According to the handy-dandy widget on the right side of the page, the NHL trade deadline is just two weeks away. The Hurricanes and Senators have started the trade season off with a four-player deal. If previous post-lockout seasons are any indication, that deal is just the tip of a rather large iceberg. And what are the Avalanche up to? I’ll be the first one to admit that I don’t have the foggiest idea what the team is going to do at the deadline. Like that’s going to stop me from talking about it anyway….
For years under Pierre Lacroix, the Avalanche were often aggressive deadline traders. And yet, even though they would go out and get guys like Theo Fleury, Ray Bourque and Rob Blake, they always seemed to be under the radar when it came to pre-deadline trade rumors. You can attribute a lot of that to the Iron Curtain-tight way the Avs protect information, although I think the fact that the Denver is not, to my knowledge, in the east is also a factor.
Current GM Francois Giguere appears to be a much more of the patient, build from within type. He doesn’t come across as the type of guy to trade a heap of prospects to rent Marian Hossa or Mats Sundin for a couple of months. That’s not to say, though, that a blockbuster deal would shock me; the Avalanche have accumulated a lot of young talent and at some point you have to move some of those guys. Right?
It’s my gut feeling that the Avs won’t be big buyers at the deadline, but I think they may do some tweaking of their roster. I could easily see pending-free agent John-Michael Liles involved in a deal, but I suspect we’d only do that if Giguere can get players to help the team now, not future players. This team needs to make the playoffs
For kicks, here’s a list of pending free agents for the Avs (according to nhlnumbers.com):
UFA
- Joe Sakic
- Andrew Brunette
- Jaroslav Hlinka
- Scott Parker
- John-Michael Liles
- Kurt Sauer
- Jeff Finger
- Jose Theodore
Okay, scratch Joe Sakic off the list. The rest of those players though, I could easily picture being involved in deadline deals, to varying degrees.
Liles is the obvious candidate, as it doesn’t sound like he fits into the team’s long-term plans (he said recently the team hasn’t contacted him about an extension) and, even with his season-long scoring slump, he should be attractive to a team looking to bolster their powerplay (a list about 30 deep).
Theodore, in my mind, is an interesting study. Two months ago, with his fat GAA and fatter salary, he was as untradeable as any player in the NHL. All of a sudden, though, he’s playing excellent hockey and, as luck would have it, his strong play has included a few great games against teams who just may be in the hunt for a goalie. With just two months to go on the season, his salary shouldn’t as big an issue for a team who wishes to trade for him. The $64,000 question: will the Avs trade him? I don’t see it happening, unless the Avs are making a separate deal for a starting goalie (Wouldn’t Marty Turco look great in the ugly Avalanche unipron?).
I think it’s a possibility that Brunette could be on the move. Although he’s having an off year, I bet there’s a ton of teams who coud use his creativity behind the net as well as his leadership off the ice. I think someone would have to make Giguere a fairly good offer to get Bruno from us…but it wouldn’t completely shock me to see that happen.
It seems like every year we hear some sort of unofficial rumor involving Marek Svatos. It seems like any time there is a player rumored to be on the block, Svatos is going to be the guy we package with a draft pick to get him. I’ll say this: if the Avalanche were ever going to trade Svatos, this is the year to do it. His 22 goals has to be attractive to a team looking for offense. At the same time, it’s driving up Svatos’ contract demands (he’ll be an RFA this summer). I love Marek Svatos, but don’t feel he is now - or ever will be - a player that the Avalanche form their offense around. Do I expect him to move? Not really…but I bet he’ll be dangled out there a bit.
See, I wasn’t kidding when I said I didn’t have a clue. What do you guys think? Will the Avalanche be making big moves at the deadline or sort of limp along as they did last year?
Bring Martina Skoula back!
It’d be nice if FG had the balls to trade Sakic. He’s basically just dead weight at this point. But he doesn’t, so there’s no point in discussing it.
There’s absolutely no reason to trade JoeTed, unless you’re getting a young starter in return.
I wouldn’t mind dealing Bruno, as there is a logjam once the Three Douches come back and Hensick has already proven that he’s far too talented to send back down. I don’t think the Avs would get the return for Bruno that we’d like.
I’d like to see the Avs package two players for one better one. St Louis would be a good trading partner in that respect.
Marty Turco would look good in any uniform.
I don’t see how any good could come from trading Sakic, It wouldn’t help us and would alienate a lot of fans and i’d also be somewhat surprised if he didn’t have a no-trade clause. Sakic is the heart and soul of the Avs, he’s the only good player left from our cup teams and a great leader.
Dead weight? A point per game sakic is dead weight?
Bah, I should know better than to be baited by Thomas anyways.
Thomas you crazy.
If the Avs are going to trade for a guy like Hossa, they are going to have to give up someone who isn’t an UFA at the end of the season. an RFA maybe. (Svatos, one of the Mc’s, I think Wolski is fairly untouchable unless the Avs think he’s going to want too much money). I think the Clark contract is a mistake ($3.5M ?!?) and I’d love to see the Avs sucker some team into taking him and using that money to resign Liles, instead of actually trading Liles. But I think that’s a pipe dream.
*sigh*
Sakic isn’t scoring at a point a game pace.
He’s not a good leader at all. He’s been the Avs’ captain for a long time. That doesn’t mean he’s a good leader.
I don’t care if trading him would alienate fans. If fans are too dumb to recognize a move that makes the team better, screw them. I am not interested in wheeling out some half-assed, lethargic, declining, fireless asswipe just because he was on two Cup teams. I want to win.
When Sakic went down, the team started playing better. He’s a cancer to this team. His lack of leadership and his lethargic attitude have held this team back for years, and he needs to be traded for the good of the team. It’s time to move on. He was a great player, but he’s not anymore.
Sakic has 22 points this season in 24 games played before being injured, a .92 points/game pace.
moving the boat back towards the coast of sanity…so far, everyone who’s voted thinks Liles is a goner.
Sorry Thomas, but you’re a cancer of this forum.
Thomas is still crazy.
There could be several reasons why the team played better without Sakic - and only one of them is that Sakic was dragging the down. Which seems somewhat unlikely to me. And I think .92 points per game is close enough.
And unless you have played with Sakic, then I don’t think you can pass judgement on his leadership. Those that have seem to think it was pretty good.
Also the ‘lethargic attitude comment’ seems a little off - sounds to me like you just want to wind people up.
Oh, If it’s not clear (cause I had a lengthy reply but parried it down a bit) I think Liles is gone, but I don’t think that’s necessarily the right move
.92ppg is not a point per game. That’s a 75pt season pace.
And there’s nothing insane about wanting Sakic gone. Insanity is wanting the guy to stay when it hurts the team, just because he was on a couple Cup teams.
The thing nobody seems to be talking about is that Liles-to-Carolina was the hot rumor going around a couple of weeks back. I didn’t understand it, cuz I didn’t see anything on the current Canes roster that would be likely to come back the Avs way that would help the team in the run to the playoffs.
Now that Carolina has made a move, I think they’re done considering their tenuous hold on the upper end of the SouthLeast.
I think Liles and Svats are the two most likely to packing up, but I don’t see a lot out there UFA wise coming back for them. We’ve discussed Hossa, and I don’t think he’d be more than a rental, Sundin isn’t going anywhere but the Wings IMO, and nothing else strikes me as a move the Avs would be interested in. That means that if they do DO something, it’ll be for a RFA or prospects to fill roles and keep the majority of the roster intact.
I think Mike is right (and was actually going to mention it in my blog when I put a post together on this later this week). Liles to Carolina is now not going to happen, and that was the strongest solution. Liles to Chicago isn’t happening anymore because they have falen out of any kind of playoff race.
So whose Liles going to? who knows, but finding a team that will be willing to take a puck moving defenseman at the trade deadline shouldn’t be a problem.
“finding a team that will be willing to take a puck moving defenseman at the trade deadline shouldn’t be a problem.”
right. any team would be looking for that. including, you know…ours
“right. any team would be looking for that. including, you know…ours”
are we? leopold and clark have been pretty damn effective as our offensive types lately, and cumiskey is raw, but effective at least as a puck carrier. and all 3 are far better defenders than Liles!
I think we’re fine on offensive types even without Liles.
I definitely think we need a guy for the PP, yes. I’m more talking about a big shooter than a puck mover, but I was a bit lazy with my response.
Wouldn’t it be great to somehow get Thomas Kaberle on this team? We’d have to give up waaaaaay to much, and his salary would be unrealistic, but still, that would be dreamy.
Eight DD, I think we have puck movers.
I think back to the StL game and watching Wolski come off the bench as an extra attacker and rocket a shot from the blueline that Guite ended up tipping in. I remember thinkning “wow that’s the first time I’ve seen anything like that all season from the Avs” .That’s what our PP has really been lacking this season.
I have absolutely no idea why i wrote “Eight” or spelled it out. please just ignore that word altogether
Jibblescribbits, lately Clark, Leopold, and even Finger have been pulling the trigger from the point and it is resulting in goals.
Think about games we weren’t scoring in (Detroit) and all they did was try and keep the puck ’safe’ and down low.
I like how Clark and Leopold shoot the puck. Tippable shots or shots that don’t miss and rebound out of the zone (omg Blake hit the damn net, I can’t believe how many people want you back). Something I have noticed about Lidstrom is that he likes to shoot between the points from the center of the ice, making for straight on shots. If these shots rebound they rebound straight out for scoring chances.
Finger’s shot from the point is really, really good if you ask me. I think it’s the right speed for guys to tip, it’s accurate and he doesn’t hesitate but fires the one timer while he’s moving. I’d love to see more of those shots while Smyth is playing. I’d trade Liles for a first round draft pick, I don’t think we need any players to be honest. A defenseman with a big shot from the point is just too expensive and not easily available. That’s the only thing I can see the Avs needing. Sakic, Stastny and Smyth will change the face of the power play. Once that happens I think it will all get better, the five on five play is pretty damn good right now. I can’t see getting a vet 4th line center when you got so much experienced depth down the chart right now.
I wouldn’t mind trading for Yanic Perrault just for important defensive zone faceoffs. I know this probably has no chance in hell of happening, but having Arnason taking them is excruciating to watch
By the way, not only has the Penner signing completely sucked for Edmonton but now Souray at over five million per year just went under the knife and is out for the season. In the new NHL I’d just hold the fort for Shattenkirk, Cumiskey etc… Maybe we can get an ‘09 first round pick from Edmonton for Liles and get in the Tavares sweepstakes? I’d make that trade for a ticket in that lottery.
wishful thinking. Edmonton isn’t about to trade for a rental.
Yeah Finger’s point shot has come around lately, and Leo’s is good (I’m not convinced on Clark). I still wouldn’t mind one more big stick on the blue line.
Sakic, Stastny and Smyth will change the face of the power play.
Is that a good thing though? When the Three Douches were in the lineup, the team SUCKED on the PP. Now that they are out, the PP is looking a lot better.
You’d THINK that adding three incredibly gifted offensive players (okay, two and Smyth) would only make the PP better, but then you’d also think that the PP would be better with those three than when they were out.
This current team has amazing chemistry. I’m sad to see that broken up, but perhaps if these Three Douches are brought back one-by-one, it won’t wreck things too much.
Maybe we can get an ‘09 first round pick from Edmonton for Liles and get in the Tavares sweepstakes? I’d make that trade for a ticket in that lottery.
Heh, PL tried that for the 1998 Draft. Didn’t cost him much of anything, and he did pretty well with three of the four picks (and the Parker pick was perfectly understandable, though hindsight reminds you that Gagne was picked two picks later and Gomez was the last pick in that round. Oh well.
An 09 1st would be nice, as Tavares is far from the only stud in that draft. An 08 1st would be nice as well.
Is that a good thing though? When the Three Douches were in the lineup, the team SUCKED on the PP. Now that they are out, the PP is looking a lot better.
No, the PP sucked even with the Three Essess out. It’s only looked good lately due to Hensiiiick. And even if I was wrong, I don’t think moving from 29th-30th in the league on the PP with Stastny/Smyth/Sakic in the lineup to 28th-29th without them constitutes ‘looking better.’ The PP sucks and I blame the lack of a true hammer at the point and Coach Granato.
The PP has sucked all year. It was still bad with those three in the lineup because someone on the Avalanche coaching staff believes putting forwards at the point is actually effective when they aren’t slap shot shooters.
How about Liles (who was awful last night, imo) and whatever else it takes for Campbell from Buffalo?
“Heh, PL tried that for the 1998 Draft.”
I remember that whole scenario pretty well. PL had a real hard on for Lecav, and was trying his damnedest to do whatever he could to get the number one in that draft. He managed to trade for four number ones from 4 fricken teams that did not make the playoffs in ‘97. Unfortunately, all of those teams did better in ‘98, and the picks ended being in the 12 to 20 range instead of up near the top. I am absolutely positive he offered all 4 of them to TB, but they turned him down.
Just from memory, I think the 4 picks were from Washington (Simon), San Jose (Ricci), Los Angeles?, and Boston? I think he even obtained one of them for Landon fricken Wilson.
How about Liles (who was awful last night, imo) and whatever else it takes for Campbell from Buffalo?
Only problem with that is that I don’t think Buffalo wants a rental player. If they got some kind of sign-and-trade swap going for the two, then maybe, but I don’t see them giving Cambell up for anything less than Svats or Woski + some picks/prospects. Liles would come on the cheap for them though, considering how much Campbell will get this offseason.
I’d rather see Colorado make a move for a player that would help this year AND have a commitment for more than the remainder of this season. I’m not sure Campbell would fit that bill. However, with Theo’s albatros of a contract coming off the books, the Avs may have the dough to throw at Campbell.