Waived: Stefan Elliott

[Foppa Frossa]

Hopefully he impresses in camp and gets top pairing minutes. Wonder if Roy is telling Dean anything about how to utilize him.

 

[chet1926]

Figured he'd clear, but I still think he is a goner. He has run out of opportunities with this organization. I think he'll be part of a package that get's us a NHLer we need.

 

[Pokecheque]

Of all the things they could've done, this was about the worst. If he clears, then 29 other NHL teams are just as dumb. I hope this is the case.

Roy seems too enamored with the old-school desire for a "crease clearer." I don't care how in-condition Ryan Wilson is, he doesn't deserve a roster spot ahead of Elliott.

 

[henchman21]

Of all the things they could've done, this was about the worst. If he clears, then 29 other NHL teams are just as dumb. I hope this is the case.

Roy seems too enamored with the old-school desire for a "crease clearer." I don't care how in-condition Ryan Wilson is, he doesn't deserve a roster spot ahead of Elliott.

He cleared

 

[Pokecheque]

He cleared

Good.

 

[Balthazar]

There's an unwritten rule that says that before claiming a player through waivers, teams ask the original team if they'd like to keep him. Similar to the "don't make an offer sheet to my player and I won't make one to yours" unwritten rule.

Maybe they asked Sakic and he said that he wants to keep Elliott? Who knows.

Or maybe he's just not good enough for any team. I, for one, don't think he's bad. He'll make it to the NHL.

 

[Avs44]

I think one of the reasons he waived is simply because of the timing. Just like Markstrom. Teams right about now are trying to figure out who they're cutting from their roster and who deserves a spot. It's unlikely they want to throw another player in the mix. If Elliott was waived a month from now, I'd have bet good money he'd have been claimed and some team would have given him a shot due to injuries/players disappointing.

 

[chet1926]

Good.

Not sure what you see with Elliott. In the games he played this preseason, from all accounts he was one of the worst dmen on the ice and was directly responsible for like 3 or 4 goals against. He can't be any higher than like 9th or 10th maybe even lower on our defensive chart.

I just don't see him ever making it as a dman on any team in the NHL, I think he should be converted to a winger and see what he can do there. Kind of like Brent Burns.

 

[Bubba Thudd]

There's an unwritten rule that says that before claiming a player through waivers, teams ask the original team if they'd like to keep him. Similar to the "don't make an offer sheet to my player and I won't make one to yours" unwritten rule.

Maybe they asked Sakic and he said that he wants to keep Elliott? Who knows.

Or maybe he's just not good enough for any team. I, for one, don't think he's bad. He'll make it to the NHL.

Truly? I've never heard that.

 

[cgf]

Figured he'd clear, but I still think he is a goner. He has run out of opportunities with this organization. I think he'll be part of a package that get's us a NHLer we need.

Eh. After the Redmond signing it seemed pretty clear that Elliott was likely to have to go down unless he was the best dman in camp, though I really liked the Redmond pickup, he's gunna be like a righty Holden who can skate, only with less goals, so maybe that was just my bias.

Stef's biggest chance was always going to be to improve in the A. So that should we have an injury that kills our puck moving, like what happened in the playoffs, Patrick could call up one of Elliott or Notstasty-eau to fill in. With a real chance at third pairing job if they shined in this cameo while Redmond struggled once the real games started.

Guenin's going to be Patty's 4th guy on the right and that's the right call, keeps Patrick's hold on the lockerroom to keep reinforcing that he rewards the guys who he trust to accomplish their roles, though he doesn't hand them any thing that'll hurt the team if they aren't performing. Plus him eating nachos instead of pushing the other guys in Lake Erie for minutes doesn't hurt him like it would Elliott who still needs to grow, and Noreau who seems to still need to adjust to NA ice.

Elliott's what 23 now? Still pretty young for someone who was always more tools than toolbox and had his development stuttered by Sacco and Sacco2.0 in Cleveland. And it's not like he has much/any trade value so having him and noreau pushing each other down there as cover for a Barrie injury seems a good mark of the improved systemic depth, which has value in and of itself even it that includes guys who aren't nhlers.

Not to mention that it'll help Siemens while he starts the season in the A as well to be able to play down there with a smaller puck mover against the pros, as a future next to Barrie is quite likely for the kid if he keeps improving as he has been.

 

[cgf]

Not sure what you see with Elliott. In the games he played this preseason, from all accounts he was one of the worst dmen on the ice and was directly responsible for like 3 or 4 goals against. He can't be any higher than like 9th or 10th maybe even lower on our defensive chart.

I just don't see him ever making it as a dman on any team in the NHL, I think he should be converted to a winger and see what he can do there. Kind of like Brent Burns.

I get it. I've watched 40-50 monsters games in past 3 seasons and Elliott showed his tools in a lot of them, and would play with a confidence we see from barrie in the NHL, but haven't seen from Stef at this level since those first few games of his initial call up. If he ever does find that "just go for it" ethos at the NHL level he can be a very good third pairing PP specialist.

There's a lot more he needs to improve to, but that confidence is why we don't even get to see his offensive tools when he skates with the big boys.

 

[tigervixxxen]

There's an unwritten rule that says that before claiming a player through waivers, teams ask the original team if they'd like to keep him. Similar to the "don't make an offer sheet to my player and I won't make one to yours" unwritten rule.

Maybe they asked Sakic and he said that he wants to keep Elliott? Who knows.

Or maybe he's just not good enough for any team. I, for one, don't think he's bad. He'll make it to the NHL.

Listen to Roy's presser yesterday, don't think that's the case.

 

[Avs_19]

Not too surprising that he cleared. Hopefully he gets some good ice time in the AHL and gets his career back on track.

 

[Foppa2118]

Time for Stef to hit the reset button and work his butt off to make the NHL.

 

[Pokecheque]

I don't buy that unwritten rule at all. The Wings tried to sneak Kyle Quincey through waivers way back when and failed. Happens all the time. Teams just have a huge aversion in general to waivers, and I'm not sure why. I get that it's one more contract toward the limit, but it's a free player, and in some rare cases worth the gamble.

As for what I see in Stef, someone else said it better than me. The kid still has potential, and is still young. And I don't care what you say, even with all his youth and jitters, he was and is still more positionally sound than Ryan "The Wanderer" Wilson. Also more talented and faster. But hey, the Avs get to keep him so it wasn't a blunder...yet.

The team (I'm hoping) just wants to send a message. It worked with Barrie last year, we'll see if it does with SE.

 

[AvsRobin]

That unwritten rule sounds nuts. What would even be the point of waivers then?

 

[Colorado Avalanche]

Not too surprising that he cleared. Hopefully he gets some good ice time in the AHL and gets his career back on track.

This. If he can't make Avalanche team, there's not many teams he would make. 0 sounds about right.

 

[hoserthehorrible]

The situation seems to be pretty clear.

Elliott is not making the NHL club this year because the coaching staff feels they have better options so they sent him down to Lake Erie. In order for him to go to Lake Erie he had to clear waivers.

If he finds his game in Lake Erie, and the Avs are in need of a Dman, then he "might" get called up. If not, then he plays in Lake Erie this year.

I don't see any more or less to this transaction than that.

 

[Former Ladder]

This. If he can't make Avalanche team, there's not many teams he would make. 0 sounds about right.

Silver lining for having a defense that none of the other teams believe in? We can send players through waivers with ease because of this logic.

 

[hawk30]

That unwritten rule sounds nuts. What would even be the point of waivers then?

Job security for veteran players.

 

[R S]

I've been one of his biggest supporters around here and I even have to admit I'm starting to lose hope.

While I'm not surprised he never made the team (due to the amount of competition) I am a bit surprised that he wasn't given more of a look by the staff. I guess he didn't look great during the early stages of camp and that probably carried over. Redmond basically took his job and definitely deserved it.

Maybe a full year in the AHL, scoring 15+ goals, will do some good. But at this point I think he's seen his last true chance to make the team come and go.

 

[tigervixxxen]

He was given several games and was on the Quebec trip, I think they did give him a real chance. Though I don't think anyone gets more chances than Ryan Wilson.

 

[madman]

Dude's just never shown an ability/willingness to adjust to the pro game. Being soft as a gummy bear and comparatively undersized means he needs to make up for it with more than just a filthy wrist shot (that wrist shot tho...).

 

[Pokecheque]

Job security for veteran players.

Now I'm REALLY not buying it.

 

[R S]

He was given several games and was on the Quebec trip, I think they did give him a real chance. Though I don't think anyone gets more chances than Ryan Wilson.

By my count he played 3 games, with absolutely zero minutes-played information made available from those games.

It's pretty tough to say he was given a "real chance".

Guys like Wilson, Redmond and Guenin were given legitimate minutes in the games I had a chance to see.