The Kingslayer
Registered User
Ehrhoff would've been suuuuuch a huge piece for this team.
too bad he wants to win tomorrow
Ehrhoff would've been suuuuuch a huge piece for this team.
Since everyone is comparing this year's roster to last year's, are the Avs better this coming year or this past year? (on paper, not considering salary cap)
2013/2014 Colorado Avalanche (opening game line-up)
O'Reilly - Duchene - Downie
Landeskog - Stastny - Tanguay
McGinn - MacKinnon - Parenteau
McLeod - Mitchell - Bordeleau
Cliche
Hejda - Johnson
Benoit - Barrie
Sarich - Guenin
Holden - Hunwick
Varlamov
Giguerre
2014/2015 Colorado Avalanche (assuming O'Reilly and Barrie re-sign (RFAs))
O'Reilly - Duchene - Iginla
Landeskog - MacKinnon - Tanguay
McGinn - Mitchell - Briere
McLeod - Winchester - Talbot
Bordeleau
Hejda - Johnson
Stuart - Barrie
Holden - Guenin
Wilson - Redmond
Varlamov
Berra
defense = slight edge this season, but washed out by a shakier back up goal tender. I think Stuart will surprise everyone in that he is closer to Sarich than he is a #4
offense = 2013
looking at the lineups above without the hindsight of knowing PAP and Downie would have a down year.
This team is 2 top 6 injuries (Tanguay of course + someone else) away from everyone's favorite complaint: Mitchell in the top 6.
We did?
So Briere + Iginla offensively = PAP + Stastny?
defense = slight edge this season, but washed out by a shakier back up goal tender. I think Stuart will surprise everyone in that he is closer to Sarich than he is a #4
offense = 2013
looking at the lineups above without the hindsight of knowing PAP and Downie would have a down year.
This team is 2 top 6 injuries (Tanguay of course + someone else) away from everyone's favorite complaint: Mitchell in the top 6.
for the offence you also have to factor in the growth of the young guys(Duchene/o'reilly/landeskog/barrie/mackinnon especially)
We lost more straight up offensive skill but Iginla fits the team much better than trying to make Stastny/MacK work and paying more to make it work.
O'Reilly, Duchene, Skog, Razor, and Barrie +1 year > losing Stastny.
And thats not even mentioning the flexibility that adding Iginla and Briere provides.
When you think of the series last year vs Minnesota the three biggest factors were:
1. Losing Barrie on the cheap shot from Cooke as the Avs had no one to move the puck after than on defense
2. Duchene being injured...the Avs were largely a one line team aside from a few moments of heroism from OReilly (That short handed steal and one on one goal is at the top of the list)
2. The huge drop off from the top 6 to the bottom 6. People think of the Avs for their high end forwards. Its completely appropriate. But the bottom six brought nothing to the table. Absolutely nothing...Huh!!!
Stastny and MacK proved to work pretty well together. What "trying to make it work" are you talking about.
Whether Iginla fits remains to be seen and at this point is no more than wishful thinking based on his reputation. He did not exactly fit in Pittsburgh, did he?
Yes they played well together and would have been a very nice line next year but I mean more in the sense you have two centers trying to find a way to make a line. Either you are holding MacKinnon back from his future at center or you are playing Stastny on the third line. Like I said for one year more is ok but nobody here could even figure out what the hell they were going to do with Stastny 3-4 years down the line. Now you don't have a center forced to play wing, you have an actual winger doing it.
I want to know why Briere + Iginla is adding so much more versatility?
does Iginla add another player who can play center when a top 6 Center goes down? Does Briere add a player who can fill in the top 6 at all?
Those thinking Hishon gets called up after 2 of the top 6 are out at the same time are forgetting how reticent Roy was in calling forwards up at all during the season. Hishon gets the call when 2 top 6 are out for a long time, and then Roy will probably still put McGinn + Mitchell/Briere in the top 6 before Hishon.
I don't see much more flexibility at all except for the inconvenience of having to pay 6.5m to Stastny (and maybe having to move him in a year or two which would not come as a surprise to either party) + <2m to a FA bottom 6 forward rather than hedge on the precious structure criteria implemented by the front office.
but having 2 centers on the ROR - Duchene line is ok?
Anyone thinking Stastny would not be in demand 3-4 years down the line in the NHL has forgotten how many team are asking for centers in the trade forum every year.
Yes they played well together and would have been a very nice line next year but I mean more in the sense you have two centers trying to find a way to make a line. Either you are holding MacKinnon back from his future at center or you are playing Stastny on the third line. Like I said for one year more is ok but nobody here could even figure out what the hell they were going to do with Stastny 3-4 years down the line. Now you don't have a center forced to play wing, you have an actual winger doing it.