Denver Post sports writer Adrian Dater posts his Avs Mailbag each Monday during the 2005-06 NHL season on DenverPost.com.
To drop a question into the Mailbag or visit DenverPost.com’s .
Why is it that so many “experts” have the Avs barely making the playoffs in 2005-06, yet have the Red Wings as being a major contender? What do the Wings have that the Avs don’t this year? I just don’t see how Detroit’s roster is any more impressive than Colorado’s.
— Scott Noel, Pensacola, Fla.
Scott – I think the reason the Wings are the favorite of more “experts” is that they have more big-name players than the Avs. Guys like Yzerman, Shanahan, Chelios, Datsyuk, Lidstrom, Zetterberg and Lang are still there. Those are some excellent players, even though Yzerman looked really slow in the game I saw him play in Detroit during the preseason (he’s still a legend, Wings fans, no hate mail!).
They still have familiar role players such as Draper, Maltby and Holmstrom, too. It’s still a very good team, at least on paper. The question marks are the goaltending and depth on defense, which wasn’t helped by the probable season-ending injury to promising young D-man Niklas Kronwall last week.
We’ll see, but I think Detroit came out of the lockout with more of their top core guys intact than the Avalanche did.
I haven’t heard a thing, good or bad, about Marek Svatos this preseason. Is he going to be the top-line winger he appeared to be a few years back?
— Alan Bushell, Victoria, British Columbia
Alan – That’s one of the $64,000 questions as we embark on the new season. Frankly, I didn’t think Svatos was all that impressive during the preseason. He was already in the organization’s doghouse for a sub-par year in Hershey during the lockout. He’s got speed and some skill, but he needs to show, and soon, that he’s a harder worker and can be a dependable player – not just a guy who shows you a flash every now and then.
Hi, Adrian. Since there haven’t been any preseason games on TV, I’m wondering if you think the lockout really had any effect on the fan support? I mean, I was able to get tickets to games here that I never have before (e.g. Red Wings), but the Avalanche said that the team had its best one day of sales ever? So, was the lockout really a “negative”? Thanks.
— Gino Ughetti, Aurora
Gino – The lockout was definitely a negative, no matter which way you analyze it. For the players and fans. But I like the way the sport is emerging from it. I think people like the new rules, especially the shootouts. There’s a fresher feeling to the sport, and the true hockey fans are all revved up again. The fence-sitting fans are the ones the sport still needs to worry about, and we’ll see soon what kind of attendance every team has early in the season. I think it will be good.
In Denver, the preseason games were pretty much packed houses in the Pepsi Center, and I don’t think that will change when the real games start.
What about Colorado’s rivalry with the dreaded Red Wings? Is that rivalry history?
— Esteban, Portland, Ore.
Esteban – Oh, I don’t think so. Just last week, Dan Hinote likely ended Kronwall’s season with a hit (see above), and I’m sure there will be some payback for that when the teams meet in the regular season.
It doesn’t take much to spark that rivalry. There’s so much great history to it. I think it will always be special to the fans whenever the teams meet, much like there will always be something to Broncos-Raiders games when they meet. It will be hard to match the venom of the rivalry’s past, but there are always new chapters possible to it (pun intended).
Hi, Adrian. It was nice chatting with you in Las Vegas. Were you able to find out if Milan Hejduk has a no-trade clause in his contract? Thanks!
— Trisha Boyer, Chandler, Ariz.
Trisha – Nice chatting with you and your sister, too. (For those curious, Trisha and her sister were in Vegas for the preseason game, and are definitely hardcore Avalanche superfans).
As for Hejduk, the answer is no, he does not have a no-trade contract. Only Joe Sakic and Rob Blake have them on the Avs.
Hi, Adrian. Could you please give a quick update on Jason Krog’s progress in camp as well as your opinion on his chances of making the team this year? Thank you.
— Archie, Toronto
Archie – I think Krog has looked decent in camp. He’s a good faceoff man, as he won 12 of 18 against the Kings the other night. He hasn’t done much offensively, though, at least statistically. I think it’s going to be a 50-50 call on whether he makes it to opening night. I think he’d be a great guy to have in the organization if he doesn’t start the season with the big club, though, in case injuries strike. Don’t forget, he was a regular with an Anaheim team that went to the Finals a few years ago, so he’s proven he’s capable at the NHL level.
Hi, Adrian. Do you have any thoughts on how the new coaching situation is working out? I have not heard much about Tony Granato. Thanks.
— Bill Gosser, Sandusky, Ohio
Bill – I think the coaching situation looks good. Joel Quenneville is an excellent coach, and I think he and Granato get along very well. I think Granato has accepted his new role with class and dignity, and is working hard to aid Quenneville. Granato is an excellent team player, and I think he learned a lot as the head coach that will help him down the road if and when he gets such a chance again.
Adrian Dater has covered the Colorado Avalanche since the team moved to Denver in 1995. To drop a question into his Mailbag or visit DenverPost.com’s .
