Compher

[Richard88]

They need to quit f***ing around and put the best team they possibly can on the ice. This fourth-line-as-third-line bullshit is 100% because Compher is far and away the worst player on the team right now and if they don’t watch it, it’s going to bite them in the ass. It’s the biggest concern at present and there’s simply no excuse to wait any longer. Either make a deal and throw someone a draft pick to take him or waive/demote him now. Put Bowers in and see what happens. It can’t continue like this.

Sakic definitely needs to upgrade that 3rd line if he has aspirations of beating teams like Tampa in a 7 game series. Ideally he follows Tampa's gameplan and acquires two good cheap 3rd liners like Coleman and Goodrow to give the 3rd line a completely new look. Donskoi is good enough on that line to be effective, but our other bottom 6 forwards are mostly a collection of 4th liners due to their limited production, albeit very good 4th liners.

Landeskog ----- Mackinnon ---- Rantanen
Burakovsky -------- Kadri -------- Saad
xxxxxxx ---------- xxxxxxx ------- Donskoi
Nichuskin --- Jost/Bellemare --- Calvert

 

[SoundwaveIsCharisma]

Sakic definitely needs to upgrade that 3rd line if he has aspirations of beating teams like Tampa in a 7 game series. Ideally he follows Tampa's gameplan and acquires two good cheap 3rd liners like Coleman and Goodrow to give the 3rd line a completely new look. Donskoi is good enough on that line to be effective, but our other bottom 6 forwards are mostly a collection of 4th liners due to their limited production, albeit very good 4th liners.

Landeskog ----- Mackinnon ---- Rantanen
Burakovsky -------- Kadri -------- Saad
xxxxxxx ---------- xxxxxxx ------- Donskoi
Nichuskin --- Jost/Bellemare --- Calvert

I'd love a 4th line of Calvert - ??? - LOC

Someone that plays with the same pace and tenacity as Calvert and LOC. Just let them loose and let them scramble the other team.

 

[Richard88]

I'd love a 4th line of Calvert - ??? - LOC

Someone that plays with the same pace and tenacity as Calvert and LOC. Just let them loose and let them scramble the other team.

I'd also love to see Calvert-O'Connor together, their energy would be great.

That said, none of Nichuskin/Calvert/Jost/O'Connor score at a 3rd line level, so ideally they'd be on the 4th line in some combination.

Acquiring a 3LW and 3C would make our 13th and 14th forwards two of Jost/Bellemare/O'Connor which is just great depth (assuming that Compher gets moved otherwise he'd be in that group too).

 

[GirardSpinorama]

I think nuke is too good for the 4th line.

 

[Balthazar]

I think nuke is too good for the 4th line.

Yes and no. He's strictly a defensive player at this point.

 

[The Abusement Park]

I think nuke is too good for the 4th line.

Defensively yes. Offensively he's pretty useless outside of a few hot streaks here and there.

 

[Richard88]

I think nuke is too good for the 4th line.

Defensively yes he certainly is good enough for the 3rd line, but if you can have the luxury of him on the 4th line then that would be preferable, since on a cup contender ideally you want more scoring from the 3rd line, especially considering the black hole we have at 3C.

 

[GirardSpinorama]

Defensively yes he certainly is good enough for the 3rd line, but if you can have the luxury of him on the 4th line then that would be preferable, since on a cup contender ideally you want more scoring from the 3rd line, especially considering the black hole we have at 3C.

I think nuke's role offensively is just winning puck battles, steal pucks, give it to another player and occasionally finish, get zone entries. He's like a Daniel Winnik but even bigger. In that aspect, he's fine. I think he makes the game easier for his 3C, but he definitely needs someone better than Compher.

 

[Richard88]

I think nuke's role offensively is just winning puck battles, steal pucks, give it to another player and occasionally finish, get zone entries. He's like a Daniel Winnik but even bigger. In that aspect, he's fine. I think he makes the game easier for his 3C, but he definitely needs someone better than Compher.

Yeah you're right. Our best 2nd line combination at 5v5 statistically was Nichuskin-Kadri-Burakovsky; he's certainly able to contribute in a way that elevates the whole line, even if he's not producing a lot of offense. It's hard to make a case for him on the 2nd line though due to the complete lack of offense, but on the 3rd line it would be fine.

 

[GirardSpinorama]

Yeah you're right. Our best 2nd line combination at 5v5 statistically was Nichuskin-Kadri-Burakovsky; he's certainly able to contribute in a way that elevates the whole line, even if he's not producing a lot of offense. It's hard to make a case for him on the 2nd line though due to the complete lack of offense, but on the 3rd line it would be fine.

Ya. I don't see how he's worse than a player like goodrew, one of those true bottom sixers who teams need. Just need Compher to get his head out of his butt and play like a Blake Coleman.

 

[John Mandalorian]

Compher is getting 15:04 of ice time a game and has all of two points all season.

The Avs become much more difficult to play if the third line competes every shift instead of what we’re seeing now.

That 15:04 of ice time every night is so bad and unthreatening, the other goalie can almost bring out a lawn chair. It’s like we’re giving the other team a 15 minute break each game.

 

[Pokecheque]

Ya. I don't see how he's worse than a player like goodrew, one of those true bottom sixers who teams need. Just need Compher to get his head out of his butt and play like a Blake Coleman.

Hah...on his best day Compher doesn't come even close to Blake Coleman.

Computer is getting 15:04 of ice time a game and has all of two points all season.

The Avs become much more difficult to play if the third line competes every shift instead of what we’re seeing now.

That 15:04 of ice time every night is so bad and unthreatening, the other goalie can almost bring out a lawn chair. It’s like we’re giving the other team a 15 minute break each game.

Compher played a team-low 9:00 last night, and part of that was the "oh well" shift at the very end there so it's pretty clear Bednar knows, the question remains if the Avs are actually going to do anything about it.

 

[Northern Avs Fan]

He’s going to be replaced.

Neither Jost/Compher can be a 3C and they’re making the decision very easy for Sakic.

The unfortunate part is that Compher is now an immovable contract. He’s like a smaller cap hit James Neal. Except, he’s actually a worse player. I don’t think it will be long before he’s getting healthy scratched.

 

[Pokecheque]

Healthy scratch should've happened a few games ago. Frankly Jost should be treated as the 12th forward and rotated out of the lineup as well. Neither guy should be in the lineup at the same time.

 

[John Mandalorian]

Hah...on his best day Compher doesn't come even close to Blake Coleman.



Compher played a team-low 9:00 last night, and part of that was the "oh well" shift at the very end there so it's pretty clear Bednar knows, the question remains if the Avs are actually going to do anything about it.

Thats still 9 minutes conceded.

 

[Balthazar]

Dater late to the party

 

[Northern Avs Fan]

Healthy scratch should've happened a few games ago. Frankly Jost should be treated as the 12th forward and rotated out of the lineup as well. Neither guy should be in the lineup at the same time.

Agreed.

I don’t think I even want Compher in the lineup once they get a 3C.

I’d rather have LOC in a 4th line wing spot because he actually brings energy. It might be best if Compher is waived and put on the taxi squad. He can be used as depth if they’re down to their 13th/14th forward.

 

[Balthazar]

I'm starting to believe that we may have to buy him out. As much as it hurts to carry his dead cap hit for the next several years..

 

[SoundwaveIsCharisma]

Sakic's gamble that Jost and Compher would figure it out has not paid off.

 

[Balthazar]

Sakic's gamble that Jost and Compher would figure it out has not paid off.

3 years ago we entered the playoffs with Jost, Compher and Kerfoot as our 2nd line.

 

[SoundwaveIsCharisma]

3 years ago we entered the playoffs with Jost, Compher and Kerfoot as our 2nd line.

It just seems like such an Avs thing. about a decade ago the team looked set at forward, and had a crop of D prospects that we really thought would help us become competitors. Now the opposite is true, the D has developed really well, and the forward prospects really haven't turned out well.

 

[GirardSpinorama]

Hah...on his best day Compher doesn't come even close to Blake Coleman.



Compher played a team-low 9:00 last night, and part of that was the "oh well" shift at the very end there so it's pretty clear Bednar knows, the question remains if the Avs are actually going to do anything about it.

I'd say Compher on his best day is pretty much Coleman. But he hasn't been on that day for a longgg time.

 

[SoundwaveIsCharisma]

I'd say Compher on his best day is pretty much Coleman. But he hasn't been on that day for a longgg time.

Nor does he maintain that level of play over a reasonable amount of time. When JTC is on, he's a pretty fast, chippy player that can score some really clutch goals. However, there's also that huge chunk of the season where it looks like he's just checking to see if his blades are still sharp and then gets off the ice.

 

[henchman21]

The Avs probably won't have enough room to do this, but if there was one guy the Avs should move mountains for in free agency, it is Coleman.

 

[Richard88]

He’s going to be replaced.

Neither Jost/Compher can be a 3C and they’re making the decision very easy for Sakic.

The unfortunate part is that Compher is now an immovable contract. He’s like a smaller cap hit James Neal. Except, he’s actually a worse player. I don’t think it will be long before he’s getting healthy scratched.

If Florida can move Matheson ($4.875m x 6) for a semi-useful player with less term in return then Sakic should be able to find a taker for Compher. It's all about identifying someone who's got something that could be useful for us even if the other teams wants to move him.

For example, maybe there's a team with a player on a NTC who would only waive to come to a contender, and who's team would prefer to move on from them, kinda like Hornqvist.

Alternatively maybe a change of scenery type trade for a similar struggling player to try to shake things up and see if they can find a spark on a new team, something like Compher for Connelly perhaps.

Failing that just hold out until the expansion draft and find a way to get Seattle to take that contract.