Will The Avs Trade Bleackley This Season??

[StayAtHomeAv]

I apologize for the tone.

For your first point, that's neither here nor there. I'm not expecting a 'perfect prospect, hell, I saw him as a player who would end up as a 3rd line center at best during his draft year, I knew full well what we were getting when we drafted him.

Where did you get the information that an offer has to be made? That's the first I've heard of this.

Compensatory Picks: If a team does not sign their first-round pick within two years, they will be awarded a compensatory pick in the Draft immediately following. The pick will be in the 2nd round, equal to the selection number of the unsigned player. All other teams' selections move back one spot.​

It has very little with "who else" we have at center in the organization. The Avs picked up a kid like Freddie Hamilton for a scrub and ended up shipping him off. We have Colin Smith and Hishon who probably won't end up as NHL regulars. We could go into the 2016 draft and come out with 2 centers with our 1st and 2nd round picks.
There...pipeline replenished.

Beaudin & Nantel could both end up being centers. Organizations end up having a bunch of centers who go through it all the while never making the NHL all the time. I'm not saying it's great or even ideal but it certainly does happen...often.



You keep missing the point. You seem to think that because I believe there is a chance he'll be traded, I'm bashing him/saying he sucks or NEEDS to be traded. That's not the case at all. I'm saying he's an asset that has a certain value and if the Avs (THE AVS - NOT ME) don't think his future is with this club, he's a logical target that could be traded for immediate help.

The only reason I bring up Hishon is because at this particular juncture, he's NOT an NHL player and he likely will not end up being one, at least not on the Avs. I fully realize that we've had 5 years to evaluate him...my only point is that just because the kid is a 1st round pick, it doesn't mean he will necessarily turn out to be great.

Now, AGAIN, I'm not suggesting the Avs think Bleackley sucks, I'm not suggesting he has no value but when you essentially have the center position locked up for the next 5 years, you might very well decide to trade away an asset for immediate help or for a prospect who better fits your organizational needs (winger).

It's also why I brought up Paradis. To show that hey, it DOES happen and team give up on prospects for various reasons, many of which we don't even know why. I'm not suggesting that Bleackley = Paradis in case you are reading this diagonally...that's not the point.

Now, I'm not personally saying Bleackley has Great or Bad value because I don't know how other team feel about him. And I don't even know how much the Avs themselves value him...I have no idea where they have him lined up in their future plans.

The one thing I do know is that if for whatever reason we don't come to terms with him and he re-enters the draft, we would get a 2nd round pick as compensation. I'm not saying it's the right call to make (at this point) or even that the Avs would entertain such a notion but that is certainly an option that they DO have. [That would need to mean that his value throughout the league of 29 other teams is LESS than a very late 2nd round pick]

NO. Thats not what I seem to think.i think you are trying to say the Avs don't like him.

but hey, IF, you are saying its better to trade him than let him walk, then YES, of course, you are right.

Man, how do you type like that.

Nobody is saying he will be great. And once again, the center position is not locked up for 5 years. Many things can happen.

 

[Bender]

NO. Thats not what I seem to think.i think you are trying to say the Avs don't like him.

but hey, IF, you are saying its better to trade him than let him walk, then YES, of course, you are right.

Man, how do you type like that.

Nobody is saying he will be great. And once again, the center position is not locked up for 5 years. Many things can happen.

I doubt they trade Duchene.
I doubt they trade MacKinnon.
They just made a 5 year commitment to Soderberg - who apparently cannot be shifted to wing due to his eye.

I'd say that's pretty much as locked as you can get, relatively speaking but please, feel free to completely ignore this and think what you want.

In fact, the Avs didn't even trade O'Reilly, right?

[MOD]

 

[agentblack]

I wouldnt say Soda's job is safe. Teams have no compunction of waiving a guy that cant play. There is still an entire season so Soda can still rebound But Mason Raymond and Andrew MacDonald both got waived despite their sizeable cap hits, so it can def. happen to him.

But I would agree the C spots are tricky esp since I dont see Mitchell going anywhere unless Bleaker is that much better in a couple years
and then you have Greg, who can move to wing but I think he's way more useful at C.

 

[AslanRH]

I don't think Yeti is a lock either, but not because of his contract, but because he seems like a guy who values his hockey-life experience more than money.

If he ends up struggling or is unhappy as the 3C, unhappy with his production, etc he could ask for a mutual termination and return home. His reluctance to come to the NHL initially may turn into a reluctance to stay if things don't go well for him.

Also, if the Avs leave him exposed come Expansion, he would likely be one of the better options that could be taken from the Avs

 

[StayAtHomeAv]

I doubt they trade Duchene.
I doubt they trade MacKinnon.
They just made a 5 year commitment to Soderberg - who apparently cannot be shifted to wing due to his eye.

I'd say that's pretty much as locked as you can get, relatively speaking but please, feel free to completely ignore this and think what you want.

In fact, the Avs didn't even trade O'Reilly, right?

[MOD]

Doubt and won't are two different things. And yeah, FA are never traded. They always stay for the full term of their contract To just assume these 3 will for sure be around is quite naive. And once again, there is still another C position on the team. Injuries can hit one of those 3 guys. We still need the best prospects we can get even if those 3 guys are here for 5 years.

But feel free to completely ignore this and think what you want.

So your using the fact that they traded RoR to prove these 3 guys will be around? I got to be reading that wrong.

 

[landy92mack29]

I doubt they trade Duchene.
I doubt they trade MacKinnon.
They just made a 5 year commitment to Soderberg - who apparently cannot be shifted to wing due to his eye.

I'd say that's pretty much as locked as you can get, relatively speaking but please, feel free to completely ignore this and think what you want.

In fact, the Avs didn't even trade O'Reilly, right?

[MOD]

Soderberg can play LW just not RW because of his eye

 

[agentblack]

Sweet so do Soda--Greg--Rants

This way you arent relying on Greg to soley produce offense (by dropping him in the top lines) and he can be groomed into a solid two way C like our very own russian Couturier and Soda gives him faceoff and off/def. support. Done and done.

 

[McMetal]

What intrigues me about all this talk about center being locked up for years is that HFs own writeup of him says "Bleackley is versatile in that he can play both center and right wing." ( http://www.hockeysfuture.com/prospects/conner-bleackley/ ). That would seem to indicate that, unless their scouts got it wrong, it doesn't matter so much that our centers are set for a while.

What I'd be looking at is our RW lineup, and I see Iginla not getting any younger on that right side. Now, by the time his contract is up, Raantanen will very likely be ready to be a real playmaker at RW, but that still leaves a hole on that side. Skille is doing great as a 4th liner but has a long history of being unable to produce in any kind of pure offensive role. That leaves Rendulic, Everberg, and Bleackley as our in-house options. Rendulic may yet still deliver in that capacity, it's too early to tell. Everberg is a beast but his offensive output is not great (he played with a lot of high powered players last year, but still had only 12 points in 55 games). That leaves Bleackley as a big, smart, mature player who fits right into Roy's philosophy. And having a guy on your roster who can fill in at 3C if somebody gets injured for a stretch is never a bad idea.

It's true that our depth on the left side is even worse than the right, and we may be able to trade him for somebody who can play on that side and knock our center depth down that way, but I'd be way more happy to dump Siemens, Hishon or maybe even one of our extra goalie prospects to shore up that side of the ice than give up on a guy who has been improving steadily since we drafted him.

 

[freeboy]

What intrigues me about all this talk about center being locked up for years is that HFs own writeup of him says "Bleackley is versatile in that he can play both center and right wing." ( http://www.hockeysfuture.com/prospects/conner-bleackley/ ). That would seem to indicate that, unless their scouts got it wrong, it doesn't matter so much that our centers are set for a while.

What I'd be looking at is our RW lineup, and I see Iginla not getting any younger on that right side. Now, by the time his contract is up, Raantanen will very likely be ready to be a real playmaker at RW, but that still leaves a hole on that side. Skille is doing great as a 4th liner but has a long history of being unable to produce in any kind of pure offensive role. That leaves Rendulic, Everberg, and Bleackley as our in-house options. Rendulic may yet still deliver in that capacity, it's too early to tell. Everberg is a beast but his offensive output is not great (he played with a lot of high powered players last year, but still had only 12 points in 55 games). That leaves Bleackley as a big, smart, mature player who fits right into Roy's philosophy. And having a guy on your roster who can fill in at 3C if somebody gets injured for a stretch is never a bad idea.

It's true that our depth on the left side is even worse than the right, and we may be able to trade him for somebody who can play on that side and knock our center depth down that way, but I'd be way more happy to dump Siemens, Hishon or maybe even one of our extra goalie prospects to shore up that side of the ice than give up on a guy who has been improving steadily since we drafted him.

We rally dont know what he wilol look like next year...
Bleaks could be a breakthough guy with a big coming into his own.. honestly I was suprised they did not keep him up and play him against men this year.... he looked good and I watched 4 of the pre season games

 

[Tralfamadore]

2 points in 6 games to start the year and after having spent a significant amount of time with the big club. That's unacceptable. It's his final year in the CHL and is supposed to be a decent prospect. He shouldn't be struggling to put up points.

 

[BoxOfChocolates]

 

[Gigantor The Goalie]

Feel bad for Bleackley. Has a rather good camp then goes back down to Red Deer and has his 'C' taken away.

 

[agentblack]

Didnt Duncan have his C taken away too?

 

[Gigantor The Goalie]

Didnt Duncan have his C taken away too?

Yuppp

 

[AvsRobin]

Their GM/Coach said "It's the best for the team bla bla, it's the best for Conner etc"

Conner needs to focus on his game, less pressure without a C, Wyatt Johnson is expirenced.

Sounds pretty BS to me, this is gonna hurt Conner more than it will help him. It's a big thing to be stripped of a C. It's not that much easier to play without one. You don't think about that stuff when playing.

 

[Gigantor The Goalie]

Same crap with Duncan it sounds like. Pretty much the same situation as well, Duncan had his 'C' stripped during their Memorial Cup hosting year.

 

[agentblack]

Same crap with Duncan it sounds like. Pretty much the same situation as well, Duncan had his 'C' stripped during their Memorial Cup hosting year.

Oh that is weird.

 

[tigervixxxen]

Yeah it is BS but I do think the one quote that was given in the Red Deer paper is true

"Conner has a lot of stuff going on with him mentally and it's affecting his game"

I have no doubt the kid is going through a mental breakdown. Thanks, Avs.

 

[chet1926]

Yeah it is BS but I do think the one quote that was given in the Red Deer paper is true

"Conner has a lot of stuff going on with him mentally and it's affecting his game"

I have no doubt the kid is going through a mental breakdown. Thanks, Avs.

I don't think the Avs are the problem here, I'm pretty sure this falls on him. It's pretty clear to me that the Avs weren't on the same page about drafting Bleackley. Looking back on the draft there seem to be some more "Patrick Roy" type picks that came quickly thereafter.

Yes Bleackley in my mind deserves a contract, but I'm not sure he gets one. And honestly if this is how he is going to react to not getting a contract, I'm not sure I want him in the system. I live by the philosophy that 10% of life is what happens, 90% is how you react to it. Right now, he is reacting poorly. He's needs to go out give it his all and see what happens. If he works hard he'll get his opportunity with our organization or someone else. If he continues to break down, it might be the end for him and I really don't want to see that.

 

[tigervixxxen]

Who is to say he's reacting poorly? He's still playing, it's not like he walked off the team or asked for it. And who knows what else is going on, could be family or personal. I have no doubt he is under an immense amount of pressure, to earn a contract, to make the World Juniors team, to carry his team to a deep playoff run and to win the Memorial Cup. No doubt the Avs have contributed to that by refusing to do what every single other NHL team has done and making it a focus and a distraction for him. Bleackley has done what was asked of him, come in and have a great camp and I can imagine he's searching for answers. He's not a perfect prospect but he's done nothing to show he's not worthy of playing the game at least at the next (pro) level. I'm not going to fault a teenager for being affected by that. I know there's nothing I can say at this point to fight the perception that he's a failed prospect so I'll just say I hope they trade him and then I can appreciate him as a player for another franchise becuase I do belive in his game and none of this crap is going to change that.

I also refuse to believe that Pracey, who was already on thin ice, was given free reign to select the first round pick for a new regime and just so happened to choose a player who fits the regime's preference of a larger, smart, two way forward.

 

[Avs_19]

I bet Roy would have given Brendan Lemieux an ELC on the very first day even if he showed up 30 lbs overweight.

Seriously though, I really do hope he gets signed. I wouldn't blame him if he said no thanks and refused but from the Avs POV, they should be offering it. He has the potential to be everything we need at center on the third line.

He did everything right with Canada and the Avs this summer, still probably won't make Team Canada, isn't signed yet, and now gets stripped of his captaincy in Red Deer? That's messed up.

 

[The Mars Volchenkov]

2 points in 6 games? I know it's early and the team doesn't score a lot, but at some point, you have to question just how much offensive potential he has. He's got a fantastic shot, but I've never really seen much playmaking from the guy, and if he's a center, that's going to be a problem. I never expected him to be a top 6 player by any means, but it's still concerning.

If he struggles to hit a PPG in his 19/20 year old season, then that raises serious red flags. I'd still sign him, but I do think he is trade bait moving forward for the Avs.

Just looking at the guys taken a few picks after him is a little depressing, with McCann, Pastrnak, Kempe, and Goldobin.

 

[chet1926]

Who is to say he's reacting poorly? He's still playing, it's not like he walked off the team or asked for it. And who knows what else is going on, could be family or personal. I have no doubt he is under an immense amount of pressure, to earn a contract, to make the World Juniors team, to carry his team to a deep playoff run and to win the Memorial Cup. No doubt the Avs have contributed to that by refusing to do what every single other NHL team has done and making it a focus and a distraction for him. Bleackley has done what was asked of him, come in and have a great camp and I can imagine he's searching for answers. He's not a perfect prospect but he's done nothing to show he's not worthy of playing the game at least at the next (pro) level. I'm not going to fault a teenager for being affected by that. I know there's nothing I can say at this point to fight the perception that he's a failed prospect so I'll just say I hope they trade him and then I can appreciate him as a player for another franchise becuase I do belive in his game and none of this crap is going to change that.

I also refuse to believe that Pracey, who was already on thin ice, was given free reign to select the first round pick for a new regime and just so happened to choose a player who fits the regime's preference of a larger, smart, two way forward.

It's pretty clear he is reacting poorly to not receiving a contract. 2pts in 6 games as on overager, and his longtime coach removing the C from him. I wouldn't exactly call that reacting in a way that shows a professional team you want a contract.

If he is having off ice issues that are affecting him this much, he needs to be mature enough to ask for a leave of absence to get his head straight. It's not fair to his team if something outside is causing him to play like garbage.

I also agree there is a lot of pressure on him this season, but at the same time that's a good thing for the Avs because people show their true colors when under immense pressure. He'll either step up or wilt away. Right now it appears he is wilting away. He still has time to change this, but it has to start now.

I'm in the category with you that says he has shown enough to have received a contract. I'm starting to think there is more to it than just on ice stuff. At least we're not handing out contracts to anyone else in that draft class, that would really mess with him. I think at this point it would be best to either walk away from him or trade him, as I can't see a scenario where he becomes a useful player for the Avs. It seems like that relationship is more than tainted at this point.

 

[tigervixxxen]

An overager is a 5th year player. I've watched every game he's played since being drafted, I'm confident in my assessment of his game. If folks want to look at the boxscore and make conclusions, that's fine. There's nothing that I can say that I already haven't and nobody wants to hear it either. Yeah he needs to score and that's on him, which clearly is part of this issue. But after a handful of games things like linemates, usage, luck don't factor into a small sample size I guess. It's too bad the Avs can't use a defensive center when they aren't exactly full of forwards to keep from all three of their last draft classes. The two Huskies should be worthy and that's it. It's too bad they wouldn't invest in giving a potential future asset to the team some confidence and minimize distraction when hes better today than some forwards they've stuck in the ECHL. It is what it is, at least we can stop talking about him now.

 

[McMetal]

I'm not sure two points in six games is really a cause for pronouncing doom. Hot and cold streaks happen. Iginla traditionally starts off slow, and he's arguably one of the best goal scorers of his generation. Losing the C is a bigger concern, that leadership factor was a big plus for him, but it's not over yet, and I also think that his game is worthy of keeping him in our system.