Category Archives: Colorado Avalanche
Dater: Avs need more defense but shouldn’t mortgate future to get it
It’s time to seriously look toward the trade market. One media report late last week said the Avs were interested in Florida defenseman Dmitry Kulikov, the 14th player selected in the 2009 draft. He has been awful so far this season with the Panthers, but maybe a change of scenery under Roy’s guidance could get his once-promising career back on track. Still, if the kid can’t even stay in the lineup of the Florida Panthers right now (he was a healthy scratch last week), is this the answer?
Are the Avalanche interested in Florida defenseman Dmitry Kulikov?
According to ace Rogers Sportsnet reporter/podcast host Jeff Marek they are.
Marek, one of the hockey media people I respect a lot, said on the air that his sources are telling him the Avs have interest in Florida Panthers defenseman Dmitry Kulikov, the 14th overall pick by Florida in 2009 – 11 spots behind Matt Duchene.
NHL rumours: Stastny part of Habs’ big deal?
“The Canadiens have been scouting the Avs all year long,” writes Adrain Dater of the Denver Post. “While I don’t believe something ‘major’ is imminent, I do believe Montreal has targeted the Avs for a while now for something. It could be as little as trying to get John Mitchell, or something as big as a package involving Paul Stastny.”
Are the Avs looking to deal Jamie McGinn?
Trying to stay in the NHL playoff picture, Colorado GM Joe Sakic has been sniffing around to try to get a defenceman. I’ve been told that LW Jamie McGinn has fallen out of favour with Avs’ coach Patrick Roy and is being shopped around as part of a deal to try to get blueline help. McGinn, 25, has a cap hit of $1.75 million and will be an RFA on July 1.
Montreal Scouting the Avalanche
Just one Eastern NHL team scouting the Avs-Panthers game tonight…
And that team is the Montreal Canadiens. The Habs have really been scouting the Avs heavily this season, despite only having one more game with them this season. Do they want those two points that bad? Or are they scouting Avs players for a possible trade pitch? I think it’s the latter. Names they are looking at? Probably Paul Stastny at No. 1, followed by John Mitchell at No. 2.
http://sulia.com/channel/colorado-avalanche/f/1d49cf3c-dc46-4a2a-a899-216222284d9c/?source=twitter&repost=120
Avs could targert Miller is Varlamov goes to jail
Colorado was considered a possible landing spot for Miller during the offseason, but Varlamov put those rumors down by starting 7-1 with a 1.76 goals-against average and .945 save percentage. The Avs appear to be legitimate Stanley Cup hopefuls — they lead the league in goals allowed per game at 1.46 and rank sixth in goals scored at 3.18 — and have 36-year-old J.S. Giguere as a backup.
Will the Avs decide to keep Stasney?
Paul Stastny’s contract is up after this season, when he could become an unrestricted free agent. He’s playing for a team that probably could use more help on defense and has two top-quality young centers already. Does that mean Stastny likely is gone in the spring as trade bait or when the market opens next summer for free agents?
Is NOW the Time For Stastny?
Difficult yes. Impossible no.
What we can tell you – for certain – is that Stastny would provide Leafs an immeasurable boost up the middle. His grandiose performance for the United States at the World Hockey Championships last May proved he still has a wonderful feel for the puck – as a play-maker and scorer. His valuation in the NHL has undoubtedly been skewed by toiling for a dismal Colorado club. Additionally, Avs appear to be well-established at center with Matt Duchene, Nathan MacKinnon and Ryan O’Reilly. Even with nearly $11 million in cap space, it’s difficult to imagine Joe Sakic forking over a king’s ransom to retain Stastny – still only 27.
Avs have a tough choice on whom to cut when Ryan Wilson comes back soon. My speculation on how it plays out…
I really think Patrick Roy wants to keep the big, hungry and young Nick Holden and Nate Guenin among his top eight D-men. When Wilson comes back though, somebody will have to either be placed on waivers and/or sent to Lake Erie. That could be Matt Hunwick too. Wilson probably won’t return until Saturday in Washington, unless the Avs play horrible in Toronto Tuesday and Roy just wants to get Wilson in there and not worry about it.
Holden is probably the odds-on choice to get sent down, when all is said and done.
http://sulia.com/adater/
Dater: Paul Stastny could be odd man out with Avalanche by season’s end
It may work out that the Avalanche can keep three very good centers beyond this season in Paul Stastny, Matt Duchene and Nathan MacKinnon. But most everyone believes one of them will have to be traded before too long, and odds are that player will be Stastny.
It may be an uncomfortable topic for everyone around the dressing room, but it is reality. There are only so many minutes to go around for a team’s top forwards, and anyone out of the top six more often than not stays slotted in a utility role.
Avs not going to make a trade
Patrick Roy essentially said Avs will not be making any trades before start of season
— adater (@adater) September 29, 2013
Hearing a little chatter about Avs and Flyers possibly talking about a swap for a D-man. Might happen, might not
— adater (@adater) September 28, 2013
It's been my stated opinion for a while that either Stastny or OReilly will be gone by next trade deadline. (1)
— adater (@adater) August 30, 2013
Ryan Miller for Paul Stastny swap a possibility?
It’s been a while since we’ve had a good, salacious rumor in NHL circles, that tends to happen in the month of August. But a somewhat juicy one popped up this week.
For a while now the future of Ryan Miller in Buffalo has been clouded. The Sabres made it clear that they were ready to steer in the direction of a rebuild when they traded captain Jason Pominville to Minnesota last season. They reportedly gave some thought to dealing their No. 1 goalie Miller at the time, too, but nothing happened on that front.
Perhaps it could happen sometime soon as Josh Rimer tweeted this on Thursday night.
Been told to NOT be surprised if the Avalanche deal Paul Stastny to Buffalo for Ryan Miller. Stastny/Miller both headed to UFA in summer
— Josh Rimer (@JoshRimerHockey) August 30, 2013
http://www.cbssports.com/nhl/eye-on-hockey/23396654/nhl-rumors-ryan-miller-for-paul-stastny-swap-a-possibility
Avalanche news and notes: Will Paul Stastny be trade bait to Maple Leafs?
Some rumors today about Dion Phaneuf possibly being on the trade block. If the Avs got him, they’d almost certainly have to deal Paul Stastny to get him – in large part just to make the math work on the salary cap. Phaneuf’s cap hit is $6.5 million, just under Stastny’s $6.6 million. Like Stastny, Phaneuf can be an unrestricted free agent after this season.
Roy has a big job
Patrick Roy, new man behind the bench in Colorado, told the Denver media Tuesday that “my No. 1 quality is that I am not afraid to put in the time.’’ If only coaching were a time-in/results-out business. The NFL is full of coaches who sleep and eat in their offices, but performance does not necessarily correlate with the punching of the time card. St. Patrick went a formidable 348-196 and won a Memorial Cup (2006) in his time directing the Quebec Remparts.
Should the Avs really trade the No. 1 pick, or try to trade so they get the top two?
An awful lot of speculation going on right now about what the Avs might/should do with their No. 1 pick in the draft next month.
Patrick Roy and Joe Sakic both definitely started a mini-frenzy but strongly hinting they might be open to make a deal with someone involving their top pick in what is considered the deepest NHL draft in years. You trade the No. 1 pick for more established veteran help PLUS Florida’s or Tampa Bay’s pick, and just take whatever is left of the top 3. Win-win. Or maybe not.
Let’s look at some of the potential scenarios. I have now just nestled my GM hat nicely onto my dome:
Joe Sacco fired as coach of Colorado Avalanche after four NHL seasons
The Avs have not hired a replacement.
Should Blues Consider Stastny ?
There’s some talk of Colorado maybe looking to move center Paul Stastny. Reports suggest he could be expendable with the addition of Ryan O’Reilly.
We’ve asked this question for several years, how would Stastny look in St. Louis?
Obviously he comes with a contract that pays him $6.6 million for one more season. That’s a lot for a budget team like the Blues and obviously some dollars would need to be shipped out to make room for this type of contract.
