SB Nation - Philippe Dupuis

Game 20 Preview: Canucks at Avalanche

David Driscoll-Carignan — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 15:24:41 -0000


Vancouver Canucks	8 MT / 10 ET / 3 GMT	Colorado Avalanche
10-10-0	November 14th, 2009	12-4-3
20 pts	Pepsi Center	27 pts
t-9th in West	Denver, CO	2nd in West

The Avalanche host the Vancouver Canucks tonight, a game Joe Sacco has called "must win" (geez, he throws that phrase around like our own Joe does*). But this game is really about one thing: the jerseys. The Avs wear their new ~~revenue source~~ third jerseys tonight for the first time. We've all seen them by now, but this will be our first chance to see them on the ice. For those of us who can stay up that late, that is. (For the record, no recap from me tonight)

Craig Anderson will start for the Avs. Tom Preissing could make his season debut (I think he will) and Milan Hejduk could return as well (bank on that). Ruslan Salei took part in a full practice Friday, so he's close to returning too - but I don't think we'll see him yet. John-Michael Liles and TJ Galiardi are getting closer, but they won't play. Philippe Dupuis has been returned to Lake Erie.

For the Canucks, Roberto Luongo is back and he's the presumed starter tonight (thank goodness, as I don't think I could stomach getting shut out by Andrew Raycroft again). One of the Sedins is out (no, not that one, the other one. Or is it? I can't tell). The Canucks still have a very potent powerplay but are so-so at even strength. They have 18 goals at 5 on 4 and 28 at 5 on 5. The Avs have 11 PP goals and 36 5 on 5.

I am very excited today as we're taking the kids to Boston to see Star Wars in Concert. I've heard nothing but raves about this, and my kids are stoked (even my daughter who is under the weather). Why am I mentioning this? I actually do have a reason. My wife and I debated going to this for quite some time, as tickets were something like $60 each. To me, that was a lot of money for a concert. While we ultimately relented (and I'm glad we did), it occured to me later that that's considerably less than I would pay for one hockey game. To see the Bruins, only a handful of shitty seats are under $60. Where we're sitting for Star Wars (Loge 9), B's tickets cost $130 (plus fees) to see the crap teams and $150 to see the good teams. To me, that is an insane amount of money to spend on one hockey game. Playoff game? Sure. Beyond that, I can't justify spending $300 for tickets alone for my wife and I to go to a game (nevermind the price for parking, food and street hookers). We've been to 2 hockey games in the last 5 years, and both were special occasions (once for my birthday and once as a Christmas present for my wife). I really don't mind spending all the wads of cash I rake in from this site (ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha), but $300 for a single hockey game? Not worth it. I know lots of you have weighed in on the reasons for the Avs' attendance woes. As of this 10am this morning, I could buy tickets for great seats next to the glass (sect 130, row 1) for tonight's game...at $216 a pop. To me, that's just simply too much. Call me when tickets are $20.

*[Geez, you make a mistake two years ago and they never let you hear the end of it. Tough crowd. -Joe]

Canucks vs Avalanche coverage

Nucks Misconduct

Preview

Game 18 Recap: Oilers 5 - Avalanche 3

David Driscoll-Carignan — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 03:53:40 -0000

More photos » by David Zalubowski - AP

about 1 month ago: Edmonton Oilers goalie Nikolai Khabibulin, of Kazahkstan, right, makes a glove save of a shot off the stick of Colorado Avalanche rookie center Ryan O'Reilly in the first period of an NHL hockey game in Denver on Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Browse more photos »

Final - 11.8.2009	1	2	3	Total
Edmonton Oilers	3	0	2	5
Colorado Avalanche	1	1	1	3

Complete Coverage >

This will be quick, as I've got a game of mini-golf scheduled soon. Or, if that falls through, it'll be some solo time on the driving range. Either way, better things to do.

This one's pretty easy anyway. You give up 4 PP goals in a game, you lose the game. I don't feel the PK was particularly bad, but a couple of bounces (like Stastny's nice stickwork to break up a cross-ice pass going right to the stick of a wide open Mike Comrie) is all it takes sometimes. If you take 8 minor penalties (I missed Adam Foote's misconduct penalty at the end of the game), you're going to be in trouble whether your goalie is Craig Anderson or Craig T Nelson. Also, Peter Budaj shaved his beard, so he gets some blame as well.

TJ Hensick had a decent game. In my opinion, he's gotten a bum steer this year getting bumped off the roster by guys like Chris Durno, Brian Willsie, Philippe Dupuis and David Koci (can anyone tell me why Koci has been dressed for almost every game?). I think Joe Sacco has made his point; Hensick needs to work harder. Now, lets give him an opportunity to show us.

I could talk about Duchene's miscues on two Edmonton goals or the pathetic 4 shots the Avs mustered in the 3rd period or the fact that the Avs are making a habit of playing terribly in the first 10 minutes of the games, but I'm chalking most of that up to just a bit of an off game. MHH member gl av fan summed it up rather succintly in her facebook status tonight: "Oh well. Can't win them all." Expect the Avs to be better on Wednesday.

Colorado Avalanche Prospects Weekly

Angélique C. Murray — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 00:12:54 -0000

via english.sport-express.ru

A look back at the news and events for Avs prospects for the week of September 27^th through October 3^rd. In this week’s edition, we look back at the exciting start of the Lake Erie Monsters season, injury news and a preview of the NCAA season.

There are high expectations in Cleveland this year, and no I’m not talking about the Browns. The Monsters faithful hope the Avs can stay healthy this year. If so, a playoff birth for the young franchise is a distinct possibility. After splitting time with Jason Bacashihua last year, Tyler Weiman will be the man this season for the Monsters. Weiman had eight shutouts for the Monsters last year and also participated in the AHL All-Star Game.

In addition to Weiman, the Monsters will be led by veterans such as captain Brian Willsie and alternate captains Brian Fahey and Darren Hadar. Fahey was acquired during the offseason for Nigel Williams, a trade that has raised red flags about Williams. Haydar has had many successful seasons in the AHL, including a 122 point campaign in 2006-07. This presented the last best opportunity for Haydar to crack a NHL roster. Despite the disappointment of being reassigned, and the rumors of Haydar jumping to Europe, he’s showing a strong commitment to the Ohio based franchise in the early going.

The Monsters opened their season on the road against the Rochester Americans on Saturday. The Monsters overcame a two goal deficit to beat the Amerks in overtime 3-2. Philippe Dupuis was the hero, scoring twice, including the game winner. Brian Willsie had the other Monsters tally.

Bad news to start the season for the Monsters is the injury to former BU Terrier Brandon Yip. Adrian Dater, from the Denver Post, cleared up a bit of a mystery; indicating Yip hurt his hand during a preseason game against the St. Louis Blues. A broken hand will likely keep Yip out of the lineup for a few weeks.

From the AHL, we head to the Canadian juniors. While fans in Brampton and Erie are patiently awaiting the status of Matt Duchene and Ryan O’Reilly respectively, Cameron Gaunce has continued to be productive for the Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors (OHL). Brock, a member of Hockey’s Future, runs a fantastic OHL Blog and had this to say about a recent performance of Gaunce:

Gaunce was solid tonight. As usual, he played a very quietly effective game. He doesn't make any plays that make you say "WOW," but he doesn't have to because he makes the smart choices at both ends of the ice. He runs the powerplay very effectively (and often plays the full two minutes), using his hard, low point shot to create scoring chances off his rebounds. Gaunce also picks his times to pinch in and/or rush the puck into the offensive zone very well. He increased the amount he was rushing as the game went on and as his team needed to gain entry into the offensive zone. Defensively he's generally a rock, although you'd always like to see him use his size to push people around. I'm pulling for him to get an invite to the Canadian WJC camp. He finished the game with 2 assists.

We next head to Kitchener, home of the Rangers, who feature such talents as Columbus Blue Jackets 2009 first round pick John Moore and Jeremy Morin (property of the Atlanta Thrashers). Avalanche 2009 sixth round pick Brandon Maxwell has gotten off to an inauspicious start. Maxwell has posted two wins in three starts, but he and his defense have allowed 15 goals in those three games. A roster spot on the US Under-20 team for the upcoming World Junior Championship is unlikely, but Maxwell will be an interesting prospect to follow for this season.

Next up is eastern Canada and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The Quebec Remparts are captained this season by Kelsey Tessier, who is currently averaging a point per game. Peter Delmas was looking for new life with a trade from Lewiston to Quebec. So far the start has been mixed. It’s good to remember that the QMJHL is a higher scoring league then the OHL and WHL. The save percentage for Delmas is still slightly under .900, but in the early going so far he has lowered his goals against average by 0.80. Quebec however does have the second best record in the league at 6-1-1-1.

Victoriaville is also off to a solid start in the Q. Joel Chouinard, an alternate captain for the Tigres, has five points in his first six games and is a plus two.

In the WHL, it’s been a .500 start to the season for the Saskatoon Blades. Stefan Elliott has five points in his first six games. Tyson Barrie’s season has been derailed by a knee injury. He’s expected to miss the next two to three weeks. He had two points in his first three games. Kelowna has a 3-2-1-0 record to start the season.

The United States Hockey League opened their regular season this past week. The Fargo Force split their first two games; Nathan Condon recorded an assist.

In Russia, Denis Parshin (pictured), 23, has five goals in his first nine games with CSKA this season. His hot start makes this Avs fan wonder why the team wasn’t willing to offer him a NHL contract (it was rumored he was only offered an opportunity to play in the minors). Yes he’s small, but he’s super skilled and if the KHL has their way, the soonest we will see him in an Avalanche uniform will be after his 28^th birthday. It would be nice to see what he can do on this side of the pond.

In Sweden, defending champion Färjestads BK, has won four of their first five games. Jonas Holos, who the Avs tried to sign this offseason, has continued his strong play with the club. Holos wanted to honor the rest of his contract and will be free to sign with the Avalanche next offseason.

The college hockey season will kickoff next weekend and as a season ticket holder for the Denver Pioneers, I couldn’t be more excited. Denver is one of the preseason picks to win it all and this is arguably the most talented team George Gwozdecky has had to begin a season.

Defending champion Boston University lost Hobey Baker winner Matt Gilroy and Colin Wilson, but will be led by Avs 2007 first round pick Kevin Shattenkirk. It will be important for Kieran Millan to avoid a sophomore slump for the Terriers.

In Minnesota, the Gophers will be looking to make it back to the NCAA tournament after missing out on last year’s festivities. The Gophers will be without last year’s leading scorer Ryan Stoa, but return Vancouver Canucks 2009 first round pick Jordan Schroeder. The Gophers will need seniors like Mike Carman to pick up some of the offensive slack.

In next week’s edition, we’ll find out how the Lake Erie Monsters performed in their home opener and discuss the start of the college season. Until next time!

Avalanche Roster Down to 29

David Driscoll-Carignan — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 20:19:01 -0000

As expected, the Avalanche made a slew of roster moves following the St Louis game. However, I can't say that the cuts went exactly as expected. All 10 players reassigned are headed to Lake Erie. Let's go throw them by position...

Goalies

Tyler Weiman did not get reassigned following Friday's game. I thought that move might have been made not because he got lit up on Friday (6 goals allowed) but because he now must clear waivers to go to Lake Erie (the waiver period begins today). I suppose with so many teams set at this position (paging Garth Snow...), I suppose the risk of losing Weiman to waivers is small, but I still thought he might go down before the deadline to make sure he didn't get claimed. Craig Anderson, Peter Budaj and Weiman are the three goalies remaining in camp. Anderson and Weiman have each started one preseason game and played the whole way. I imagine we'll see Peter Budaj on Sunday.

Defensemen

The Avalanche reassigned Brian Fahey, Kevin Montgomery, Wes O'Neill and Brett Skinner to the Monsters. Certainly, no surprises there. But, again, the surprise in my eyes is that Kyle Cumiskey did not get demoted and now must clear waivers if he gets sent to Lake Erie going forward. Does that mean he makes the team? Right now, the Avalanche have 10 defensemen in camp, including Cumiskey. Brett Clark, Scott Hannan, Adam Foote, Kyle Quincey, John-Michael Liles, Ruslan Salei and Tom Preissing figure to be locks at this point with Cumiskey, Ryan Wilson and Derek Peltier still kicking around. Injuries could be a factor here - Tom Preissing hasn't played yet due to a "minor" knee injury, but Ruslan Salei has missed both preseason games as well as the Burgundy and White game. I'm not going to go all grassy knoll on the Salei thing yet, but if he's not on the ice on Sunday...

Wilson and Peltier can both be sent down without needing to clear waivers.

Forwards

Yes, all eyes are on Matt Duchene who scored a goal and an assist last night against the Blues. But there is one other junior player still in camp: Ryan O'Reilly. It's obvious that the Avalanche want to give both players a good look, as the pair as they've appeared in both preseason games. At this point, you have to like Duchene's odds of making the team. It's a stretch to say the same for Radar at this point, but could he be kept around for a couple of regular season games before going back to Erie (that's OHL, not AHL)?

The Avalanche still have 16 forwards left after cutting Philippe Dupuis, Darren Haydar (bummer), Justin Mercier, Marty Sertich, Brian Willsie and Brandon Yip. We've talked before about the 10 forwards who I figure are in: Stastny, Hejduk, Wolski, Svatos, Tucker, Jones, Stewart, Hensick, Koci and McLeod. I think we can probably add Duchene to that, leaving 2 or 3 open spots. Those still in the mix for those final few spots are O'Reilly, Matt Hendricks, Chris Durno, Ryan Stoa and T.J. Galiardi. Durno and Hendricks will need to clear waivers now, but the risk of losing either should be considered minimal.

The Avalanche need a 4th center (behind Stastny, Duchene and Hensick) and with the demotion of Willsie and Dupuis it would seem to help the chances of Galiardi and Hendricks immensely as both have played center in the preseason. Stoa is still in the mix as well, but I'll be surprised if Durno makes the squad.

Shawn Bates Released

David Driscoll-Carignan — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 00:30:02 -0000

Shawn Bates' tryout with the club has ended. We thought he might have had a chance to make the club, but he was released today. In addition, forwards Tom Fritsche and Cedric McNicoll were sent to Lake Erie, goalies Peter Delmas and Brandon Maxwell were reassigned to their junior clubs as were defensemen Samuel Finn and Patrick Cusack.

The Avalanche now have 49 players in camp. 43 of them are listed on the roster for the Burgundy and White scrimmage tomorrow night. For those wondering who is still in camp but not playing tomorrow, I've already gone through the list for you:

Meet the Rookies: The Rest of the Forwards

David Driscoll-Carignan — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 20:00:18 -0000

All day long I've been looking at the forwards attending the Avalanche rookie camp. So far, I've covered 7 of the notable forwards attending. Here's a quicker look at the remaining 7.

Phillipe Dupuis: 6'0" 196 lbs, Center, Age 24. Dupuis, acquired in 2008 for Mark Rycroft, played in 8 games with the Avalanche last year. He's scored 87 points in 164 AHL games (.53 PPG). Outlook: Dupuis is likely headed to Lake Erie but may be available for injury call-ups again this year.

Tom Fritsche: 5'11" 183lbs, Left Wings, Age 22 (turns 23 on 9/30). Fritcshe is another one of those forwards taken in the 2nd round of the 2005 draft (Stastny, Stao and Chris Durand being the others). He really hasn't garnered the ink that some of the other prospects have, but HF mentions his speed and offensive smarts. To date, he's scored 25 points in 63 AHL games (.40 PPG). Outlook: Headed to Lake Erie, but don't be surprised if he gets a call-up. He was injured last year when all the injury call-ups were happening, otherwise he might have gotten his shot as well.

Codey Burki: 6'0" 190lbs, Center, Age 22. Burki is one of the 2nd round draft picks acquired in the Alex Tanguay trade. So far, he hasn't panned out as he has just 28 points in 94 AHL games (.30 PPG). He was Colorado's 11th ranked prospect in the spring of 2007, but has since fallen out of the top 20. Outlook: My guess? This is the last time we'll see Burki at an Avalanche camp.

Cedric Lalonde-McNicoll: 5'10" 178lbs, Center, Age 21. McNicoll is an undersized, undrafted free agent from the Shawinigan Cataractes of the QMJHL. The Avalanche signed McNicoll to an entry-level contract in March. While McNicoll is small, he scored 264 points in his 249 game QMJHL career - 1.06 PPG. I don't know a ton about him, although he did win the QMJHL's sportsman of the year award and was a finalist for the MVP award. Plus, there's that whole hyphen thing he's got going for him. Outlook: He's a very intriguing free agent signing on a team with a terrible recent history with such players (Per Ledin, Jaroslav Hlinka). Perhaps the 3rd time is the charm?

Patrick Bordeleau, Dave Marshall, Josh Aspenlind: These final three guys are AHL contract players. Marshall and Aspenlind are smallish undrafted players who played a little with Lake Erie last year. Bordeleau is a big (6'6 / 220) winger drafted by the Wild in 2004. I'm not really sure what happened to him, but he played for 6 different AHL and ECHL teams last year (and was released by at least two AHL teams).

Final Grade: Philippe Dupuis

David Driscoll-Carignan — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 12:00:18 -0000

View full size photo »

GP	G	A	PTS	+/-	PIM	ESG	PPG	SHG	GWG	SOG
8	0	0	0	-1	4	0	0	0	0	11


Final Grade

Midseason Grade: INC

Final Grade: INC

Joined Team: Acquired with Darcy Campbell from Columbus for Mark Rycroft, January 22nd, 2008

MHH Nicknames: N/A

Lines:

4th (8)

Pos:

C (5)
RW (2)
LW (1)

Linemates:

LW:

Tucker (5)
McLeod (2)

Willsie (1)
Guite (1)
Hensick (1)

RW:

Willsie (3)
McCormick (3)

Ice Time:*

TOT 9:33 (18th)
EV 9:30 (18th)
PK :01 (18th)
PP :01 (18th)

*Rank is based on total minutes, not average per game.

Best Month: January (5 gp, 0 points)

Career Highlights: Dupuis made his NHL debut this season

Report: Philippe Hendricks Durno Dupuis kind of blends in with all the other limited-duty call-ups we saw for the Avalanche this year. He appeared to be a solid, 4th-line option with one added bonus - a 52% sucess rate in the faceoff circle. Sure, that's in only 50 attempts, but beggars can't be choosers.

Fun Fact: Although there was a long debate here about the subject, Dupuis is apparently not related to fellow Laval native Pascal Dupuis

The Philippe Dupuis Drinking Game: Drink every time I spell his name "Phillipe" Drunk potential: High

What I Said Last Year: N/A

2008 Salary (and Cap Number): $522K ($522K)

2009-2010 Status: RFA ($574 QO)

Outlook for 2009: Darcy Campbell has moved on, leaving Dupuis as the only asset left from the Mark Rycroft trade. Not that that really counts for anything, of course. I assume Dupuis will be back with Lake Erie next year (he led the team in scoring), with the possibility of a call-up to the NHL if the Avalanche run into injuries again.

Next Up: Wes O'Neill

Poll

Who's the best Avalanche to wear #59?

Brian White

13 votes

Philippe Dupuis

22 votes

35 votes | Poll has closed

2008-09 Lake Erie Monsters Season Review -- Forwards

Angélique C. Murray — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 06:04:41 -0000

via blog.cleveland.com

The Lake Erie Monsters season review concludes with a look at the forwards. There were 13 forwards, including TJ Galiardi (pictured), with NHL contracts, who spent time in Cleveland with the Monsters this season. Injuries to both Colorado and Lake Erie effected offensive totals for the Monsters. After posting a 13^th ranked power play (17.3 percent) in 2007-08, Lake Erie fell all the way to the bottom of the league with a percentage of 11.5. The Monsters managed just 2.4 goals per game, 27^th in the American Hockey League (AHL).

Those numbers would have been better had players like Brian Willsie, TJ Hensick and Chris Stewart spent the majority of the season in Cleveland. Both Willsie and Hensick averaged more than a point per game with Lake Erie. Alas, this trio played in less than 20 percent of the Monsters games this season, as they were all recalled to the Avalanche due to injury woes for the big club. Philippe Dupuis, who was acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2007-08 season, ended up being the scoring champ for Colorado's AHL affiliate. He led the team with 46 points, just edging team mate Chris Durno.

Dupuis, a native of Laval, QC, made his NHL debut with the Avalanche this season. He suited up for eight games with Colorado. His offensive game is more suited for the AHL, where he is likely to experience most of his professional success. Chris Durno turned out to be a valuable offseason addition for the Lake Erie Monsters. He led the team in goals with 18. The 28-year-old also played in a team high 76 games for the club. As captain, he had a team high in penalty minutes of 131. In addition, he played two games for the Avs, both of which were his first in the NHL. While Dupuis is a restricted free agent come July 1, 2009, Durno is unrestricted and is worth a new contract as he was a stable force for the Monsters this season.

Like their parent club, the Monsters suffered from a variety of injuries this season. Marty Sertich, who was acquired from the Dallas Stars in the off-season, was only able to play in 24 games for Lake Erie due to a concussion. Concussions also ended the season for 2005 second round pick Tom Fritsche and free agent signee Jesse Boulerice. Fritsche produced 20 points in 48 games for the Monsters before suffering his season ending injury. Sertich was able to contribute with 15 points in the 24 games in which he played. Tough guy Boulerice did score four goals for the Monsters.

Matt Hendricks was also beset by the injury bug. He was third in team scoring with 29 points in 43 games. Hendricks was traded from the Boston Bruins to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for defenseman Johnny Boychuk last summer. Hendricks proved to be a valuable offensive contributor when healthy and is a gritty hard working player. Hendricks also made his NHL debut this year with Colorado, suiting up in four games. The AHL veteran is set to become an unrestricted free agent.

Like Hendricks and Durno, Nathan Smith was another savvy AHL veteran that was added to the Monsters roster this season. Smith, a former first round pick of the Vancouver Canucks, came over from the Pittsburgh organization. While he produced 50 points in 68 games for the Baby Penguins in 2007-08, injuries reduced him to just 16 points in 44 games this year. The soon to be unrestricted free agent finished the season on injured reserve with a knee injury.

Per Ledin was expected to play a majority of the season with the Colorado Avalanche when acquired last summer. After he was cut from the training camp roster in September of 2008, Ledin had difficulty adjusting to the North American game. Then came the foot injury which allowed him to play in only 58 games for the Monsters. Ledin contributed offensively for the club after an adjustment period and even reached double digits in goals (11). Yet, his goal to play in the NHL didn’t occur until late in the season, with a three game stint in Denver. Rather than exploring other NHL opportunities in the summer, the Swedish agitator returned to Europe after signing a multi-year contract with HV-71 (Swedish Elite League).

Codey Burki’s professional career has been marred by injury and inconsistency. Work ethic was a question mark for Burki during his draft year. A potential first round pick, Burki fell to the Avs 59^th overall in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft. In 2006-07, he was 5^th in the Western Hockey League in scoring. A brilliant skater, Burki has yet to produce offensively, scoring just 19 points in 54 games for the Monsters this season. The 2009-10 season is a contract year for Burki, who will need to stay healthy and become a more consistent scorer.

TJ Galiardi perhaps made the biggest impression of the late call ups for the Avalanche this season. Galiardi is lanky, yet he is highly skilled. Playing wing at times with the Monsters, Galiardi found himself centering a line for the Avalanche as the injuries continues to mount in Colorado. He scored three goals in 11 games, all against the Vancouver Canucks. With the Monsters, Galiardi recorded 27 points in 66 games. He can exceed at the pro level with his speed, but could probably add some bulk to his 6’2" frame.

Galiardi is the first player from Colorado’s 2007 draft class to make his NHL debut this year. More will certainly follow and it’s likely some of these Monsters will resurface at Pepsi Center sometime during the 2009-10 season.

Midseason Report Card: Forwards (Part 1)

David Driscoll-Carignan — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 19:19:00 -0000

With 17 forwards I'm going to have to ~~drag this out even longer~~ split this into two parts. Here's part one:

Tyler Arnason

#39 / Center / Colorado Avalanche

Height: 5-11

Weight: 204

Born: Mar 16, 1979

"Arnason carries into the zone...and it's poke-checked away from him." Repeat as necessary.

2008-2009 1st Half Stats: 40GP 2G 8A 10P
2007-2008 1st Half Stats: 30GP 3G 7A 10P

2008-2009 Projection: 81GP 4G 16A 20P

Grade: D-

Philippe Dupuis

#59 / Center / Colorado Avalanche

Height: 6-0

Weight: 192

Born: Apr 24, 1985

I'm good at making stuff up, but even I can't do much with just 5 games worth of 4th line minutes. He certainly hasn't embarrassed himself in the NHL and I wouldn't mind seeing him get a longer look here.

2008-2009 1st Half Stats: 5GP 0G 0A 0P
2007-2008 1st Half Stats: N/A

2008-2009 Projection: 10GP 0G 0A 0P

Grade: INC

Ben Guite

#28 / Right Forward / Colorado Avalanche

Height: 6-1

Weight: 211

Born: Jul 17, 1978

It's unfortunate that SBN's stock photo doesn't include the rad 'stache. Guite's always been one of my favorites, and not just because his facial hair owns. He doesn't seem to be one of Tony Granato's favorites though, and he seems be just a little less zippy this year (even before the rib injury).

2008-2009 1st Half Stats: 16GP 2G 2A 4PT
2007-2008 1st Half Stats: 38GP 3G 8A 11PT

2008-2009 Projection: 57GP 7G 7A 14PT

Grade: C

Milan Hejduk

#23 / Right Forward / Colorado Avalanche

Height: 6-0

Weight: 190

Born: Feb 14, 1976

Hejduk is on pace for a 60-point season and, of course, was named to the All-Star game for the 3rd time in his career. Along with being a dangerous thread offensively, Hejduk has been responsible defensively and also has a secret feisty streak that comes out every once in a while. My only knock this year would be his streakiness, but that's just Milan being Milan.

2008-2009 1st Half Stats: 41GP 13G 17A 31P
2007-2008 1st Half Stats: 36GP 15G 15A 30P

2008-2009 Projection: 82GP 26GP 34A 60P

Grade: B+

T.J. Hensick

#37 / Center / Colorado Avalanche

Height: 5-10

Weight: 185

Born: Dec 10, 1985

If nothing else, TJ serves as a great reminder that the preseason doesn't mean all that much. Hensick was a pick by many - myself included - to have a breakout year this season. It hasn't happened. He's had some flashes, but there's a lot of "where the hell is TJ?" in between. Granato hasn't exactly showered him with opportunities, but, then again, TJ hasn't done much with what he's been given. You could say that Hensick hasn't always played with the most potent offensive players (hello, Darcy). You could also say that Hensick hasn't yet earned a right to play with the best.

2008-2009 1st Half Stats: 28GP 2G 8A 10P
2007-2008 1st Half Stats: 14GP 1G 2A 3P

2008-2009 Projection: 69GP 5G 20A 25P

Grade: D+

David Jones

#54 / Right Forward / Colorado Avalanche

Height: 6-2

Weight: 210

Born: Aug 10, 1984

Jones is another young player who we thought was going to blow up this year, but so far it's been more fizzle than sizzle. Obviously, he's got great speed and has had some really pretty goals, but he often seems unsure of where to go with the puck. He's a physical guy too (man, so much potential), but also somehow manages to find himself on the receiving end of a lot of big hits.

2008-2009 1st Half Stats: 37GP 6G 4A 10P
2007-2008 1st Half Stats: 2GP 0G 0A 0P

2008-2009 Projection: 78GP 13G 8A 21P

Grade: C

Ian Laperriere

#14 / Right Forward / Colorado Avalanche

Height: 6-1

Weight: 200

Born: Jan 19, 1974

The picture above sums it up pretty well. He goes to battle for you. He's played on the 2nd line, 3rd line and 4th line this year and he's played all three forward positions. He kills penalties, seems to be one of the few guys in the locker room willing to criticism the team when they stink. He led the team in fighting majors in the first half. What else can I say? He's Lappy.

2008-2009 1st Half Stats: 39GP 4G 9A 13P
2007-2008 1st Half Stats: 29GP 3G 8A 11P

2008-2009 Projection: 80GP 8G 18P 26P

Grade: B-

Cody McCormick

#11 / Center / Colorado Avalanche

Height: 6-3

Weight: 215

Born: Apr 18, 1983

McCormick seems to be a good guy off the ice and he's been "okay" on the ice. However, there are some other 4th line type guys playing better, and he may struggle for ice time when he recovers from his foot injury. It doesn't help that Tony Granato tried him at center and he bombed in the faceoff circle (34.3%). It wouldn't shock me to see McCormick moved at the deadline if the Avs think they have too many 4th liners.

2008-2009 1st Half Stats: 25GP 1G 6A 7P
2007-2008 1st Half Stats: 19GP 2G 1A 3P

2008-2009 Projection: 60GP 2G 14A 17P

Grade: C-

Cody McLeod

#55 / Left Forward / Colorado Avalanche

Height: 6-2

Weight: 210

Born: Jun 26, 1984

It's taken me a while, but I've really started to warm up to Cody McLeod. He led the team in hits at the midway point and was 2nd to Lappy in majors. He gets under the skin of opposing players and just generally does the dirty work. And seven goals in the first half isn't anything to sneeze about, although the assists are *ahem* a tad low. McLeod also led the team in minor penalties in the first half, but 18 minors isn't really that bad considering the way he has to play. Like most of the Avs, he's pretty good overall at avoiding stupid penalties.

2008-2009 1st Half Stats: 41GP 7G 0A 7P
2007-2008 1st Half Stats: 8GP 2G 0A 2P

2008-2009 Projection: 82GP 14G 0A 14P

Grade: B-

Recap:

Arnason: D-
Dupuis: INC
Guite: C
Hejduk: B+
Hensick: D+
Jones: C
Laperriere: B-
McCormick: C-
McLeod: B-