career year including a fantastic post-season. Stastny is the better bet.

[VLoo]

Yeah, I'd take Stastny over Spezza. Spezza is always injured and just a dumpster fire defensively. If they both played 82 games I'd give up the marginal offensive increase for a guy you can trust in all situations.

[VLoo]

McGinn locked up for 2 more years.

2 year/5.9 million. Pretty reasonable deal I think.

[WarriorOfGandhi]

how much cap space does Colorado have with which to sign Forsberg?

[NHL33]

Who exactly thought he wouldn't get qualified?