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2011-12 NHL Season Preview: Colorado Avalanche

Sep 24

Posted by Chris in Season Previews | No Comments

Key Offseason Additions: J.S. Giguere, Semyon Varlamov, Jan Hejda, Shane O’Brien, Chuck Kobasew

Key Offseason Losses: Brian Elliot, Peter Budaj, John Michael Liles, Tomas Fleishmann

Last Season Ranking: 14th in the West

Offense: Colorado has a wealth of good, young talent throughout their roster, but the Western Conference remains tightly contested and Colorado may have a tough time cracking the playoffs with a lack of experience.

The Avs are strong down the middle with Matt Duchene and Paul Stastny leading the team one-two in points last season. Both are exceptional players and will likely lead the team in scoring again this year. Along with right wing Milan Hejduk, who seems to defy age with his consistent play even at 35-years-old, these three form the nucleus of the team’s offense.

David Jones had a breakout season last year with 45 points in 77 games. Jones will likely see time in the top-six and should improve upon last season’s totals. A healthy and concussion-free Peter Mueller could also pay huge dividends offensively for Colorado. Mueller posted point-per-game numbers with the Avs two years ago before being sidelined by concussions that kept him out all of last season. Look for a big bounce back year from Mueller, who could see time on the top line with Duchene this season if training camp lines are any indication of what’s to come.

The player to watch this season will be Gabriel Landeskog, the 2nd overall selection from June’s NHL Entry Draft. Landeskog was widely viewed as the most NHL-ready player atop the draft. With his size and skill he could be thrust into the mix immediately for Colorado. Keep an eye on him to see how he fairs in his first NHL season.

Only three of Colorado’s forwards are signed beyond this season. While the team has the cap space to retain the majority of them, pending free agents will need to utilize this season to make an impression and show that they belong with the Avs as the team looks to build a contender for the future.

Defense: Colorado needs to be better in their own zone and better at keeping the puck out of their net. None of the defenseman who will likely make the opening night roster finished with a positive plus-minus rating last season. Colorado also finished with a league-worst average of 3.5 goals against per game. This stat alone needs to improve if Colorado intends to make a chase at the playoffs.

Erik Johnson, a mid-season acquisition from the St. Louis Blues and former number-one overall draft pick in 2006, has a lot to prove and will get every opportunity to do so with Colorado. Johnson is capable of chipping in offensively and could be a pivot on the power play this year. After scoring 10 points in 22 games last season for Colorado, are 40 or more points out of the question?

Kyle Quincey is capable of eating up top-end minutes on the blue line and has solid puck-moving skills. Injuries hampered him last season, but a healthy season this year should pay immediate dividends for Colorado.

The addition of Jan Hejda will give the blue line depth and a veteran presence while Shane O’Brien helps provide some grit and toughness, if not necessarily quality defending.

Goaltending: After trading Craig Anderson at the trade deadline last season and losing Brian Elliott to free agency, the Avalanche did a good job of restocking with a mix of upcoming talent and a veteran presence.

At only 23-years-old, Semyon Varlamov already has a few NHL seasons under his belt with the Washington Capitals, including some playoff experience. However, his inconsistencies in net prevented him from consistently keeping the number one job. A change of scenery could do some good, but he will still need to be more consistent in net to show that he deserves to be the starter.

Varlamov should also benefit from having a veteran netminder around to help him learn and grow. The Avalanche signed J.S. Giguere to a two year contract on July 1. Giguere, a former Stanley Cup winner, will not only help push Varlamov for playing time, but he should also serve as a mentor to the young goalie and help him with the mental aspects of the game.

Giguere has some injury trouble last season, but he played well enough on a Toronto team that was soft defensively during his two years with the Leafs. If Varlamov struggles, Giguere could take over the number one spot. He still has the size, agility and skill to be a top goaltender.

The Avalanche will be arguable most improved in net this season with the additions of Varlamov and Giguere, but expect some healthy competition throughout the season between these two until one emerges as the number one goalie.

Playoff Prediction: Colorado has a lot of reasons to be excited for the future with their skilled young players. Unfortunately, stiff competition in the West will keep the Avs out of the playoff picture again this year.

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Busy Friday highlighted by big trades

Feb 19

Posted by Chris in News, Rumors | 2 Comments

The Boston Bruins were big winners Friday night after making some roster overhauls and landing one of the biggest trade-deadline targets this season in defenseman Tomas Kaberle. The Bruins weren’t the only active team, however, as the Atlanta Thrashers, Ottawa Senators, Carolina Hurricane and Colorado Avalanche also made moves.

It was widely expected that Kaberle, who had a no-trade clause on his contract, would be moved by the Maple Leafs this season instead of risking losing Kaberle to free agency for nothing in return. The return ended up being pretty significant as the Leafs received prospect forward Joe Colborne in addition to the Bruins’ first-round draft pick at the 2011 NHL Entry Draft and a conditional second round pick in 2012. But the Bruins were willing to take the hit in order to grab a puck-moving defenseman like Kaberle. The extra offensive push that Kaberle provides should help spark the Bruins’ offense, especially on the power play where Kaberle already has 22 assists.

In order to fit Kaberle under the salary cap, the Bruins made another move with the Atlanta Thrashers where they acquired forward Rich Peverley and defenseman Boris Valabik in exchange for forward Blake Wheeler and defenseman Mark Stuart. With 34 points in 59 games with the Thrashers, Peverley will help offset the loss of injured center Marc Savard in Boston and will give the Bruins another scoring center and good face-off guy.

The Ottawa Senators and Colorado Avalanche clicked for a deal when they exchanged goalies yesterday afternoon. The Avalanche sent goaltender Craig Anderson to Ottawa in exchange for goaltender Brian Elliott. Both goalies are set to become unrestricted free agents at the end of the season and this may be more of a money move than anything else. In fact, rumors surfaced immediately that the Senators may turn around and try to trade Anderson again as Ottawa is selling off most of their assets in an attempt to rebuild their program. But at 29-years-old, Anderson would be a solid goalie to try and rebuild your program with.

Colorado wasn’t done, however, as the team made another significant move early this morning by sending forward Chris Stewart, defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk and a conditional 2011 or 2012 second-round draft pick to the St. Louis Blues in exchange for defenseman Erik Johnson (pictured), forward Jay McClement and a conditional 2011 or 2012 first-round draft pick.

With the moves that Colorado is making, it would appear as if the team is pulling themselves out of the playoff race for this season but gearing up for a strong run next year. Johnson will be a huge addition to the blue line for the Avs and still has another year on his contract before becoming a restricted free agent in 2012. When the rest of the team’s blue line gets healthy, the Avs could have a very deep, very solid defensive unit on the ice next season. Plus, the team could have anywhere between $10 and $16 million in available cap space heading into free agency this summer in order to bring in some quality scoring to help replace the loss of Stewart.

With nine days still remaining until the trade deadline, more big moves are still expected. Keep an eye on the Senators as more trades could still be coming. Will they decide to move players like Spezza and Alfredsson? And who can afford Spezza’s hefty cap hit? Brad Richards of Dallas keeps popping up in trade rumors as well. Many pundits think he will not re-sign in Dallas and the Stars, despite being in playoff contention, don’t want to lose Richards for nothing. But the real fun of trade deadline time are the unexpected moves, like the one that Colorado and St. Louis just completed. If nothing else, expect more of the unexpected in the days to come.

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Hockey World Blog Season Previews 2010: St. Louis Blues

Sep 27

Posted by Matt in Season Previews | 1 Comment

David Perron could have a break out season this year for St. Louis

David Perron could have a break out season this year for St. Louis

Key Offseason Losses: Chris Mason, Paul Kariya, Keith Tkachuk

Key Offseason Additions: Jaroslav Halak, T.J. Hensick, Vladimir Sobotka

Last Season Ranking: 9th in West

Offense:

The St. Louis Blues will continue forward this season without two of their greatest veteran leaders from the past few years. Keith Tkachuk played his final NHL game last season, and Paul Kariya will sit out the entire season due to post-concussion syndrome (and remains an unrestricted free agent). While the Blues lose a combined 31 goals and 75 points from those two players, this will provide a great opportunity for the young members of the team to finally break out and prove they can carry the load.

A lot of pressure will be put on Brad Boyes to succeed this season. His 76 goals from 2007-09 have become an afterthought as he was only able to bury 14 last season, despite playing a full 82 games. Playing alongside someone like Andy McDonald or Alex Steen should give him the perfect opportunity to rebound this year, as both are skilled playmakers. McDonald lead the Blues in points last season with 57, including 22 points on the power play. He’s had injury trouble in the past but returned to his old form last season, playing in 79 games. Steen, on the other hand, missed 14 games last season, but still managed to post career highs in goals (24), points (47) and plus/minus (+6). He will surely see some pressure to keep up that pace as well.

Youngsters such as T.J. Oshie, David Perron, and Patrik Berglund will all be expected to improve their game this season. Each player is extremely talented, and with Kariya and Tkachuk out of the picture, each will take on a larger role with the squad. While every one of these guys is capable of having a real break out season this year, I expect the quick and hard hitting T.J. Oshie to really make an impact. He’ll be entering only his 3rd season in the NHL, but should now have a good idea of what his role on the young team will be.

Defense:

Leading the way on the blue line will be Erik Johnson and former Calder Trophy winner Barret Jackman. These guys will be relied on heavily to shut down the oppositions top weapons, as well as moving the puck quickly to get it into the hands of their skilled forwards. Johnson will surely see time on the power play, along with guys like Carlo Colaiacovo and Erik Brewer. Roman Polak and Alex Pietrangelo will also battle hard to earn lots of playing time, with Polak looking to increase his offensive production.

Goaltending:

Taking over in net this season for the Blues will be newcomer Jaroslav Halak. After playing a strong season in Montreal, Halak finished even better in the playoffs. Not only did he help knock off the President’s Trophy winning Washington Capitals, but he also played well in defeating the former Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins. This was a terrific signing for the Blues, and he should help the team out significantly. If Halak falters at any point, Ty Conklin will be there to provide a steady back up.

Season Outlook:

Things are looking up for the St. Louis Blues. The youngsters are hungry for a return trip to the playoffs, after narrowly missing the mark last year. While they will miss the veteran leadership of Kariya and Tkachuk, Andy McDonald will be there to take the reigns. Health will be a big concern, as it typically is, but a few of these guys should step up and have terrific seasons. The Western Conference is always tough to battle in, but with the addition of Halak in net, I think the Blues could have what it takes to grab an 8th seed in the playoffs.

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St. Louis Blues

Sep 26

Posted by Matt in Season Previews | 2 Comments

TJ Oshie will have a big season and help lead the Blues back to the playoffs.

TJ Oshie will have a big season and help lead the Blues back to the playoffs.

The St. Louis Blues made a strong run late last season to capture the sixth seed in the playoffs, all while playing in arguably the best division and having one of the younger rosters in the NHL. The Blues were also missing one of their key veteran leaders, Paul Kariya. Thanks to the youngsters stepping up, and goalie Chris Mason standing on his head, they exceeded all expectations. This season, the Blues look to build on their success and prove last year was no fluke.

Returning to the lineup this season will be Keith Tkachuk, back for his 18th NHL season and 9th with the Blues. He signed a one year deal in the off-season worth $2.15 million. He certainly wont be as productive as he was earlier in his career, but Tkachuk should still be capable of a 25 goal and 50 point campaign. He’ll be an excellent source of leadership for a young Blues squad as well.

The Blues will also be relying on TJ Oshie to provide some scoring depth for the team. At 22 years old, Oshie proved last season he could be an effective NHL player while tallying 14 goals, 25 assists and a plus 16 rating in 57 games played. The summer should have provided ample time to add some strength, which will help Oshie improve production.

Elsewhere on offense, you’ll find Brad Boyes, David Backes and David Perron all proving useful. Andy McDonald will find his way to the top of the point leaders as well, providing he can stay healthy.

Defensively, we’re excited to see the return of highly touted defenseman Erik Johnson. He spent all of last season recovering from a knee injury and surgery, but was excellent in 2007-08 as a rookie. As a 20 year old, in his only NHL season thus far, Johnson contributed 5 goals and 28 assists on a struggling St. Louis Blues team. He might be a little rusty to start the season, but the Blues definitely have high expectations for Johnson.

Back between the pipes, Chris Mason looks to build off of a strong ending to the 2008-09 season. He finished the season with a record of 27-21-7 with a .916 save percentage and 2.41 goals against average, along with 6 shutouts. His stellar play down the stretch was a huge part of the Blues return to the playoffs. If they have any hope of making it back this season, Mason will have to step up his game once again.

Backing up Mason will be a new face to the locker room, Ty Conklin. Conklin was signed as a two-year deal as a free agent after helping lead the Detroit Red Wings to a very successful season. As Chris Osgood struggled in Detroit, Ty really stepped up with a 25-11-2 record, .909 save percentage and 2.51 goals against average. He delivered 6 shutouts for the Red Wings as well. Conklin was an excellent signing for the Blues and you can bet he’s going to fight for a starting spot. He had no problem splitting time with Osgood and certainly outplayed him for much of the regular season.

Playing in one of the best divisions in the NHL isn’t going to have much of an effect on the Blues this season. They should find a way to pound their way back to another low seeded playoff spot.

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