Speculation: 2017 Hobey Baker winner Will Butcher may go UFA

[Kolzilla]

Yea but you have a guy that put up 30 goals: zach Anton-Reese who scored 31 goals and 32 assists among others who have 60 plus points

It's about all-around play, not just points. As a Denver resident, he was the hub of the wheel of the NCAA champions.

 

[OCPenguin]

Rangers, they seem to get all the big name college UFAs

But Pittsburgh develops college players better than anyone.

 

[le_sean]

Well Montreal is in desperate need of LD. But I doubt he has any interest in Canada.

 

[Maukkis]

He'd better make sure that he doesn't sign with a team that would end up butchering his development.

 

[s3antana5757]

Is he definitely going the UFA route?

 

[Pyrophorus]

A defenceman you say....

Seriously the Leafs should be on this.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

Well Montreal is in desperate need of LD. But I doubt he has any interest in Canada.

Tampa has a good D-man, Sergachev.

 

[hizzoner]

He'd better make sure that he doesn't sign with a team that would end up butchering his development.

In the nhl he could be the loin in winter.....

 

[madmike77]

Not sure why he wouldn't sign in Colorado. It's not like they're swimming in quality defencemen.

 

[East Coast Icestyle]

Not sure why he wouldn't sign in Colorado. It's not like they're swimming in quality defencemen.

It's possible he just doesn't appreciate how the organization has been run.

 

[StayAtHomeAv]

Boikov is now better, so other than promises made to get Butcher to sign an ELC why wouldn't Boikov be ahead of him? As for rampage puck movers, they'll have Warsofsky, Meloche, Boikov, maybe Bigras, and maybe someone from STL who can move the puck.

There's no longer the same desperate need for an AHL PMD as there was last season.

Boikov is not better than Butcher right now. You've been downplaying Butcher ever since being drafted. Boikov might have more potential, but Butcher is easily ahead of him right now. Boikov still has a long ways to go.

Bigras should be with the Avs. Who knows about StL right now, and Boikov isn't exactly a puck mover. Obviously we are not 'as desperate' as last year, but with guys like Geertsen, Siemens, Lindholm and Boikov potentially on the roster that's not exactly the most skilled group with the puck.

 

[Halla]

and this is why the leafs are staying at 49 contracts.
reel him in lou!

 

[IranCondraAffair]

NHL ready (or cloase to it), Hobey Baker winner, drafted by Colorado, playing in college in Denver, LHD, and the Avs can't find a way to sign him?

Yikes. This should be open an shut. What am i missing?

 

[Jyrki Lumme]

and this is why the leafs are staying at 49 contracts.
reel him in lou!

Brown can just take the year off to spend time in the gym. If he's not 230lbs of pure muscle by next summer, just cut him loose.

 

[Avs44]

NHL ready (or cloase to it), Hobey Baker winner, drafted by Colorado, playing in college in Denver, LHD, and the Avs can't find a way to sign him?

Yikes. This should be open an shut. What am i missing?

From what we heard a while back he was upset they didn't sign him last year and Roy apparently told the guy the team would never sign him.


Sakic's obviously now wanted to sign the guy and patch any hard feelings up but I think the relationship with the whole organization may have died right there.

 

[PatrikOverAuston]

NHL ready (or cloase to it), Hobey Baker winner, drafted by Colorado, playing in college in Denver, LHD, and the Avs can't find a way to sign him?

Yikes. This should be open an shut. What am i missing?

According to the usual suspects, it's rather that Sakic doesn't want to waste a contract spot on a "career AHLer".

AKA, business as usual in Colorado. The team could use a time machine to bring in prime Sakic only to watch GM Sakic inevitably alienate him somehow, and people would STILL defend Bumbleby Joe.

 

[Avs44]

According to the usual suspects, it's rather that Sakic doesn't want to waste a contract spot on a "career AHLer".

AKA, business as usual in Colorado. The team could use a time machine to bring in prime Sakic only to watch GM Sakic inevitably alienate him somehow, and people would STILL defend Bumbleby Joe.

Sakic has publicly talked about his attempts to sign the guy. Find me a link saying he won't even offer the guy a contract because he doesn't want to use a contract spot.

 

[cgf]

Boikov is not better than Butcher right now. You've been downplaying Butcher ever since being drafted. Boikov might have more potential, but Butcher is easily ahead of him right now. Boikov still has a long ways to go.

Bigras should be with the Avs. Who knows about StL right now, and Boikov isn't exactly a puck mover. Obviously we are not 'as desperate' as last year, but with guys like Geertsen, Siemens, Lindholm and Boikov potentially on the roster that's not exactly the most skilled group with the puck.

i was intrigued at first; but his skating never became strong enough to overcome his size to become an NHL player. And when you're that small you need to have a skating advantage to make it in the NHL. Same reason I'm not pumping Smirnov's tires ferociously.

Boikov has a lot more skill than you seem to be implying, though I agree that he needs another year or two in the NHL before pushing for that third pairing NHL gig. He's not the offensive dynamo Warsofsky or Butcher are; but he has a crisp first pass and gets his shot on net. With his size, skating, and defensive game that's much more likely to net an NHLer than Butcher.

We'll see what happens with Bigras, if Joe is dumb enough for Murray to be the centerpiece of a duchene trade, then I can absolutely see Lindholm & Barberio beating Bigras out for the third pairing LD job next to Mironov...and even if there's no trade I won't be shocked if he's sent if he has another rough camp.

NHL ready (or cloase to it), Hobey Baker winner, drafted by Colorado, playing in college in Denver, LHD, and the Avs can't find a way to sign him?

Yikes. This should be open an shut. What am i missing?

He's not an NHL prospect, much less NHL ready.

Sakic has publicly talked about his attempts to sign the guy. Find me a link saying he won't even offer the guy a contract because he doesn't want to use a contract spot.

Yeah, Sakic isn't that shrewd. Odds are Joe saw Denver area LHD + the award, and jumped to waste an ELC on the kid. Hopefully Butcher's ego saves Joe from himself.

 

[strictlyrandy]

Will Butcher is not even remotely close to being NHL ready this season. Stop with this nonsense that the Avs let a stud get away. He is not a special prospect. Sure, it sucks to lose him but he's so far down the depth chart for the Avs that him wanting to be a ufa is worth nothing more than a polite wave and a "good luck".

 

[EscapedGoat]

Sakic has publicly talked about his attempts to sign the guy. Find me a link saying he won't even offer the guy a contract because he doesn't want to use a contract spot.

And once again.. silence...

Another bold claim by edmontonexpress then silence when called out on it. Shocking.

 

[nyr2k2]

He's not an NHL prospect, much less NHL ready.

I find it interesting that there will likely be quite a few teams lining up to offer an ELC to a guy that's a not an NHL prospect.

 

[glovesave_35]

That quote really rubs me the wrong way. You're talking to Joe Sakic, dismissing his pitch to sign with his club as just his "spiel," as if Sakic's just wasting Butcher's time and Butcher has better things to do, seems pretty disrespectful in my view.

Sounds to me he feels like he was rubbed the wrong way by the organization last year. In light of that, it doesn't sound so bad but I can understand from a fan's perspective.

 

[Avs44]

Sounds to me he feels like he was rubbed the wrong way by the organization last year. In light of that, it doesn't sound so bad but I can understand from a fan's perspective.

I understand Butcher's desire to leave for a number of reasons, but I still think acting as if he's better than the Avs and Sakic isn't even worth his time is pretty dumb. Odds are Butcher struggles to be an NHLer. These College UFAs on a general level acting as if they're stars too good for the club that drafted them bothers me I suppose.

 

[NeedleInTheHay]

He'll sign with Pittsburgh.

 

[tucker3434]

NHL ready (or cloase to it), Hobey Baker winner, drafted by Colorado, playing in college in Denver, LHD, and the Avs can't find a way to sign him?

Yikes. This should be open an shut. What am i missing?

He isn't NHL ready, not close. This is a loss for us, but nowhere near as much as people will make it out to be. Butcher is boom/bust. He may we'll figure things out and become a LHD Barrie. But it's a lot more likely he doesn't.