Speculation: AVS Proposals/Rumors/Free Agents & Related Topics 2016-17 Part XVII

[Metallo]

I thought this was kind of interesting, since the start of the year the Avs have moved out (or given up on in Colborne's case):

Player|Height|Weight
Cody McLeod|6'2|210
Andreas Martinsen|6'3|220
Jarome Iginla|6'1|210
Joe Colborne|6'5|221
Average|6'2.75|215 lbs

and replaced them with:

Player|Height|Weight
Sven Andrighetto|5'10|188
Tyson Jost|5'11|191
Matt Nieto|5'11|190
JT Compher|6'0|193
Average|5'11|190.5

Dropped almost 4 inches, 25 lbs, and got a lot quicker/more skilled. It'll be interesting to see what Sakic does in the summer.

Good observation.

 

[ABasin]

I thought this was kind of interesting, since the start of the year the Avs have moved out (or given up on in Colborne's case):

Player|Height|Weight
Cody McLeod|6'2|210
Andreas Martinsen|6'3|220
Jarome Iginla|6'1|210
Joe Colborne|6'5|221
Average|6'2.75|215 lbs

and replaced them with:

Player|Height|Weight
Sven Andrighetto|5'10|188
Tyson Jost|5'11|191
Matt Nieto|5'11|190
JT Compher|6'0|193
Average|5'11|190.5

Dropped almost 4 inches, 25 lbs, and got a lot quicker/more skilled. It'll be interesting to see what Sakic does in the summer.

I think it really comes down to puck/hand skill, rather than raw size or speed. The Avs need players who can pass the puck, and receive passes. This season's roster has been a puck fumble fest, like the puck and everyones' stick blades are negatively charged magnets. If they're giving up size to improve this situation, great.

Every lineup does need some good sized players though. There are two types that the Avs should try and avoid though: big slow teddy bears (ala Colborne), and talentless plugs.

To me a bigger determination on a team speed level is their passing ability. The better passing team will almost always play faster regardless of their actual foot speed.

This. 100x over.

And it's not just the delivery part of the passing game. So many players on this team fumble passes that come their way. I get that too many outlet passes end up in Duchene's/MacKinnon's skates, but there are a lot of reasonable passes that are fumbled about also.

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

I hope we trade Duchene before the expansion draft. That way we can protect both Sven and Nieto. Cause some how I feel like if we have to expose one of them that will be the player Vegas takes from us. The only good depth pieces we have.

 

[McMetal]

I hope we trade Duchene before the expansion draft. That way we can protect both Sven and Nieto. Cause some how I feel like if we have to expose one of them that will be the player Vegas takes from us. The only good depth pieces we have.

Nobody has a spot available to protect him without losing a more valuable player than either of those. Not to mention whatever pieces we get may need protection.

 

[Avs71]

Watching the youth movement going on in the Avs/Blues game tonight, next year's team is going to be fast and young.

Ghetto-MacKinnon-Rantanen
Jost-Compher-Landeskog
Greer-1stround pick-Nieto

Just have to get a defenceman or three who can get the puck up to the forwards. And maybe a heavy fourth line.

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

Watching the youth movement going on in the Avs/Blues game tonight, next year's team is going to be fast and young.

Ghetto-MacKinnon-Rantanen
Jost-Compher-Landeskog
Greer-1stround pick-Nieto

Just have to get a defenceman or three who can get the puck up to the forwards. And maybe a heavy fourth line.

Should get One good Dman from the Duchene trade at least as well. I also have really like the games of both Barbeiro and Lindholm for us this season, if one of them can play on the off-side I think that'd be a solid 3rd pairing for us.


Then you've got Zads, EJ, and Barrie for 3/4 of the Top 4 D and Duchene trade for the last spot.

 

[UncleRisto]

Should get One good Dman from the Duchene trade at least as well. I also have really like the games of both Barbeiro and Lindholm for us this season, if one of them can play on the off-side I think that'd be a solid 3rd pairing for us.


Then you've got Zads, EJ, and Barrie for 3/4 of the Top 4 D and Duchene trade for the last spot.

Mironov does that.

 

[dahrougem2]

Mironov does that.

Yep. And Lindholm already does that, too.

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

Mironov does that.

Yeah, completely forgot about Mironov. He'll be the 3rd RHD and either Barbeiro(If he doesn't get taken in expansion) or Lindholm will be on the Left side.


The good news is that all of Weirdo, GoldyBluff, Tytuin, Gelinas who have all seen significant time on D this year will be out of the organization. Hopefully Beauch along with them. Replaced with young and better players.

 

[CobraAcesS]

Watching the youth movement going on in the Avs/Blues game tonight, next year's team is going to be fast and young.

Ghetto-MacKinnon-Rantanen
Jost-Compher-Landeskog
Greer-1stround pick-Nieto

Just have to get a defenceman or three who can get the puck up to the forwards. And maybe a heavy fourth line.

Grigorenko - Soderberg - Comeau is a pretty heavy 4th line lol

 

[cgf]

Damn, has it really gotten so bad that we have more faith in Barberio & Lindholm than in Bigras? I know that the kid has had a year from hell on the injury front, and that he's been forcing too much on the ice; but barring a change in management to a much more free-wheeling decision maker, our D next season should really come to look like:

Zads* - Johnson
Dutchy* - Barrie
Bigras - Mironov
(Barberio - Lindholm)

With those last four moving up & down the depth chart based on form & fitness.

 

[tigervixxxen]

I'll still keep defending Bigras' game but I feel like the Avs are starting to move on and that Roy was the only one who ever really liked him. And Barb is still a plug, though a good one and I don't think Lindholm has a ceiling above a bottom pairing defender but they are in the here and now.

 

[Foppa2118]

I'll still keep defending Bigras' game but I feel like the Avs are starting to move on and that Roy was the only one who ever really liked him. And Barb is still a plug, though a good one and I don't think Lindholm has a ceiling above a bottom pairing defender but they are in the here and now.

I don't think they're moving on. At least I hope not. I don't think they're that stupid.

If they decided to stick with Barrie, and like D men like Barberio and Golobouf, then they shouldn't be predisposed not to like Bigras. They should love him actually.

To be honest, I think what happened was they wanted to give him a bit more seasoning in the AHL after training camp, and probably planned on giving him a callup at some point. In which he might have solidified his spot, but then that concussion kind of derailed things.

I think he'll get his shot in camp, and should have every opportunity to make the team if he puts in a good performance.

 

[tigervixxxen]

Let's put it this way, he missed about two more weeks than Compher did

 

[Goulet17]

I do have a feel that Bigras may have lost some stature in the Avs organization. It could be that Roy was his biggest proponent from the beginning. I have the impression that Bednar is not nearly as enamored with Bigras as Roy and Sakic does give some deference to his coach on these matters, although I think it would be a mistake in this case. I believe the Avs may have encouraged Bigras to expand his game to become more offensively inclined, which I think may have contributed to his struggles at times (along with the injuries) this season. I think he is still a valuable asset and part of the future with the Avs, as soon as next season, so I do see it as a true mistake if the Avs have soured on him.

Who knows, maybe with Zadorov's improvement, Lindholm's play, the addition of Barberio by waiver, and the possible signing of Mironov, the Avs feel that the LHD position is a an area of organizational improvement and Bigras may be getting lost in the shuffle somewhat.

 

[Balthazar]

Personally I really dislike seeing bottom pairing guys playing on their off-side. Also, the current hype around Mironov on this board reminds me of the hype around Maxim Noreau when we signed him a few years ago. Calm down people.

 

[tigervixxxen]

It's not making them play on their offside just to do it, they prefer to play there. I'm not sure if Lindholm has played one game this year on the left side. Europeans tend to like playing on the offside.

Mironov is a bit different than Noreau, who was a signed FA from the NLA. I dont expect anything from Mironov other than bottom pairing unless and until he shows offense or elite shutdown capability in the NHL.

 

[Balthazar]

It's not making them play on their offside just to do it, they prefer to play there.

There are physical reasons why they are less effective on their off-side, which is why many coaches won't allow it (regardless of what the player wants).

Mironov is a bit different than Noreau, who was a signed FA from the NLA. I dont expect anything from Mironov other than bottom pairing unless and until he shows offense or elite shutdown capability in the NHL.

People were painting Noreau all over the AVS' roster as soon as they learned that we signed him. We don't know if Mironov is even close to an NHL caliber dman so let's wait a little before adding him to our 2017-18 AVS roster wishlist?

 

[McMetal]

I don't see any indication the Avs are moving on from Bigras at all. Concussions, especially ones as bad as this one was rumored to be, can kill an entire season for a player. His development was basically put on hold for a year because of it. It's nothing that the org had any control over, or Bigras for that matter. He's probably still recovering. Next year will be the deciding factor in whether it hurt his career or not, but we should expect that he will get a fair shot in camp. How well he's recovered should be the only deciding factor in whether he makes the team.

 

[Foppa2118]

Let's put it this way, he missed about two more weeks than Compher did

That doesn't necessarily mean he recovered as well from the concussion as Compher might have though. Especially if he was out two weeks longer.

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

There are physical reasons why they are less effective on their off-side, which is why many coaches won't allow it (regardless of what the player wants).



People were painting Noreau all over the AVS' roster as soon as they learned that we signed him. We don't know if Mironov is even close to an NHL caliber dman so let's wait a little before adding him to our 2017-18 AVS roster wishlist?

That's just not true. You're not giving the KHL nearly enough credit as a league.


It's easily the 2nd best league in the world, and Mironov is an All-Star callibre Dman in that league.


Nobody is expecting him to come over and instantly become this Top pairing elite shut down guy. But for a guy who has shown what he's shown in the KHL, it's not at all unreasonable to expect him to be a solid 3rd pairing Dman for the Avs next year.


I mean look at Nikita Zaitsev. He came across for Toronto and did absolutely just fine in the NHL in his first season. Mironov likely does the same. He wont produce the points Zaitsev has been producing, but he's much better in his own zone and that should carry over well into the NHL.



As for Bigras, I think with the time he's missed this year along with his play in the AHL he's definitely fallen a bit within the organization. He still has easily more potential than the likes of Lindholm, Mironov, Barbeiro, etc. but he also definitely needs more time in the AHL to actually play and get back into the swing of things next year.


Lindholm hasn't looked out of place at all in his stint with the Avs this year, and regardless of the opinions of fans on a message board, the fact Lindholm was the one to get that call up over Bigras and the other young Dmen in San Antonio is a clear indicator that the Avs brass are a big fan of his game and want to see more out of him.

 

[McMetal]

Pierce, to your point about Lindholm, there's also the possibility that a late shot at the NHL was part of an agreement they had with him when he signed on. It may have nothing to do with Bigras and just purely be about a promise that they made that he would get an audition this year. Not to mention, the concussion that derailed Bigras's year could have changed their plans. I think people underestimate how serious concussions can be and how long it takes to fully recover.

 

[tigervixxxen]

He literally came back from the concussion two weeks after Compher did. I think way too much is being made about it.

 

[AvsCOL]

He literally came back from the concussion two weeks after Compher did. I think way too much is being made about it.

Well, let's hope. Have to agree though, it's a huge concern. His playing style doesn't help either, took a ton of hits in the NHL when he played as well.

 

[hughdreamz]

He literally came back from the concussion two weeks after Compher did. I think way too much is being made about it.

Agreed. Bigras' season was a bump in the road, but he will be back next year vying for a bottom pairing role with the Avs.