Posts Tagged ‘Colorado Avalanche’

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Aaron Musick: Flame out

17, Mar 2010

St. Patrick’s Day wasn’t so lucky for the Avs as they fell to the Flames tonight 3-2.

The Avs’ play just reeked of a team that had played three games in four nights. Rene Bourque continued to kill the Avs, getting a pair of goals, one on the powerplay, one on the penalty kill while Vesa Toskala made 32 saves.

Well the Avs made it through two games that they really should not have been wins b…

Aaron Musick: Avs beat Blues, sweep series

16, Mar 2010

The Avs overcame a shaky start by Peter Budaj to sweep the season series vs. the Blues.

The Avs got two points a piece from Matt Duchene, TJ Galiardi, Chris Stewart and a three point night from Peter Mueller, Paul Stastny, making the Avs merry with a 5-3 win.

Budaj did not inspire much confidence, letting in a goal just 8 seconds into the game but he battled through and the defense kept the…

The Colorado Avalanche’s Gamble Is Paying Off

15, Mar 2010

In his first year as Avalanche GM, Greg Sherman has once again proven longevity is not synonymous with proficiency.

Sherman’s acquisition of forward Peter Mueller has been another in a series of homerun moves this season for the Avalanche.

Considered one of the game’s promising young forwards after an impressive 54-point rookie campaign, Mueller’s career took a sudden downward spiral in January of 2009. After sustaining a concussion which sidelined him for seven games, his production dropped drastically, finishing with only six points (one goal) the final 24 games of the season.

Things didn’t improve this season, as Mueller only registered 17 points in his 54 games with the Coyotes, and was even a healthy scratch at times. Dating back to the 2008-2009 season, Mueller only scored five goals his final 80 games as a Coyote—not exactly the production expected from a guy who scored 22 as a rookie.

Enter Colorado.

Looking to deal away a struggling player of their own, Avalanche management decided the 21-year-old Mueller was worth the risk. At the very least, they wouldn’t be stuck paying Wojtek Wolski more money than he’s worth, or risk losing him for nothing—a problem the Coyotes may deal with this summer, as Wolski is up for arbitration.

But, Mueller has greatly exceeded expectations in his first six games as an Avalanche. Playing left wing on a line with Matt Duchene and playing the left point on the top power play unit, Mueller has scored two goals and six assists, registering at least a point in every game he’s played.

Or, in other words, picking up where he left off before the concussion.

Things have worked out well for Phoenix also, as Wolski and Phoenix’s other numerous deadline acquisitions (namely Lee Stempniak) have led Phoenix to a 5-0-0 record post-trade deadline.

Read more NHL news on BleacherReport.com

Aaron Musick: Anderson, powerplay fuel Avs win

14, Mar 2010

Craig Anderson decided to forgo breakfast for today’s matinee against the Dallas Stars and decided to eat a bag of pucks instead.

Anderson was almost unbeatable in the game, making 48 saves in earning the Avs two points, beating the Stars 5-3.

The Avs got a pair of powerplay goals from Darcy Tucker (yes you read that right) and Paul Stastny, as their powerplay kept the Avs in the game.

Mi…

Aaron Musick: Anderson shuts out Panthers, serves me Crow

12, Mar 2010

The Colorado Avalanche closed out the Eastern Conference part of his schedule with Craig Anderson shutting his former team whilst also serving me a big plate of crow.

The Avs got two goals from Paul Stastny and put-away goal from Matt Hendricks while Chris Stewart got two assists and Anderson made 27 saves for the shutout.

The youth of the Avs was on display for the Avs, as they bounced back…

Aaron Musick: Anderson shuts out Panthers, serves me Crow

12, Mar 2010

The Colorado Avalanche closed out the Eastern Conference part of his schedule with Craig Anderson shutting his former team whilst also serving me a big plate of crow.

The Avs got two goals from Paul Stastny and put-away goal from Matt Hendricks while Chris Stewart got two assists and Anderson made 27 saves for the shutout.

The youth of the Avs was on display for the Avs, as they bounced back…

Aaron Musick: Facepalm Joe Sacco

11, Mar 2010

Don’t care if Thomas Vokoun turns around and the deposits the puck straight into his own net, Avalanche Coach Joe Sacco is getting the facepalm tonight.

Craig Anderson is starting his 22nd game in a row tonight against the Florida Panthers.

There’s a point when the workload becomes too much and was probably reached about last week.

Anderson isn’t sharp in net. He’s not making good reads,…

Aaron Musick: Do the Avs learn or languish?

10, Mar 2010

Last night’s choke job by the Avs has brought them an opportunity to learn.

Last night, with the division on the line, the Avs came out fast and hard and knocked the Canucks down to the mat. Then, they them up.

They backed off, stopped forechecking and stopped using their speed. The result? A 6-4 loss and with it, the Northwest division probably slipped away. That is all done but now, do the…

Aaron Musick: Avs crumble, fall to Canucks

9, Mar 2010

The Avs blew two different three goal leads, falling to the Vancouver Canucks 6-4.

The Avs came out hard in the first period, got two goals from Matt Duchene and one by Chris Stewart but eased off after it, letting the Canucks back in the game.

Overall, the Avs couldn’t stop the Sedin line, as it accounted for four of the six goals. Kyle Quincey and Scott Hannan in particular were just awful…

Aaron Musick: Stewart named first star of the week

8, Mar 2010

The NHL announced this week that Chris Stewart has been named the first star of the week.

Stewart was amazing this week, scoring five goals and four assists, including his first career NHL hat trick.

Stewart is one of the most dangerous players in the entire league. Listed at 6′2″ 228 pounds, Stewart has a perfect combination of size, speed and skill. He can power to the front of the net, wo…

Aaron Musick: Avs blow out blues 7-3

6, Mar 2010

The day before the Avs charity brunch, they sure weren’t charitable to the St. Louis Blues, beating them 7-2.

Chris Stewart got a Hat Trick, leading the way for an Avs team that flat-out dominated most of this game.

Whenever the Blues would score, the Avs seemingly came back with two more of their own and, in a nice departure from the norm, they never let up, chasing Chris Mason and beating…

Darcy Tucker: Some Kind of Bad for the Colorado Avalanche

6, Mar 2010

It’s not rare to see a fall from grace as a professional athlete ages, but Darcy Tucker has taken things to a whole new level.

Tucker was signed by the Avalanche last summer to do what he had been doing for the past decade: score goals and be a pest.

Even though he was bought out by Toronto, he still had 18 goals and 100 penalty minutes his final seasons as a Leaf, so there was no reason for Avalanche management to believe he couldn’t provide a key third-line role.

Instead, the only team Tucker has been a pest for is the Avalanche.

After an appalling first season with the Avalanche, where Tucker only scored 16 points (8 goals) and was a minus-13 rating in 63 games, things have only gotten worse. In 56 games this year, Tucker only has five goals (one in his last 47 games), and (maybe worse) only 36 penalty minutes.

It’s possible injuries have caught up with him, as Tucker has only played all 82 games twice in 13 seasons, but at the same time hasn’t dealt with any major injuries.

And at 34, Tucker’s age isn’t a concern in an NHL that features numerous players over the age of 40.

Many Avalanche players have referenced Tucker as a good leader in the locker room, and the Tucker family has played host to rookie Ryan O’Reilly this season. But at what cost are those services?

If Tucker retires (which he should give strong consideration), the Avalanche should offer him a front office job; it keeps a good man employed, and keeps his positive influence around the young players of the Avalanche.

If Tucker wants to continue playing, it’s time to part ways. O’Reilly can bunk with Paul Stastny; there’s no salary small enough that is worth paying to a player who’s a clear liability every time he’s on the ice.

Read more NHL news on BleacherReport.com

Aaron Musick: The Avs’ cupboard

5, Mar 2010

Adrian Dater wrote a blog today about how the Avs’ prospects are now ranked third, as opposed to 18 by The Hockey News.

So what’s the reason for the jump?

First, the hard work of Craig Billington, drafting and honing these guys to a point where they can jump into the NHL and be a factor. His drafting, especially in the late rounds, since 2004 has been outstanding. He has really done a tremen…

Aaron Musick: Wolski downs Avs late

4, Mar 2010

In his first game against his old team, Wojtek Wolski scored the game-winning goal with 23 seconds left.

The Avs got a goal from John-Michael Liles but it wasn’t enough as the Coyotes downed the Avs.

What more is there to say? In a rough, physical game, Scott Hannan and Adam Foote both drifted to the puck while Shane Doan picked up a puck behind the net and fed Wolski.

This one hurts for…

Avalanche Shake-Up Roster at Deadline, But Questions Linger

3, Mar 2010

The dust has settled and the 2010 NHL trade deadline has passed.

In a year where players like Ray Whitney, Dan Hamhuis, and Thomas Vokoun were rumored to have been dealt, the biggest named shipped out today was arguably Colorado’s Wojtek Wolski, who was sent to Phoenix in exchange for forwards Peter Mueller and Kevin Porter.

And, in a last minute deal, the Avalanche acquired former player Stephane Yelle from the Carolina Hurricanes, along with forward Harrison Reed, in exchange for a sixth round draft pick and forward Cedric Lalonde-McNicoll.

Going into the deadline, there were clear short-term and long-term needs. The short term needs included adding another top six forward, preferably a left wing, and solving the log jam on defense; the long term need was finding a number one defenseman.

None of these needs were met.

Colorado did acquire another top six forward—Mueller—but also lost one in Wolski, who’s clearly having a better season. In addition, this trade further kills any kind of depth the Avalanche have at left wing, with the only remaining players at the position being Cody McLeod, David Koci, Chris Durno, Ryan Stoa, and T.J. Galiardi—who started the year as a center.

More problematic is the fact that not a single defenseman was traded away. Counting the disgruntled Tom Preissing who’s currently playing in the AHL, the Avalanche have nine defensemen who have either played over 40 games or make a salary of over $2 million.

Short term implications aside, this day will be remembered in one of two ways: either as the day the Avalanche acquired Peter Mueller, or the day they traded Wojtek Wolski away.

As frustrating as Wolski is to watch at times, he’s only 23 years old and was having a career year with 47 points in 61 games (62 point pace). Not only did the trade come completely out of the blue, but the return of Peter Mueller is very questionable.

Mueller, 21, has alot of potential, maybe even more so than Wolski, and did have an excellent rookie year a few seasons ago in which he scored 54 points, but currently is having about as grungy of a season as anyone this year, with only four goals in 54 games.

Acquisitions like that of 35 year old Stephane Yelle suggest Avalanche GM Greg Sherman intends on this team making the playoffs, but replacing Colorado’s second leading scorer with a player who’s ice cold will make a playoff birth an uphill battle.

Read more NHL news on BleacherReport.com

Colorado Avalanche Send Wojtek Wolski To Phoenix For Mueller, Porter

3, Mar 2010

In a surprising move, the Colorado Avalanche have dealt forward Wojtek Wolski to the Phoenix Coyotes in exchange for forwards Peter Mueller and Kevin Porter.

It comes as a shock that the Avalanche would trade Wolski, in the midst of a career year with 47 points in 62 games, to a team they’re competing with for a playoff spot.

Maybe more shocking is the return for the Avalanche. Mueller, a former eight overall draft pick by Phoenix, has struggled heavily since his rookie season, and only has 17 points in the 54 of Phoenix’s games he’s participated in. Porter has spent most of the season in the AHL, scoring 40 points in 52 games with San Antonio.

Both Wolski and Mueller are restricted free agents at the end of the year, and it’s likely Avalanche management didn’t want to give Wolski a long term deal after his recent string of inconsistent play, instead opting to give a player with upside like Mueller a smaller deal.

Read more NHL news on BleacherReport.com

Aaron Musick: Are Wolski’s days numbered?

2, Mar 2010

Bob McKenzie reported this from his twitter this afternoon:

Colorado’s Wojtek Wolski is in play and the Phoenix Coyotes are one team that has shown some interest.

Now McKenzie is kind of like a Jedi Knight around this time. He understands how everything works, can get the infomation and use his own intuition to fill the gaps. Also, if you cross him, he’ll probably choke you from across the…

Aaron Musick: Avs fall to Wings 3-2

2, Mar 2010

A little over 24 hours after team Canada claimed Gold in the Olympics, another Red and White team, the Detroit Red Wings, beat the Red (Burgundy), White and Blue team, the Colorado Avalanche.

Detroit got goals from Avalanche killer Johan Franzen, Tomas Holmstrom and Nicklas Lidstrom while the Avs got goals from TJ Galiardi and Chris Stewart.

On the whole, the Avs looked like a team that had…

Big Trades Not Likely for Colorado Avalanche

1, Mar 2010

With the NHL’s trade deadline rapidly approaching, it’s unlikely the Avalanche make any earth-shattering changes to their roster. The Avs roster is by no means perfect, but the holes are not gaping enough that a playoff berth is in danger because of them.

However, there are a handful of veterans Avalanche general manager Greg Sherman may try to pawn off.

First on the list is Marek Svatos . A 30-goal scorer once upon a time, the Avalanche held onto Svatos far too long and his value has since withered.

Only playing in 43 of Colorado’s 61 games this season, Svatos has only recorded 10 points, and has been a healthy scratch on numerous occasions.

The only teams likely to have any interest would be teams with limited assets looking for an inexpensive scoring option, or another team looking to rid themselves of a has-been.

Pittsburgh, who’s had trouble finding scoring wingers to play with captain Sidney Crosby, might take a chance on Svatos.

Next on the list is defenseman Ruslan Salei . In the final year of a contract he signed with Florida, Salei has missed all but three games this year due to back surgery.

Having played 50 career playoff games, including a trip to the Stanley Cup finals in 2003, Salei could have value to a team like the New Jersey Devils, who are dealing with injuries on their blue line.

The final, and perhaps most valuable, trading chip the Avalanche have is defenseman John-Michael Liles . Considered one of the better-puck moving defensemen as recently as last season, Liles has struggled in the defensive zone and also in the goal-scoring department this season (four in 41 games).

The biggest problem with trading Liles is his hefty contract, which sees him being paid nearly $9 million the next two years. Seeing as he’s been a healthy scratch numerous times this season, teams aren’t exactly lining up with offers.

As far as players the Avalanche might be interested in, the list is likely short. Their biggest need is a No. 1 puck-moving defenseman, but acquiring one now would cause too much of a shake-up, so it’ll likely they’ll explore options this off-season.

A need in the short term is a top six left winger. The best options available are Ray Whitney of the Carolina Hurricanes and Alexei Ponikarovsky of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

However, the asking price of these players may be a little too rich for managements blood, but less sought after options exist, like Paul Kariya of the St. Louis Blues and Slava Kozlov of the Atlanta Thrashers.

Another short term area that may be addressed is a gritty winger with scoring touch, a job Darcy Tucker has failed to fill.

Raffi Torres of the Columbus Blue Jackets and Colby Armstrong of the Atlanta Thrashers, both believed to be available, would fit nicely on a line with Ryan O’Reilly.

 

Past Deadlines for the Avalanche

2009: With the playoffs out of reach, the Avalanche traded defenseman Jordan Leopold to Calgary for a 2009 second round pick, and defensemen Ryan Wilson and Lawrence Nycholat.

2008: Gearing up for the playoffs, the Avalanche traded for defensemen Adam Foote and Ruslan Salei, and also signed former all-star Peter Forsberg.

2007: Sitting ninth in the Western Conference, the Avalanche were quiet; their only move of the day came when they traded Brad May to the Anaheim Ducks for AHL goaltender Michael Wall.

2006: Concerned with the spotty goaltending of David Aebischer, the Avalanche tried to double dip in Montreal by trading Aebischer for struggling star goaltender Jose Theodore.

Read more NHL news on BleacherReport.com

Aaron Musick: Possible players the Avs might target

24, Feb 2010

While the Colorado Avalanche figure to be quiet on the Trade Deadline, there are a few players that they could possibly look into.

Ray Whitney

The Avs lack depth in one specific position: Left wing. After Wojtek Wolski, they have TJ Galiard, who is a natural center moved to left wing, Cody McLeod and Chris Durno, who also occasionally plays center. The Avs could possible dip into the trade w…


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