Pick or Playoffs?

[The Abusement Park]

When I made the poll, we were collapsing, and were a couple L away from having less than 20% to make the playoffs.

Somehow Minny and Dallas lost and we started winning lol trust me I'd rather be in the playoffs

Even during the collapse playoffs should’ve been the goal. This team clearly isn’t as bad as it was during that stretch and needs to make the playoffs consistently going forward. The top 5 pick is just gravy honestly.

 

[AvsFan29]

Even during the collapse playoffs should’ve been the goal. This team clearly isn’t as bad as it was during that stretch and needs to make the playoffs consistently going forward. The top 5 pick is just gravy honestly.

Playoffs are always the goal.

 

[The Abusement Park]

Playoffs are always the goal.

For the most part. There are times when you have to do a true rebuild but yeah you should almost always pick playoffs over rebuild

 

[AvsFan29]

For the most part. There are times when you have to do a true rebuild but yeah you should almost always pick playoffs over rebuild

Missing the playoffs this year for a second high pick isn't exactly a rebuild. It wouldn't have been a disaster...not ideal, but it would have been fine.

 

[expatriatedtexan]

Yes, the last decade plus has conditioned fans to root for top picks. All of you, please follow @Sea Eagles. If he returns from the dead, he'll be the first to tell you that the Avs will always make the playoffs. Don't ever bet against them, it's bad luck. Also...worms taste bad. He did tell us that right?

 

[Ivan13]

Yes, the last decade plus has conditioned fans to root for top picks. All of you, please follow @Sea Eagles. If he returns from the dead, he'll be the first to tell you that the Avs will always make the playoffs. Don't ever bet against them, it's bad luck. Also...worms taste bad. He did tell us that right?

f***ing 'Straya! Not a sane bloke there, am I right mate @darko ?

 

[AvsFan29]

I honestly didn't know that a single Australian liked hockey, let alone a team from Colorado lol

 

[darko]

I honestly didn't know that a single Australian liked hockey, let alone a team from Colorado lol

Tons of ppl over here like hockey.

We have a national competition. It's a shit one but still a comp.

 

[Sea Eagles]

Yes, the last decade plus has conditioned fans to root for top picks. All of you, please follow @Sea Eagles. If he returns from the dead, he'll be the first to tell you that the Avs will always make the playoffs. Don't ever bet against them, it's bad luck. Also...worms taste bad. He did tell us that right?

I was blind drunk that day hahaha!
I was tiny as well. Workout every day these days.

Also, yes, The Avs are playing playoff hockey this season.

 

[S E P H]

In Australia, not a ton of superstar NHLers, but a lot of DSP type of players.

 

[TruePowerSlave]

Barely missing the playoffs would be the worst possible outcome

 

[AvsFan29]

Playoff chances up to 60%.

Win against Nashville- 68.5%
Lose against Nashville- 53%

 

[MarkT]

f*** the odds. We're making it. Anyone who doubts that can go to hell. Let's get behind this team and will them into a first round series against Calgary.

 

[ABasin]

We're at a point in the rebuild that a second top pick would really help, but playoffs would be great. Keep in mind when I made the thread, we were collapsing lol

A few days back, I responded to one of your posts, saying that the Avs were really some decent goaltending away from the playoff bubble. They won 4 out of the last 5, and guess what else happened? All 5 of those games, .930 or better save%.

That's why I never really entered the discussion, re: two top 5 picks or whatever. A bit of good goaltending can go a long way. Especially with the WC standings so close.

 

[AvsFan29]

A few days back, I responded to one of your posts, saying that the Avs were really some decent goaltending away from the playoff bubble. They won 4 out of the last 5, and guess what else happened? All 5 of those games, .930 or better save%.

That's why I never really entered the discussion, re: two top 5 picks or whatever. A bit of good goaltending can go a long way. Especially with the WC standings so close.

I don't think anyone disagrees that the Avs can win games with good goaltending.

 

[ABasin]

I don't think anyone disagrees that the Avs can win games with good goaltending.

Agreed, but that really wasn't my point, re: two top 5 picks.

My point was that as bad as the Avs record was for 6 weeks, they really only needed one single player to up his game, to at least partially fix the problem, and put the team back into playoff bubble territory. That's why I didn't expect two high picks.

In any case, the Avs should get one of the top 3 players in the draft, two of the top 15ish in the draft, and 5 of the top 75ish in the draft. That should really add to the organization's pool of young talent.

As long as Sakic doesn't do anything silly here in the next several days.

 

[AllAboutAvs]

I'm convinced that if Sakic does anything before the TDL it will not be for a true rental...it will be with the future in mind. Maybe only short term future (2-3 years) but definitely not a true rental.

 

[Avs44]

Barely missing the playoffs would be the worst possible outcome

I strongly disagree. By far the worst outcome would have been the collapse continuing and finishing bottom five. The collapse would have been a complete return to the 2016/17 season, which was one of the worst seasons and collapses in recent NHL history. Anything positive built last season would have been wiped out.

Everything would have needed re-evaluation if the collapse had continued in 2016/17 fashion. What would it have meant for Gabriel Landeskog and the rest of this core, after Landeskog explicitly promised the 2016/17 season would never be repeated under his watch? How do you fix a locker-room of core players that has experienced a collapse like that twice in 2/3 seasons? The entire offseason would once again have been about cleaning out the garbage and tentatively going into the season praying it won't happen again...although this time, given it would have hypothetically happened twice in three years, could anyone really trust the core not to let it happen again? Could they even have trusted themselves? Picks don't fix a toxic and broken culture.

Turning it around -- as they appear to be doing -- even if they miss the playoffs is the best thing that could happen to this team right now. Even if they miss the playoffs, at least they aren't going into the offseason on a massive slide that lasted from December 1st - April second guessing themselves and their ability to avoid a complete breakdown. At least the offseason can perhaps be focused on making the playoffs and building a contender out of the positives of this season (a really strong start and hopefully a strong finish, marred by two terrible months of hockey that they hopefully will have completely worked themselves out of), not on fixing an utterly dysfunctional club with a group of extremely frustrated players.

The Avs already have a top pick lined up (thanks Ottawa) -- by far the most important thing for the actual Avs team is to finish this season on the highest note they can, with the ultimate goal being the playoffs (but still not the end of the world, at least, if they finish 1-5 points out), their own pick be hanged.

 

[AvsFan29]

Agreed, but that really wasn't my point, re: two top 5 picks.

My point was that as bad as the Avs record was for 6 weeks, they really only needed one single player to up his game, to at least partially fix the problem, and put the team back into playoff bubble territory. That's why I didn't expect two high picks.

In any case, the Avs should get one of the top 3 players in the draft, two of the top 15ish in the draft, and 5 of the top 75ish in the draft. That should really add to the organization's pool of young talent.

As long as Sakic doesn't do anything silly here in the next several days.

You think the Avs will miss the playoffs?

 

[ABasin]

You think the Avs will miss the playoffs?

I think it rests entirely upon the goaltenders. If the goalers play really well, the Avs will be on the bubble, right in the mix.

If the goaltenders don't play well, the Avs will not be a playoff team.

-AB

 

[AvsFan29]

I think it rests entirely upon the goaltenders. If the goalers play really well, the Avs will be on the bubble, right in the mix.

If the goaltenders don't play well, the Avs will not be a playoff team.

Yah. It sucks that we're in this position. Every game is huge, and we need some help from other teams. A win today brings us up to around 68%, while a loss drops us down to 53%

 

[ABasin]

Yah. It sucks that we're in this position. Every game is huge, and we need some help from other teams. A win today brings us up to around 68%, while a loss drops us down to 53%

Well, given how close the standings are, those percentage numbers are going to jump quite a bit with each game. But given that closeness, 3-4 straight wins can vault a team to the top of the heap of those bubble teams.

But finalizing the previous point, the Avs simply don't have the depth/talent to overcome poor goaltending. Or even average goaltending. They need really good goaltending.

-AB

 

[AvsFan29]

Well, given how close the standings are, those percentage numbers are going to jump quite a bit with each game. But given that closeness, 3-4 straight wins can vault a team to the top of the heap of those bubble teams.

But finalizing the previous point, the Avs simply don't have the depth/talent to overcome poor goaltending. Or even average goaltending. They need really good goaltending.

-AB

Yah. Let's hope they jump in the right direction.

- Why are you signing your initials when you have a user name?

 

[TruePowerSlave]

I strongly disagree. By far the worst outcome would have been the collapse continuing and finishing bottom five. The collapse would have been a complete return to the 2016/17 season, which was one of the worst seasons and collapses in recent NHL history. Anything positive built last season would have been wiped out.

Everything would have needed re-evaluation if the collapse had continued in 2016/17 fashion. What would it have meant for Gabriel Landeskog and the rest of this core, after Landeskog explicitly promised the 2016/17 season would never be repeated under his watch? How do you fix a locker-room of core players that has experienced a collapse like that twice in 2/3 seasons? The entire offseason would once again have been about cleaning out the garbage and tentatively going into the season praying it won't happen again...although this time, given it would have hypothetically happened twice in three years, could anyone really trust the core not to let it happen again? Could they even have trusted themselves? Picks don't fix a toxic and broken culture.

Turning it around -- as they appear to be doing -- even if they miss the playoffs is the best thing that could happen to this team right now. Even if they miss the playoffs, at least they aren't going into the offseason on a massive slide that lasted from December 1st - April second guessing themselves and their ability to avoid a complete breakdown. At least the offseason can perhaps be focused on making the playoffs and building a contender out of the positives of this season (a really strong start and hopefully a strong finish, marred by two terrible months of hockey that they hopefully will have completely worked themselves out of), not on fixing an utterly dysfunctional club with a group of extremely frustrated players.

The Avs already have a top pick lined up (thanks Ottawa) -- by far the most important thing for the actual Avs team is to finish this season on the highest note they can, with the ultimate goal being the playoffs (but still not the end of the world, at least, if they finish 1-5 points out), their own pick be hanged.

Barely missing the playoffs is no man's land, its the worst place to finish because there are no playoffs and the pick is not that great either. The NHL is a league that rewards losing, not finishing middle of the pack.

A few more wins here and there are not going to change what kind of a team they are. The Avs are at best a wildcard team with no chance of doing anything in the playoffs this year. Getting another blue chip prospect on top of Makar and the Ottawa pick would transform the entire hockey team, barely missing out would not help as much.

I definitely am hoping to make the playoffs, but if I have to choose between a top 10 pick or a the 14th pick then its an easy decision.

 

[AvsFan29]

Barely missing the playoffs is no man's land, its the worst place to finish because there are no playoffs and the pick is not that great either. The NHL is a league that rewards losing, not finishing middle of the pack.

A few more wins here and there are not going to change what kind of a team they are. The Avs are at best a wildcard team with no chance of doing anything in the playoffs this year. Getting another blue chip prospect on top of Makar and the Ottawa pick would transform the entire hockey team, barely missing out would not help as much.

I definitely am hoping to make the playoffs, but if I have to choose between a top 10 pick or a the 14th pick then the its an easy decision.

The good thing is, the West is so weak, that we could fall pretty quickly if needed. We're only 2 points out of the top 10