The 2009-2010 Avalanche [Updated With Smyth Trade]

by David Driscoll-Carignan on Jul 5, 2009 7:02 AM MDT in NHL News

This one kind of hurts. The list has been updated with Ryan Smyth removed and Kyle Quincey and Tom Preissing added. Now all we have to do is give away one of our defensemen and find a couple of top-line wingers and we'll be in great shape!

	LW		C		RW
1			Paul Stastny	6.600	Milan Hejduk *	3.900
2			Wojtek Wolski	2.800	Marek Svatos	2.050
3	Chris Stewart	0.850	T.J. Hensick	0.850	David Jones §	0.605
4	Cody McLeod	1.033			Darcy Tucker	2.250
Res	David Koci	0.575

	D		D
1	Scott Hannan *	4.500	John-Michael Liles *	4.200
2	Brett Clark	3.500	Ruslan Salei	3.025
3	Adam Foote *	3.000	Kyle Quincey	0.525
Res	Kyle Cumiskey §	0.523	Tom Preissing	2.750

	G
1	Craig Anderson	1.813
2	Peter Budaj	1.250

	Under Contract	20
	Estimated Hit	46.598
	Estimated Cap	56.800
	Cap Space	10.202
	Change	2.975

	* denotes NTC
	§ denotes RFA

	Other Notables
F	T.J. Galiardi	0.875
F	Ryan Stoa	0.850
D	Wes O'Neill	0.815
D	Ray Macias	0.585
D	Derek Peltier	0.512

Poll

Do you like the Smyth trade?

Love it

50 votes

Neutral

103 votes

Hate it

165 votes

318 votes | Poll has closed

Tweet Comment 32 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

$22 million + in defense. Mmmmmmm, tasty.

I hear plenty of people clamoring about Hannan and Clark and the contracts that they’ve got, but not so much about Footer and his equally-bloated-for-what-he-brings salary. Why is that? IMO, the $$ to Foote + what was given up to essentially get the opportunity to negotiate with him (when the Avs were the only ones he would talk with) is a bigger dent to this franchise than either Hannan or Clark.

2008-2009 Colorado Avalanche: Dry Humping Mediocrity

by Mike @ MHH on Jul 5, 2009 7:46 AM MDT reply actions

Probably because Adam Foote is Adam Foote. The team made such a big deal about re-joining the organization that they probably wouldn’t let him go again.

As things stand, shouldn’t Cumiskey be taken off of that list? Most teams don’t carry 8 defensemen. If none of the other guys are moved, I would think that Cumiskey is the odd man out.

Also, CapGeek.com is reporting that Brian Willsie signed a 1 year deal for $600,000. I know that Dater was reporting that the team was in talks with him. But, has this been confirmed anywhere else?

by c0nquistad0rian on Jul 5, 2009 8:30 AM MDT up reply actions

leaving Cumiskey on for now, mostly because I expect one of the D to be moved for a bag of pucks or a 12th round draft pick or something

Hyphens cause writers more trouble than any other form of punctuation, except perhaps commas.

by David Driscoll-Carignan on Jul 5, 2009 9:16 AM MDT up reply actions

Rumor has it Tyler Arnason is available from the Rangers.

The 2008-2009 Colorado Avalanche: Slumpbusters

by Jibblescribbits on Jul 5, 2009 9:20 AM MDT up reply actions

Not even REMOTELY funny. The memories are still much too fresh.

by Rather Dashing on Jul 5, 2009 6:29 PM MDT up reply actions

Sorry

Too soon?

The 2008-2009 Colorado Avalanche: Slumpbusters

by Jibblescribbits on Jul 5, 2009 8:37 PM MDT up reply actions

Yeah…. maybe in a few years. Once we have a new, even more depressing scapegoat. (If that’s possible)

by Rather Dashing on Jul 5, 2009 10:51 PM MDT up reply actions

South Park

says tragedies take 22 yrs before they are funny.

So I’d give us 20 yrs before we can talk about the pain.

2008-2009 Avalanche: It's like watching a car crash.

by Drakenlot on Jul 6, 2009 11:02 AM MDT up reply actions

JOMMY BUFFET??

NOBODY likes Jimmy Buffet except fratboys and alcoholic chicks from the south!

I just want Drury back... I recognize the Drury->Morris->Statsny chain, and I stick with the statement.

by wflan on Jul 6, 2009 2:50 PM MDT up reply actions 1 recs

I think Foote had a bad season last year (system???) and will hopefully bounce back. I think the same is true of Clark, I always thought he was a decent defender, but has struggled since his injury near the end of the 07-08 season. That being said, for what we are getting, all of our defense (with maybe the exception of Liles) is over paid. I definitely think we over paid for Foote, because Columbus probably didn’t have many options. Just like I think we could have gotten more for Smyth, it’s not like we had to move him. I don’t hate that we traded Smyth, but the fact that we got so little out of it.

MHH: Like the Avs organization, we’ve now officially lost our minds.

I'm The Canary - but I'm not cute nor cuddly, and I don't sing.

by Americanario on Jul 5, 2009 8:21 AM MDT reply actions

cap-wise, I don’t have a big issue with Foote. he could bounce back. So can Clark, but that ones harder to expect. Individually, I don’t think any of the D contracts are that crazy. Collectively, though, it’s way too much for what he got, especially with the albatross Preissing contract coming back to us.

Hannan’s the one who’s going to move, though, IMO.

Hyphens cause writers more trouble than any other form of punctuation, except perhaps commas.

by David Driscoll-Carignan on Jul 5, 2009 8:37 AM MDT up reply actions

Impossible

I’m risking alot when I assume NHL GMs are not capable of massive amounts of stupidity, but there is NO ONE in the league who will take Hannan and his 2 remaining years at $4.5 million per. NO ONE. Scudari’s contract was for less, and he’s better. Skratins’s contract was for a lot less, and maybe he’s not better, but he sure as hell was better last season. Komisarek’s contract was for the same amount, and he’s younger. Ohlund’s contract was for less, and he’s much better. Niedermayer’s contract was for more, but he’s just plain awesome.

The cap’s going down and GMs aren’t stupid (insert your own FG joke here). Hannan (and his agent, the Greatest Agent in the History of the World), did what anyone of us would have done – he signed his name on the contract the Avs gave him. I think most people were pretty happy at the time – the Avs were taking action, doing something. I remember reading one story where a Sharks “insider” didn’t seem too sad to lose Hannan. I didn’t think too much about it at the time, but that insider must have known something.

Hannan isn’t physical – he’s downright Skoula-esque, and 13 minors in a full season is an absolute fucking embarrassment unless your last name is Lidstrom. He can’t pass the puck out of his own zone – he makes me long for the heady days of Sylvain Lefebrve. He skates like he’s taking a dump. I hope the real story is better than just “he sucks.” I hope the truth is that he’s really a “warrior” and has been playing with a secret injury, maybe a torn ACL, or a lingering (but non-lethal) brain aneurysm, or a really bad case of herpes simplex. Because I just can’t figure it out – not only hasn’t he lived up to his contract, but he’s proceeded to crap out his two worst seasons (by far) in the NHL. Last year was one of the worst by any defenseman in the league, and the single-worst season by a defenseman in Avs history.

If Handbags actually plays well early in the season, that’ll be the time to trade him, because someone will get excited and think the “old” Scott Hannan is back. But right now, until he shows scouts and GMs that he can actually play again, he is absolutely untradeable. Trading Smyth was the easy part. If Sherman can actually dump Hannan’s contract, then I’ll be impressed.

Most tradeable Avs’ defensemen are Salei, Liles, and Foote, in that order, I think.

by Dan Winkler on Jul 5, 2009 8:19 PM MDT up reply actions

If the Rangers can unload Gomez, I think we can unload Hannan. But he’s been pretty far from what I thought we were getting, I agree, though I think he’s still been fairly effective in his role even without the physical stuff.

by thedoctor on Jul 6, 2009 9:37 AM MDT up reply actions

I agree about Hannan. It isn’t just his lack of physicality that has been a major disappointment. I didn’t know he couldn’t skate either.

Trading Smyth was especially easy since we didn’t receive near fair value in return and even took on another bad contract (albeit a smaller one). I wouldn’t be upset at all if Hannan were in the King deal instead of Smyth. But they were absolutely fleeced in the Smyth trade. Pure salary dump, but they didn’t even do a very good job at that.

Our 2009-2010 Avs: The towel has been thrown into the rink.

by Bob in Boulder on Jul 6, 2009 10:03 AM MDT up reply actions

Burki

you know, I haven’t seen anyone mention the possibility of Codi Burki making the team this season yet, but I was under the impression he had a great camp last season. The Avs could have Galiardi, Stewart and Burki make the team next season.

Or not.

The 2008-2009 Colorado Avalanche: Slumpbusters

by Jibblescribbits on Jul 5, 2009 9:22 AM MDT reply actions

well, at this point it’s looking like he’ll have to.

Hyphens cause writers more trouble than any other form of punctuation, except perhaps commas.

by David Driscoll-Carignan on Jul 5, 2009 9:27 AM MDT up reply actions

Burki sucks, he’s been bouncing between the AHL and ECHL. bust.

by thedoctor on Jul 5, 2009 12:57 PM MDT up reply actions

That is strange though because I do remember him almost making the team last year.

by mcarson01 on Jul 5, 2009 2:10 PM MDT up reply actions

Burki? lol, no. he spent 20% of his time last year in the echl, and only scored 9 goals in the 54 games he was up with the LEM. the year before was similar. he’s a bust.

by thedoctor on Jul 5, 2009 2:39 PM MDT up reply actions

My point is, he was one of the last sent down during the exibitions. They usually send down the guys they like last.

by mcarson01 on Jul 5, 2009 3:53 PM MDT up reply actions

he was one of the first cuts – sent down on 9/23 along with Weiman. Final cuts were 2 weeks later (10/7)

Hyphens cause writers more trouble than any other form of punctuation, except perhaps commas.

by David Driscoll-Carignan on Jul 5, 2009 4:06 PM MDT up reply actions

9/23, by the way, was right after the B & W game and before any real exhibition games…

Hyphens cause writers more trouble than any other form of punctuation, except perhaps commas.

by David Driscoll-Carignan on Jul 5, 2009 4:09 PM MDT up reply actions

going for 3…I think the guy you are thinking of is Hensick

Hyphens cause writers more trouble than any other form of punctuation, except perhaps commas.

by David Driscoll-Carignan on Jul 5, 2009 4:09 PM MDT up reply actions

Yeah, I’m sure you’re right, I just remember him scoring a few and it sounded like they were high on him.

by mcarson01 on Jul 5, 2009 8:43 PM MDT up reply actions

Stastny must be next to go

as the only one on the team still making $6mil+. clearly, his contract is an anchor we must be rid of immediately!

/sarcasm

Up until this point, I still held some glimmer of hope that this organIzation had a plan to make this a better team (even if it wasn’t a very good plan…) Barring some monumental move to draw in a stud of a top-six LW—are there any of those still available?—that hope is in vain.
Oh how the mighty have fallen.

by MileHighAir on Jul 5, 2009 12:39 PM MDT reply actions

yep.

there are some decent LWs out there, Tanguay, etc. but we won’t be spending on them. I would anticipate Stoa, Galiardi, and Tucker duel for it. Hell, maybe Duchene too.

by thedoctor on Jul 5, 2009 12:58 PM MDT up reply actions

9 RW and/or King fans have voted so far

MHH: Shagging Dater one contributor at a time.

by Bob in Boulder on Jul 5, 2009 2:18 PM MDT reply actions

Last season

Budaj received the second-lowest goal support average among NHL goaltenders (2.17 per game). I am thinking Craig Anderson may get the dubious honor of receiving the lowest goal support this upcoming season, now that we traded our highest scoring player. If they don’t get some offensive firepower going, I don’t see this teaming winning any more games than they did last year.

If they trade Liles, then it will be apparently clear to me that they are simply cutting salary with no thought or plan for the future of the team.

Colorado Avalanche: Please excuse the mess while we are under construction.

by hockeymom on Jul 5, 2009 2:39 PM MDT reply actions

Fixed

I am thinking Craig Anderson may get the dubious honor of receiving the lowest goal support in NHL history this upcoming season, now that we traded our highest scoring player.

Our 2009-2010 Avs: The towel has been thrown into the rink.

by Bob in Boulder on Jul 6, 2009 9:57 AM MDT reply actions