They added a 70-75 pts winger for nothing
Let em all know, Travis! Need to get him signed already.
Don't @ me. Any of you. You know who you are.
(Please don't go look at his actual numbers. Thank you.)
Yeah the expectation was of a move as high, but the realistic idea that it wouldn't be addressed was scoffed at too. It was that the Front Office was smart and a good 2C would be brought in if things failed at the position...even up to the bell ringing.I feel like that’s not being honest tho. People were hopeful including myself because they anticipated moves. Everyone knew we needed a 2C. That the Avs needed to make moves. The hope was that we’d be good enough to be fine early in the year but the deadline would be key.
If you told people last summer there would be no trades and we’d punt the deadline while losing Landeskog for the year/Nuke for the playoffs people would have been far less optimistic.
Honestly given the lack of moves/injuries it’s pretty crazy we won the division/finished like 3rd in the West. Took Seattle to 7 with zero depth. Even if the Avs added Hayes/Domi at the TDL they probably make some noise last year.
I don't think it's homerism to think that Drouin will perform better playing with Nathan Fricking MacKinnon than with Mike Hoffman or Brendan broken Gallagher and that RyJo will play better beside Mikko Rantanen than beside Niedereiter/Duchene or whoever he played with the most in Nashville.This pretty much nails it.
I bring up stats on RyJo and Drouin and they don't matter, according to most on these boards I'm out to lunch, and we are going to magically make them better than they've been in years.
But these same people just assume Newhook and JTC will suck on their new teams.
Just because we signed or traded for someone doesn't instantly make them good and guys we traded away or didn't resign aren't instantly bad.
I feel like many in here just assume that management can do no wrong and coaching can just "fix" someone who has been struggling.
We'll see how it turns out but saying there aren't huge question marks throughout the roster is just disingenuous homer bias.
It is an assumption that Drouin and RyJo will stick with those guys. Entirely possible that Drouin ends up with Colton, Pavel, or Meyers by game 20. RyJo could be between Lehky and LOC.I don't think it's homerism to think that Drouin will perform better playing with Nathan Fricking MacKinnon than with Mike Hoffman or Brendan broken Gallagher and that RyJo will play better beside Mikko Rantanen than beside Niedereiter/Duchene or whoever he played with the most in Nashville.
I don't think this team is drastically different than last year's team.Sure players were expected back, but outlook was pretty sunny (natural after a Cup win).
I personally don’t think the Avs beat Seattle with Nuke and certainly not Dallas. Landy is too big of a question in general. More or less though, Avs’ center depth got hugely exposed in the playoffs where it matters the most. It was addressed this offseason, but the questions are rather significant still.
FTR I vastly prefer this offseason. Avs are taking risks, but that is a shitload better than head in the sand pure projection. The cap is too much of an issue right now to really do much more than they have. If it doesn’t work, it just doesn’t work… they at least were aggressive.
Entirely possible also that they get struck by lightning...It is an assumption that Drouin and RyJo will stick with those guys. Entirely possible that Drouin ends up with Colton, Pavel, or Meyers by game 20. RyJo could be between Lehky and LOC.
Pretty funny from a guy who claims to be objective that you're seeing every team in the division as improved, except the Avs who are extremely risky for a considerable number of factors... none of them affecting any of their 5-7 top players...I actually think it is in the realm of possibility. If RyJo plays like last season... we're looking at Colton, simply a better version of Compher as the 2C. That would basically mean the Avs didn't improve at center then. The wing... maybe slightly better? Defense is roughly the same. Then we can get into all the age regression and injury possibilities...
This is from a team that barely won the division. Stars got better. Minny is about the same, maybe marginally better. Winnipeg is still up in the air... starting today they are deeper. Nashville should be slightly better. Chicago will be a bad team still, but drastically improved.
The team that I personally think could take a large step forward is St Louis... Hayes is better today than ROR was. Vrana was a risky bet, but talent is clear. Kapanen and Blais improve their bottom 6 and fit their style. Young guys coming in (Alexandrov, Grieg, Neighbors, Bolduc) have a chance to improve the team.
I can get that debate, but no teams are 100% stagnant.I don't think this team is drastically different than last year's team.
Drouin replaces Erod
Colton replaces Compher
Wood replaces Newhook
The one big change is RyJo replaces the 2C that we never had last year.
We won the division last year with the old guys. We don't need the new guys to be fantastic to have a realistic chance to repeat. But we need them to be healthier come playoff time however to have a realistic chance at the Cup.
Entirely possible also that they get struck by lightning...
That's not what it is at all.I don't think this team is drastically different than last year's team.
Drouin replaces Erod
Colton replaces Compher
Wood replaces Newhook
Have you missed that I have said I like what that Avs have done and am much happier than last offseason... or do you just ignore that to frame your argument the way you want?Pretty funny from a guy who claims to be objective that you're seeing every team in the division as improved, except the Avs who are extremely risky for a considerable number of factors... none of them affecting any of their 5-7 top players...
How is JD replacing Landy? He didn't play at all last season. He's basically replacing LoC or LBN'. Or all the other bottom 6ers we had filling in the top lines last year.That's not what it is at all.
RyJo is replacing JTC (2C)
Colton is replacing Newhook (3C)
Wood is replacing eRod (middle 6 wing)
Drouin is replacing Landeskog (1st line wing)
It's kinda ridiculous how underpaid NHLers are. But the owners sure must be happy.
Sure. But the top players should be making more than what they currently do. The gap shouldn't be that high. And maybe Bettman and the owners should look in the mirror if the hard cap is contributing to the fact that the NBA has blown past the NHL in the last 30 years.The NHL doesn't get the ratings of the NBA, MLB or NFL.
It's kinda ridiculous how underpaid NHLers are. But the owners sure must be happy.
It's beyond that. In the NBA a star player can have a huge impact on the success of a franchise. Due to roster sizes, and the differences in the games themselves, a singular player just isn't going to have the same impact in the NHL.Sure. But the top players should be making more than what they currently do. The gap shouldn't be that high. And maybe Bettman and the owners should look in the mirror if the hard cap is contributing to the fact that the NBA has blown past the NHL in the last 30 years.
It's beyond that. In the NBA a star player can have a huge impact on the success of a franchise. Due to roster sizes, and the differences in the games themselves, a singular player just isn't going to have the same impact in the NHL.
You gotta look at last summer's projected roster, not what happened after injuries or bad performances.How is JD replacing Landy? He didn't play at all last season. He's basically replacing LoC or LBN'. Or all the other bottom 6ers we had filling in the top lines last year.
It is a specific carve out in the CBA for teams to try to retain their own players.Lmao why did they call the f***ing NBA contracts super-max?
Dallas has the 2nd best center, winger (Rob > Kap), and defensemen in the division along with having the best depth and the 2nd best goalie (Saros > Otter... I don't expect Helly to be in the Central)
As opposed to your average maximum security contracts?It is a specific carve out in the CBA for teams to try to retain their own players.
As opposed to your standard Rose rule or Bird rule... the NBA is weird.As opposed to your average maximum security contracts?