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

[Nihiliste]

First order of business needs to be a new front office.

Sakic and McFarland shouldn't be the ones to trade the core and rebuild.

A new GM would immediately be in a stronger negotiating position by virtue of the fact that the entire league wouldn't be sure of his incompetence.

 

[Avs_19]

Sakic hired Bednar two weeks after Patrick Roy‘s surprise resignation. The 45-year-old Bednar has two seasons remaining on his contract, and Sakic said he hadn’t changed his mind about his coach returning.

“Like I told you last time,” Sakic said, “there is no thought otherwise. He’s coming back. Like I told you…” — sense the theme here? — “…we’re hoping to have a younger team with more depth.”

How would he rate the job Bedar has done?

“He was put in a position, late in the game, trying to get prepared for training camp and having that in place with this group, and kind of quickly learning on the job with a new team that he didn’t know much about,” Sakic said. “We’re dead-last in the league so we all have to get better at what we do. But I know he’s excited and we’re excited to have the whole summer in place to get ready for next training camp, the way he wants to run his training camp with this group. All the players are going to be prepared. We’re looking forward to next year.”

http://www.denverpost.com/2017/04/08/avalanche-journal-joe-sakic-full-steam-ahead/

I guess the only way Bednar won't be back now is if Sakic isn't back. I don't think anyone should be too surprised by this.

 

[Avs44]

Based on the confidence he's speaking with there, Sakic probably isn't going anywhere either. I suppose we will know in the next couple weeks. However, Bednar sticking isn't a surprise. Firing him now would be admitting Sakic's coach hiring last year was badly botched. Bednar was very much "his guy," so he'll get another shot.

 

[Avs44]

We’re already working on our training camp, number one, and our offseason conditioning program,†Bednar said. “Our testing come training camp time is going to be more intense and there’s going to be a lot more to it — both on-ice testing, off-ice testing.â€

“We’re putting together this whole program we’ll be finalizing over this next week or so as we go into exit meetings,†Bednar said. “We’ll have guys come back in for a week at a time to train with those guys, kind of bring our team closer together, build a culture that we want going into next season, make our group tighter. And also, we want to be one of the best-conditioned teams. Every team says it, but we have to start moving our team in the right direction.â€

The talk about conditioning sure sounds a lot like Eakins

 

[CB Joe]

I have no confidence in Sakic and the rest of the front office. I've never been more pessimistic about the Avs future. The Avs are without a doubt one of the worst run franchises in the NHL currently.

 

[Foppberg]

I don't have a whole lot of confidence in management either, but this sub also tends to be lean towards pessimism. I don't think things are THAT dire, but it's not good.

 

[Nalens Oga]

Even if we magically improve with the same roster under Bednar, having a GD better by 50 goals is still a -60 and having 20 points more is still less than 70 pts. That's still last place, I dunno wtf they're expecting.

 

[CalderKing21]

While the results were not good, this roster was poorly structured and a bad fit for Bednar with short notice.

We need to allow him to have his coaches in place and a legitimately sufficient roster to judge. I do not understand why anyone would believe there was a chance that Bednar would be fired so soon, there was little chance for success this season, even if Roy came back we would have still been a bad team.

 

[RoyIsALegend]

Of course Bednar is staying. The goal is Dahlin, people. Prepare for the worst.

 

[tigervixxxen]

The worst would be more mediocre delusion, I'm ready for that.

 

[Goulet17]

Of course Bednar is staying. The goal is Dahlin, people. Prepare for the worst.

Well, let's assume that Dahlin is the overwhelming consensus for the first selection in 2018. Let's also assume that the Avs finish dead last again.

Assuming the above, the Avs have less than an 18% chance of getting Dahlen. It's better than powerball odds, but if Dahlen is the focus of this board for the next year, it will be a grim reality around here.

 

[tigervixxxen]

Well, let's assume that Dahlin is the overwhelming consensus for the first selection in 2018. Let's also assume that the Avs finish dead last again.

Assuming the above, the Avs have less than an 18% chance of getting Dahlen. It's better than powerball odds, but if Dahlen is the focus of this board for the next year, it will be a grim reality around here.

No kidding. Stop watching those highlights, people. But top 10 D much better as a whole next year. We'll pick 11th

 

[dahrougem2]

Bednar sounds EERILY similar to Dallas Eakins and Sakic is starting to sound eerily similar to Craig MacTavish, too.

God I am not excited for next season

 

[Former Ladder]

Geez, guys. Chill out. I think a major reason we started the season so bad was conditioning. Plus, the young guys have a lot of strength and conditioning to accomplish. That is not a bad thing.

We are going to have a lot more young players in the lineup for the full year. It will be more exciting to watch just for that sake.

I get the doom and gloom from this season but it is going to be much better hockey for the Avs next year.

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

Geez, guys. Chill out. I think a major reason we started the season so bad was conditioning. Plus, the young guys have a lot of strength and conditioning to accomplish. That is not a bad thing.

We are going to have a lot more young players in the lineup for the full year. It will be more exciting to watch just for that sake.

I get the doom and gloom from this season but it is going to be much better hockey for the Avs next year.

Hey, get out of here with that optimism and realistic line of thinking. That's insanity to believe this team could use some improved conditioning, or that our head coach with a full off-season to prepare for the next season could actually do things the way he wants and prepare this team the right way. Sakic was obviously lying when he specifically mentioned getting younger and deeper for next year.


In case it wasn't obvious...



Avs will be much more enjoyable to watch next year, and much better. Probably still not a playoff team, but the youth injection alone will make them an exciting team to watch a la Toronto this year.

 

[Vaslof]

Geez, guys. Chill out. I think a major reason we started the season so bad was conditioning. Plus, the young guys have a lot of strength and conditioning to accomplish. That is not a bad thing.

We are going to have a lot more young players in the lineup for the full year. It will be more exciting to watch just for that sake.

I get the doom and gloom from this season but it is going to be much better hockey for the Avs next year.

I'm worried for the development of those young players if we continue with a coach who managed to make everyone in the team look worse than they are.

 

[Avs44]

Geez, guys. Chill out. I think a major reason we started the season so bad was conditioning. Plus, the young guys have a lot of strength and conditioning to accomplish. That is not a bad thing.

We are going to have a lot more young players in the lineup for the full year. It will be more exciting to watch just for that sake.

I get the doom and gloom from this season but it is going to be much better hockey for the Avs next year.

The team started the year all right, actually, and the kicked ass in the pre-season. The first month of the season was actually the best they played all year. I disagree that conditioning was the issue. They didn't come out of the gate lagging behind everyone else. Of course it's something that can be worked on, but I think Bednar might want to start by trying to repair some relationships.

 

[agentblack]

Hey, get out of here with that optimism and realistic line of thinking. That's insanity to believe this team could use some improved conditioning, or that our head coach with a full off-season to prepare for the next season could actually do things the way he wants and prepare this team the right way. Sakic was obviously lying when he specifically mentioned getting younger and deeper for next year.


In case it wasn't obvious...



Avs will be much more enjoyable to watch next year, and much better. Probably still not a playoff team, but the youth injection alone will make them an exciting team to watch a la Toronto this year.

I forget where i read this but someone said the difference between this new core of leafs vs the old one is that while the Kadri, Bozak, JVR core wilted under pressure the new core of AM, Nylander, Marner push back ...and they did it tonight again too.

Maybe we can build the same

 

[dahrougem2]

I forget where i read this but someone said the difference between this new core of leafs vs the old one is that while the Kadri, Bozak, JVR core wilted under pressure the new core of AM, Nylander, Marner push back ...and they did it tonight again too.

Maybe we can build the same

And they seem to have taught the old core to not wilt under pressure, either

 

[Sea Eagles]

Geez, guys. Chill out. I think a major reason we started the season so bad was conditioning. Plus, the young guys have a lot of strength and conditioning to accomplish. That is not a bad thing.

We are going to have a lot more young players in the lineup for the full year. It will be more exciting to watch just for that sake.

I get the doom and gloom from this season but it is going to be much better hockey for the Avs next year.

Hear, hear. What a refreshing read ! I actually think we'll be a playoff bubble team next season. I also thought originally (prior to Bednar taking over), we'd be bottom 3 this season.

Here are reasons I think we'll be much better next season:

X Rantanen's continued improvement: 7 points in his last 9 games as example
X J T Compher. What a fantastic little dynamite player !
X Andrighetto. I teased this trade. 14 points, in 18 games later !!
X Nieto, Barberio, Grimaldi & Lindholm are all very solid adds and upgrades on players dropped
X Full off season for Bednar to tune and teach his team a new system
X Tyson Jost looks like he's pretty smart IQ wise. He finds space on the ice. I love that.
X Varlamov returns, with a healed groin, something that has been plagueing him.
X Zadorov returns, and hopefully partners EJ
X Current picked players become somewhat depth (Beauch, Colborne, Comeau & others)
X We'll have heaps of cap space to play with.
X Add a top 2-3 pick (being Patrick / Hischier) - who people can't split)
X Some older, slower players who haven't produced result will be gone
X I'm sure some serious soul searching / learning has been done this season (won't want that repeated)
X Training regime per article - we need to be much more explosive (and angry tbh)
X We may (I hope NOT), but MAY have a top end D coming in for 9 (I love 9 to bits, sorry everyone)
X Potential immergance of guys like Butcher, Bigras, Siemens & others

etc etc etc. I could go on.

I look at this season, and then look at Columbus. Youngest team in the NHL. 4th overall in the entire NHL, and I firmly believe our up front roster is better than theirs. People can laugh this off all they like, I think our tandem is better than theirs. If Sakic can manipulate our defense smartly, I think we can some what emulate that.

Bare in mind everyone, I'd say 80% of our entire roster is having career years, but on the negative side of things. If all our players only play to expectations (i.e. Soderberg 45-50 points, EJ with 30-40 points, but a plus player, Barrie with 50 odd points etc etc etc), we are climbing those standings.

Cheers guys. Stick with it. Happier times are just around the corner.

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

I forget where i read this but someone said the difference between this new core of leafs vs the old one is that while the Kadri, Bozak, JVR core wilted under pressure the new core of AM, Nylander, Marner push back ...and they did it tonight again too.

Maybe we can build the same

It should be a good atmosphere for the young kids to come into next season. Not a lot of pressure, just a simple attitude to go out and play, learn the game at the NHL level and have some fun with it.


I think that's what made the Avs so good in 13/14 was that loose no expectations attitude they had going into the season. And it was what made the Leafs so good this season as well.



Once you start getting that confidence and feeling of "hey, we're actually winning some games and playing some good hockey" it starts to filter into everyones mindset and the players realize they can win games and be competitive. Before long you're in the thick of things for playoffs.


That's exactly what happen with the Leafs this season and I believe its certainly possible that the Avs can have a similar season. Probably not as good of a turn around as the Leafs had because I dont think our core will be quite as good as the Leafs core, but they should have a lot of fun playing and developing together next year and get better and better as the season progresses.

 

[DanishAvsfan]

I am also ok with another last place finish if they at least improve in some areas, look more inspirere and the vets are not given preferential treatment. But I am not sold on the conditioning explanation. To me it appears that Bednar and Sakic needs to mend some fences with certain players to make everyone come together although it seems from the Ghetto article that the young guys are quite tight eating out together and whatnot at least compared to Montréal.

 

[Nalens Oga]

I forget where i read this but someone said the difference between this new core of leafs vs the old one is that while the Kadri, Bozak, JVR core wilted under pressure the new core of AM, Nylander, Marner push back ...and they did it tonight again too.

Maybe we can build the same

No the difference was that AM/Nylander/Marner are star players while Kadri's a high-end 2nd liner and Bozak & JVR are support players who do little if they aren't scoring (especially JVR). Plus they added in a top-4 dman and got a bunch of energetic support players into the lineup and they weren't as bad last season as we are here.

I just don't see how we can make up a 20+ point gap to the rest of the league with just slightly better conditioning and another rookie or two added in. You gotta change much more than that to start getting on the right track. We're behind where the Leafs were in 2015-16 imo, we don't have the high-end talent they have or the depth in our prospect pool that they have and we need to start rebuilding to catch-up. The 2018 draft along with this pick could make a huge difference with that if they play their cards right.

 

[tigervixxxen]

They'll be 20 points better just by showing up next year. There's not going to be another sub 50 point season for a long time from anyone.

 

[Balthazar]

They'll be 20 points better just by showing up next year. There's not going to be another sub 50 point season for a long time from anyone.

So we'll be back on the playoff bubble (ie: worst place in hockey)?