Final Grade: John-Michael Liles

Season Stats: 71 GP, 14 G, 30 A 44 Pt, E

Minutes: 1260 total (4^th among D), EV 12:28, PP 5:02, PK 0:15

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Splits:

1^st Half: 41 GP, 10 G, 19 A, 29 Pt, +1 85 Shots

2^nd Half: 30 GP, 4 G, 11 A, 15 Pt, -1 43 Shots

Linemates:

Who didn't he play with? Finger (20 Games), Klee (16), Brisebois (16), Sauer (10), Leopold (3), Vaananen (3), Skrastins (1).

Career:

Liles' 14 goals tied for a career high. His 30 assists and 44 points were his 2^nd highest totals to date.

Report:

Liles was on his way to a career year until game 41, when he broke his foot blocking a shot...Was on a 58-point pace at that point, and dropped to a 41-point pace after his return...Also saw his ice time drop substantially – 19+ minutes before the injury, just 15 per game in the 2^nd half...Had two games where he was used mostly as a PP specialist, with no defensive responsibilities...Was making great strides in his defensive game early on, but seemed to lose ground after the injury...Improved again towards the end of the season when paired with Jeff Finger...Despite the 14 goals (tied for 10^th in the NHL), seemed inconsistent offensively...Just 16 points at even strength, less than Ken Klee (19) and not much more than Ossi Vaananen (11)...Part of that is due to ice time – his 12:28 average ice time at even strength was lower than all defensemen besides Kyle Cumiskey, although that is similar to his 05-06 time...One of the glaring weaknesses in defensive game is his tendency to rush clearing attempts, resulting in too many giveaways (his 51 was tops among Colorado D)...Liles is small, but extremely tough – sent to the dressing room several times this year, only to see him return, including the broken foot game.

Fast Fact:

Midseason Grade: A

Final Grade: B

2007-2007 Salary: $1,325,000

2007-2008 Status: signed ($1,325,000)

Outlook:

Barring a trade, Liles will be back with the Avalanche next year. It will be his final season before becoming eligible for unrestricted free agency, which, hopefully will translate to some excellent numbers on the ice.