I have liked his game a lot. Skates hard, actually has speed, uses his body to make plays on pucks, has been trying to shoot everything, goes to the net.
I think it's more about Bednar's obsession with the Kivi-Kelly-LOC line. I really don't understand how that line became so important that they can't be broken up.
My issue is that I really want to see Pärssinen and Rantanen together. We need to spread the wealth, but Mitts was just dragging Rants down.
I know the Avs are not the only ones to do this, but it's pretty scummy behaviour IMO. A lot of these rookies/callups might not have that much of an NHL career anyway, and they are losing so much money, when it really doesn't show up in the bottom line of the Avs anyway. Not to mention, you should not be expected to make money with a sports team anyway.
Gotta think Kroenke's deal to CMac is "I will go into LTIR but you better do every last possible thing to save me money elsewhere" and these are those transactions, unfortunately.
Like I said, this is not unique to the Avs. Even a team like the Rangers does it, or used to do it under Jeff Gorton. And it was not limited to 4th liners either, a guy like Kakko lost plenty of money during his ELC being sent down as a paper transaction. He never played a single game down there.
In their defense, they are likely to be top 5 in actual payroll spent this year. That isn't ment to take away from the shittyness towards guys like Innala or Ivan who may never see an NHL paycheck again.
The next CBA, I wonder if the NHLPA would fight for pay for games played rather than days rostered.
Never, because there are always people sitting in the press box collecting a pay cheque.
