GDT: Game 69: Avs @ Kings - Pray for Nate

[Matt Roberts]

Why are you assuming that no one else is going to get injured and everyone will come back?

The team has said everyone is expected back very soon. Someone else will get hurt along the way, I'm sure, but the current group will be back.

 

[Northern Avs Fan]

Why are you assuming that no one else is going to get injured and everyone will come back?

Haha that’s fair.

I was in a dark place before that morning skate. Knowing that pretty much everyone is skating again gives me hope. We just need good news on Nate.

 

[AllAboutAvs]

Haha that’s fair.

I was in a dark place before that morning skate. Knowing that pretty much everyone is skating again gives me hope. We just need good news on Nate.

"...news on Nate"? HaHaHaHa you are funny.

 

[Lonewolfe2015]

I absolutely think we could use a better 3C, but having a better 3C won’t offset losing Mack and Kadri. It would help having JGP but I mean we’d still be screwed at that point. Maybe 3 teams in the league could capably deal with losing their 1-2 C’s.

Feel like people are missing my point. We've lost a lot of players and they all hurt. But MacK is the straw that breaks our back and even if everyone else was healthy we'd struggle to compete night in and night out without him, let alone win a cup.

If this team is to ever become a cup contender, they need to bolster the depth to sustain a MacK injury. That's another top 6 center at a minimum. That player helps reduce minutes, make the third line a threat and backfill injuries in the top two centers.

 

[CobraAcesS]

Feel like people are missing my point. We've lost a lot of players and they all hurt. But MacK is the straw that breaks our back and even if everyone else was healthy we'd struggle to compete night in and night out without him, let alone win a cup.

If this team is to ever become a cup contender, they need to bolster the depth to sustain a MacK injury. That's another top 6 center at a minimum. That player helps reduce minutes, make the third line a threat and backfill injuries in the top two centers.

f***in Jost

 

[Pokecheque]

my post bashing Sakic was sarcasm

Spoiler: Likely Story!

This is also sarcasm

 

[avspatti]

Why are you assuming that no one else is going to get injured and everyone will come back?

B/C we have used up all our evil karma.

 

[The Abusement Park]

Feel like people are missing my point. We've lost a lot of players and they all hurt. But MacK is the straw that breaks our back and even if everyone else was healthy we'd struggle to compete night in and night out without him, let alone win a cup.

If this team is to ever become a cup contender, they need to bolster the depth to sustain a MacK injury. That's another top 6 center at a minimum. That player helps reduce minutes, make the third line a threat and backfill injuries in the top two centers.

I don’t think we’d be more screwed than many other teams losing a top 5 player? Anyone losing a player that good will suffer significantly, some would struggle less than others but I mean our full lineup minus Mack would still be competitive. I agree that we 100% need an upgrade at 3C but I think having players like Mikko and Makar still give us that star power that can win game by themselves.

 

[Pokecheque]

Yeah, most teams are not going to win a Cup after losing their best player. Doesn't matter how much depth you build up.

 

[dahrougem2]

It's crazy the number of people who aren't bothered with the Avs not using their cap space this year and now icing half an AHL roster.

If you could trade cap space for players, I'm sure more people would be up in arms.

You still have to trade valuable assets in a trade. Looking at what some players got and what some teams were asking, I'm happy Sakic stayed away.

 

[GirardSpinorama]

If I were MacKinnon (which I'm definitely not) I'd be taking a long, hard look at what Sakic's doing with all of the "less" that I said I'd take again before I really do it. We can crow all we want about MacK's great contract but he could be making a whole lot more and still playing on the same team right now.

We can revisit that in 3 years, but I expect to have re-signed all of our core pieces to long term contracts (using Mack's cap savings) that he'd be pretty happy with the team. I mean, we could also just spend to the cap by overpaying UFAs that don't add that much value and then ask him to take it or leave it with the cap thats left over.

 

[GirardSpinorama]

A point with Carolina is that they only paid for one rental in Vatanen, who may not cost a lot. Their big spends were on players who had a lot of term.

They still had to overpay (relative to fair value during off-season) since it was at the TDL.

 

[GirardSpinorama]

Personally, I just think it's short-sighted to build your deadline philosophy around a 6-8 game stretch. Yeah, the injuries are frustrating, but they're still winning and we'll see guys returning very soon. I'm bothered about wasting the cap space as an asset, but not because they didn't add roster filler at the deadline.

Yup. i would have loved to use our cap space to retain some salary for other teams and get some draft picks.

 

[GirardSpinorama]

It's crazy the number of people who aren't bothered with the Avs not using their cap space this year and now icing half an AHL roster.

That additional player (who we could realistically acquire without giving up the future) with our 5 mill in cap space is not the difference between a NHL roster and a half AHL roster.

And we don't really have "half an AHL roster". Barberio/Connauton are at least NHL players (not great ones), forced down by depth. They would be number 6-7 guys on other playoff teams. O'Connor (who has been fine) and Kamenev maybe, but the team really wanted to and should give those two a shot.

 

[Metallo]

Feel like people are missing my point. We've lost a lot of players and they all hurt. But MacK is the straw that breaks our back and even if everyone else was healthy we'd struggle to compete night in and night out without him, let alone win a cup.

If this team is to ever become a cup contender, they need to bolster the depth to sustain a MacK injury. That's another top 6 center at a minimum. That player helps reduce minutes, make the third line a threat and backfill injuries in the top two centers.

3 top 6 centers???
Who has that? Glory days Red Army?
You don’t plan your team on a freak injury run.

 

[Pokecheque]

3 top 6 centers???
Who has that? Glory days Red Army?
You don’t plan your team on a freak injury run.

The only team I can think of that did that in recent years was Pittsburgh in 2009, and that's only if you considered Jordan Staal to be a "top six center." And that team really wasn't terribly impressive on the wings.

But really, the Avs could have something somewhat similar, but it depends on Shane Bowers becoming the next Lars Eller. Eller is that 3C who can play up the lineup in a pinch, but I wouldn't call him a "top six" guy by any means.

 

[forsbergavs32]

I wanted someone like Pageau added too but that price was too much, not to mention paying 5 mil a year for a 3rd line center, so I’m fine with Sakic playing the long game since we have Newhook and Bowers coming along soon. This isn’t a year where we have to go all in otherwise it’s over (like Columbus last year)

Since the offseason... Sakic has added a #2 center, a top 6 winger, 2 middle 6 wingers, a decent 3rd line/top 4th line center and a #1 D-man if you want to count Makar. That’s quite a bit of turnover and real good depth added, not sure how much more people want Sakic to do in one year when the window is just now opening.

Looks like we should be healthy apart from Mack and Wilson within the next week or so. It sucks that Mack is out, but getting Kadri, Makar, Rantanen back will keep us afloat and there doesn’t sound like there’s a ton of concern around Mack considering they waited to evaluate him until they got back to Denver. Of course injuries can still happen again but adding one more player wasn’t going to magically make it easier.

 

[Colorado Avalanche]

Overpaying for mediocre talent like Pageau (for the price and his contract) is not the way. Unless you think you are so close, that he is the last piece of the puzzle, otherwise stay away!

 

[Sea Eagles]

No, we need to be realistic, and not to expect to still win the Division by 10 points.

What we need is to be healthy at the start of the playoffs. That's all that you can hope for now.

On a positive note.. The team has gotten themselves into a position where they will get invited to the dance most likely. Even with four of the top six forwards out and our #1D out.

I'm realistic. I predicted us to finish almost exactly where we have three years straight, and I hold to that.

We are banged up, that's all. I still believe we can top the division, get home ice advantage, and make it to at least the third round of these playoffs.

We'll be getting our troops back soon, then lookout NHL

 

[expatriatedtexan]

Yeah, most teams are not going to win a Cup after losing their best player. Doesn't matter how much depth you build up.

The 2000-2001 Peter Forsberg spleen says howdy.

 

[The Abusement Park]

The 2000-2001 Peter Forsberg spleen says howdy.

I mean a non cap era juggernaut is a different situation to now.

 

[Pokecheque]

The 2000-2001 Peter Forsberg spleen says howdy.

Joe Sakic's Hart Trophy says howdy back.

 

[Pokecheque]

I mean a non cap era juggernaut is a different situation to now.

Doesn't matter, Forsberg was not their best player that year. We all know who was.

 

[The Abusement Park]

Doesn't matter, Forsberg was not their best player that year. We all know who was.

Ville Niemenen.

 

[Pokecheque]

Ville Niemenen.

WRONG.

Chris Dingman.