As I sit here waiting for a Michael Jackson disc to burn before my roadtrip (what, you don't dance while driving?), I remembered one thing I wanted to do and that's bid farewell to some of our departed Avalanche players.
In a shocking development, it appears that the following players will be walking away from the Avs and - hopefully - to another team some time before October:
Marek Svatos
Brett Clark
Ruslan Salei
Stephane Yelle
Chris Durno
Darcy Tucker
Marek Svatos
It was all over for him once Pierre Turgeon was out of town. After a shocking 32 goal rookie season, Svatos ended up with just 62 goals over the next four seasons, including a dismal seven goal effort last season.
I have a soft spot for the little players in the game and will always miss seeing the solid checks Svatos could throw when necessary. It was rare to see Svatos get knocked down without seeing him get back up and lay a shoulder into somebody.
I hope he lands somewhere where he can find a similar fit as he had with Turgeon.
Brett Clark
Many feel that Brett Clark's only redemption is his shot blocking statistics. In light of that, they also felt his salary was a vast overpayment. Of course, it could very well be these same people that are looking to sign Anton Volchenkov at a UFA-inflated salary because...he blocks a lot of shots.
But the fact remains that Clark is a 2nd-pair defenseman at best who is prone to flopping as opposed to actually playing defense. I'm not sad to see him go though it does reduce the Saskatchewan connections for the Avalanche down to zero. At least until they re-sign Tyler Weiman (come on, it's totally gonna happen....)
I'm sure he'll find a team looking to fill out their depth chart and hopefully it's not at Jeff Finger money so he doesn't become a potential pariah.
Ruslan Salei
He was a beast right after the trade that brought him to the Avalanche but after his castration, his play really dropped off.
He is getting up there in age but I'd be surprised if some team didn't take a flyer on him as a depth defenseman. It might not be until injuries start piling up during the season though.
Stephane Yelle
Ol' Yeller had a short go-round this time with the team but it was great seeing him in an Avalanche jersey again. He may be old but he still had fire in his eyes when he was on the ice.
It might be time for Yelle to hang 'em up and join the Avalanche in a coaching or development capacity. One can hope anyways.
Chris Durno
Next.
Darcy Tucker
Bye.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Farewell Faithful Friends
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Avalanche vs Canucks - Game Preview
A grueling October finally came to a close for the Avalanche and it could not have gone any better. Well, they could have done without all the injuries. And I suppose technically they did leave six of a possible 28 points on the table. But all things considered, this was a success beyond anyone's imaginations for a team pegged for dead last in the NHL.
The Avs kick off Movember with a stop in sunny Vancouver tonight to take on Andrew Raycroft and the Vancouver Canucks. It's the tail end of a four-game road trip that has seen them go 2-1 with wins against division foes Calgary and Edmonton. Wouldn't it be nice to grab a couple more points from the division tonight?
The Avalanche are having their depth tested early in the season. With Darcy Tucker, T.J. Galiardi, Matt Hendricks and Cody Mcleod out, we've seen a quick parade of AHL call-ups. And while the Avs are still holding firm in light of the injuries, they will start to catch up with them.
Thankfully, Craig Anderson has showed no signs of slowing down. When the defense fails, Neo has been there to bail them out. When the offense is lacking, Mr. Anderson to the rescue. When the team is firing on all cylinders, there he is. He is everyone, and he is no one.
Anderson leads the league with a .930 save percentage and 10 wins and is 3rd in GAA with 2.04. Combine that with being tied for #1 in the league in games played, I think we can all sleep easy with him in net.
And sleep easy tonight might be what many people will be doing even before this game starts at 10:00pm ET tonight. Thanks to daylight savings time and Saskatchewan's rebel ways, that means a 9:00pm start time for this guy. You lucky Coloradians (I didn't look that up, just took a stab at it) at least get it at 8:00pm. But given my computer science background, I'll still be up long after the game ends.
I might even have a thought or two on the game before I hit the sack. Or I'll be busy playing Dungeons & Dragons while reading comic books and drinking Jolt cola.
Oh, and Marek Svatos will get goal #3 tonight (hey, it worked with Matt Duchene...)Related Links
Anderson to make 15th straight start
Jay Onrait chats with Craig Anderson
One month in the books
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
THN Top Ten Little Guys Snubs Marek Svatos
It's another The Hockey News snub of an Avalanche player.
This time, The Hockey News put out a list of the Top 10 Little Guys (players 5'9" and under) and Marek Svatos is absent from the list.
If anyone thinks Nigel Dawes has shown himself to be a better player than Svatos, raise your hand.
Didn't think so.
It can only be forgiven if Svatos is listed as taller than 5'9" in the 2009 NHL Official Guide & Record Book, which the author used as the definitive source for measurements.
UPDATE: Alanah pointed me to NHL.com's listing of Marek Svatos which puts him at 5'10".
I assume that the data at NHL.com is the same as what's in the Official Guide & Record Book so it appears THN is off the hook.
Once I get down to Denver, we'll have to go back-to-back and see if he really is 5'10".
Related Links
THN Top 10 Czech Players Snubs Milan Hejduk
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
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?
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Avalanche vs Red Wings, Game Preview
The holiday season has come and gone.
The presents are unwrapped. The chocolates have been eaten. The turkey has been stuffed and devoured.
But one thing hasn't changed.
Joe Sakic and Paul Stastny will be absent from the Avalanche lineup for the foreseeable future.
One man's loss is another man's gain
Oh, one more thing has changed.
Tyler Arnason is the new #1 center.
If that doesn't strike fear into the hearts and minds of Avalanche opponents, I don't know what will.
Did I say opponents? Sorry, I meant fans.
I didn't get much for Christmas. I didn't ask for much either. I must have suspected I would need a more important gift.
And now I want to cash it in.
Santa, if you're still around please help Tyler Arnason rise to the occasion and make us all not unproud.
Hensick also slides up
Along with the Arnason promotion, T.J. Hensick has moved up from a fourth-line winger position to become the second-line center.
Based on practice reports, he will center a line with David Jones and Wojtek Wolski.
Svatos and Salei slide back in
Marek Svatos and Ruslan Salei will make their returns tonight.
Svatos really needs to step up and provide some offensive support. It will be tough sledding as he will likely find himself on the third line tonight but he needs to find a way to get it done.
Third line pickle
Cody McCormick sat last game and may sit again while the Avs give Chris Stewart more time to showcase his skills.
If Stewart stays in he would likely play on a line with Ian Laperriere and the returning Marek Svatos which would leave Darcy Tucker on the fourth line with Ben Guite and Cody Mcleod.
If Stewart draws out, Granato would likely renew the McLappy line leaving a Tucker and Svatos to play on a line centered by Guite.
So no matter how you dice it, the third line will be quite the interesting mix.
UPDATE: AD informs us that McCormick is out.
Budaj back in net
Peter Budaj gets the start in goal and will presumably go up against Ty Conklin as Chris Osgood is still recovering from a busted vagina.
Lidstrom possibly out
Nik Lidstrom took a puck to the ankle last night and will be a gametime decision tonight.
The sweats have already started over there.
The Avs will need every advantage they can get tonight so pray to Vishnu that Lidstrom's foot is swollen bigger than [go ahead and finish this one off in your head while I keep things PG-13 ;)]
UPDATE: AD informs us that Nik Lidstrom is out for tonight's game.
Game time
The puck drops at 9:00 ET at the Pepsi Center. Denver natives, get down there and support your team!
Related Links
Avalanche report: Arnason, Hensick take center stage against Red Wings
Avs promote Arnason to first line with Sakic, Stastny out
Arnie the new #1 center
Scouting the Avs
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Avalanche Dethrone Kings, Win 6-1
Remember how last game I only got to see bits and pieces? Well this game I saw jack squat.
The cable is hooked up but I haven't had time to move my TV over yet. Couple that with playing volleyball most of the evening and it just wasn't my night for hockey watching.
Thankfully the Avs proved they didn't need me rooting for them every night as they finally did the unthinkable: win a game by more than a goal.
That's right, the Avalanche defeated the Kings tonight by a score of 6-1. That's a friggin' 5-goal cushion!
Talk about winning the games you should win and doing it convincingly.
Unfortunately it sounds like Marek Svatos got hurt in the second period and didn't return.
Svatos has been on fire lately and often times has looked like the only guy who showed up to play. Hopefully keeping him out of the game was just a precaution.
On the positive side of the equation, Cody Mcleod banged home two goals and Ian Laperriere banged around John Zieler. And he did it without sucker punching anyone. Who knew you could do that?
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Avalanche Dump Canucks in Shootout, Win 5-4
I'm currently in a temporary apartment and without my TV/PVR/Center Ice trifecta. And though I have a Slingbox, the wifi I'm pilfering has been hit-and-miss.
So what does that mean? It means I only saw bits and pieces of the game so I'll do this recap in point form.
See, individual points have less chance of making me look like an ass than if I pontificate on a "trend" based on one observation.
And here...we...go!
Notes
Daniel Tjarnqvist is making his case for staying in the lineup. Could he be making another defender expendable?
Milan Hejduk lived up to his "Canuck killer" moniker as he potted one goal, assisted on two others and sealed the Canucks fate with a goal in the shootout.
David Jones found the twine tonight as he continues to improve from earlier this season. He's got a ways to go to hit 30 goals though.
What was with Steve Bernier tonight? He potted two goals and only the post kept him from ending the game in overtime.
Wojtek Wolski is the new Jussi Jokinen. But his moves are even sweeter.
Could Wolski, Marek Svatos and Hejduk be one of the most potent shootout lineups this year? Seriously, I'm asking.
Related Links
NHL.com Boxscore
Friday, December 5, 2008
Avalanche Outshined by Stars, Lose 2-1
Marek Svatos was the hero, tying the game in the final minute, but the Avalanche couldn't complete the comeback and were handed their first OT loss of the season.
Unfortunately I'm lacking the energy to do a full recap after a long week so I'm going to bow out gracefully tonight and hopefully be back in full force for Sunday's game against the Canucks.
I'll end on this note: Why did Turco pick tonight to start stopping pucks?
Monday, December 1, 2008
Avalanche Break Scoring Slump, Down Wild 6-5
My goodness that was an exciting game! I'm still a bit amped up and am having a hard time collecting my thoughts.
The Avalanche put down the Wild with an intense 6-5 win at the Xcel Energy Center.
Right from puck drop the Avs had their legs flying and they kept it up throughout most of the game. It's amazing how much free ice you have to skate when your teammates give you room to breathe.
The Wild drew first blood but the Avs didn't let that get them down. They kept applying the pressure and were rewarded with two quick goals.
Marek Svatos and David Jones answered back for the Avs and you started to get the feeling this one was going to escalate.
The Wild then got their first of three goals on the powerplay with Ryan Smyth in the box.
Smyth then promptly headed right back into the box after lipping off to the referee. It was a bold move. And by "bold", I mean "boneheaded". The Wild scored again with Smyth in the box to make it 3-2.
I suppose it's the Wild's fault really for scoring 6 seconds in to the first powerplay and not giving Smyth a chance to cool down in the box.
But then the Avalanche really opened up.
Paul Stastny, Milan Hejduk and T.J. Hensick put the Avs up 5-3. And then Stastny potted one more for good measure to make it 6-3.
Stastny's secong goal was due to some hard work down low by Ryan Smyth that helped make up for the two penalties he took earlier. But it was the equivalent of saying sorry after cheating on your girlfriend. The damage was already done and no amount of work could make it the same again. Once a cheater, always a cheater!
The Avs gave up another PP goal to close out the period after a weak, weak, weak, weak tripping call on David Jones. How weak was it? ...Dang, I thought I had a good joke there but I blanked after seeing a De La Hoya-Pacquiao promo.
Josh Harding replaced Backstrom for the third period and did an admirable job stopping all five shots that were sent his way.
Then, for the second game in a row, the Avs had their fans on edge after the opposition pulled within one goal.
It was a goal that never should have counted though. Brent Burns, playing as a winger, drove wide on Brett Clark and beat him to the goal. And then proceeded to push Budaj out of the way while the puck slowly slid into the net.
The goal was reviewed to see if Burns had kicked the puck in and during the review, the announcers stated "See, Budaj tried to make a play with his stick. That didn't work."
My response was "Because Burns skate was pushing his stick out of the way!"
I mean, my goodness. If that's not the definition of goaltender interference, I don't know what is. I'll watch the highlights again to make sure I'm not overreacting on that goal but I'm quite certain I'm not.
Either way, the Wild ended up shooting themselves in the foot as Bergeron ended up tripping Milan Hejduk with just 54 seconds to go.
Phew, that was a mouthful. I'll come back tomorrow with some overall thoughts on the game.
Related Links
NHL.com Event Summary
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Avalanche Stifle Lightning, Win 4-3
(Associated Press)
Recap
Jordan Leopold opened the scoring on the powerplay at the 15:20 mark. Leopold came in from the point, took a nice feed from Marek Svatos and made a nice forehand-backhand move to put it past Olaf Kolzig.
A mere two minutes later, Marek Svatos again found himself working hard in tight and he managed to get the puck over to Wojtek Wolski who notched his first goal of the game. It was nice to see the 6'3 Wolski charging the net.
And apparently it felt good for Wolski too as barely 30 seconds later he drove hard to the net and managed to get a hold of his own rebound for his second goal of the game and third in his last four games.
That was all she wrote for Olaf Kolzig as Mike Smith came in to start the second period and did an excellent job in relief stopping 20 of 21 shots.
His only mistake was giving the puck away to David Jones who went into Datsyuk mode as he grabbed the puck, skated around one defender, then went forehand-backhand on a sprawling Mike Smith to make it 4-1. I hope any lingering Wings fans just threw up in their mouth on a comparison of Jones to Datsyuk. Because it's the only reason I said it.
The Jones goal proved to be huge as the Avalanche took a couple penalties which let the Lightning get right back in the game.
Ryan Malone and Steven Stamkos scored on back-to-back powerplays to bring the score to 4-3. And the cold sweats started flowing.
But the Avalanche were able to stifle the final onslaught and walk away with the W.
Half and half
With that win, the Avalanche pull within one win of .500 hockey. Yes we can! Yes we can!
It's disheartening to be aiming to play above .500 rather than aiming for the division title. But it's still early in the season. Baby steps. Baby steps.
Break out of the breakout funk
Early in the game, I found myself banging my head against the wall. Then I decided to stop that and watch the game for a while.
Ok, I was banging my head because once again the Avalanche were collapsing against each other as they broke out of the zone.
At one point Ryan Smyth skated from the left boards to the right boards as Milan Hejduk was breaking out of the zone. It honestly looked like Smyth for a second had forgotten what team he played for and was actually trying to get the puck away from Hejduk. It was baffling.
Thankfully as the game wore on, the team started to realize how much more effective you can be if you spread out on the rush.
Hopefully one of the coaches took notes and will try and implement that style of play. It would go perfectly with a "run-and-gun" offense, don't you think?
Lines
Smyth-Stastny-Hejduk
Wolski-Arnason-Svatos
Willsie-Hensick-Laperriere
Jones-McCormick-Mcleod
The Arnason line was far and away the best line of the night. And yes, it feels weird typing that. But how can you argue with two goals, five assists and a combined +6?
Ian Laperriere saw his ice-time increase to 18:42 tonight. He even saw 30 seconds on the powerplay though I dont' recall seeing him out there. I'm still watching from my Slingbox feed which makes it really hard to see numbers on the ice. Oh how I miss my TV.
Even though they played limited minutes, the new Cody McJones line played very well. Jones really seemed to up his physicality and effort tonight and was rewarded with a goal. Hopefully he sees the cause-effect line there.
Highlights
Brett Clark blocked nine blocked shots on the night which was 50% more than the entire Lightning squad.
John-Michael Liles returned from the flu but played limited minutes - 16:12 - and wasn't very noticeable.
Cody Mcleod pounded on Steve Downie in the third and I loved every minute of it. Except when Downie punched Mcleod after they had gone to the ice. But hey, what else can you expect from Downie?
Ruslan Salei had four shots on goal as he continues to up his play over the last few games. He's making me look like less of a fool for predicting he would be the Avs best defenseman.
Paul Stastny wore the "A" tonight but it must have weighed a lot as he didn't look to have much jump in his step. He had enough less after he took a shot to the leg and briefly went to the dressing room.
It was Raycroft's third win of the year which surpassed his season total in Toronto last year.
Up Next
It's off to Minnesota to take on the Wild on Monday as part of a three-game road trip. It will be the second meeting between the two teams. And the second chance for fans to shake their heads at management for letting Andrew Brunette go the way they did.
The game will be televised on TSN2 and Versus.
Related Links
NHL.com Event Summary
MHH Recap
Denver Post Recap
Rocky Mountain News Recap
AD's Post-game Thoughts
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Svatos Rested, not Benched
According to the Denver Post, Marek Svatos sat out Tuesday's game to ensure he wasn't rushing back from his groin injury.
From Tony Granato in the article:
"He played only two exhibition games, and the first two games (of the regular season) were very fast-paced games and he's coming off that injury," Granato said. "We thought tonight would be a good night to keep him out and get him ready for Thursday."
If that is the case - and I have no reason to think Granato's a liar - then I'm a happy man. Last year my pet peeve - or at least one of them - was players coming back from injuries only to be injured again. This year, it sounds like Granato and the medical team are being a bit more cautious in their rehabilitation approach.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Colorado Avalanche 2008/09 Season Predictions
The Avalanche roundtable is winding down as Jibbles is hosting the last question today on expecations. And do you know what that means? It means the season is starting tomorrow!
Paul Stastny will be top 10 in points
In Stastny's first pro season he put up 78 points in 82 games, good enough for a .95 PPG rate. In a shortened season Stastny put up 71 points in 66 games, a 12% increase to 1.07 PPG. If he stayed healthy all season and scored at that rate, he would have been tied for 10th in the league.
Sakic currently sits in 11th place on the all-time assists leaderboard with 1006 assists. He is 28 shy of taking sole possession of the #10 slot, currently occupied by Mario Lemieux. Once he hits 1034 - that's right, once, not if - he will be a mere 16 assists from passing both Marcel Dionne and Gordie Howe to climb into the #8 spot.
Ruslan Salei will be the Avs best defenseman
Salei is an extremely versatile defenseman. He puts up points, he plays the PP and PK, he lays out solid hits, he can put up 20+ minutes a game and I heard a rumor that he is coming up with a plan to fix the economy. No joke.
Jordan Leopold and Marek Svatos will be injury free
The Shane law says "The more things stay the same, the more likely they are to change". Ok, somebody much smarter than me probably came up with that before but I'll claim it as my own.
David Jones scores 30 goals
I'll say it. I've got a mancrush on David Jones. As I've said before, he's big, fast and if he finds his scoring touch, he'll be gold.
Ben Guite grows out the fu before the Christmas break
This one isn't even close to a stretch. The Fu will be back.
Peter Forsberg doesn't return
Last season I didn't think Forsberg was coming back. We all know how that worked out. So this year, I'm flip-flopping and waiting for him to prove me wrong again.
Hejduk has a bounceback year
The last time Hejduk had a 50-point season, he came back the next year and put up 35 goals and 70 points. In fact, since 2001 Hejduk has been consistently inconsistent as he alternated between 50 and 70-point seasons. History will repeat itself this year.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
David Jones Scoring at a Goal Per Game Rate
David Jones tallied the winning goal against the Stars tonight as the Avalanche's preseason schedule kept rolling.
It was Jones' preseason debut and if he keeps this pace up, he'll be winning the Art Ross trophy. You heard it here first.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Avalanche Burgundy/White Game - 2008/09 Edition
The Colorado Avalanche's annual Burgundy/White game happens tonight at the Air Force Academy. The official game roster is up and I'm baffled that on a roster of 42 players not one of them wears #7. And don't worry, Marek Svatos, Paul Stastny and Wojtek Wolski are being held out for precautionary reasons only. They'll be good to go once the season starts. (*knocks wood*)
Friday, July 25, 2008
Marek Svatos Re-signs for Two Years
Adrian Dater has been keeping us up-to-date on late breaking news this offseason - what little there has been - via his blog as well as Twitter and has just reported that Marek Svatos has re-signed with the Avalanche. The deal is $4.1M over 2 years which strikes me as quite reasonable. On a cost per goal basis, he will likely be the second-best deal for the Avalanche this coming season.
We all pick on Svatos for his injury issues - and for good reason - but I love watching him play. Not only does he have a nose for the net but he's got a chip on his shoulder about his size. If he ever gets bowled over by someone, keep an eye on him. Odds are that he's going to get up, shake himself off and lay a bone-crushing hit on the next opposing player he can catch. He may be small but that gives him a low center of gravity and he knows how to use it.
Unfortunately for Svatos, he has been a bit fragile in his career. His career high for games played was in '06/07 when he played 66 games while struggling with groin injuries. Prior to that he had surgery on his left shoulder. Last season he tore his ACL. You start adding that up and you can see why he wouldn't ask for - nor would the team give him - a long-term, big money contract. For all his upside, he comes with a lot of risk.
When Svatos filed for arbitration, it didn't sound like the two sides were at a huge crossroads in negotiations. Svatos was even quoted in a Slovakian paper (to which I can't find the link now) as saying he was looking for around $2M so it's not shocking that he re-signed before his arbitration hearing. And given that the contract is only a $2M cap hit, any "Sign and trade!" folks will likely fall silent. Unfortunately anonymous hockey bloggers who thought Svatos would get $4M will likely keep yapping.
One thing I found amusing in TSN's news article -aside from the typo in the headline - was a quote from Francois Giguere:
"Marek Svatos has been a key ingredient to our success the last few years," said Avalanche Executive Vice President and General Manager Francois Giguere in a statement.
Was that the success of missing the playoffs two seasons ago or the sweep by the Wings last season? Ah, now I'm just being a bitter old (young) man.
Related Links
Svatos signs
Avalanche, Svatos agree to a two-year contract
Svatos under contract with the Avs
Avs, Svatos avoid arbitration
A look back: Svatos' season in review
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Svatos Files for Arbitration
I smelled this coming but didn't want to jinx it. Unfortunately I smelled right and Marek Svatos has filed for arbitration. Dater says his sources say Svats is looking for $2.5M a year. I'd jump on that no problem - if Svatos would ever play a full season.
In his first 3 seasons he has averaged 63 games, 24 goals and 39 points. Not exactly numbers that scream "double my salary" and I expect that is what an arbitrator will say as well. Unfortunately though, if you check out some of the salaries at nhlnumbers.com, you'll notice names like Fernando Pisani, Sergei Samsonov and Lee Stempniak in that $2.5M range which could turn the tides in Svatos' favor.
This does prevent an offer sheet from coming in and also doesn't preclude the team from settling with Svatos before the arbitration date. The arbitration hearings are held from July 20th to August 4th so it could be some time before we know if Svatos is returning or not.
If the arbitrator does side with Svatos, Giguere should not hesitate to sign him. When he's healthy, nobody is as opportunistic a scorer as Marek Svatos is.
Related Links
Svatos taking Colorado to Arbitration
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Avalanche Extend Qualifying Offers to Four; Continue Talks with Theodore
We finally get to hear about the Avalanche's qualifying offers! Said offers had to be in today for all restricted free agents to retain the rights to them and the Rocky Mountain News reports the players extended offers were: Marek Svatos, Wojtek Wolski, Cody McCormick, Cody McLeod.
The one notable missing off that list...Tyler Weiman. Maybe I feel more invested in him as he's from Saskatoon but I really like the kid. Sure, I've never actually seen him play more than 20 minutes but I saw him sit on the bench a few games. He seemed to do it quite well.
But then once I started checking out the RFA situation, I noticed QOs weren't extended to Jason Bacashihua or Michael Wall either. That leaves Peter Budaj as the only goaltender under contract at the moment.
The Avalanche continue talks with Jose Theodore but talks don't mean squat until the contract is signed. I don't get the impression that they expect Delmas to step in right away. So my only question is: assuming Theo gets re-signed, who's going to play goal in Lake Erie? And if Theo doesn't get re-signed, the question gets an addendum of "who will back up Peter Budaj?"
I'm guessing QOs to Weiman and Bacashihua simply haven't been announced yet and Wall is going to be the odd man out. Unless FG was completely asleep at the switch which is as likely as me hitting a hole in one a bum knee. Even Tiger couldn't do that.
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Updated - The S Curse Continues
The Avalanche have announced that Marek Svatos is out for the rest of the season while Ryan Smyth is out indefinitely. After seeing both injuries, it's not much of a surprise. The Svatos injury was terribly awkward looking and the Smyth injury was just...brutal. I hope his family was not watching the game because that would have been terrible to see happen to your son/husband/etc.
AD had originally provided an analysis of what the "official" news means. To sum it up in one word...shit. He felt it was doubtful that either return for the rest of the season barring a long playoff run. Since then, Svatos' diagnosis is an ACL tear which puts him for the remainder of the season while Smyth can't return to practice until he is free of concussion symptoms. His shoulder is also partially separated but appears, at the moment, to be the least of his concerns.
I pray that Francois Giguere immediately provides some sort of offering to the hockey gods as it's quite apparent the organization has wronged them somehow.
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Avalanche Crunch Kings 5-2
Or should I say Jack Johnson crunches Ryan Smyth. Preliminary reports have Smyth coherent and walking around before heading to the hospital for observation. It was a scary looking hit and I can't say I didn't want someone to hand Johnson his ass in a torn paper bag.
The Avalanche also lost Marek Svatos midway through the game as he took a push which sent him skidding awkwardly into the boards. The Avalanche scored on that play so that should help accelerate the healing process.
And that's all I have time to say as I'm off to bed to get some beauty sleep before I play at least 3 straight volleyball games tomorrow morning. If I'm not ridiculously exhausted, I might add to this tomorrow afternoon but don't hold your breath.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Ducks Waddle Past Avalanche
(Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)
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
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