Avs Talk - A Colorado Avalanche Blog

The Avalanche roundtable is on its penultimate day and I'd first like to thank Mike for all the work he's done organizing us. With 20+ respondents & blogs, it never would have gotten done as smooth as it was without his work. Second, thanks to all the Avalanche bloggers for taking time to share their thoughts. You know how hard it is to pry an opinion out of us...

And now, let's drop the wussy shout outs and get down to business! The answers are listed in the following order(s): submission time (first to last), who is best looking (last to first), geography (south to north) and who has least of a life (most to least). And it's book-ended by the most succinct answers in blogging history. I'll leave it up to you to decide if that last statement means the book-ends are not part of the orderings mentioned above (Hint: they are) or if the orderings even make sense (Hint: they don't).

How is this season going to be different than previous seasons for you?

Mike (MHH): I get to go to a game?

Magnum (Disgruntled Avalanche Blogger): This season will be different because Joe Sakic is gone. In years past, it was realistic to go into every season with playoff expectations as long as Super Joe was on the team. This year, neither are the case.

Another very important thing to consider is the Avalanche's goaltending. for the first time in the last three years, neither Jose Theodore nor Peter Budaj will be the starting goaltender for Colorado. To this, I breathe a sigh of relief. I'm not sure how Anderson will do, but at least he won't let in a bunch of floaters every game.

Jay Vean (Avs Hockey Podcast): No Sakic is going to be plain weird. I'm still wondering is Avs hockey is going to be Avs hockey without Captain Clutch. He's one of the main reasons why so many of us are Avs fans in the first place.

It will also be different because Pepsi Center will not be the place to be for a while. It seems so long ago that the Avs sold out 487 straight games. I have really forgotten what a full house looked and felt like. I hope that feeling returns sooner than later. Until then, more leg room for me I guess.

Angélique (Avs Prospects): Expectations will certainly be different for 2009-10. I don’t expect the Avs to contend for the playoffs. Unlike years past when the Avs are competing for Stanley Cups, this year will be a season of evaluating young players. Even with expectations low, there will still be some excitement when going to the rink to watch these young players develop.

Lowered expectations also means the Pepsi Center will not be as lively or full. To me, that will be a disappointment for the young players, but one can understand considering the price of Avalanche tickets and the current economic situation.

David (MHH): I'm going to steal Angélique's answer (again). Last year, I thought the Avalanche might be able to go deep in the playoffs. This year, I have no such expectations. I don't believe the team is going to be in the playoff hunt and, frankly, feel that another poor finish in the standings will be better for the franchise in the long run. I'm basically looking forward to watching the young players throughout the year. I have to admit, the thought of covering a rebuilding team like the Avs is kind of interesting and even a little revitalizing. We'll see if I'm saying the same thing in January...

Matt Jordan (Mile High Mayhem): The D is aging, while the rebuild starts up front. This year, my major expectation is to improve, and start to work with the younger kids. Right now, I think the best case scenario is everything clicks, the injuries are down, and we fight for a low seed in the playoffs.

Then, there is the elephant in the room...no Joe Sakic. Our security blanket is gone. #19 was always the constant, and it's going to leave a HUGE hole, not just on the ice, but in the PR department. From the business standpoint, someone has to become the face of the franchise, but the question is...who will step up?

Grant Beery (Hockeyism): A lot of folks are answering this question on how their outlook of the team is going to be different, but I want to tell you how it will be different for ME personally (cue cheesy Deep Thoughts music):

The biggest difference for me will be all the work I'll be doing with The Avalanche Guild. Not only will I be at the arena a lot more this year, but I am also tasked with really getting the word out about the Avs and all the events the Guild is doing. This is going to connect me with a lot more fans and dedicate all my free time to hockey.

Me: No Joe.