Pre-Game Talk: Week in Memoriam (@VAN, @EDM, @CGY)

The Mars Volchenkov

Registered User
Mar 31, 2002
49,603
3,413
Colorado
Lindholm clearly looked like he separated his shoulder. I'm going to assume the same about EJ too even though his reaction to the injury was a lot weirder than Lindholm's. You don't see players react that violently in pain when they get a shoulder injury. They usually keep the movements as minimal as possible.

I'd guess Lindholm is done for the season. No clue about EJ.
EJ’s wasn’t shoulder. More wrist/forearm.
 

Rumplesnipeskin

Bar Down
Nov 30, 2011
2,629
1,008
Colorado
I hate EJ getting injured, let me start with that.

I am eager to see Zads given perhaps more than he can handle, he has looked awesome lately and we may see him take over the #1 D-man spot here in EJ’s absence (permanently).

Lastly, this may give Bigras one last crack at becoming... something... chase the silver lining here
 
  • Like
Reactions: cgf

Foppberg

Registered User
Nov 20, 2016
24,089
26,539
Summerside, PEI
It sucks. But it is what it is. Hopefully Z can really flourish even further, Girard too. And if not.... Another core piece added via draft. I'm thinking long-term, as short term thinking hurts too much.
 

Pierce Hawthorne

HFBoards Sponsor
Sponsor
Apr 29, 2012
44,892
41,978
Caverns of Draconis
Yeah IMO playoffs are out of the question now, Mack has a bigger impact on this team but I'm not sure if the team relied on a guy more heavily then EJ. Him being out is going to be a major impact and one they wont be able to overcome successfully in terms of playoff aspirations.


The question down the stretch IMO is more of, can they maintain playing respectable hockey and put together a respectable ~.500 record without EJ that would signal a huge improvement over last year and a sign this team has taken major progress from the last time we dealt with not having EJ...


Or, are we about to crumble into bits down the stretch and struggle to win even just 7 or 8 more games down the stretch?


That's the key over these last 24 games now. At least trying to maintain a good season to finish it on a positive note and carry some momentum into next year knowing we're a good young competitive team even without our most relied upon guy.
 

dahrougem2

Registered User
Dec 9, 2011
36,389
36,577
Edmonton, Alberta
Z has taken such a big leap forward this season that I'm not even worried about him handling the top pairing without EJ. It's the Nemeth's, Girard's, and whoever they find for the third pairing that I'm worried will have difficulty getting increased minutes and responsibilities.
 

Avs_19

Registered User
Jun 28, 2007
84,507
32,087
That's the news I was afraid of. At least this is a fluke (and kinda stupid) upper body injury that might end EJ's season rather than another knee/leg injury. Time to sell, sell, sell.
 

Pierce Hawthorne

HFBoards Sponsor
Sponsor
Apr 29, 2012
44,892
41,978
Caverns of Draconis
Z has taken such a big leap forward this season that I'm not even worried about him handling the top pairing without EJ. It's the Nemeth's, Girard's, and whoever they find for the third pairing that I'm worried will have difficulty getting increased minutes and responsibilities.


I dunno, I definitely have concerns.


Zads has been great this year, but I feel a huge part of what has made him so good has been the steady consistently great play from EJ as hist partner. EJ playing as he had with Zads IMO was limiting the amount of mistakes and noticeable errors Zads was making.


How is he going to handle having to try and be the calm and consistent presence on that 1st pairing next to Barrie now? Or Girard or Nemeth if god forbid those guys get put on the top pairing instead.


I believe Zads could be capable of filling those shoes and I really hope he does, but I without a doubt have my concerns that we could also see a big drop in his play now as well.
 

cgf

FireBednarsSuccessor
Oct 15, 2010
59,988
19,060
w/ Renly's Peach
Zads great run last season came with EJ out. Maybe this time next week we'll be talking about how EJ was holding Zads back? :dunno:
 

TheDangerBowen

Highway to
Jul 4, 2011
4,822
3,395
CO
Such a weird season, its almost like the Hockey Gods forgot to curse us until they realized we were actually in the WildCard race so they had to make up for it by taking away Mack's Hart season and now EJ.
 
  • Like
Reactions: cgf

dahrougem2

Registered User
Dec 9, 2011
36,389
36,577
Edmonton, Alberta
I dunno, I definitely have concerns.


Zads has been great this year, but I feel a huge part of what has made him so good has been the steady consistently great play from EJ as hist partner. EJ playing as he had with Zads IMO was limiting the amount of mistakes and noticeable errors Zads was making.


How is he going to handle having to try and be the calm and consistent presence on that 1st pairing next to Barrie now? Or Girard or Nemeth if god forbid those guys get put on the top pairing instead.


I believe Zads could be capable of filling those shoes and I really hope he does, but I without a doubt have my concerns that we could also see a big drop in his play now as well.
We've seen how spread out the pairings have been. Z spends lot of time with EJ, no doubt, but the pairings are constantly jumbled throughout the game that Z isn't relying on EJ to limit the mistakes he could end up making.

Sure, not having EJ will hurt, but Z isn't as reliant on him to be good. As has been mentioned, Zadorov's string of great hockey last season came while EJ was hurt. I expect him to lead this defence corps once again and believe he can do it. We all know he thrives when given more responsibility and ice time. Now is his chance to take the reigns.
 

Raucherhusten

Unselfish Gif Lover
Aug 24, 2017
5,391
5,424
Over the rainbow
Such a weird season, its almost like the Hockey Gods forgot to curse us until they realized we were actually in the WildCard race so they had to make up for it by taking away Mack's Hart season and now EJ.

The Gods try to screw us all season. Wilson, Jost, JTC, Lindholm, Nemeth at first, then Kamenev, Ghetto, Barbs, Varly and Barrie. But this wasn't enough. They try to break us with Mac but it didn't work. And now they (probably) got the job done with EJ ... finally. Good job gods - really good job :thumbd:
 

The Pwnerer

Registered User
Jan 27, 2006
6,755
4,265
Hate to see EJ going down yet again hopefully it's nothing serious but the "indefinitely" is concerning. He's becoming if not already very injury prone. In a few years time itll be interesting to see who will displace him to become our top minute guy. Zads is the obvious choice but gotta hope the young guys (Maker, Girard, Timmons) become permenent fixtures on defense because its obvious EJs prime will only last for so long.
 

cgf

FireBednarsSuccessor
Oct 15, 2010
59,988
19,060
w/ Renly's Peach
Such a weird season, its almost like the Hockey Gods forgot to curse us until they realized we were actually in the WildCard race so they had to make up for it by taking away Mack's Hart season and now EJ.

I hve a much more optimistic spin on it: The hockey gods wanted to show their appreciation for doing us dirty in the lottery last season, but this team just kept sticking around in the playoff race. That's why they took MacK away for a bit, figuring that the team would get left in the dust by the rest of the Thunderdome and be comfortably out of the playoff spots by the time MacK got back. So when this team just kept refusing to die they had to step their game up to ensure that we are in position for them to reward us with a lottery pick this year.

I just hope the boys have learned their lesson and bend to fate's whim...cause I'm scared to see what the hockey gods will do next if these kids still won't go away...
 

Pierce Hawthorne

HFBoards Sponsor
Sponsor
Apr 29, 2012
44,892
41,978
Caverns of Draconis
Nice. Excited to see Warsofsky again.


That said, if anyone doubted that this organization was done with Bigras... That should about end that debate.


I expect to see him traded in the next week actually.
 

Avs71

Registered User
Aug 12, 2008
8,958
4,415
Wonder if we see Bigras swapped at the deadline for a forward in a similar situation.
 

kchan9

Registered User
Oct 7, 2010
788
760
If EJ is done for the season, anyway we'll see Makar or Timmins just like how we saw Jost last year?
 

Cousin Eddie

You Serious Clark?
Nov 3, 2006
40,142
37,285
If EJ is done for the season, anyway we'll see Makar or Timmins just like how we saw Jost last year?
Who knows what happens with Makar.

Timmins, no. He will most likely be the last player that's considered Avs property to be playing hockey this year.
 

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Ad

-->