Malefic74 said:
Good points.
Unless I'm mistaken though, the Wings still have a decent crop of prospects while the Avs look a little thin in that department right now. That's more what I was referring to. You are absolutely right about the young guys on the Avs although the Drury deal still stings a bit.
Yeah we're all pretty bitter bout that. I think our extinction is exagerated.
I thought they kept more picks than that. I stand corrected. However, if you're still finding talent like the Wings have outside the first round... that's impressive.
really both teams have mined the late rounds well and late first round on occasion. It somehow just recently became a talking point that the Avs couldn't draft.
If one guy is the only extravagence on your resume in the NHL that's not bad.
Well last season Hasek flamed out, the jury is still out on Hatcher, they literaly couldn't give CuJo away and I've heard complaints about Devareaux
And Krupp was a valuable player at the time. Only after his injury did he really decline. It was seen as a good deal that only looks bad in hindsight.
Strange thing is he suffered his injuries largely as a result of the Red Wings. Lapointe tore his ACL in 95 and he threw his back out fighting Pushor in 97.
Yet Chelios has fit with the team very well.
Yeah Chelios was pretty good, but he was with Samuelson, Clark, Ranford
I would argue the Hatcher signing was worse, but by and large he plugs a defenceman in and it works.
Might turn out well I think he'll just be a bit over prised when it's said and done
Past-his-prime Coffey worked,
IIRC Coffey was traded in 96-97 for Shanahan before Holland was GM
True dat
Even Cujo wasn't a bad pickup and played well. The ensuing soap opera with Hasek is a black spot though.
CuJo probably shouldered too much blame for the loss the Anahiem, but I've alway felt he's a bit overrated.
A lot of the Avs turnover was Lacroix's own doing though. Free agency wise I don't remember the Avs getting crunched any worse than the Wings.
This is something Avs fans take great exception to, The Rag$ hit us hard. When the team was still playing in McNichols and cash poor the Rangers stepped in with their offersheet and $15 million signing bonus that the Avs had to match. The Rangers immediately signed Keane to a inflated contract out of spite. Lacroix also had to trade some guys like Ricci to hold out until the Pepsi Center got built and ownership sorted out. Since then the Rangers have raided the middle of our roster like clockwork. Lefevre, Kamensky, Fleury, Kasparitus, DeVries, Bryan Trotier off our bench. The only big one I remember them passing up were Klemm and Krupp.
As the teams have gotten older both guys have mixed it up pretty good. Maybe the difference is as slim as scouting and a couple of bad deals.
Fair assesment.
What compliactes the matter with Holland is that he shouldered alot of GM responcibilities when Bowman was the nominal GM and when Holland took the title Bowman was certainly no subordinate and deffinately had alot of say in presonel matters. Where does Holland's influence begin?