Svatos re-signs with Avalanche

From TSN:

The Colorado Avalanche announced the signing of forward Marek Svatos to a two-year contract, thereby avoiding arbitration.

"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. "He's scored many big goals for this club and we expect him to be a strong force for us again this season."

Read the entire article here.

Svatos, when healthy, is a very effective scoring winger. He will be an integral part of the Avalanche's youth movement moving forward and it was a good decision for the Avs to avoid going to arbitration with him.

Why is Stephane Yelle still available?

From Adrian Dater of the Denver Post:

Maybe I’m being too sentimental here. Maybe Yeller doesn’t have much left in the tank. Maybe the league’s 30 GMs know something I don’t. He is 34 now, and had only three goals in 74 games - a career low.

But Yelle’s teams have a funny way of always being winners, and nobody disputes his PK credentials. The fact is, the Avs have been distinctly unimpressive of addressing this woeful area so far this offseason. They seem hellbent on adding every Hanson Brother-type player they can find, but not interested in finding a guy who can, you know, win a faceoff or get the puck and clear it when one of the Hansons are in the box. And the Avs, with their off-season signings so far, figure to be in the box plenty this coming year.

Read the entire post from All Things Avs here.

Yelle is certainly a capable face-off guy and penalty killer but he is clearly on the downside of his career. Additionally, scoring was never his strength but now he has become basically a non-factor in the offensive zone. That said, I'm sure he'll catch on with a veteran club, as he is a solid leader and always plays hard.

Sakic situation is no-lose for Avalanche

From Terry Frei of the Denver Post:

If he confirms his return, signs another one-year contract and plays a 20th NHL season, Colorado would be within at least shouting distance of the $56.7 million salary cap for 2008-09. Fans paying some of the highest ticket prices in the league would have a harder time grousing about the team not trying to give them their money's worth.

If he retires? It's, hey, the Avs had to leave significant payroll space open in case Sakic came back — and because of his indecision, all the moves both before and after the opening of the July 1 free-agency period had to be made with that in mind.

Read the entire article here.

I understand the point Frei is trying to raise and it is well-taken. But I'm sure the team doesn't see itself as a 25 win team without Sakic. The Avalanche still have a lot of talent throughout their roster and if they get even serviceable netminding (a big IF), they shouldn't be as bad as people think.

Forsberg to start rehabilitation program

From Rick Sadowski of the Rocky Mountain News:

It doesn't appear Peter Forsberg will be resuming his NHL career for a while, if at all.

According to a report in the Swedish newspaper Expressen, Forsberg has a muscle problem in his right foot that has been the root of his health troubles in recent seasons and he will need several months of rehabilitation for a chance to salvage his career.

Forsberg became an unrestricted free agent July 1 and would prefer to re-sign with the Avalanche if he's healthy, but the report quoted him as saying he doubts he would be ready for training camp in September.

Read the entire article here.

It sounds like this surgery may be the key to getting Forsberg close to his old self. Even so, there is no guarantee the two-time Stanley Cup champion will return to the NHL.

Avalanche could be relying more on youngsters next season

From Rick Sadowski of the Rocky Mountain News:

Because Sakic and Peter Forsberg are still debating whether to return for another season and free agent Andrew Brunette departed for Minnesota, the Avalanche has mapped out big plans for youngsters like Jones and Hensick.

Jones, 23, is a 6-foot-2, 220-pound power forward, a right wing who had two goals and four assists in 27 regular-season games with the Avalanche and one assist in 10 playoff games. A Hobey Baker Award finalist as a junior at Dartmouth in 2006-07, Jones was summoned three times from the Lake Erie Monsters in the American Hockey League, where he had 14 goals and 16 assists in 45 games.

Hensick, 22, is a 5-10, 185-pounder whose strengths are speed and the
ability to dart into openings. He can play center and on the wing.

Read the entire story here.

The Avalanche is eventually going to need to rely on its young core, and players like Hensick and Jones definitely give hope for a strong future.

Sakic still pondering future

From Adrian Dater of the Denver Post:

"I've got some time," the 19-year NHL veteran said before his tee time at the American Century Championship Celebrity-Am on Thursday morning near Lake Tahoe. "I want to make sure I'm 100 percent whichever way I choose.

"I've played the game my whole life. It's a great game; I love the game. Just mentally, right now, I'm still in a state of still deciding. When I know for sure, I can't tell you when that is going to be, but it will be before camp."

Read the entire article here.

Sakic has earned himself some time to determine if he wants to return to the Avs line-up next season or not.

A closer look at Darcy Tucker

From Terry Frei of the Denver Post:

Tucker is a pest, an agitator, a pain to play against. The phraseology tends to get more colorful than that on the ice or in dressing rooms, but he pulled off the tough feat of largely remaining a fan favorite in Toronto while his tangible contributions diminished and the team struggled. He had his fifth 20-plus goal NHL season in 2006-07 and was rewarded with a new contract, but had 18 goals and 34 points for the Leafs last season in a horrible Toronto team performance that led to a housecleaning.

Read the entire story here.

This was a very well done piece by Frei. With all the money flying around this off-season, Tucker's contract seems like one of the more reasonable deals that has been struck thus far.

Bruce Boudreau on Jose Theodore

From Katie Carrera of the Washington Post:

He's looking forward to having Jose Theodore, who's expected in Arlington sometime this week, join the team. "He had a great year in Colorado. If you look what he did, they had so many injuries to top-notch players and still made the playoffs and to still play as well as he did. I wish Cris the best of luck in the world... but he's on a different team now, so we're not worried about him."

Read more on the Capitals here.

I'm not so sure Boudreau will love Theodore when he stops 60 shots one night and then can't stop a beachball the next night. The Capitals are a fairly young squad, so the netminder's inconsistency could be an issue next season.

Tucker signs two year deal with Avs

From TSN:

The Colorado Avalanche have signed unrestricted free agent forward Darcy Tucker to a two-year, $4.5 million contract.

Tucker, 33, was bought out by the Toronto Maple Leafs last week.

Read the entire report here.

Reasonable signing for the Avs. Tucker will provide depth on the wing for the Avs and another veteran presence in the dressing room. At $2.25 million per season against the cap, the deal is a solid one for both sides.

Colorado Avalanche Sign Andrew Raycroft

The Colorado Avalance have signed goalie Andrew Raycroft to replace the departed Jose Theodore, as reported on TSN's Free-Agent Tracker.

Hopefully the Avalanche can resurrect Raycroft's career in the same way they helped Theodore. Otherwise, it could be a long year on the Avs' back-end.

Avs re-sign Liles and Foote

From TSN:

Sources tell TSN that Liles and the Colorado Avalanche have agreed to terms on a four-year contract worth an average of slightly more than $4 million per year.

Liles was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent on Tuesday. The deal is likely to be formally announced Monday.It's also expected the Avalanche will announce then that they have also re-signed Foote.

Sources tell TSN Foote's deal is believed to be for two years and a total of $6 million, or $3 million per year.

Read more about the signings here.

Foote's deal is reasonable in both term and salary. The Avs really had no choice but to re-sign him after giving away a first round pick to secure his services at the deadline. That being said, he is still a solid stay-at-home defenseman, who is a strong voice in the dressing room.

As for Liles, his contract seems reasonable as well. Liles is just entering some of his prime years, so his four year deal is a perfect amount of time. Additionally, $4 million per season is about what defensemen of his skill-level are making.

Good work by Francois Giguere and Co.

Sakic needs more time

From Adrian Dater of the Denver Post:

Joe Sakic has further extended the time he needs to decide whether to return to the Avalanche — and it could hamper the team's free-agency spending plans.

Sakic "definitely will not decide by July 1," Avalanche vice president Jean Martineau said Monday night. That is the date when NHL players can become free agents.

The Avalanche is maintaining public support for Sakic, but his indecision could hamstring the team and take it out as a possible player in the free-agent market.

Read the short article here.

Sakic could take all summer to decide whether he wants to return or not, he has earned that right with his service to the Avalanche/Nordiques organization for all these years. Give Martineau credit, he says as much at the end of Dater's piece.

Odds are that Forsberg will retire

Adrian Dater of the Denver Post:

"A knowledgeable Swedish source told me that during the Western playoff series between the Avs and Red Wings, the Avs flew in Peter Forsberg’s doctor who performed his last surgery and really grilled him hard on his troublesome right ankle’s condition, and that even after the series, there was a lot of discussion between him and the team about his future playing prospects."

"There’s no word on what Foppa is thinking right now, but the betting line continues to be that he’ll retire. But I wouldn’t say it’s a huge betting line. Probably 65-35."

Here is the full article from All Things Avs.

This does not come as much of a surprise. Granted, I am one of Forsberg's biggest fans and when he did play last season, even limping a bit, he was still arguably a top 20 NHL player. If he can get his ankle in better shape come next fall, I would not be shocked to see him return. That being said, if his ankle was so bad during the playoffs, where we all know he would have done anything to play, the odds of 65-35 are probably fitting.

Will Sakic be back?

Terry Frei of the Denver Post: "Last week, Avalanche general manager Francois Giguere again said he wasn't going to push Sakic, who will turn 39 on July 7, for a decision. But it likely will come in the next month as the front office assesses its signing strategy and salary cap situation — both before and after the opening of the unrestricted free agency period July 1. If he decides to return, he almost certainly would sign another one-year contract with Colorado, shooting to be with one franchise for his entire career, like the other No. 19 and longtime captain in the Colorado-Detroit rivalry."

Here is the entire article courtesy of the Denver Post.

This is a great article by Frei. Reading how much respect Red Wings center Kris Draper has for Sakic is interesting but in no way surprising. As for Sakic's possible return, I believe that the slippery center will return for another season. Not only can Sakic be a leader in the dressing room, but he can still play the game at an extremely high level.

Granato will be head coach of Avalanche next season

Avalanche GM Francois Giguere: "Tony has gained tremendous coaching experience over the last five seasons behind the Avalanche bench. He has great knowledge of our depth chart, a strong admiration for our players and really enjoys working with the organization's young and talented group of athletes."

Here is the full article courtesy of TSN.

My take: This is an interesting move by the Avalanche organization. First off, it always seems risky to move an assistant coach over to head coach in the NHL. The risk is that both the coach and players will have a difficult time adjusting to the new arrangement. In this case, it is especially interesting considering that Granato was actually head coach of the Avalanche from 2002-2004 but was then demoted back to assistant coach. During those years, Granato had far more talent to work with than he will have next year. One of my concerns with Granato back during 02-04 stint was his obsession with mixing and matching his lines all game. It looked like the players were never comfortable with their linemates and had trouble developing chemistry. That being said, I believe Granato does have what it takes to be a good coach in the NHL and obviously the Colorado management regime feels that Granato is ready to take the next step and return to head coaching.

2nd Round Preview: Wings vs. Avalanche

Kris Draper, Darren McCarty, Tomas Holmstrom, Nicklas Lidstrom and Pavel Datsyuk provide grit, strength, and unrivalled skill for the President's Trophy winning Detroit Red Wings. Detroit will need a little bit of all these things to get past a dangerous Colorado Avalanche club loaded with goal scoring talent like Joe Sakic, Milan Hejduk and Peter Forsberg, as well as a solid defensive core that includes veteran Adam Foote. This series should be a dandy.

If this feels like an episode of deja vu, it's because that exact same paragraph, or something close to it, was likely written prior to the 2002 Western Conference Final between these two clubs. And, despite some noted differences between then and now (namely, the absence of Stevie Y and Pat "If you love your father, fight!" Roy) this series by and large sets up the same way as the 2002 series. Like years past, the Avs are an offensive-minded, risk-taking machine (for evidence of this see some of the Wild players' comments before the first round series about how they expected to take advantage of the Avs' defensemen jumping up in the play), while the Wings are a supremely-well balanced club that, once again, faced unexpected hurdles in the first round, this time in the name of the Nashville Predators.

While the retro Wings sport the same goaltending tandem of Hasek/Osgood (or, seemingly, more like Osgood/Hasek) as years past, the Avs have a different face between the pipes in Jose "Can You Thee"-adore, who is magically once again playing at the level he was at during his rookie season with the Habs. Theodore single-handedly prevented the Wild from running over the Avs during many a third period, and was arguably the hottest goaltender in the first round of the playoffs.

We all know how the saying goes: Goaltending wins championships......
But they don't say "Goaltending wins second round Western Conference matchups against a far better opponent."

Prediction: Wings in 5

For Illegal Curve, I'm Steve Werier.

Second Round Playoff Matchups

Here are the matchups for the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs:

Eastern Conference:

Montreal (1) versus Philadelphia (6)

Pittsburgh (2) versus New York Rangers (5)

Western Conference:

(1) Detroit versus Colorado (6)

(2) San Jose versus Dallas (5)

Playoff Preview: Wild vs Avalanche

With Sunday's win over Minnesota, the Avalanche guaranteed themselves at least one more trip back to the State of Hockey. Even though this series includes a team coached by Jacques Lemaire, I expect it to be more high-scoring than some may think.

How the Wild can win:

The Wild is a team built on team speed and the neutral zone trap. If the Wild gets a lead, it shuts down the neutral zone and waits for teams to try and force their way through, as opposed to dumping the puck deep into the Wild's zone. The key for the Wild will be to make the Avs play an impatient game that tries to force offense when it isn't there. Another key for Minnesota will be to take advantage of Colorado's so-so defense and questionable goaltending. Additionally, Mikko Koivu will be a hugely important component to any Wild series victory. Expect to see Koivu centering the team's checking line that will face the Forsberg-Hejduk-Stastny power line. If Koivu's line can do a good job shutting down the Avs' big guns, the Wild's chances improve dramatically.

How the Avalanche can win:

The Avalanche are going to want to make this series high-scoring. After Marian Gaborik's line, the Wild have little, if any, scoring. A bunch of back-and-forth 4-3, 5-4 games will benefit Colorado greatly. Also, the Wild aren't an overly big squad, so I expect the Avalanche to try and control the play along the boards and cycle the puck down low. The Wild defense will be without stalwart Nick Schultz, and will be relying heavily on the impressive Brent Burns to play upwards of 25 minutes per game. If the Avs can wear Burns down, the Wild's defensive depth is nothing to write home about.

Who will win this series:

The Wild hold the edge in goaltending with Niklas Backstrom, however, the Avalanche forwards are a lot better than Minnesota's. As well, Colorado's defensive corps has improved with the additions of Adam Foote and Ruslan Salei, while Minnesota's defense lacks the depth to account for Schultz's injury. Thus, the Avalanche are, in this writer's opinion, the better team. Oh ya, and they have Peter Forsberg.

Prediction: Avalanche in 6

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

Nightly Recap - Sabourin Picks up Relief Win

Pittsburgh 6 - Ottawa 5 - Dany Sabourin entered the game with the Pens down 2-0 and earns the relief win in a shootout. After playing in only 9 games last year backing up Roberto Luonogo, Sabourin has appeared in more games this year than all of last year. Daniel Alfredsson and Jason Spezza had three points each for the Sens, Pittsburgh's Ryan Malone also collected three points.

Nashville 3 - Detroit 2 - Martin Erat was in on all three Predator goals, putting up a goal and two assists. Erat started off slow this season recording only 6 points in his first 11 games, but in his past 10 games, he has scored 14 points, including 5 multi-point nights. Chris Mason stopped 28 in the win.

Chicago 2 - Calgary 1 - Chicago scored both of their goals tonight on the penalty kill, it was Patrick Sharp's fifth shorthanded goal of the month (!) and Jacob Dowell put in the other in his NHL debut. Khabibulin stopped 30 saves in the win. The Flames are now 3-7-0 in their last 10.

Colorado 3 - Edmonton 2 - The Avalanche ended a four game road losing streak, receiving goals from Milan Heduk, Karlis Skrastins and Marek Svatos. Joni Pitkanen returned to the lineup tonight for the Oilers after missing 13 games with a knee.

Tomorrow's Games (all times Eastern)
12:00pm NYI@BOS,
1:00pm WSH@PHI
2:00pm CLB@MIN
4:00pm PHX@ANA
7:00pm TB@CGY
7:30pm MTL@BUF, NYR@FLA, NJ@ATL
8:30pm TOR@DAL, VAN@STL

Nightly Recap: Kane Continues to Lead Rookies in Scoring

-Chicago 3 - Detroit 2. Rookie leading scorer Patrick Kane had a goal and an assist and Jonathan Toews, second in rookie scoring had one goal. Robert Lang had two assists against his former team. Kane and Toews now have 21 and 14 points, in their rookie campaigns. Boy do they look like the West's version of Crosby and Malkin.

-Colorado 4 - Minnesota 2. Paul Stastny had two goals and one assist, he now has 100 career points in 99 career games, becoming the sixth player in franchise history to have 100 points in less than 100 games. Wojtek Wolski and Ryan Smyth had two points each for the Avs in the win.