The Avs are a laughing stock
by Nemesis44UK on Jul 4, 2011 8:52 AM MDT
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So, I had the misfortune to read this little article from Puck Daddy. Ryan Lambert is the writer who thinks that George McPhee is the world's best GM.
The full article is here:
http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy
First, he somehow conned the Avalanche into trading him a first- and a second-round pick for Semyon Varlamov(notes). The kid was a third-string goalie who didn't play in the team's postseason run and was on the verge of sulking all the way back to the KHL (as all Russian-born players who can't hack it Stateside do). This despite the fact that, had the Avs simply signed him to an offer sheet for the price they eventually paid him, the compensation would have been just a second-round pick.And that all ignores the fact, by the way, that without a competent goaltending tandem in Colorado (which the Avs don't boast), that first-rounder will almost certainly be a lottery pick.
Bold emphasis is mine.
And this little gem which points to an article with Woody Paige: (Emphasis not mine)
Colorado Avalanche: A non-hockey writer writes about hockey. On Varlamov: "Not exactly Roy, but a start." Hell, it's not exactly Craig Anderson
This is reminiscent of the 09/10 season when every "expert" predicted a lottery pick for the Avs. They were stunned when the Avs made the playoffs.
This is going on with a lot of blogs, forums and podcasts. Yes, it was overpayment, but one or more of these statements could explain it:
1. Sherman and Sacco are happy with the current roster. They don't want to give up existing assets because they believe that they now have the tools to make a playoff run.
2. The Avs are operating under an internal budget restriction set by Kroenke for whatever reason and this was one way to stay under the internal cap.
3. Kroenke hauled them both into his office and said "Look, I am not being embarassed like this again. You have one season to sort this shit out, or you're both gone." That's why Shermy traded away the picks because he knows that if he fails, he's gone, so if this gamble doesn't work, the loss of the pick doesn't matter because he won't be here anyway.
4. WIth Harding signed quickly and Vokoun uninterested in coming to Colorado, the goaltending pickings became a lot slimmer. Anyone feel confident with Mike Smith? Anyone? Therefore, they did what they could to get their man.
Bottom line is that I hope the new-look Avs stuff Ryan Lambert's words down his throat. Oh, and Ryan, regarding George McPhee, it's rude to talk with your mouth full.
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I can’t imagine that the Kroenke stuff is true.
In my opinion Sherman doesn’t spend much because he doesn’t have/want to at the moment. He wants to give these guys a chance to prove themselves, some will not be able to do that and that’s when I expect them to be replaced for players who probably cost a bit more. Of course he could’ve done it the Florida way and sign expensive guys now but I think that won’t bring you much further than somehow making the playoffs every now and then. That’s not what Sherman wants, he wants more and not just once but year after year.
We’ll find out when it’s time to sign the big contracts of Duchene and company.
I’m not even gonna comment on the “third-string goalie” stuff. Let’s compare his stats with Anderson’s in the first three seasons (that’s how many Varlamov has played so far and the games played are almost identical):
Varlamov: 59 GP, 2.39 GAA, SV% .914
Anderson: 56 GP, 3.39 GAA, SV% .882
Note: Anderson was 2 years older than Varlamov
If you ask me, one looks like a solid NHL goalie and the other like a career AHL guy.
Because....fuck the Red Wings!
I’ve got an analysis coming out tomorrow with Varly vs. our other starters (Fiset, Roy, Aebischer, Theodore, Raycroft, and Anderson) and I gotta say, I was surprised. As in, his stats are as good or better than Roy’s first 3 seasons – by the numbers, not by the Cups/Conn Smythes. In fact, Aebischer was the only one close to him, and he was playing backup to Roy on the early ‘00s Avs, which were, if I remember, a pretty damn awesome team with quite a bit of defense. The Caps don’t have a D like that. Varly’s stats so far are pretty scary good. It’s a gamble, but on paper at least…. I wouldn’t count the Avs as down and out yet. Give the kid a chance.
I think there is a possiblilty that in five years, the Caps look back on this and go “Fuck, we fucked that fucker up”. Ok, so maybe that’s just Boudreau, but you get the point.
Just a Colorado girl in Montana who <3s the Avs.
ha
You’re assuming Bruce is there in 5 years, which I don’t think will happen
by ProfessorOak on Jul 4, 2011 11:58 AM MDT up reply actions
Nope, I’m pretty sure it was Stephane Fiset. I could be wrong though.
Anyone care to shed some more light on this?
Just a Colorado girl in Montana who <3s the Avs.
http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/leagues/seasons/teams/0006901996.html
yeah, it was Fiset. I thought it was Thibault because he was traded for Roy, and I remember Fiset backing up Roy after the trade
Mission 48.3 Accomplished!
The Roy comparison is a bit of a stretch, only in the sense that Roy’s first three years were in a completely different era of hockey than what has been played in the last decade.
by Mapletreemarty on Jul 4, 2011 8:40 PM MDT up reply actions
Quality
I don’t mind being a laughing stock, any real hockey fans (we all know there aren’t much, especially real hockey fans that are Caps fans (I mean, i bet ya many of them don’t know who Olie the Goalie is hahaha. Let those idiots laugh, I can take it, and remember folks, we can’t hear them because we got 2 cup rings in our ears.
Pfft. Ryan Lambert.
When even the commentors at PD make fun of you and you are a writer you know you have problems.
yeah it Lambert
EVERY single one of his blogs have something that trashes the Avs. They could acquire Thomas to play goal and he would go on laughing at them for acquiring an over the hill goalie.
Languishing for Landeskog
I’m glad somebody else noticed this too. The guy’s a huge troll. He trashes every team except the ones he likes. I’ve never seen him say something positive about the Avalanche.
by Snazzyduck27 on Jul 4, 2011 12:10 PM MDT up reply actions
Most blogs are not that informed and haven’t realized that Varly has been lights out at every level almost his entire career since even before he was drafted. He’s played 3 seasons of NHL hockey with two of those having the injuries. Two of those three seasons were behind inept defense and a crazy offensive system. The other season, this past season, was when he was the starter and had to deal with the crap going on in front of him (not too mention the terrible run the Caps went one… yeah does everyone remember that?). Yet through all of that he has produced stunning stats for a 23 year old NHLer.
there is a washington blog out there that did a stats/chart breakdown for Varly and where he fell with normal goalies to determine if he really was elite. I think it came back with 11% that he was only average and a byproduct of his environment. The other 89%? Well I think we have a good idea…
Languishing for Landeskog
The fun part is that there’s no doubt that the Avs are much better on paper after July 1 than they were before, but for some reason lottery pick is in the mix despite us being in a division with Calgary, Edmonton and Minnesota.
The Avs will totally be picked dead last simply because of the price paid for Varly, with very little consideration outside of Washington given to how much better our goalie and defense situation are now.
4th biggest pessimist of MHH.
"There's always next season." -- Jimmy Howard on not winning the Calder Trophy.
It will be nice to possibly have full seasons out of TJ, Quincey, EJ, Hejda, Landeskog, Mueller, etc at forward/defense and only really lose Liles as the one of last year’s full season guys.
People seem to think we had a healthy and productive Stewart, Andy, Flash, etc for the full season last year and will be worse this year than last. They only lost one player that was healthy and productive last year while now having potentially six for the full season (not including Kobasew, Lindstrom, Varly and Elliott)
Languishing for Landeskog
People also forget that the Avs were one of the highest scoring teams in the league in December. They were fighting for the #1 spot in the NW. And then the game against LA happened (for what ever reason this seems like the point were everything changed). The Avs got exposed, they starting losing guys left and right to injury, the goalies (who had been good but not bad) disappeared, and they were unable to adapt to the shit storm that hit them.
Datsyuk may have done it first, but he learned it from Peter Forsberg.
Thanks for everything Foppa!
Footer: We'll miss seeing you clear the riff raff off your lawn.
I did a quick recap
we had 42 pts (assuming i counted correctly) in the first 33 games which is approximately a 105 pt pace.
Through December (38 games) The Avs had scored 131 of their 221 goals (59.3%) and had allowed 121 of 287 goals against (42.2%).
Datsyuk may have done it first, but he learned it from Peter Forsberg.
Thanks for everything Foppa!
Footer: We'll miss seeing you clear the riff raff off your lawn.
I think to consider any team in the NHL at this point in the off-season is ignorant. Nobody knows how good or bad any team will be next season. This guy Lambert is just an opinionated nobody who hasn’t done his homework on what he’s writing about.
"If we cannot find a way, we will make one." -Hannibal
by AvalancheRescueDog on Jul 4, 2011 11:35 AM MDT reply actions
Don't expect much from Lambert
He’s the worst part of PD, by far.
I thought the most interesting part of this week’s “What We Learned” was the part about Boris Valabik. That’s former 1st-round pick (10th overall) Boris Valabik. Who is now on his 3rd NHL team. Thus further showing that the draft is one big crapshoot.
Speaking of crap, that’s Lambert’s M.O. One liners, followed by a healthy dose of snark and the crapping on people. This week, he points out that Sami Salo and Kent Huskins aren’t really great players. Snarks on Michael Ryder and the Sabres. States Atlanta, did in fact, sign black players last year in an attempt to win fans, and suggests the Panthers should do the same thing with Scott Gomez.
Super job, Lambert. Keep on being reliably unfunny.
Mr. Fuji, the devious ways that you put in my mind will come to use.
by Dan Winkler on Jul 4, 2011 1:42 PM MDT reply actions
comment section
We really are a laughing stock, but not because we have reason to be, but because of the ignorance of bandwagon hockey fans and their lack of actual knowledge about teams that aren’t their favorite teams.
5) Sherman was instructed to dispose of next year’s first round pick after Kroenke found out they don’t sign for minimum wage and said, “What? Then why the HELL did we just get two of them? How man damn times do I have to say it? ‘Always the low price. Always!’”
14.2.2011--St. Valentine's Day Massacre
"But we remain touching a wound that opens to our richest horror." --Karl Shapiro, "Auto Wreck"
‘Always the low price. Always!’
I lol’d. Their family’s money came from founding Walmart.
Just a Colorado girl in Montana who <3s the Avs.
His wife’s money.
Available for a 3rd round pick.
by An Unmitigated Disaster on Jul 7, 2011 9:31 AM MDT up reply actions
Craig Anderson had a .913 SV% and a 2.83 GAA. Semyon Varlamov had a .924 SV% and a 2.23 GAA. He is also younger so it is an improvement. Peter Budaj had a .895 SV% and a 3.20 GAA. Believe it or not Brian Elliot proved it is possible to suck more than Budaj. He had a .893 SV% and a 3.34 GAA. G.S. Giguere had a .900 SV% and a 2.87 GAA. So they add a young starter who had better numbers than their previous starter and a reliable veteran back up who is not a guaranteed loss when he plays. So without a doubt the Avs goaltending has improved. When you look at this years defense against last years there is no contest which is better. This year they will have a true number 1 (which they haven’t had since 05-06) with Johnson and a much more physical unit as apposed to the horrible “speedy” defensemen they used through out last year (a “speedy” defenseman is one who is under 6ft and 200lbs who is a liability defensively and not even good offensively ie Matt Hunwick and Kyle Cumiskey). So the team is much better than last year and should at least be out of the draft lottery.
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