Franois Giguere...You're Fired!

As I'm waiting in line to check in to head back to Saskatoon, I got a text message from TSN stating "Colorado Avalanche fire General Manager Francois Giguere"

It's not surprising this happened nor is it surprising it happened this soon. This was a dreadful season and seeing players like Tyler Arnason and Darcy Tucker on the ice magnified the horror. With two 1-0 losses to close out the season, that was all the big shots could handle.

Swift action is a sign that ownership is as pissed off as we are about how the last three seasons went down so I'm feeling a bit optimistic at the moment.

That they didn't announce a dual firing could indicate that Tony G gets to stick around for another year.

More thoughts once I'm back in moose country.

Related Links
Changes in Colorado
Avs fire GM Giguere
Giguere fired
Avalanche fire Giguere, Lacroix resumes control

Francois Giguere Discusses Trade Deadline

Via Avalanche TV, Francois Giguere holds a press conference to discuss the trade deadline.

Trade deadline - What should the Avalanche do?

I wrote the following piece for Illegal Curve but the folks there generously agreed to let me cross-post it here at Avs Talk.

Once it's up at Illegal Curve, I'll add a link to their Trade Deadline feature so you can read thoughts on all the other teams trade deadline dilemmas.

The Avalanche are currently out of the playoff picture and they have slim to little hope of making it at this point.

And even if they were to make the playoffs, all it would bring is a little more cash to the team's bottom line, not a Stanley Cup.

It's simply not worth it for the franchise to be buyer's at the trade deadline.

Francois Giguere needs to look past a first-round playoff loss and set his sights on selling some assets.

So what do the Avalanche have to offer?

Marek Svatos
The Svats machine has languished on the third and fourth lines for the most part this season and that's simply not his game.

He is an opportunistic goal scorer and does best when gobbling up rebounds in the slot created by his linemates.

He's an extremely sneaky player, has a nose for open spots and knows how to finish.

For a squad looking to add extra offense for a playoff push, Svatos could be their man.

Ruslan Salei
I was torn over whether to list Brett Clark or Ruslan Salei in this slot.

In the end, I chose Ruslan Salei.

Though I'd prefer to see Clark go at this point, I think Salei is more marketable.

He has Cup final experience, can put up some points and possesses a mean streak which has been stifled by the defensive system of the Avalanche.

Currently on pace for 25 points, he would add defensive depth to any team.

Ian Laperriere
I can hear the collective cries of Avalanche fans everywhere.

To be clear, in no way do I want to see Ian Laperriere traded. But it's hard to argue that he isn't one of Colorado's top pieces of trade bait.

He is the epitome of a hockey warrior. He can fight, he can score, he can kill penalties and for my money, he's the best character guy in the league.

If Giguere does make the tough decision to trade Laperriere, he needs to get enough in return that he won't alienate an already jittery fan base.

But what do the Avalanche need in return?

Draft Picks
This is a deep draft and having a top-10 pick would be great.

The Avs are already headed down that road but adding one more to the repertoire wouldn't hurt.

And when you have a stock of draft picks, teams will come calling on draft day.

It's win-win.

Goaltending
No, it's not a cure-all, but it certainly is a cure-many.

I was on board the Peter Budaj train when the season started but I got off around mid-December.

I never boarded the Andrew Raycroft train, regardless of his win-loss record.

But if the Avalanche truly want a return to former glories, they need a solid number one goaltender. Not spectacular, just solid. But spectacular would be fine.

Manny Fernandez will not be that guy. Pascal Leclaire will not be that guy.

You either find a young up-and-coming goaltender to develop him into a number one, or you go out and acquire a proven number one.

Either way, action needs to be taken as I don't believe the Avalanche have any aces in the hole with their current prospects.

Role Players
Many people - from blogger to beat writer to beat boxer - were disappointed that Francois Giguere ignored a player like Stephane Yelle during the offseason.

And for good reason.

Stephane Yelle is the definition of a role player.

He never takes a shift off, he blocks shots, he wins faceoffs, he kills penalties and he can even sub in as a defenseman if the situation calls for it.

He signed with the Bruins for $750,000 this season.

I don't want to say he's the reason the Bruins are atop the league but he's one of the reasons the Bruins are atop the league.

If the Avalanche continue to sign players like Darcy Tucker for $2.5M as opposed to players like Stephane Yelle for $750,000, they can have all the skilled forwards they want, but they won't grind out a Cup win.

Final Thoughts
None of this will matter if the Avalanche don't make the biggest change necessary and re-tool their coaching staff to remove the "Old Boys Club" mentality that permeates the front office.

Just because Tony Granato is a good guy doesn't mean he's suitable for the head coaching position.

Just because Jacques Cloutier has been with the team since 1996 doesn’t mean he’s still cut out to run the defense.

Just because Francois Giguere is a number-crunching wizard doesn't mean he's cut out to assemble a Cup winning roster.

If this organization wants to win - and win consistently - they need to go out and get the best people for those respective positions.

Not the people who are closest to Stan Kroenke or Pierre Lacroix.

Related Links
Krieger: Avs' tough call: buy or sell
Buyers and sellers?

Top Down Trickle?

The frustration has mounted and AD has blown his top in another emotional post where he points the finger directly at management. Even if you don't agree with everything he says, you've got to love the style with which he says it.

Theo can stay gone

I think he's dead wrong on Theodore. I'm glad the guy is gone. I saw a good portion of his first two games with Washington and they weren't pretty. Though he does have one win under his belt which is more than you can say for Budaj.

Break out the cigars and brandy
But look past the lack of confidence in Budaj and he's right on the management issues. In fact, he was right nearly four months ago when he said:

PL, FG, TG - they’re all in the good-ol’ boys’ club. There’s no system of checks and balances w/ mgmt. FG is not a personnel guy - that’s PL’s area… and frankly, that’s the problem. Our GM doesn’t know squat about hockey players - he only knows what they’re worth with regards to the salary cap. Yes, Arnason may be worth $1.7M on the market, but that doesn’t mean we should pay him that much! His numbers don’t give an accurate pic of how little heart he has.

I've been very happy with the contract's FG has given out from a cap standpoint. But has he shown the ability to successfully manage a hockey team?

Signing snaffu?

Giguere certainly has made some good moves such as bringing in Ryan Smyth and Scott Hannan. But they weren't difficult moves to justify, as opposed to some of this other ones.

Take the Raycroft signing. If Budaj falters, plan B is the worst goaltender - stats wise - in the league? I didn't like it then, I accept it now, but I'll admit the concern is starting to fester. It's ulcerific.

The Arnason re-signing I can forgive him for. Arnason had played well the year before and looked to have finally gained a little gumption. But once he started slumping again, it needed to be addressed. But today we find him still centering the third line with his mediocre efforts and lackluster results and I can't recall a time where he was an uninjured scatch.

And letting Andrew Brunette go the way he did was just wrong. No phone call, he just let the guy assume he wasn't going to be re-signed and assume that the organization would wish him well in future endeavours. It felt very cold for a guy that had played so well over the last two seasons at a very reasonable price.

But hey, maybe I'm just bitchy today after 3 straight losses coupled with a lingering flu causing me to miss out on the final warm days of the year in Saskatchewan.

So let me ask you: when was the last time you said "Great move, FG!" without any sarcasm?

Sad Day in Avalanche Fandom

After last night's shellacking, there are a lot of sad and angry people in the Avalanche fandom. Can you be sad and angry at the same time? You bet. Hell, I'm sad, angry, embarrassed and a little thirsty, all at the same time.

Over at MHH, Joe and Mike have weighed in on who should stay and who should go. Some interesting lists for sure. It appears that most fans have decided that it's time for the Avalanche to becoming sellers and declare this season's Stanley Cup dreams as nothing more than high fantasy. But will the organization see it the same way?

The Avalanche are currently in 10th place in the Northwest but a win against Detroit last night would have catapulted them into 7th. So the playoffs are still within view even though the horizon is stretching farther away. At the moment, the Avalanche have a 40% shot of making the playoffs. And don't forget the most important part, every significant percentage point left to be gained rests at the hands of the Avalanche, not at their opponents. So the old cliche of "They hold their destiny in their hands" is as apt as it ever will be.

The only trouble with the idea of gutting it out and fighting for a playoff spot with the belief that "this squad can do it!" is that it reminds me a lot of the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Leafs are a team that has been mired in mediocrity for many seasons and the main reason - I think - is that the organization defines success simply as making the playoffs. In other words, selling more tickets, beer and hot dogs. So if there is an outside shot at getting into the playoffs, the Leafs won't bother selling any significant assets to build for the future.

This makes them a perpetual bubble team as they just replace a few spare parts here and there for a playoff run rather than rebuilding their roster for a Cup run down the line and I fear the same is happening with the Avalanche. Of course it's only been one year that the Avalanche have missed the playoffs and they've got 2 Stanley Cups in the past 12 years to go along with that so they're a long way from becoming like the Leafs. But the warning signs are popping up.

Francois Giguere needs to make a long-term decision very quickly and I think the right choice is to sell a few assets with an eye for the future. I don't want him to gut the team but there are some expendable players (Brunette, Arnason, Skrastins, Theodore) who could bring some returns if packaged together with some other players (Liles, Svatos, Clark, Budaj) and prospects (Williams, Stoa, Galiardi). And of course my feelings on the coaching staff have been made clear. If changes don't happen there, the roster changes are a moot point.

And don't forget, becoming a seller doesn't immediately count a team out of the playoff hunt. We witnessed what a squad absent their three top dogs and filled with minor leaguers could do and it made us proud.

And frankly that's all I want from this team. The feeling of pride from being a fan of the Avalanche.

Ducks Waddle Past Avalanche

(Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

The Avalanche were less than 5 minutes away from snagging a point but it wasn't meant to be. With just 4:21 left in the third, Sammy Pahlsson broke the 1-1 deadlock as he found a lose puck in the crease and put it past Jose Theodore.

The Avalanche played a good game and were in this one right to the end. Unfortunately the team looked a little too content to just make it to OT rather than pushing to win it in regulation. Well, that worked out well didn't it? I wonder what the Avalanche's record is when the game is tied midway through the third. I'd guess not so good since it seems they get burned every time by playing for the extra point.

Fisticuffs
I'll open with some fight details as this one had a lot of festivities at the end of the second period. Some of it comical, some of it annoying. It all started when Ian Laperriere dished out a solid check on Kent Huskins (if memory isn't failing me). Shortly after, Ryan Getzlaf decided he needed to teach Lappy a lesson for some reason. So, after clearing a stick out form between their feet, those two squared off and danced for a while. Lappy mostly caught Getzlaf on the back of the head and then took the bigger man down to the ice.

Shortly after this happened, Ben Guite and Kent Huskins then decided to go at it. I'm guessing Guite said something like "What, you need your mommy to stick up for you?" At least, that's what I would have said. So those two go at it with Guite catching Huskins with a couple rights and taking him to the ice. Those two earned misconducts for fighting during a stoppage in play.

So with Guite and Lapperriere in the box, Carlyle sent out the goon squad including George "Borat" Parros and Brian "Douche" Sutherby. Sutherby had already fought Cody Mcleod earlier in the second but this time he decided to line up against Milan Hejduk. He actively tried to goad Hejduk into a fight which I'd guess is like trying to goad a nun into a strip club. You could actually see Hejduk say "Why me?" at one point which actually mad me a bit sad. Sure, Hejduk has never fought in his career but I'd like to think he'd man up a bit about it.

Oh and in case you missed it, yes, Quenneville responded to Carlyle sending the goons out by sending his #1 line out. Are you freakin' kidding me? I understand that a couple tough guys were in the box but you could at least put Mcleod out there and toss out Hannan, Finger, Sauer and Brunette (he may not be a fighter but he's a big boy). Yes that's 3 defenseman but there was only 3 seconds left in the period. Was nothing learned from the Buffalo-Ottawa brawl last season?

Coaching
It's those little coaching battles that seem to get misjudged by Q which would keep me from ever considering him coach of the year. No offense to the Versus crew who have jumped on the Q for Jack Adams bandwagon that has recently started up.

When the team was underachieving there was no mention of it being a coaching issue. But now that the team is overachieving, it's all coaching? It's similar to Theodore's run as of late. While it's been nice, it makes you go "Where the hell has that been?"

One good run does not make up for two years of underachieving.

Goaltending
Theodore again played a solid game and really couldn't be blamed for either goal. The first goal was a 5-on-3 and I'll give any goaltender the benefit of the doubt on a 5-on-3. The second goal was more bad luck than anything. A centering attempt popped free and Pahlsson was in the right spot to clean it up.

JS Giguere put in a good performance at the other end. And by "good performance" I mean "let pucks hit him and hoped his defense would clear it out". Have you ever seen a goaltender play the way this guy does? He does a great job at getting in front of the puck but it's almost like he closes his eyes and hopes for the best once he goes down.

Offense
Marek Svatos continued his hot streak early as he scored just 1:37 into the game. Again, he picked up a rebound behind the defenders and got it past Giguere for his 25th of the year. That puts him on pace for 36 goals this season and if he keeps it up, he's got a shot at breaking the 40 barrier.

Svatos fired off 7 shots in the game followed by Wolski with 6 and Hejduk with 5.But other than the Wolsk-Arnason-Svatos line, there wasn't a ton of chances after the first period. Hejduk still looks real smooth with the puck but he doesn't seem to be clicking with his linemates.

Injuries
If having Paul Stastny sit out with a groin injury wasn't enough to annoy everyone, Brett Clark went very awkwardly into the boards and came away hurting. From the way he held his arm it would appear he dislocated his left shoulder. Super! At least Q was forced to dress 7 defensemen tonight.

Oh, and when I edited my post yesterday noting I spotted McCormick being listed on the injured reserve? It wasn't a mistake. He was out with a shoulder injury. Did somebody take Thor's name in vein or call Poseidon a pussy or something? Cause the gods really have it out for the Avs this year.

Lines
Brunette-Hlinka-Hejduk
Wolski-Arnason-Svatos
Richardson-Guite-Laperriere
Mcleod-Hensick-Skrastins

What?! Skrastins on wing? Well, sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. Scott Parker was out with the flu and Kyle Cumiskey is still bothered with a groin injury so that forced Q's hand.

Odds & Ends
- Jeff Finger, as solid as he's become, still makes some boneheaded defensive moves from time to time
- Wolski was out killing the 5-on-3 and was on when the goal was scored
- the Pepsi Center fans were still booing Bertuzzi (and anyone with a 4 in their jersey number it seemed)
- I admire Q's confidence to go off the map with his tie choices but he's missing more than he's hitting lately
- TSN's TradeCenter starts at 8:00 am ET deadline day which is a waste of air time if you ask me
- Francois Beauchemin is solid but gets lost in the stardom of the rest of the Ducks blueline

Related Links
NHL.com Event Summary
ColoradoAvalanche.com Recap
In the Cheap Seats Recap