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 .
This past weekend, Joe Sakic moved into 15th place on the NHL all-time scoring list. Within another week or two, he should move up to 12th all-time. Not bad for a guy who coaches said was too small for the NHL, eh? Congratulations, Joe, and keep it up!
— Mark Lieberman, Littleton
Mark – Yes, Sakic just keeps going. He has looked good so far this season, even though he hasn’t scored a lot of goals. He’s still putting up points and playing well at both ends.
The year off really did seem to refresh Sakic, especially with the way he skates. He seems a little stronger on his feet than in recent years, not that he was ever weak.
Adrian – Now that Wojtek Wolski is going back to juniors, what happens to that $984,200 salary? Does he get paid that amount even while in juniors, or does the slate get wiped clean now that he’s not playing with the Avs? The whole salary thing confuses me. Can you explain? Thanks for your Avs Mailbag. It sure keeps an Avs fan living in Flyers Country up to date – GO AVS!
— Kim Colorado, Lititz, Pa.
Kim – No, Wolski does not get paid the $984,200. That salary is now off the books for the Avs. I don’t know what his junior salary is, but it’s not much. I thought Wolski played pretty well in his nine games here, and I think I would have kept him if I were the GM. I think he would have put up more points than Paul Healey – the guy Colorado called up to fill Wolski’s spot. But Wolski’s defensive game was a little shaky, and he’s only 19 years old. A case can be made that’s too young to jump to the NHL full-time if your name isn’t Sidney Crosby. But I still would have kept him.
Hey, Adrian, great Mailbag. What is your take on Cam Neely’s induction in the Hall? Personally I find it ridiculous that someone with only 694 points and no awards or Cups be allowed in. Who’s next, Saku Koivu when he reties?
— Mark Herget, Vancouver, British Columbia
Mark – I was a little surprised Neely made it, too, but he was a great player whose career was cut short mostly because of a cheap shot from behind by Ulf Samuelsson. Neely was the player Patrick Roy named as the toughest shooter he ever faced. That’s a pretty big compliment.
If Neely hadn’t been hurt, he’d easily have become a 500-goal scorer. For his time, he was the best power forward in the game. So, on that basis you can argue that he belongs in the Hall. And you can argue that injuries are part of the game, and Neely just didn’t play long enough to warrant going into the Hall. I’m on the fence on this one. I could argue either way, and be content with it.
Hey, Adrian, what’s the story with my favorite ex-Av, Chris Drury? At one point he was crowned captain of the Sabres. Now every time I check Buffalo’s box score, his name always seems to be absent.
— Bill, Chicago
Bill – Well, Drury is off to a slow start stats-wise, but I think he’ll be fine. And the Sabres, as a team, are off to a good start, 7-4 as of Sunday.
I don’t think Drury is the kind of player who should be relied upon as the “main guy” on a team. I think he’s best in a complementary role. He was that way with Colorado. He needs to play with good players – who doesn’t? – to better succeed offensively.
But Drury is still one of the top five guys in the game I’d choose if I needed a big goal. Remember his game-winner for the Sabres a couple years ago against the Avs here in Denver? He’s a great clutch player, and when the games get bigger in the second half of the year for the Sabres, my bet is that Drury will be more of a force.
What is it with the Avs and not being able to clear the puck from their defensive zone during penalty kills and when the opposition is pressing? I’ve noticed this problem for three to four years now. Am I crazy, or do you notice this as well?
— Rod, Edmonton, Alberta
Rod – I’ve harped on that for years. I’m glad somebody else noticed. The Avs too often blindly try to clear the puck, but put it right at one of the point men instead. Of course, there have been years when the Avs have led the league in penalty-killing percentage, and it’s pretty good again this year. But, you’re right, sometimes the Avs try to get too cute with clear-out attempts, and they get burned. Penalty killers are going to be a little more leery nowadays of trying to flip pucks high in the air and out of the zone, for fear they’ll put it in the stands and draw a delay-of-game penalty.
But still, you have to make sure you get the puck out. You’ve got to whack it hard out of the zone, not get too cute and try to thread the needle.
Hey, Adrian. I am already sick of all of the praise for Detroit this season. The Red Wings may be doing better than expected, but they have the easiest division in the league. Chicago, Columbus and St. Louis – thanks to the new schedule they have a cakewalk to the playoffs. Is this just league propaganda to get all the Wings fans back and watching hockey again?
— Matt Alvord, Lakewood
Matt – Yes, the Wings may be in a bad division, but they’re still a very good team. They have a good blend of youth and experience, and are going to still be a major threat for the Stanley Cup. Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg are thriving in the new league, and their defense has been better than people thought. Like they have in recent years, though, I think the Wings might wear down a little by the playoffs. Guys like Brendan Shanahan and Steve Yzerman are well up there in years, and Shanahan has shown a tendency to get tired by the playoffs.
Still, I wouldn’t bet against them to win it. They’re 11-1 and have a deep team.
It looked like there were three fights on opening night, not much considering all teams played. Is fighting all but dead in the league?
— Mac Hendrickson, Burleigh Heads, Australia
Mac – No, it’s not dead, but it definitely has waned over the years. With the new rules, a guy who can’t do anything but fight is going to go the way of the dinosaurs. You have to skate now and play a little defense the honest way. Georges Laraque of Edmonton is a good example. He has been a healthy scratch of late. He doesn’t have a point on the year. You can’t just be a goon anymore in the new NHL, and that’s definitely a good thing. But I think there will always be fighting in the league. You saw a couple this weekend in , for example.
Hi, Adrian. I’m wondering why the trivia question has disappeared from your weekly Avs Mailbag. I hope it’s not a salary-cap reason. 🙂
— Tomas, Turku, Finland
Tomas – As the Brooklyn Dodgers used to say: “Wait ’til next year.”
We need some time to go by to build up more trivia. Maybe I’ll throw one in once in a while this year, but we’ll see.
Not really a question; it is a reply about the Omaha resident who can’t get Avs games on TV. Here in Lincoln, Time Warner is the only cable company. Even though Time Warner can add Altitude to its lineup, it balked at the price tag, thus keeping us faithful Avs fans from viewing any games, even with the package. Fortunately, some of us have tickets to a few games
throughout the year, as usual.
— Adam H., Lincoln, Neb.
Adam – Thanks for clearing that up. Poor, poverty stricken Time Warner. Not enough money in the budget for a local sports channel? Color me skeptical.
Like I said last week, keep challenging the corporate suits.
Hey, big brother! I know I haven’t returned your e-mails, so I thought I would drop you a question. As you know, I’m currently living in South Carolina and experiencing hockey withdrawal. Not too many people seem to care about the sport down here, and I haven’t been able to see any games, let alone Avs. Are you aware of any cable options for me to be able to see
hockey – more importantly, Avalanche? (I just can’t live without watching Joe Sakic!)
— Chrissy Ladam, Keene, N.H.
Chrissy – You probably shouldn’t be watching hockey anyway. Better to be hitting the books!
I’m sure a sports bar somewhere down there would be able to get an Avs game on, though, if you got desperate.
But, memo to University of South Carolina-area bar owners: she’s too young to drink. Check that ID! Listen to your big brother!
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 .
