e_prime

Either Yandle or JBow would be fine with me depending on the price.

I'm more concerned about what we're going to be giving up than I am about either of their cap-hits for next year. 

I think either would be a great addition and would flourish playing on a better team. 

2 prospects and a 1st is too much to ask for a future HoFer who has scored more than any of our wingers with less games played and would be second on our team for hits this year as well as being the toughest player on our team???
Also a classy individual who plays his heart out  and is on a quest for his 1st Cup

For this team and our actual chances to win a cup this year... Absolutely too much. 

Why are we going to give up pieces of our future for a guy who in all likelihood is a pure rental? 

I'd rather we concentrate on developing our good prospects for our team rather than giving them away to a team that has no luck with drafting and would misuse the talent anyway.

...and for those that say, "Well, the Pens didn't even give them their best prospects for Iginla anyway... so why did Holland do NOTHING?!?"  Remember, Iginla had final say on the trade.  Teams made their pitches.  Feaster tried/wanted to take the Boston offer. 

Igninla was the one that said, "Naw. I'd rather go to Pittsburgh"

Wow. What a birthday present. Did not expect that kind of performance from Abdelkader at all.

...but to hear him give it up for his linemates is not and one of the reasons why I like the guy on our team.

The Red Wings' forward scored one goal in his first 28 games. But he has five in his past three games.

WHO IS THIS GUY?!?!!

"It was really frustrating, but it's part of the business," said Abdelkader, who signed a four-year, $7.2 million contract on Sept. 14.

"I didn't play anywhere during the lockout and I had a slow start. It took a little bit for me to get my legs underneath me and get my hands and everything going good. I think it took me about 10 games to do that -- and I think I'm speaking for most of the guys who didn't play during the lockout. But thankfully, we won't have to go through it for another eight years."

"I was the beneficiary of some good plays by Johan Franzen and Pavs," Abdelkader said. "It was just one of those games where you keep getting the puck and you just keep shooting. Sometimes the puck will follow you, and maybe that was the case in this game. But I give those guys a lot of credit."

As far as the fights go... I'll take 'em. I'm sure they'll be up on hockeyfights.com before mid-afternnon for those that are looking.  Would have been great to see Abby have one. He's going to need to show that side next year. I have to say, heading into our division in the East, we've gotta get some more under our belts.

I watched the BOS/OTT game and man, did it get testy in the third period. McQuaid. Thorton. Campbell.

Lucic. (spotpicker, I know, but who, more than us, is prime for spotpicking.) On the Sens: Neil. Kassian. 

We'd need to have Tootoo in the line up for a game like this. He's not a chump. Get him in the lineup.

Also, I wouldn't complain if we happened to get ourselves a guy who can actually fight.

It's my birthday boys. Get a W.

I don't think everyone is defeated. The title of this thread is a little misleading.  Even FutureNyquist isn't the pessimist he might want us to think he is...

I just wish that people wouldn't be *so* wrapped up in our need to winwinwinwinwincupcupcupcupnownownow...

when we have such a storied and incredible franchise to watch year in and year out.

kip... I gotta PM you about Nino.

Who are you guys?  Nostradamus?

Move White out and bring in Regher or Smid as a rental. Depending on price, either would be a fine acquisition to shore up our defensive need that was supposed to be supplied by Colaiacovo.  Once Cola is healthy, Lashoff can be sent back down to GR and brought back up for the playoffs once rosters expand.  Assess the D in the off-season and make further moves if needed.

Now there's the hands of a $5million/year player.  Nice way to keep it in the zone there O'Reilly.

I don't get it... He's right, that's the best they've looked all  year. They managed to keep SJS at bay on the second night of a back to back. I thought they played well too

Unsaddle... is referencing Ian White's #18, Maltby's old number.

DIdn't get to watch this game, but I think we've figured our expendable/tradeable D-men at this point.

I see that the CBJ girls are C.M. Punk fans.   Oh. Wait. Not a Pepsi Logo.

Correct but there is a point where they get too over-riped in the minors and need to come up to the majors.  

 

The Winner!

 

-Not having a post-Lidstrom sucession plan in place.

 

Honorable Mentions

-Franzen vs. Hossa

-Uwe Krupp debacle.

-Not getting more Defensive Depth when you knew Lidstrom was going to retire in a few years.

-The Jimmy Carson Trade.

Border Line (I couldn't decide if they should go)

-Robert Lang trade.   There are a lot of factors that went to this one including A. The Fact he was leading the league in scoring at the time B. The 2009 Cap mess etc.

Aren't the two bolded statements the same??  So, which is it? Are you pissed or super-pissed that Holland didn't land Suter?

...because that was his plan.  As far as depth... White, Quincy, Cola... all depth defensemen... just not that #1 guy.

I'll say one thing that will most likely upset majority of you, but in reality, it makes the most sense. I'm not a Cleary lover by any stretch of imagination, nor do I think he's been playing unbelievable but when it comes down to it, Cleary is a better fit for the top 6 than Tatar is. Immediately, most of you will think i'm crazy but realize what one of our problems is, puck battles and coming out on top, keeping the forecheck going, and maintaining pressure down-low. Cleary will excel at this role, more than Tatar could, at this current time. Tatar would not be able to handle the size, nor experience of majority top 6 lines and top pairing defensemen, which would put him at a disadvantage. Cleary can hold traffic at the boards and compliments Pasha just because of that. He gives pasha what bert did, able to control the big bodies, work it down low, and get the puck back to Pasha to create space. I love Tatar, and I think he's flourished when given this opportunity, hell, I think we should keep him up with how well he's been playing for us, but I honestly don't forsee him giving top pairings a challenge within their own zone, not as much as Cleary can. The recent games, Cleary has been rolling like a work-horse and giving it his all. Does he score like he used to? No. Is the same player as he was? Absolutely not. We need to realize that we don't have the cleary back in the day, but he still can complete his role when needed. With injuries to Franzen ( ) and Bert, we need someone down in the top 6 that can help assist winning puck battles, and unfortunately, that's Cleary. 

Well said, but that is entirely too much reason and rationale for LGW.  Where is your rage and snark?

That being said, if it were to be done, we should trade him now.  For the month of Feb. he's got G: 2 A: 1 Pts: 3 +/-: -1. PIM: 6

He's obviously warming up, so we should do away with him immediately.  While he's hot. 

It took all of FIVE minutes for us to break down and hand Minny the game.

Another 26 minutes of play and all I saw was CRAP from the Wings.

At least Mrazek held in there.

^ but where is he now? 

This is a nice story about O'Reilly's work ethic when he's got himself a contract, but currently he's a hold out and that can be viewed by many as a "bad attitude" or "bad teammate."

I think he could be a great player, but I wouldn't throw $5 million a season at him just yet.

Adrian Dater (Avs writer) offers up this analysis, which I think sums up nicely the counterpoints for all the "IS COLORADO DUMB OR WHAT!?!? SIGN THIS GUY ALREADY" analysis that's out there.

(Dater even admits to some of that analysis himself.)

 

I am a mean sarcastic writer sometimes. Just the way I am, take it or leave it. But I pride myself in being fair.

So I was thinking today: I’ve been a little tough on the Avs in the Ryan O’Reilly situation. Ripping on them for take-it-or-leave it offers and essentially saying “How can you not sign this guy?” But I also think it’s fair to try and put forth a counterargument as to why the Avs may be in the right for taking a hard line in salary talks.

Let me, therefore, be fair and point out a few things about O’Reilly,  maybe try to channel the Avs and their thinking a bit. I’m not saying this is what they are thinking. I’m saying I’m going to channel them as best I can.

Here goes:

- O’Reilly wants to be paid like a 30-goal scorer in this league. He scored 39 goals his first three years in the league. He’s never even scored 20. Guys who steal a few pucks and score 15-20 goals are great (his career high is 18, last year), but they aren’t $5 million a year players.

- O’Reilly is basing all his salary demands on one good year. He wants at least $5 million a year for one good year. But he’s played three. Sorry, kid, but you haven’t proven yourself enough yet to get that kind of money. Besides, if you’re as good as you say you are, then you’d have taken a one- or two-year deal, played your butt off and put up another big and maybe even better year and PROVEN you’re not just a one-year wonder. Then, you would have really had the Avs by the shorthairs at the bargaining table.

Then, you would have been eligible for arbitration and pretty much gotten any salary you’d want from the arbitrator. Or, you would have forced the Avs to cry uncle, admit you’re the real deal and then gotten that long-term deal for maybe even more money than you want now.

But you want to be guaranteed huge money for a long time without truly having proven yet that you can do it consistently.

- You had your best scoring year playing with the NHL rookie of the year. (Duchene) Which came first, the chicken or the egg?

- Your camp may be ridiculing supposed friend and teammate Matt Duchene for taking a short-money contract and thereby setting a floor too low for your own self. Fine, but guess what? Matt Duchene worked his butt off this summer, got himself in incredible shape and has played great this season, and now he’s likely looking at a huge new contract before too long. Maybe the Avs even reward him already with a rich contract extension before too long, to not have to worry about keeping him down the road.

That could have been you.

Oh, and by the way: Duchene put up 132 points his first two years in the league. You put up 52 and were a combined minus-3. In fact, your career plus-minus is -4.

- Speaking of that great last season you had, can we talk about the last six games of the year? You know, the ones that were the crunch-time games, the ones that would determine if the Avs made the playoffs or not, the ones where the really great players are supposed to rise to the occasion?

Your stats for the final six games: Zero goals, one assist, -2.

Over the final 18 games, you scored two goals for us.

- How do you think you really come off to your teammates? As a team-first guy, or a me-first guy now? Think about that one hard.

OK, I’m back to my normal self again. Channel time over. I think now that I have accomplished my mission of being fair and presenting both sides.

Now, it’s up to the real parties involved to channel the rest of this story.

                                                                           

EDIT:  Formatting. The cut and paste job of the article made it impossible to read.