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2012 Cap Hit: $950,000
2012 Status: UFA
Daniel Winnik made a big splash as soon as he joined the Avalanche, getting in a tussle with Kyle Quincey within days of joining the team on the ice for the first time. Surprisingly the biggest knock against the 6'2, 210 pound forward is his unwillingness to use his body this way during games. Winnik dressed for 63 games in the Burgundy and Blue this season and amassed 42 penalty minutes in that time. He managed to get 18 points, this includes time spent on the line with Gabriel Landeskog and Ryan O`Reilly. Winnik averaged a high number of minutes each game - usually getting some of the most of any forwards. Not bad for a guy drafted in the ninth round (265th overall). His ice time drew the ire of a number of fans that were frustrated that a player with not much offensive output monopolized so much ice time.
Winnik's strength came on penalty kills. He could effectively, single-handedly- kill off thirty seconds while a man down. Once he got the puck, because of his size, it was near impossible to knock him off of it. While Quincey effectively burned bridges - if not with Avalanche management, certainly with their faithful fans - upon his trade, Winnik was graceful to both the fans and management for their support during his time in Avs' gear.
Sandie's Take: I'm not going to lie I miss seeing him dress for the Avalanche. I dislike that he is a Shark. When Dan was traded, the Avalanche loss a great penalty killer - especially since he wasn't frequently the one taking the trip to the Sin Bin. One thing I noticed is that the guy never stopped talking. He communicated with the refs, teammates and opposition throughout the game. He never stopped jawing, and although Steve Downie glares the opposition down, I haven't seen him step into the role of keeping a line of communication with the referees. I expect good things from Daniel. He'll never be on the high-scoring list, but what he brings to a team is a constant, defensively sound, game that allows the rest of his line to move freely, without worrying about their own zone.
DDC's Take: I'll miss Winnik as well, and not just because we share the same birthday, college and rugged good looks. But I would move his defense for McGinn's offensive potential 16,000 times in a row. Sorry Sandie.