SBNation.com User Blog: zandar

Lake Erie Monster Mash

zandar — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 05:18:19 -0000

Lake Erie's season came to an end Saturday. Despite a late season charge, the Monsters finished outside the playoffs...again. Even with the game not meaning much, fans showed up and so did the players to put away Grand Rapids 1-0. Of course you could get that info from the box score so I won't go on about that but rather how the players looked at ice level.

The fans who did show up were treated to some positives for the future but also a harsh reality. While the team is full of good players, none of them (outside the goalies) look to have the talent and ability to be much more than complimentary top 6 forwards and bottom pairing Ds at best. Lake Erie is full of players who could be good top 9 players but they all seem to be lacking in an area or two that will hold them back from being a real top 6 forward or top 4 D.

Pickard had a shutout. It's in the box score. What wasn't in the box score were flashes of Roy's confidence. Pickard knew he wasn't going to let much if anything by him. His size and strong positional play made it tough for GR and when they had an open net to look at, Pickard was able to make the last minute save. There was one moment where a save looked amazing but would have looked more standard if Pickard wasn't so slow to pop back up and get over. While he doesn't have the reflexes of Aittokallio, Pickard showed he is an excellent goalie with a confidence that spills over to the team.

A lot of eyes were always on Vincour and Sgarbossa for good reason but the one who should have been watched closely is Paul Carey. He is quietly going about his business in his rookie season. He's not trying anything too fancy and likes to use his speed and aggressive nature to make things happen. What really stands out is how he can go from making a standard play/move and all of a sudden flash the talent he has bottled up. Plenty of times he was noticeable with a slick pass through multiple Griffins, or with a dangerous shot that caught the opponent off guard. Not enough? He plays both PK and PP and does well on both. He'll never be the pure scorer he was prior to college but he's got the right mix to make it as a bottom 6 NHLer with some offense.

Speaking of Vincour, he too goes quietly about his business. He will rarely burn a defender or lay someone out with his size but he knows what his role is. His entire game was focused on getting to the net. He likes to shoot and he's good setting up down low. With someone like Carey and Agozzino on your line, that is exactly how you make a living. He's also a very good PK guy. At one point he decided to hold onto the puck longer, in his own zone, before moving it out. Normally risky to do, Vincour was able to maintain control with his long reach and size and kill off time on GR's powerplay. He did this more than once. Vincour looks like a great complimentary forward for a scoring line or as a solid all around bottom 6 player who somewhat finishes his checks and goes to the net for rebounds, tip ins and the occasional snipe.

sgarbossa had a quiet night. Enough has been said of Sgar that I won't rehash it but he struggled dealing with GR's focus in clogging up the passing and shooting lanes. Couple moments where he looked solid but his speed is a step slow to break through the GR system. He would probably look great playing in a more wide open Eastern style of game but Detroit took away his space and time causing him to struggle. Way too early to know exactly what he may become. Would be interesting to see if he turns into a PA like player in a few years. One thing that stood out despite his offensive struggles was his consistent pest like approach to the game. While Connolly looks to be that Olver like pest, Sgar will lightly hook, slash, nudge you to no end. No puck? Who cares...he probably just cross checked you a little. A lot of teams have been hitting him hard and even boarding him a lot too. Wonder why?

Luke Walker is all speed. If his brain ever caught up to his feet he would be amazing. He scored the only goal of the game on a shot from the left side that the goalie could have stopped but still a good shot. He will never be known as a sniper, heavy hitter or even a skilled player of any sort. What he is is a fast...fast forward who uses his speed well on special teams. Constantly found him able to get around GR's Ds and had a break or two. The Avs should give him another year as he looks like a faster Kobasew.

Agozzino looked good. His speed and ability to make things happen at top speed really help him. His line had some good chances. Maybe the Avs luck out with their version of Conacher (now of Ottawa) but right now it is too early to tell if he's nothing more than an AHL all star. Aggz did look to be centering both the top PP and PK units.

last but not least was Lauridsen. Here is the thing with Lauridsen, watch Barrie then imagine a slower less skilled D doing what Tyson does. Sure the Avs have Shane and occasionally the other Ds trying it but Lauridsen is everywhere sometimes. He has no problem carrying the puck deep into the opponents end. He also has no problem trying to line-up a player for a hit. His big thing is that he plays a high risk game. Something like Jack Johnson back when he came into the NHL. Maybe he tones it down and becomes something like a Wilson but for now the "high risk/high reward" label is stamped hard on Lauridsen. A fun player to watch and one that is at least 2 years from knowing what he may develop into.

There were a few others that either didn't play or didn't stand out. Overall the game was fun and went fast with what seemed many long periods of no whistles. While it was fan appreciation night, you couldn't tell it by anything going on in the stands or anywhere else off the ice. It also didn't help that they named their mascot their number 1 fan. Good thing they gave away the players' jerseys to make up for some of their lack of "fan appreciation".

Heard & Meurs move on

zandar — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 01:53:38 -0000

Mitchell Heard just had a 3 point game (1g 2a), and points on every goal, in leading his team (Plymouth) on to the OHL Western Conference Final to face the #1 team London Knights (2013 prospects Domi & Horvat). Despite facing the team with the lowest goals against in the league for the regular season, Plymouth took down the #2 team in the West on 4 goals and 7 points (in 6 games) for Heard in the series. Heard's 4 goals tied him for team lead in the series with Ottawa first rounder Noesen who he is also tied with for second in goal scoring for the playoffs overall. Heard now has 7 goals and 12 points in 10 playoff games.

His usual linemate Garrett Meurs produced 2 goals and 5 points in the series and has 5 goals and 9 points in 10 games so far in the playoffs.

The line of Heard, Meurs and future Avs 2014 first round pick Mistele should create some serious havoc for the powerhouse London Knights.

His usual linemate Garrett Meurs produced 2 goals and 5 points in the series and has 5 goals and 9 points in 10 games so far in the playoffs.

The line of Heard, Meurs and future Avs 2014 first round pick Mistele should create some serious havoc for the powerhouse London Knights.

Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind: Avs' Missed Gems Part 1

zandar — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 02:40:45 -0000

As we continue to talk about Forsberg, Hejduk and all the players that played for the Avs (jersey number related) and NHLers playing overseas, I thought it would be interesting to look at a few NON-North American players the Avs drafted over the years that had great success overseas but never really got their careers started here in NA. Mostly players who never wore the Avalanche jersey but could have had success in the NHL if things would have worked out differently. Despite using all their first rounders from 1999-2002 on players from outside North America (who all "busted") the Avs were still very good at finding talent (from overseas) in the later rounds. For every Hejduk that came over and spent their prime (and in Milan's case, career) in the NHL, there are players like Tomi Kallio that spent it overseas where they had great success.

TOMI KALLIO

The Colorado Avalanche's first ever player drafted from outside of NA was a player by the name of Tomi Kallio. Tomi Kallio is an elusive, fast and skilled scorer from Finland. During his prime, he was an extremely dangerous sniper and one of the Swedish Elite League's top goal scorers amassing over 150 goals in just over 380 games...an average of between 21-22 goals every 55 games during that time. The year prior to Zetterberg scoring 39 goals in the NHL, he would score 19 goals in the SEL. Justin Williams would score 31 goals in the NHL after 14 goals the year prior in the SEL (during the lockout). To score over 20 goals let alone average that over 55 games in the SEL was impressive.

Kallio had the unfortunate luck of being claimed in the 1999 expansion draft by Atlanta before he even came to North America. Kallio spent one more season overseas with TPS and would be one of the top scorers in the SM Liiga and league All Star as a 22/23 year old (despite most of the point leaders being in their primes or older). He would be also be named the MVP of the playoffs and win his second league championship. Before even coming to play for Atlanta, Kallio was a highly decorated player winning championships and international medals.

Kallio would then come to NA in the 2000-2001 season and spend the next two seasons playing with the Atlanta Thrashers, where he spent time between the second and third line playing with such talented individuals as Patrik Stefan, Shean Donovan, and Hnat Domenichelli. Unfortunately he struggled to find consistency, despite playing with such NHL greats, and ended up bouncing around his third NHL season before heading back overseas to play for Frolunda in the SEL. Despite the bouncing around, Kallio would go on to finish the season as the top point-per-game player in the SEL regular season. In the playoffs he would be the #1 scorer (goals, assists and points) and winner of the SEL Championship when he scored the game winning goal.

Tired of the NHL Expansion team lifestyle, Kallio would spend the next 8 years of his life and his entire "prime" playing for Frolunda. He would win the SEL Championship one more time and even lead the league in goals during the 2005-2006 season. During his entire 8 years with Frolunda, he was a top 2 scorer on his team every year but one. That one year was the 2004-2005 season where the team was "blessed" by NHLers like Alfredsson.

Tomi Kallio is a very talented individual that had the unfortunate luck of being claimed by Atlanta and having to endure the struggles of a new expansion team to start off his NHL career. Had he not been claimed, there was the chance he could have followed Drury and Hejduk and had success playing with players like Forsberg & Sakic (rather than Stefan & Domenichelli) where his skill and creativity would have been on show in the NHL rather than the SEL. He's the closest the Avs have gotten to drafting another Hejduk in the nearly 20 years of drafting as the Colorado Avalanche. Unfortunately Kallio landed in Atlanta in 1999 and became an afterthought to Colorado from then on.

TOMI KALLIO

The cap wasn't the only thing on the Avs minds

zandar — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 05:17:54 -0000

Think it's time the Avs should spill the beans?

This past summer saw a lot of last season's free agents resigned. The really interesting part was the length of the deals. The amounts made reaching the potential cap floor very easy but why two to three year deals? Are players like Gaunce, Barrie, Elliott, Malone and company that far off? Sure it's nice to have players compete to earn a spot as you will have potential NHL level assets to trade when a youngster breaks in...but why has a team so open to young players all of a sudden extended their own and signed other teams' UFA like Zanon?

Expansion draft.

Take a moment and let that sink in. In the past, teams generally protected 9 forwards, 5 defensemen, and a goalie. Players with 2 or less pro seasons were exempt but teams had to leave two forwards and one defensemen with recent NHL game time. Protect a second goalie and the protected list shifts with less protected players and goalie requirements.

Why would that matter to the Avs? Well for one they have good NHL depth. An expansion draft hurts the deeper teams especially with the requirements. You would think if the draft happened next summer, the Avs would have someone like Landeskog exempt and then protect the best 9 forwards. Same with the defense. What happens when you fill the bottom spots with rookies? Or the role players are UFAs in the summer? Drop Hejduk, Kobasew, an exempt Connolly, and a possible unsigned Highlander along with Landeskog and who ends up being your two players with recent NHL experience. Olver may not even qualify. So who do you want to lose? Downie? McGinn?

Same on defense, let Shane and Hunny go, not sign Zanon and have ROB as an UFA... Who do you leave unprotected? Wilson? Sure the easy part is saying who you want to drop but what happens when one or more rookies take up spots?

It comes down to needing cannon fodder for the potential expansion. While it would be nice to see the rookies getting some NHL time, it is also important the Avs have some balance between vets and youth outside their top players. Signing a vet to a multi year contract allows the Avs to have someone outside their top players to offer. 2-3 years gives them a chance to prepare for next summer or possibly the next.

Last thing the Avs want is to lose some of their NHL depth to expansion then to lose more to free agency.

Think it's time the Avs should spill the beans?

Expansion draft.

Last thing the Avs want is to lose some of their NHL depth to expansion then to lose more to free agency.

Lake Erie gets the split with OC Oilers

zandar — Sat, 13 Oct 2012 22:22:37 -0000

I won't be taking in Sunday's game so no need holding off the thoughts on Avs prospects in Lake Erie. Both games were good solid outings for LE with a late goal sealing the win in both games...unfortunately one was a Barons' win. A lot will be said about the Barons' being rusty, not having Hall, etc. but whatever the excuses, LE was as good if not better in every area but the starting line-up. Good news? It's not who you start but rather how you finish. Bad news? LE needs some help finishing...but that will come with time.

Focusing on the actual "prospects" of the Avs, it was a good showing for the group. While many players had solid games, the standouts were clearly Aittokallio, Malone, Carey, Barrie and Elliott. Not that the others didn't mostly look good, it's just these 5 stood out.

Aittokallio. Probably a name everyone needs to learn, especially if he continues to be so calm and athletic in the crease. He made the saves when needed and had others help him out at times but overall played very well. The lone goal he let in was on a 5 on 3 pk where he came out to the top of his crease for a possible Schultz shot only to see it end up being a pass for a tip in behind him. Should get the start Sunday without a doubt.

Malone was a beast. He used his size to create havoc. I always envisioned him as a bottom 6 forward at the NHL level as either a very physical energy guy on the 4th line with the potential to be a good third line physical two-way forward if everything fell into place. So far he has been taking key face offs, pk/pp time and playing his game making him tough to contain at the AHL level. While his offense is still developing, everything else has looked good. He was moved from the dominant Carey-Malone-Olver line due to injuries it seemed.

Carey may not have Malone's sheer size and big hits but he makes up for it with another gear (or two) when skating and a shot that comes from everywhere. Having no problem moving the puck up or getting it to the net in some way, Carey's all around game was causing fits for the Barons. He saw important time on the PK and some on the PP. Hey may be seeing time on the supposed 3rd line with Olver, but their line is just as dangerous as the others.

Barrie played well in both games. He is fast and confident. Match that up with his stick handling and shot and he is dangerous. He was the best D for LE without a doubt and his numbers will improve once LE's forwards get things really going. Not much more can be said as he played well both games.

Elliott played well for the most part. He had the unfortunate role of seeing a lot of Eberle and RNH at first, so he wasn't trying to move the puck as aggressively as Barrie. He did have his spots of concern with the biggest being his over handling of the puck. Some breakdowns here and there that the goalie didn't bail him out on. Elliott looked to be seeing time on the second PP unit. I know a lot is expected of Elliott offensively and the numbers should come in time.

As for the others, all of them held their own and showed what makes them enticing prospects. Olver was Olver and Gaunce was what we expected after what looked to be trying to do too much in the first game. Then again he had the weakest D partner so he may have been trying to compensate for that. Some nice physical play as to be expected.

Sgarbossa has the unfortunate situation of high expectations after a huge year last year and no Hishon to take the spotlight off him at center. He was active at both ends of the ice and had no problem going to the net or back checking. Sgar showed good speed and shiftiness that unfortunately doesn't show up on the scoreboard when he and his linemates are still developing chemistry. He faced a great AHL team and handled himself well.

Heard played "his" game. That is good and bad. He likes to shoot, cause ruckus and hit. Unfortunately his body hasn't added on the extra weight and muscles to be overly effective. That should come with time. Probably a miss match to Olver and Carey, he still held his own. He wasn't "sheltered" at all and was involved at both ends. When he fills out, he will be very tough to play against but for now he will be bouncing off some of the bigger players.

Pickard had the unfortunate situation of a few bad bounces (one could be tied to him) but played well. I'm sure getting down 2-0 early in a game can effect a goalie but he held up just fine against the Barons' firepower the rest of the way...especially the power play. Unfortunately only one game played so not much to go on but he looked good with some shaky play mixed in. Needs time to settle in more and adjust completely to the speed of the pro game. Unfortunately it may have been a LE win if Aitto continued his Friday night play into the Saturday game.

There you have it, good showing by Lake Erie so far. Got the split against a tough Barons' team. I would like to see Malone slide back to his old spot with Olver & Carey, and Agozzino (or Heard) move up where they may be better utilized. I've mentioned it before, the team is deep and will be even more dangerous when the offense starts clicking (odd fascination with backhands so far) and Connolly returns. It will be a challenging first month but after that this team should really start to roll.

The Junior Avs aka Lake Erie Monsters wrap up their preseason

zandar — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 02:06:02 -0000

Lake Erie wrapped up their final game of the preseason today. Unfortunately their preseason consisted of only 2 games against an actual opponent not wearing Monsters colors so not much exposure for every player. What did become clear was that these two games were used to see what the first and second year players (not to mention try-outs) brought to the ice as many of the Vets alternated games. Noticeably missing from BOTH games were Hishon, Connolly and Luke Walker.

On paper, this team looks deep at every position. Even if Hishon is a no show from here on out, the Monsters top 9 consist of VDG, G. Walker, Connolly, Lerg, Sgarbossa, Thomas, Malone, Olver and Carey. That leaves guys like Heard and Agozzino (AHL contract) looking from the outside in. When it came to the Avalanche prospects who will be AHL rookies this year, they ALL showed solidly.

After this weekend, Carey will be talked about more as he lead LE in goal scoring. Not to mention both his goals were important as the first was the game winner in game 1 and his second came at a key time in game 2 with LE down 3-1. Very reminiscent of his playoff run last season in college. Malone and him seemed to be paired up a LOT with a rotating member filling in the 3rd spot. Carey's skating and willingness to shoot was apparent in the two games.

Of course the big name everyone will be watching for, not named Hishon, is Sgarbossa. He was clearly being utilized as the #1 center in BOTH games. Sure it is preseason and he made way for other players to be tried out at different times, but you could tell that he was being looked at to possibly center one of the scoring lines when the season started. The good news is he held his own in the games with some ups and downs but overall did not look out of place. As Sgar develops chemistry with his linemates (possibly VDB & G. Walker?), his play will start showing up more on the scoreboard.

On the Heard side of things, he played solidly wherever he was asked to play. Unfortunately a lot of the time it seemed to be with the 4th line guys. When he did see time with the others, he created more noise and havoc for the other team to deal with. Like I said before in another post, his stats may not blow anyone away this year but it won't be for a lack of ability but rather who his linemates could be and the role he could have with this team. He did have a crazy beat down of larger Red Wing prospect Aubry in game 2. While Heard changed up which hand he pummeled Aubry with (not too mention an uppercut), something may have been said about the fact the Wings passed him over for Aubry in 2010. But who knows... it could have been something else Heard was chipping about and finishing off with a grin.

All four goalies showed strong with, as expected, Pickard and Aittokallio looking like the favorites for the Monsters (unless the Avs want both to see heavy time as starters and split them between the two affiliates). While Milan and Patterson did not look bad, neither one staved off heavy assaults to start the games like the other two did. Definitely going to be a goalie battle in the minors for the next two years.

As expected, guys like Olver, Malone, Gaunce, Elliott, and Barrie all played as expected with Barrie channeling his inner Ozolinsh while in the Griffins' end. For those not familiar with the 96 Cup team, Barrie was very dominant with his stick handling, passing and overall ability to make things happen.

While it's only two PRESEASON games, the Monsters team looks to be deep enough to shrug off ~~call-ups and~~ injuries this season to still be a very good team. Will be interesting to see how things shape up, especially when Connolly and (if) Hishon returns.

One final note... we may see Beaupre in Lake Erie. While the team looks to have 7 D already under contract, they sorely lack the physical play Beaupre would bring. Gaunce can't do it all. The D just isn't scary enough and can be manhandled in their own end too easily.

Who would they have chosen?

zandar — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 20:40:42 -0000

After the Avs stunned about 99% of the hockey world by selecting Heard with their second round pick, Pracey mentioned the reason they chose Heard was because they felt he could be a player in the Simmonds/Clarkson mold. The Avs have clearly put a lot into adding aggressive two-way players the past few years and it would have been interesting if they still had their first rounder to see who they took at #11 in such a D top heavy draft.

But what if they had the FIRST OVERALL pick? Would the Avs have drafted someone different? Moved back in the draft to add assets (seeing there was quality through the first 8-10 picks)? Sure every team has a player or two you would expect them to take but the Avs do the unexpected...so what would the Avs have done?

Troy Bourke & Colin Smith

zandar — Mon, 25 Jun 2012 17:50:42 -0000

The Avs surprised a lot of people once again by passing up the bigger names for some lesser known ones. 2012 was a draft where teams had to do their homework because after the large amount of Ds at the top of the list, everything went every which way with no real standouts. The two players they picked from the WHL are exactly the type of players the Avs had to look long and hard for as neither had set their leagues on fire their draft eligible years (Smith was eligible last year) to stand out.

Troy Bourke, who many have mentioned in comparison to Zach Parise like player, has been a top scorer for years and one of the leaders on his WHL team (Cougars). Prior to being picked in the WHL Bantam Draft, he was the top scorer (83 points) and top goal scorer (45 goals) in the AMBHL. He would then go on to play in the AMHL and become the leading goal scorer there. While with Cougars, he would represent Canada on the U17 team where he outproduced Teravainen (18th overall), Laughton (20th),, Gaunce (26th), Matteau (29th), Winther (54th) and Stephenson (77th). He has shown that with proper talent he can not only produce but also be one of his team's (and league's) leaders.

Colin Smith was an undrafted player looking for a home this draft. Despite putting up great numbers that lead him to going 7th overall in the WHL Draft (just behind RNH, Rattie, McNeill), he was never able to solidify himself as an important piece of the Blazers and only went into last year's draft with one solid season. It didn't help that he was a smaller player and also about 2 1/2 months from being a 2012 draftee. With increased ice time and involvement, Smith would go on to being his team's 2nd leading scorer (72-35-50-85) and the WHL's 14th leading scorer this past year.

Because not every player has the exact same environment to grow and develop in, I have included a few players who were also successful prior to the WHL and how they compared to these two. I have also included smaller players like Eberle and Ennis as size will always be a concern but they both look to have very successful careers despite being smaller.

Troy Bourke

AMBHL 33-45-38-83

AMHL 34-27-26-53

WHL 68-19-23-42

WHL 71-18-38-56 (draft year)

Colin Smith

AMBHL 33-36-70-106

AMHL 34-23-32-55

WHL 48-5-20-25

WHL 72-21-29-50 (original draft year)

Tyler Ennis

AMBHL 33-35-26-61

AMHL 31-15-17-32

WHL 43-3-7-10

WHL 71-26-24-50

WHL 70-43-48-91 (draft year)

Jordan Eberle

AMHL 31-14-20-34

WHL 66-28-27-55

WHL 70-42-33-75 (draft year)

Mark McNeill

AMBHL 33-41-28-69

AMHL 33-21-18-39

WHL 68-9-15-24

WHL 70-32-49-81 (draft year)

Ty Rattie

AMHL 34-29-25-54

WHL 61-17-20-37

WHL 67-28-51-79 (draft year)

Troy Bourke

AMBHL 33-45-38-83

AMHL 34-27-26-53

WHL 68-19-23-42

WHL 71-18-38-56 (draft year)

Colin Smith

AMBHL 33-36-70-106

AMHL 34-23-32-55

WHL 48-5-20-25

WHL 72-21-29-50 (original draft year)

Tyler Ennis

AMBHL 33-35-26-61

AMHL 31-15-17-32

WHL 43-3-7-10

WHL 71-26-24-50

WHL 70-43-48-91 (draft year)

Jordan Eberle

AMHL 31-14-20-34

WHL 66-28-27-55

WHL 70-42-33-75 (draft year)

Mark McNeill

AMBHL 33-41-28-69

AMHL 33-21-18-39

WHL 68-9-15-24

WHL 70-32-49-81 (draft year)

Ty Rattie

AMHL 34-29-25-54

WHL 61-17-20-37

WHL 67-28-51-79 (draft year)

2012 NHL Draft: Avalanche

zandar — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 14:22:34 -0000

The 2012 NHL draft has been called a lot of things. Despite the mixed feelings and somewhat negative remarks on the lack of high end players in this draft, it is still one where you can find a player or two that can be developed into solid NHLers. To compare it to a more recent draft for the Avs, the 2012 NHL draft could look a lot like the 2008 NHL Draft when everything is all said and done. Even if you went as far back as 1999, a draft many compare the 2012 NHL draft to, a team can have some solid success as the Avs have shown.

2008 saw the Avs draft 2-3 potentially solid NHLers in Gaunce, Olver and Holos. They still have Chouinard and Condon in the system who may still turn into serviceable players or could go the way of the Hemingway. Even unsigned (by the Avs) Delmas could turn into a solid professional. Despite not having a first round pick, the Avs were able to add some quality team players to their system.

1999, considered one of the worst ever, still netted players like Radivojevic, Finger, and Vrbata. Vrbata would of course go on to be a solid scoring winger and both Radi and Finger had solid runs in the NHL. The draft also produced Hahl and Lindstrom, two players who have had a lot of success overseas but never really solidified themselves as members of the Avs at the NHL level.

2012 NHL draft is now here and the Avs are holding a pick in rounds 2, 3, 5, 6 and 7. With the past success with late picks like Liles, Jones and Vrbata the Avs have shown that every pick has the chance to add quality players to the system. They have not only drafted North American players but they have also reached out overseas (mostly in the later rounds). They have even been open to adding undrafted older players like Holos and Walker to the system with their later picks. Could we see players like Jesse Forsberg or Colin Smith brought in either at the draft or later with camp invites?

Brendan Gaunce, Derrik Pouliot, Z. Girgensons and Slater Koekkoek are quality players that could fall to the Avs but more than likely will be gone before the Avs 2nd round draft pick. Of course there are other players that fans think their teams should draft. How many fans went nuts when the Avs drafted Ryan O'Reilly? Or better yet, Hishon? The Avs have shown a willingness to go "off the board" (consensus draft lists) and pick players they feel fit what they are looking for. With a draft full of project players will the Avs go for the more rounded safer role players or try for the riskier higher end prospects that will need time and development to overcome obstacles and become viable NHLers? Which ever way they go, they are sure to surprise a few with their picks.

Below is a list of players (tied to the OHL, WHL and QMJHL) to watch out for based on where the Avs currently pick in the 7 rounds (5 picks total). The saying that you should get your forwards from the O, your defensemen from the W and your goalies from the Q is still something the Avs somewhat hold to in most drafts. Unfortunately this is not like most drafts so I have compiled a list of players for each league. For the most part, I have not included import players (to the CHL) as after the earlier picks, they are all over the board and not someone the Avs usually target in the later rounds. I have picked 3 players from each league (NOT listed in any specific order) to highlight players the Avs will be eyeing. In addition, I have included "under the radar" players (alphabetically) that may be of interest to the Avs with their picks in the 5th, 6th and 7th round.

OHL:

Scott Laughton (F)

Similar situation fellow teammate Boone Jenner was in last year but a little more down his team's depth chart. Highly regarded player coming into the OHL. Drafted two spots after Galchenyuk but hasn't yet broke out completely to be the offensive player he could be.

Jarrod Maidens (F)

Dominate player prior to junior who would have produced 25-30 goals if he had played full season. Could be a hidden gem as he had been playing down his team's depth chart and behind such players like Hishon so far in his OHL career.

Nick Ebert (D)

Considered a top 10 pick prior to this past season. Fast puck rushing D with excellent shot. His drop in production has seen his stock fall but was still the #4 point producer on his team. Plays a great physical style of hockey and could be a steal in rounds 2 or 3.

Of interest:

Forwards: Campagna, Machese, Marcantuoni

Defense: Finn, Graham, Gudbranson, Iafrate, Kea, McIvor, Pelch

WHL:

Mike Winther (F)

Very young offensive wizard is all over the place but should find a home in the second round because of a weak forward group for this draft. Broke out offensively this season so will he be able to improve on his production? because of his age, next season will tell more of what he could be.

Dalton Thrower (D)

Siemens' teammate put up excellent numbers in his 3rd season. All around D who hits and could be a solid two-way NHLer. Has moved up the draft lists and could be a "reach" for a team because of what he could bring. Could turn pro in 2013.

Dominik Volek (F)

Solid offensive potential and a possible choice for later in the draft. Might be more of an overseas professional than a North American one.

of interest:

Forwards: Hodges, Olsen, Richardson, Siwak

Defense: Gaudet, Walters

QMJHL:

Raphael Bussieres (F)

Solid numbers and very good player on an older Drakkar squad. Doesn't mind laying on big hits or stepping up offensively when needed. Could go anywhere from 1st to 3rd round.

Charles Hudon (F)

Hishon sized offensive dynamo. Competitive and makes those around him better. A point per game player so far in his Q career. Has had similar production to the larger Latendresse over the years leading up to being drafted.

Martin Frk (F)

Once a top 10 prospect for 2012 draft. Could have scored 35-40 goals if not for injuries. Character? Compete? Questions will surround him until he proves everyone wrong. One of only a few forward prospects in this draft to produce 20 goals (22g 50p) prior to their draft year.

of interest:

Forwards: Beauvillier, Burke, Ciampini

Defense: Fournier, Hache, Hardie, Poulin

Take those 30+ players and mix in some possible US and overseas players (Di Giuseppe, Matheson, Schmaltz, etc) and you would have a good list of players that could be available from pick 41 and on that the Avs may have their eyes on and so should you.

O Stastny! My Stastny!

zandar — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 18:25:04 -0000

Lets face it, there will be a ton of rumors over the next two weeks linking Stastny in a trade to another team. Howard Berger has already re-ignited the Stastny to Toronto rumors. Darcy Regier is looking for a shake-up and wants a scoring center (along with a lot of other teams) so naturally Stastny is linked to Buffalo. So should Stastny be in play?

Why would the Avs even want to move Stastny? He's just now entering his prime. He's a veteran presence on a very young team. He's produced at a .88 points per game pace over his career despite some time with muckers and grinders as wingers. His playmaking ability allows him to make those around him better. Most of all, having him on the team will make it easier for the Avs to attract quality UFAs.

Then again he does make 6.6 million for two more years. Has seen his numbers drop the past two seasons. Has Duchene and O'Reilly as competition for the two scoring line center spots not to mention possibly Hishon down the road. I'm sure Leafs fans can think of a few other reasons why he's no good so we will leave it at that.

IF Stastny is traded, where really looks like a good destination? The Avs have shown the ability to trade anyone to anyone but they have been consistent in one aspect. A supporting player (Hannan, Quincey, Wolski, etc) is generally traded for another supporting player (Downie) or someone with unrealized potential (Flash, Mueller, etc). A quality player (Shattenkirk, Stewart, etc) is moved in trades for quality back. Sherman has shown he values "assets" (a lot of 1 for 1, 3 for 3 trades or even getting more assets in return than traded away). If Stastny is moved, it will be for quality assets and not dumped for a pile of lesser players. Sure we could all be shocked by a Toronto or Buffalo trade but it may be best to look at a few that most would not expect.

Columbus: Possibly the best "fit" for a trading partner. Columbus is a mess. They can't draft well, they can't trade well and the team hovers along the line of whether or not to blow it all up or keep piecing things together for as long as possible (the Calgary way of life). They showed a willingness to trade top draft picks and to acquire "name" players. This time a year ago they traded a high first rounder, an inconsistent top 6 forward and a 3rd rounder for Jeff Carter (who has produced ONLY 3 more points than Stastny despite playing nearly 100 more games). Why not trade for a center that can make his wingers better? Maybe his acquisition makes waves to keep Nash and provide him with the playmaking center he has needed. If not, he provides Columbus with someone who could help them stabilize the forward ranks and take pressure off Johansen. Columbus is in bad shape and to blow everything up (trade Nash) would hurt an already struggling franchise that has so many holes (did I mention they need quality goaltending prospects?). They don't have the time to hope their draft picks develop properly let alone take risks that they never pan out. With 3 of the top 4 forwards having russian backgrounds (the other being a swedish forward who has never played NA hockey) they run into another issue. Both teams could benefit greatly trading with each other as Colorado has Stastny and quality goaltending prospects. Columbus has a very nice first rounder, Brassard, and a few other assets of interest.

Montreal: Other than being a familiar trading party, Montreal has been trying to find a quality scoring line center for years. They swallowed the contract of Gomez, pursued Eller in the Halak trade, gave a tiny AHL regular a chance to be a top 6 forward, and have hoped Plekanec would solidify himself as a first line center (and now he is entering his 30's). They have pursued centers like the Avs used to pursue goalies. One of them should stick right? Perhaps its time for Montreal to just pay what needs paid and acquire the quality center they need like the Avs did when they traded for Varlamov to finally fill the hole. Montreal has a lot of good prospects and a very nice first round pick.

Winnipeg: Kind of off the wall option. No not a trade of Stastny for Kane but who knows. The Jets have a few centers with potential in Burmistrov and Scheifele but both are still being developed and could falter or flounder. They have Little who has always been better as a winger than a center, and Antropov who is slowing down and looks to be a top 9 forward anymore. So a quality center for their top scoring line would be of interest unless they are looking to spin their wheels while the two youngsters hopefully develop properly. Who wouldn't love seeing Stastny passing to Kane every game...unfortunately it would probably be on the Jets. They could also use some quality goaltending prospects as they are thin there too. Like Columbus, they have needs at more than one position that the Avs could help with. Like Columbus they have a younger inconsistent scoring line forward (Little) who could use a change in scenery and also a very good draft pick in the first round. While not the perfect partner, one to consider.

Just three teams that may be of interest to follow if you are looking to move Stastny. Unless someone is offering the Avs a top pick, it may be best to keep Stastny as his presence will help to convince quality UFAs to sign with the Avs. If they do move Stastny, you would think he would bring back a very nice return.

The Lake Erie Pluggers

zandar — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 15:06:26 -0000

I decided to make the trip to Cleveland to catch the LEM's last game of the ~~regular~~ season and share some of what I saw. Despite having almost 40 shots on Rochester's net, very few were truly tough saves. It clearly showed last night that LE is full of too many pluggers and grinders and too few actual offensively skilled forwards. The team spent way too much time dumping the puck in, cycling along the wall and then sending the puck to the point for a shot. Unfortunately Rochester was too good at getting sticks and bodies in the way of the shots that this strategy was becoming ineffective very quickly. The response (besides rinsing and repeating the shot from the point)? Too use their speed to rush up the ice only to fire a weak shot from outside (or just inside) the face off circles hoping for a rebound. Unfortunately the players following through over skated or just were not there for the majority of the rebounds. This team was clearly lacking players like an Olver or Hishon (or Willsie or Ford from years past). While the team played well overall, they just did not take the puck to the net enough to make up for their lack of scoring ability.

But enough about that, you want to hear about the Avs prospects...

The best player on the ice? RYAN STOA. Normally that would say a lot about how bad the team played but this was not the case tonight. Ryan was FLYING, HITTING and shooting as if he thought he was the reborn David Jones of year's end. Unfortunately this is probably Ryan's last season with the organization as the lack of production and not seeing any time with the Avs this year means they will part ways this summer.

Cam Gaunce played a very smart game all night and it looked like he was playing a much more positional game rather than physical one to avoid taking any penalties that would hurt his team. Despite this, he still took guys into the boards and kept them to the outside very well. His skating has improved and he is very good skating backwords that he should have no issues with the majority of the skaters at the NHL level. While no Foote-lite tonight, he was still their leader on D.

Tyson Barrie had flashes of brilliance then utter brain cramps handling the puck. It wasn't so much coughing the puck up as it was being too passive on the puck in his own end. Its fixable and with his ability to skate and stick handle he will be fine. Played remarkably well with a guy by the name of Karl Stollery (Merrimack). Oddly both are the top OFDs on the team and they played together on the same pairing the entire game. Hopefully Stollery is offered a contract with the Avs as he reminded me of Liles at times last night.

Speaking of those two being the top OFDs on the team, the one who should have been #1, Stefan Elliott, was only "ok". Too much running around in his own end trying to poke check and struggled with the bigger, more physical forwards. While not a huge issue with the offensive skill set he has, it was last night as his offensive game never really got going. Its only one game and he clearly hands the puck well but he will need to play the body better and get stronger. Next season he will probably be more comfortable taking chances and letting his offensive game come to him more naturally. Oddly enough, he did have one moment where he absolutely took a guy into the boards and put him on his ass. It just wasn't going on regularly enough.

Mercier, Malone and Carey. Outside of Stoa, this was the only line/forwards of importance to Avs fans. Lots of intensity, speed and hitting. Carey, while not as physical as the other two, played a solid game with the occasional goof. He has a good future with the Avs playing a strong two-way role in the bottom six. Mercier hit and skated hard. hopefully he is brought back. Malone was the highlight of the line and will be a nice physical replacement to Winnik. The best scoring chance may have come off him going up the middle and deking through two players and almost scoring on the goalie. Unfortunately he was held up on the play. A very good line and would be a nice 4th line for the Avs once everyone is up to speed and adjusted to the pros (Malone/Carey).

Siemens and Pickard did not play.

But enough about that, you want to hear about the Avs prospects...

Siemens and Pickard did not play.

Sgarrrbossa!

zandar — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 15:55:50 -0000

Michael Sgarbossa. It was a name that followed the names McGinn and Connolly in the recent trade of TJ and Winnik. luckily he may not be the third best player (behind McGinn and Connolly) when everything is all said and done. A lot of value is put into stats by fans and armchair GMs alike which is unfortunate because for every Jeff Skinner (64-50g-40a-90p draft year) you get a few Ramzi Abids (68-50g-85a-135p draft year). Then again Sgarbossa wasn't even drafted so is he a late bloomer?

Sgarbossa had a slow start to his junior career despite producing well (61-53g-51a-104p) the prior year with his AAA club (Jeff Skinner AAA: 55-65g-42a-107p). While skilled with the puck and with good speed, he found himself stuck behind other players on the Barrie Colts and was ultimately traded to the Sagina Spirit. Unfortunately he continued to find himself buried behind such players as Saad and Shalla and once again traded but this time in a package for John McFarland and a D. Now with the opportunity to get consistent quality ice time, he flourished going 37-29g-33a-62p with Sudbury last season.

It would seem that Sgarbossa dealt with similar ice time issues like Garrett Meurs is dealing with playing for the Whalers. After a dominant AAA season and being drafted in the 3rd round of the 2008 OHL draft (just behind Jared Knight), a lot was expected of him but not fully realized until he was acquired by the Sudbury Wolves.

For you stat fans (and those who were pushing for the Avs to acquire Knight):

Jared Knight

1st OHL 67-15g-15a-30p

2nd 63-36g-21a-57p

3rd 68-25g-45a-70p

current 43-23g-25a-48p

Michael Sgarbossa

1st OHL 67-10g-33a-43p

2nd 67-20g-32a-52p

3rd 63-36g-46a-82p

current 57-41g-43a-84p

For you stat fans (and those who were pushing for the Avs to acquire Knight):

Jared Knight

1st OHL 67-15g-15a-30p

2nd 63-36g-21a-57p

3rd 68-25g-45a-70p

current 43-23g-25a-48p

Michael Sgarbossa

1st OHL 67-10g-33a-43p

2nd 67-20g-32a-52p

3rd 63-36g-46a-82p

current 57-41g-43a-84p

All "Flash" and no substance?

zandar — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 22:07:05 -0000

I'm not sure if it has been mentioned and cleared up these past few months, as I have been way too busy with work and travel to do anything more than pop in here and there but I wanted to share some quick info on Fleischmann (Flash).

To put it plainly, there was little to no chance that Flash could have signed with the Avs. As most (if not all) know that the high altitude and excessive travel for the Avalanche elevates the pulmonary embolism risk. What many may not know is that he is CURRENTLY taking a medication that helps manage that risk. The medication is managed by him and the Panthers so that it is taken in coordination with games so that his blood is not thinned out during game time. Living and playing constantly at the high altitudes in Colorado would have potentially required a stronger dose to manage his situation (or possibly limited it's effects at the current amount). So the likelihood of him remaining with the Avs was slim at best as it more than likely would have been hard to manage the blood clotting living and playing in Colorado.

As nice as it would have been to have kept him, the Avs did the smart thing to let him move on and not risk the money, nor Flash's life. Hopefully this clears up any continued talk about the Avs being stupid/cheap and letting Fleischmann walk this past summer.

The Boyes is back in town

zandar — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 20:23:42 -0000

Reclamation projects

If there is one thing that the Avalanche are good at (and right now the list is short), it is their ability to turn around careers. Sure they are not always successful but when they actually focus on players with real talent, they seem to do well.

The 4 million dollar monkey in Buffalo? Why none other than Brad Boyes. He is 29 and has averaged 25 goals a season in his nearly 500 NHL games. Is he the next Cheechoo? Not at all. Cheechoo benefitted from having Thornton passing to him and Boyes had a bunch of seasons with players who produced 30-35 assists a year (ironically his 43 goal season came with Kariya who produced 49 assists alongside him). While Cheechoo continued to struggle, Boyes actually went to Buffalo and was on pace for 20 goals and over 50 points (if he played 82 games with them). Those numbers are not worth 4 million but the fact his shot totals have dropped to about 2 a game rather than the 3 he averaged earlier in his career, he is an interesting option for Stastny's wing. Give Boyes someone who can really set him up (and provide him with quality ice time) and the Avs may have the sniper they need to compliment the Stastny line. It is time to bring Brad Boyes to Colorado and all it will take is spending a little bit of money on a gamble that may pay off big.

Reclamation projects

Interesting Cap Situation

zandar — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 17:00:35 -0000

Avalanche CapGeek

Was looking at CapGeek and the Avs are still almost 4 million UNDER the floor with a 22 man roster. Now we all expect Landeskog to make the team and TJ & Cumiskey still need to be signed but even after that the Avs may be just under the floor. The cap floor looks to be at least 3.8 away. Landeskog's contract will come in at around a 3.5-3.6 cap hit (and that is IF he makes the team). That still leaves around $200,000-300,000 (if not more) needed to reach the floor. Even if TJ and Cumiskey re-sign, they can't be expected to make much more than the lowest paid player (currently) listed at forward and defense... especially after seeing Porter and Wilson's contracts. If all goes perfectly, the Avs are just barely going to reach the cap floor. If it does not... there will be a scramble to "add" salary. The good news is that players like Yip, Cumiskey, etc all will fall near the bottom and more likely to be moved than someone higher up in salary "food chain".

Avalanche CapGeek

2011-2012 Colorado Avalanche results

zandar — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 20:49:36 -0000

Seeing that time travel hasn't been discovered (or has it?) I went ahead and expanded on an earlier project. In this version I have taken all of the forwards and defensemen (for fun I have included something similar with goalies below this) and reviewed their past three NHL seasons and have provided an average of goals scored and games played. Some players will have an occasional off year or injury filled year so players with three seasons of play have their lowest GPG average dropped from the calculations. Something similar is also done in regards to calculating average games played. Below you will find 14 forwards and 7 defensemen that make up the current Avs (no rookies are included). Listed next to each one is the average games played over the seasons calculated and the goals they would score (on average) based on that number of games. There are 984 games available in the 12 forward spots and 492 games available in the 6 defensemen spots (all based on 82 games in a season) so after the top 12 forwards and top 6 defensemen are slotted into the games available, McCleod, Lindstrom, and Cumiskey have their calculations done due to being reserve forwards. To cap it all off is the total goals for the team.

Galiardi (15g/70) Stastny (22g/78) Jones (22g/59)

Mueller (18g/76) Duchene (26g/81) Hejduk (27g/77)

Yip (16g/71) O'Reilly (11g/78) Kobasew (17g/66)

Porter (13g/74) McClement (12g/82) Winnik (9/77)

Lindstrom (8g/44) McCleod (7g/51)

Quincey (5/73) Johnson (9g/78)

Hejda (5g/80) O'Bryrne (1g/70)

Wilson (3g/64) Hunwick (7g/75)

Cumiskey (5g/52)

TOTAL AVALANCHE GOALS: 258

of course this is a young team so the thought is that a lot of these players will be more productive than this but it still is interesting to see the team goal scoring potential based on the players' average scoring (and games) over the past few years.

I used a similar idea with goaltending. Unfortunately Varlamov was still working to grab the starter reigns so it is hard to do the "average games" approach with him (or even JSG). Even though Varlamov was injured last year, he was still available to start 26 games that he did not. That means he was injured for just over half the games he could have started. If he were to continue to be injured (in just over half the games he could start) he would play in 40 games this season with JSG picking up the other 42 (if he remained healthy). Based on a similar approach with the Goals Per Game average above, I was able to calculate the average Wins Per Game and OTL Per Game for both Varlamov (.59/.22) and JSG (.38/.13). The final numbers look like this:

Varlamov 24-7-9

Giguere 16-20-6

SEASON TOTAL: 40W-27L-15OTL for 95 points

Based on this season, that would be good for #10 in the West and the 14th overall pick in the draft. Anyways, just a fun little project to use stats to see what could happen.

Galiardi (15g/70) Stastny (22g/78) Jones (22g/59)

Mueller (18g/76) Duchene (26g/81) Hejduk (27g/77)

Yip (16g/71) O'Reilly (11g/78) Kobasew (17g/66)

Porter (13g/74) McClement (12g/82) Winnik (9/77)

Lindstrom (8g/44) McCleod (7g/51)

Quincey (5/73) Johnson (9g/78)

Hejda (5g/80) O'Bryrne (1g/70)

Wilson (3g/64) Hunwick (7g/75)

Cumiskey (5g/52)

TOTAL AVALANCHE GOALS: 258

Varlamov 24-7-9

Giguere 16-20-6

SEASON TOTAL: 40W-27L-15OTL for 95 points

Based on this season, that would be good for #10 in the West and the 14th overall pick in the draft. Anyways, just a fun little project to use stats to see what could happen.

Top 5 in goal scoring?

zandar — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 20:49:33 -0000

Thought this would be an interesting look at the individual goal scoring that the "current" Avs have produced during their best season from one of the last three years. Listed is the highest amount of goals scored in one of the three seasons. This is not adjusted across 82 games due to time in the minors (Lindstrom), injuries (Jones), age (Hejduk) or struggles (Kobasew) so one number may be a little low (Lindstrom) while one may seem a little high (Kobasew). With a mostly young and growing team you would expect for continued advancement in goal/point production but this at least gives a quick look of what they already have produced and at the very least could fall around.

Lindstrom (9) Stastny (22) Jones (27)

Mueller (22) Duchene (27) Hejduk (27)

Galiardi (15) OReilly (13) Winnik (11)

Porter (14) McClement (12) Kobasew (22)

Not counted: McCleod (15) / Yip (12)

FORWARDS (221)

Quincey (6) EJ (10)

Hejda (5) OByrne (1)

Wilson (3) Hunwick (6)

Not counted: Cumiskey (7)

DEFENSE (31)

Goals scored: 252

(a 25 goal increase over 2010-2011 and an 8 goal increase over 2009-2010)

This doesn't take into account potential rookies (Hishon, Landeskog, Elliott, Barrie, etc) who may bump a few of the guys out so there is potential for a slightly increased scoring output. Nor does it take into consideration the "odd man" out but it does show their best goal output and the potential to offset some lost scoring due to injuries. A few may think that it would take a miracle for every player to recreate their best goal total (from the past three years) but when you look at it, with a young growing team they should be able to fall around those projections and could increase upon them. The only teams to score more than 252 goals last year were Philly (259), Detroit (261), Chicago (258), and Vancouver (262). That would put the Avs at #5 (and they were #6 in 2009-2010).

Lindstrom (9) Stastny (22) Jones (27)

Mueller (22) Duchene (27) Hejduk (27)

Galiardi (15) OReilly (13) Winnik (11)

Porter (14) McClement (12) Kobasew (22)

Not counted: McCleod (15) / Yip (12)

FORWARDS (221)

Quincey (6) EJ (10)

Hejda (5) OByrne (1)

Wilson (3) Hunwick (6)

Not counted: Cumiskey (7)

DEFENSE (31)

Goals scored: 252

(a 25 goal increase over 2010-2011 and an 8 goal increase over 2009-2010)

The Sabres are coming! One if by Richards, Two if by Stastny

zandar — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 23:46:42 -0000

The Sabres are coming! One if by Richards, Two if by Stastny

Buffalo is ramping up and there is no way they are not going to press hard for a #1 center...

Huberdeau really Uber? Landeskog to Languish?

zandar — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 02:49:37 -0000

I thought this might be of interest. Here is a list of every forward in the top 40 NHL scorers for 2010-11 that played fwo years in Juniors prior to being drafted. The stats provided are for the year PRIOR to their draft year. A lot of people look at a player's stats their draft year and drool but a player with consistent production (that improves) who end up being some of the best. No forward has been left out (unless they didn't play for a Junior club until their draft year or after being drafted). You should notice that the bigger "power" forwards generally didn't have huge years but the skilled forwards did. I have also included a few of the top forwards for this year's draft and their stats for the year PRIOR to this season.

Perry 67-28-31-59

Stamkos 63-42-50-92

Iginla 48-6-23-29

B Richards 68-33-82-115

Staal 56-23-39-62

Getzlaf 63-9-9-18

Marleau 72-32-42-74

Ryan 65-22-17-39

Thornton 66-30-46-76

Tanguay 70-27-41-68

Briere 72-51-72-123

Tavares 67-72-62-134

Duchene 64-30-20-50

Carter 63-18-17-35

Crosby 59-54-81-135

Nash 58-31-35-66

M Richards 65-20-38-58

Skinner 63-27-24-51

**Hishon** 65-37-44-81

**O'Reilly** 61-19-33-52

**Stewart** 64-18-12-30

2011 Prospects:

RNH 67-24-41-65

Huberdeau 61-15-20-35

Couturier 68-41-55-96

Landeskog 61-24-22-46

Strome 61-8-19-27

McNeill 68-9-15-24

Puempel 59-33-31-64

Rattie 61-17-20-37

So when there was a lot of talk about this being a weak draft a few years back, you can see by their production why there may have been some concern. This year went a long way to opening up a lot of eyes... especially with a lot of the "power" forwards stepping out.

Perry 67-28-31-59

Stamkos 63-42-50-92

Iginla 48-6-23-29

B Richards 68-33-82-115

Staal 56-23-39-62

Getzlaf 63-9-9-18

Marleau 72-32-42-74

Ryan 65-22-17-39

Thornton 66-30-46-76

Tanguay 70-27-41-68

Briere 72-51-72-123

Tavares 67-72-62-134

Duchene 64-30-20-50

Carter 63-18-17-35

Crosby 59-54-81-135

Nash 58-31-35-66

M Richards 65-20-38-58

Skinner 63-27-24-51

**Hishon** 65-37-44-81

**O'Reilly** 61-19-33-52

**Stewart** 64-18-12-30

2011 Prospects:

RNH 67-24-41-65

Huberdeau 61-15-20-35

Couturier 68-41-55-96

Landeskog 61-24-22-46

Strome 61-8-19-27

McNeill 68-9-15-24

Puempel 59-33-31-64

Rattie 61-17-20-37

Colorado bound?

zandar — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 15:12:45 -0000

Colorado bound?

story on Puempel...

Nugent-Hopkins, Landeskog = Sakic, Forsberg?

zandar — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 04:48:46 -0000

Nugent-Hopkins, Landeskog = Sakic, Forsberg?

NHL.com recently caught up with Central Scouting's Jack Barzee to discuss those little differences that create the makeup of each player. Barzee was obviously impressed with what each forward had in their arsenal.

"Do you want (Peter) Forsberg or (Joe) Sakic?" asked Barzee, referring to Nugent-Hopkins as Sakic. "I know that's pretty extreme because they were two superstars, but here are two guys that have a lot of similarities. They remind you of those players when they've got the puck, when they're skating, when they're playing and when they're executing."

more if you follow the link. Wanted to post it last week but my mobile options seem to be limited. Anyways... interesting read for those interested in the draft.

Nugent-Hopkins, Landeskog = Sakic, Forsberg?

more if you follow the link. Wanted to post it last week but my mobile options seem to be limited. Anyways... interesting read for those interested in the draft.

Craig Button: Larsson could fall outside the top 5

zandar — Mon, 09 May 2011 23:01:39 -0000

Craig Button: Larsson could fall outside the top 5

he would not be surprised if Larsson was NOT the first D taken

Final THN Draft rankings

zandar — Sun, 08 May 2011 00:51:51 -0000

Well over a dozen scouts helped compile this list and I have included quotes for the first few:

1) RNH: "He's along the lines of Matt Duchene"

2) Larsson: "He's everything you want"

3) Landeskog: "He's the best player in the draft. If he didn't care about defense, he'd score 50 goals just for fun"

4) Couturier: "He's that big center everybody is looking for. He'll end up as a second line center and be a 60-70 point guy"

5) Huberdeau: "I would compare him to Patrick Kane. He has the vision and playmaking but those hands...unbelievable"

6) Strome

7) Murphy

8) Bartschi

9) Phillips

10) Hamilton

11) Zibanejad

12) Siemens

some other players that fall around the 11th pick: McNeill, Oleksiak, Armia, Saad, Khokhlachev, and Beaulieu (not in that order). Puempel sits just outside the top 20 with,"Unfortunately' he's going to pay the freight for having been injured and being on a bad team. Going into this year, he would have been a consensus top-10 guy".

Interesting stuff that any draft/prospect fan should pick up when it comes out in a week or two...especially as this is just a tease of what was said.

Well over a dozen scouts helped compile this list and I have included quotes for the first few:

1) RNH: "He's along the lines of Matt Duchene"

2) Larsson: "He's everything you want"

3) Landeskog: "He's the best player in the draft. If he didn't care about defense, he'd score 50 goals just for fun"

4) Couturier: "He's that big center everybody is looking for. He'll end up as a second line center and be a 60-70 point guy"

5) Huberdeau: "I would compare him to Patrick Kane. He has the vision and playmaking but those hands...unbelievable"

6) Strome

7) Murphy

8) Bartschi

9) Phillips

10) Hamilton

11) Zibanejad

12) Siemens

Interesting stuff that any draft/prospect fan should pick up when it comes out in a week or two...especially as this is just a tease of what was said.

Red Line Report's top prospects for 2011 Draft

zandar — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 21:29:15 -0000

Red Line Report's top prospects for 2011 Draft

Grimaldi at #9....

The Fab Five

zandar — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 22:04:44 -0000

It almost seems like there is a new post or two every day about who the Avs will draft so instead of posting this as a response in each and every related fanpost... I felt it better to share here. As we all know, the Avs are very hush hush about who they like when doing trades, drafting, etc. and when it comes to who they take with the #2 pick... there is a very good chance that they already know who they will be drafting.

I believe everyone has a good idea about RNH & Landeskog but there are 3 others that round out what I like to call the Fab Five and they are Larsson, Couturier, and Huberdeau. Will all 5 go in the top 5? Probably not... as someone like Strome, Murphy, etc may be a favorite on a team's list but right now those 5 are the ones everyone likes to talk about as potential top 3 picks.

Couturier is a tall player from the QMJHL who brings a high talent level, size, and two-way play. There have been questions about his intensity due to some issues with raising his play during big games but overall he has been a very good producer in Juniors. Often compared to Jordan Staal for his two-way play, his overall game has been compared to someone like Lecavalier (not the 40+ goal PPG version). More than likely he will fall somewhere between those two and aim to average around 25-30 goals and 70 points.

Larsson has found himself bouncing all around from between the #1 and #3 rated draft prospect. The movement is more due to the play of the other draft prospects than his own shortcomings. Fans of every team that has an opening for a top pairing D are clamoring to draft this large Swedish defender. Despite playing against grown men, Larsson has done a good job at handling that level of play. In this year's playoffs, Larsson was an important player on D for his team and helped in reaching the finals. Unfortunately the finals did not go so well for either his team or himself as Larsson (and his team) struggled against the tougher competition. Despite that, Larsson still remains an intriguing prospect who has top pairing potential but could settle into being a great #3 two-way defender who shines on his team's second pairing.

Huberdeau. A name that has probably been searched for more recently on Youtube and Google than any other 2011 draft eligible prospect. Many have seen his ability to simply make the puck dance on the ice or connect on another player's stick after a no look pass and have fallen in love. Will his puck wizardry work down low against bigger more physical NHL players and goalies who are bigger and have better lateral movement? Will his seemingly no look passes get picked off and moved the other way only to end up in the back of his team's net? Who knows but for now he is simply a wizard with the puck and if his shot and skating continues to develop, he could be a very good player. He currently projects to be a skilled scorer with some tenacity who has big time potential. Like Kadri in 09, will he adjust his game enough to make the impact at the NHL level that he has the potential for?

so those three fill out the Fab Five of this year's draft. Looking at what has been said about the other two (RNH, Landeskog) you can kind of see why they top 3-4 players have been bouncing around in the rankings all year. So which one will be a new Av come the 2011 draft?

Pumped for Puempel

zandar — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 17:43:19 -0000

After starting the Languishing for Landeskog a few months back as a possible pick for the Avs first rounder, I thought it may be a good idea to point out a possibly player for the #11 pick.

A lot of Avs fans are clamoring for a D with one of the two picks (or a trade for a goalie). Unfortunately it looks like the top 4 rated Ds (Murphy, Hamilton, Siemens and Larsson) may go in the top 10. As with most drafts there is the chance a D or two fall out of the top spots and into the Avs laps. If not, the players all currently filling the 10-15 spots (on most scouting reports) are not necessarily someone the Avs would take high in the first round. That grouping is filled with players like Armia, Jensen, Bartschi, Saad, etc. It is possible the Avs may overlook some of the concerns with those picks and take one or even draft a solid hard working prospect with size like Biggs or McNeill (who fall around the 14-18 range). But there is one player that is being overlooked that fits what the Avs like and that is Matt Puempel.

You will hear a lot of comparisons between Puempel and Skinner. Both are similar players with Puempel being the better skater and Skinner having the slight edge in shot quality. Both produced similar numbers prior to Juniors where Puempel followed up exceeding Skinner's 1st year numbers (garnering OHL Rookie of the Year). Unfortunately this year (his second year), Puempel did not exceed or mirror Skinner's second year numbers but this is more to do with the teams they played on. While Skinner played on a very strong Rangers team (with Morin, Landeskog, Murphy, Moore, Akeson, etc) his draft year, Puempel has played on a struggling Petes team that has only one other PPG player in Austin Watson. Saying that he has had to produce a lot by himself is an understatement. Fully healthy, he had the ability to be a 40-45 goal scorer on a terrible struggling Petes team this year.

Matt may not make those around him better but he will put the puck in the net. Combined with his skating and willingness to go to the tough areas, Matt has the ability to score anywhere that is needed. He may not make the flashy plays but he will still get people out of their seats with his goal scoring ability. At the very least he is a top 12 talent and will more than likely be a steal outside the top 12.

Matt Puempel

6'0" 190lbs

6th overall of the 2009 OHL draft (Strome went #8 and Duchene went #5 in 07's draft)

Top 10 pick in preliminary rankings for NHL draft.

33 goals first OHL season. 34 goals in 55 games in second OHL season.

After starting the Languishing for Landeskog a few months back as a possible pick for the Avs first rounder, I thought it may be a good idea to point out a possibly player for the #11 pick.

Matt Puempel

6'0" 190lbs

6th overall of the 2009 OHL draft (Strome went #8 and Duchene went #5 in 07's draft)

Top 10 pick in preliminary rankings for NHL draft.

33 goals first OHL season. 34 goals in 55 games in second OHL season.

What If? Draft 2011

zandar — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 00:38:51 -0000

Larsson has gone first overall. Landeskog just went second overall and the Avs are sitting with the third pick for the 2011 draft. The next players projected to possibly be picked are RNH, Couturier, and Strome. 3 centers. 3 possibly wingers. The Avs already have Duchene, Stastny, OReilly, and possibly Hishon to center the top 3 lines. What do you do? Who do you draft?

Do you pick one of the centers?

Do you trade down and acquire an asset and draft one of the other top 8 players?

Do you move one of your current centers to bring back pieces you need?

What would you do?

Tampa was in a similar situation in 09 where they had Stamkos & Lecavalier and drafted Hedman. What if they had traded Lecavalier and his huge salary for help on defense and took Duchene? A Stamkos/Duchene combo with whatever the Lecavalier to Montreal brought back (Halak? top 4 D? Pick? Prospect?). Something to think about when it comes to this draft and it being so top heavy in centers (who could possibly adjust to wing).

Do you pick one of the centers?

Do you trade down and acquire an asset and draft one of the other top 8 players?

Do you move one of your current centers to bring back pieces you need?

What would you do?

Bordeleau Smash!

zandar — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 16:00:28 -0000

Bordeleau Smash!

The Goalie Conundrum

zandar — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 17:40:27 -0000

That is about how many goalies the Avs have "in the system" and at the NHL level. I do not count Cash & Grahame in Lake Erie only due to the fluctuation that LE sees in UFA goalies from year to year and the fact neither one are looked to be future goalies for the Avs.

Elliott, Budaj, Cann, Pickard, Patterson, Aittokallio, Millan, and Maxwell make up the potential goalies for the Avs for next season and beyond. Elliott, Budaj and Maxwell all have to be signed this summer to keep them with the Avs. In the summer of 2012, the other 5 need to be signed to be retained as Cann will be a RFA, and Pickard, Patterson, Aittokallio, and Millan will have finished the final year that the Avs can retain their rights as unsigned draftees.

Between the NHL, AHL, and CHL the Avs have about 5-6 spots that their goalies can play. So who will stay and who will go over the next two years (and not taking into consideration any incoming goalies from trades/UFA/drafts)? This is something the Avs are already looking at and preparing for by not signing Delmas last summer (can't have a bunch of available contracts tied up with 3 year entry level deals). Will Maxwell be this year's Delmas? Will Millan be next year's? The future in net looks interesting but outside of Pickard, nothing seems certain when it comes to future Avalanche goalies.

Why the 1st is important

zandar — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 15:00:31 -0000

Many "observers" of the Stewart/EJ trade keep going on and on about the trade but very few pick up on the fact that the Avs acquired St. Louis' first rounder this year or next. I'm not going to go into the other pieces of the trade but the first really is very important. Many would think to brush off the pick if it ended up a 2012 pick as the Blues are bound to be better... right?

Not so fast...

St Louis currently sits within the Bottom 10 teams on the outside looking in (to the playoffs). This gives the option to St Louis to swap their 2012 1st round pick for the Avs 2012 2nd round pick. But WILL they? The 2012 draft is considered to be much deeper than the 2011 draft. If the Blues end up in the top 10 picks, would it be better to give that pick up instead of gambling with their 2012 pick? If they are in the 8-10 range... it may very well be.

St Louis had a great start to the season and have tailed off since then. As Avs fans, we know how that is. If you erase the great start by the Blues, you have an under .500 team for the past 50+ games. Apply that over 62 games and you have a team around the 55-58 point area. That would put them LOWER then the Avs this year. Sure teams have streaks and deal with injuries but this is a team that has moved a lot of good solid players and are set to go with younger players with potentially higher upsides... and again we all know how that can go. Could St Louis continue their below .500 ways next year? These next 20 games will go a long way to determining what the Blues may want to do with their 2011 pick if they have the option between this year or next.

But one thing remains clear... that St Louis 1st rounder is very important.

Not so fast...

But one thing remains clear... that St Louis 1st rounder is very important.