Lines with ROR

[henchman21]

I can understand that, but for people saying that ROR doesn't "deserve" to be in the Top-6, well, Sports Franchises are businesses as well, they can't afford to hold grudges like that. If ROR shows he needs to be in the Top 6, they need to put him there. Can't trade him for a year anyway, so you need to get the best out of him, that way if they want to trade him, he's still an appealing asset.

I agree. Like it or not, I think ROR is our #2C now. We know that we can at least sign him to a deal in 14-15, we don't know that with Stastny. Time to just suck it up, and mend the relationship with ROR. IMO it is best to just put everything in motion and transition to life with ROR and Duchene as our top 6 centers, and life without Stastny.

 

[RoyIsALegend]

McGinn - Duchene - Parenteau
Landeskog - O'Reilly - Hejduk
Mitchell - Stastny - Jones
McLeod - Olver - Kobasew
Bordeleau

 

[Avs71]

I'd give Stastny and Landeskog atleast one more game. I reall doubt Sacco will just give O'Reilly the best wingers first game back. If Stastny-Landeskog goes cold, then put him back with O'Reilly, but for the time being ROR isn't going to get preferential treatment.

I feel bad for John Mitchell in all this. He is going to get the **** end of the stick for sure. He has played pretty well in the mean time, and now will go to the fourth line and with little minutes. Obviously I'd rather have O'Reilly on the ice, but just saying on a personal level I'd be bummed if I was Mitchell.

I hope Bordeleau stays in the lineup, regardless.

 

[RoyIsALegend]

I'd give Stastny and Landeskog atleast one more game. I reall doubt Sacco will just give O'Reilly the best wingers first game back. If Stastny-Landeskog goes cold, then put him back with O'Reilly, but for the time being ROR isn't going to get preferential treatment.

It's not preferential treatment; it's giving the team the best chance to win hockey games. Why continue to force Landy/Staz? We know O'Ry/Landy have chemistry and light it up out there, just rekindle that immediately. We want to win.

 

[Avelanche]

The lines depend 100% on RoR. He comes out and plays better then Stastny he will get bumped up. If Stastny plays great he will stay with Landeskog, his value will sky rocket, and he probably gets moved at the deadline to a playoff team like the Leafs. That's the way Sacco is and has always been, almost to a fault.

I really hope people saying he can play wing aren't just guessing. A line of Landeskog-RoR-Stastny would be such a great 2nd line.

 

[The Mars Volchenkov]

I feel bad for John Mitchell in all this. He is going to get the **** end of the stick for sure. He has played pretty well in the mean time, and now will go to the fourth line and with little minutes. Obviously I'd rather have O'Reilly on the ice, but just saying on a personal level I'd be bummed if I was Mitchell.

Mitchell is nothing more than a 4th liner with no hockey IQ. The less ice time the better.

 

[RoyIsALegend]

Mitchell is nothing more than a 4th liner with no hockey IQ. The less ice time the better.

Damn, you've really gone sour on JohnnyM and Trollver.

 

[The Mars Volchenkov]

Damn, you've really gone sour on JohnnyM and Trollver.

Olver is too much of a tweener, just don't see much of a future with him.

Mitchell has skill, but no intelligence. He makes poor decisions with the puck and holds onto it for way too long. He's best suited for the 4th line.

 

[Bubba Thudd]

McGinn - Duchene - Parenteau
Landeskog - O'Reilly - Hejduk
Mitchell - Stastny - Jones
McLeod - Olver - Kobasew
Bordeleau

Are you wanting to make sure Staz wants to leave after his contract is up?

That should do the trick.

 

[RoyIsALegend]

Are you wanting to make sure Staz wants to leave after his contract is up?

That should do the trick.

Do you think the Avs will keep Stastny until July 1st, 2014 and let him walk? Ryan O'Reilly is a better player and will mean more to our team moving forward. You roll with Duchene/O'Reilly and ditch the $6.6m ghost. Let's be logical here.

 

[Avs71]

It's not preferential treatment; it's giving the team the best chance to win hockey games. Why continue to force Landy/Staz? We know O'Ry/Landy have chemistry and light it up out there, just rekindle that immediately. We want to win.

I totally agree, but the team just came off a 5 goal win. Landeskog had 3 points, and Stastny had 2. It would seem odd to me if for his first game back, O'Reilly was given the best winger on the team. I'm not against them playing together again, but I just don't think O'Reilly's first game back is the time for it.

 

[Bubba Thudd]

Do you think the Avs will keep Stastny until July 1st, 2014 and let him walk? Ryan O'Reilly is a better player and will mean more to our team moving forward. You roll with Duchene/O'Reilly and ditch the $6.6m ghost. Let's be logical here.

I don't know if Stastny would sign a 5x5 deal or not.

It doesn't look like O'Reilly would. He's getting 6.5 next year. Is that what he's going to want annually on a 5-year deal? (rhetorical, I know you don't have that answer, and couldn't answer if you did.)

Will Avs management actually swallow their pride and not move ROR at the trade deadline next year? Historically, they don't play that way.

Too many questions around O'Reilly to just say "trade Stastny now", IMO.

 

[cgf]

Ginner - Dutchy - PAP
Landy - Staz - Jones
Olver/Mitchell - ROR - Duke
McCleod/Bordy - Mitchell/Olver - Kobascrew

at least to start with. I'd give Staz and Landy a few more games to see if they can really take off together, also gives Ryan a few games to get back in the swing of things, then you think about putting Landy back on Ryan's wing if he and staz aren't magic together and if Ryan's re-proven himself to the team.

 

[henchman21]

With the Avs matching I really think the writing is on the wall when it comes to Stastny. He might take a bit of a hometown discount, but $5.5 is as low as I can see him accepting and that is too much for the Avs to be paying when Duchene will get 6+ and ROR will be 5.5+. I could be wrong though.

 

[AslanRH]

I don't know if Stastny would sign a 5x5 deal or not.

It doesn't look like O'Reilly would. He's getting 6.5 next year. Is that what he's going to want annually on a 5-year deal? (rhetorical, I know you don't have that answer, and couldn't answer if you did.)

Will Avs management actually swallow their pride and not move ROR at the trade deadline next year? Historically, they don't play that way.

Too many questions around O'Reilly to just say "trade Stastny now", IMO.

I'm in agreement with Bubba here. And the Lando-Staz pairing deserves some time to go anyway. They looked pretty solid last night. I'd like at least 2-3 more games before splitting that up.
IMO, Staz really is in a tricky spot here, and its time to see what his character is. Will he step it up and fight to be the 2C, or will he give it the "I'm outta here anyway" effort.

There should be some healthy competition between our 2C candidates for the rest of this year and next, unless we get a great offer at the deadline or draft.
May the best 2C win!

 

[Bubba Thudd]

With the Avs matching I really think the writing is on the wall when it comes to Stastny. He might take a bit of a hometown discount, but $5.5 is as low as I can see him accepting and that is too much for the Avs to be paying when Duchene will get 6+ and ROR will be 5.5+. I could be wrong though.

What makes you think he'll drop his pay that much?

He's getting 6.5 next year. From what we've seen recently, there's no reason to think he'd take 5.5 afterwards.

 

[henchman21]

What makes you think he'll drop his pay that much?

He's getting 6.5 next year. From what we've seen recently, there's no reason to think he'd take 5.5 afterwards.

Arbitration can lower it to 85% of the current year salary. That is 5.525m. That is the baseline of the negotiations. I expect something long term in the ~6 range.

 

[Bubba Thudd]

Arbitration can lower it to 85% of the current year salary. That is 5.525m. That is the baseline of the negotiations. I expect something long term in the ~6 range.

After the nasty "negotiations" of this year, I don't think the FO should take ROR to arbitration. He'd definitely get his feelings hurt there, and I can't see it working out well.

 

[Cypher]

Landeskog - Stastny - Jones
McGinn - Duchene - Parenteau
J. Jokinen - O'Reilly - Hejduk/Downie
McLeod - Mitchell - Pulushaj
Bordeleau - Olver

Wilson - Johnson
Hejda - Barrie
Zanon - Elliott
Hunwick

- Re-sign Pulishaj (RFA)
- Re-sign Bordeleau (UFA)
- Retire Hejduk
- Trade O'Brien and Kobasew for Jokinen
- Trade O'Byrne at the deadline if D is healthy, or let him walk this summer

That's about a 55 million dollar payroll, cap 64.3.

 

[avalanchuck]

I don't know if Stastny would sign a 5x5 deal or not.

It doesn't look like O'Reilly would. He's getting 6.5 next year. Is that what he's going to want annually on a 5-year deal? (rhetorical, I know you don't have that answer, and couldn't answer if you did.)

Will Avs management actually swallow their pride and not move ROR at the trade deadline next year? Historically, they don't play that way.

Too many questions around O'Reilly to just say "trade Stastny now", IMO.

Exactly my feelings. Glad ROR is back but history says he's on borrowed time as an AV.

Avs have some hard decisions to make.

1.) Keep both
2.) Showcase Staz to get the best return on a trade
3.) Showcase ROR to get the best return on a trade in 365 days

 

[Bubba Thudd]

If that ^^^ is Stastny ^^^ next year (or even this year), we need to give him the best winger combination we have to raise his value as much as possible, no?

 

[henchman21]

After the nasty "negotiations" of this year, I don't think the FO should take ROR to arbitration. He'd definitely get his feelings hurt there, and I can't see it working out well.

They probably shouldn't, but I think that is what they would threaten. If ROR plays well, they will start with that $5.5m and try to get a 5-8 year deal in the negotiations. It probably wouldn't be accepted, but that is where it will start.

 

[RoyIsALegend]

They probably shouldn't, but I think that is what they would threaten. If ROR plays well, they will start with that $5.5m and try to get a 5-8 year deal in the negotiations. It probably wouldn't be accepted, but that is where it will start.

I can just imagine the look on Meehan's face when the Avs' "first" offer will be $5.5m per season. Too funny.

 

[avalanchuck]

if that ^^^ is stastny ^^^ next year (or even this year), we need to give him the best winger combination we have to raise his value as much as possible, no?

yes...

 

[AMDZen]

Our bottom 6 has been playing fine. We want to unite Landy and O'reilly for chemistry purposes obviously but also don't want to waste Stastny. I say we pull an SJ/Boston and put try Stastny on the wing to load up our top 6. I know he played there when he was much younger and was reasonably effective even though his game may not be typical for a winger.

Mcginn - Duchene - Parenteau
Landeskog - O'reilly - Stastny
Jones - Mitchell - Hejduk
Mcleod - Olver - Bordelau

Give the top two lines 20/21 mins a night.

Huge fan of this idea. Would like to see these top 3 lines and see what happens with Staz at RW

Please please please please please Sacco

Which also means it won't happen