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 Avs Mailbag or visit DenverPost.com’s .
With Steve Konowalchuk out, what is the chance of pulling Wojtek Wolski back up?
— Bill Watts, Mankato, Minn.
Bill – Zero. Because Wolski is only 19 and was sent back to junior in October, he cannot be recalled by the Avalanche at all this season. This is the thing I openly wondered about, when the Avs sent him back. Namely, what happens if there’s an injury to Konowalchuk or another left wing?
Wolski would have been some nice insurance to have around. He had six points in the nine games he played. Since he’s been sent back, none of the three rookies from Lowell (Brad Richardson, Paul Healey and Cody McCormick) had yet to record a single point, as of Saturday.
I think it was a gaffe by Avalanche management to send Wolski back. He would have learned more as a player with the Avs than by playing another year in a junior league that he’s already played in. He would have offered more scoring talent than any of the other three rookies.
Sometimes, I just think this team goes too much by traditional modes, such as the thought that a player needs a certain number of years in the minors or junior before they should be allowed to stay in the NHL. It’s time to think outside the box a little more.
The Avs have Konowalchuk’s $1.9 million salary to use now toward another forward, however. They need to get somebody soon with some ability to fill his skates. Brad May on the second line all year isn’t going to cut it.
Adrian, I always read the Avs Mailbag from way out here in Alabama! Not many
hockey fans here, but I am a dedicated Avs fan! Being that we don’t have the
best record in shootout situations, how often do the guys practice shootouts?
— Sherri Brooks, Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Sherri – Alabama is one of the few states I’ve never been to. But I’d like to. I’ve turned into a major Civil War buff, and have loved learning more and more about the South and all its great history. Plus, the barbecue is, without question, the best in the South.
As for the shootouts, the Avs have been dismal so far. Worst in the league, in fact. They practice their shootout shots at practice, but perhaps not as much as they should. I think they’ll win their share of shootouts before the season’s over. They need to get better goaltending, though, too. It’s not just the shooters who have been failing.
On Nov. 26 on “Hockey Night in Canada,” John Davidson mentioned that Florida
goaltender Roberto Luongo was on the trading block, and that the Avs were
very interested in getting him. Davidson’s sources were unnamed Eastern
Conference GMs, who would be very happy to see Luongo leave the East for the
West. Have you heard any rumors in this regard? I assume that David
Aebischer would be part of the trade, but can the Avs take on Luongo’s
salary?
— Wil Lovato, Missouri City, Texas
Wil – I don’t think there is any question the Avs have looked at a possible deal for Luongo. Covering Pierre Lacroix like I have for 10 years, he’s always on the phone, talking to other GMs about possible deals. He calls the early stages of trade talks “teasing time,” meaning each side throws out their wildest offers, hoping the other side bites, before getting more realistic.
There was one rumor that the Panthers wanted Aebischer, Marek Svatos AND John-Michael Liles for Luongo. If Lacroix gave up that much, then I would seriously question his sanity. That’s too much, in my opinion. Let’s not make Luongo out to be Patrick Roy here just yet. The guy plays for the worst team in the East. He hasn’t been able to turn that team around. He needs help. He gets scored on as much as anybody else with a bad defense in front of him. Shouldn’t a superstar goalie bail out a team more than he has?
On the other hand, he does have a lot of talent and probably would have a lot better record playing for a better team. Luongo is angry at the Panthers for low-balling him in arbitration over the summer. He’s making $3.2 million this season, so the Avs would have to move Aebischer and probably another player to create enough cap room, assuming they get another forward to replace Konowalchuk as well.
Hi, Adrian! What is the deal with Kurt Sauer and Bob Boughner? Even with the
injuries, the organization called up players (don’t get me wrong, I’m not
saying Brad Richardson doesn’t deserve it) instead of shifting things around
to get the two veterans in. Why isn’t Avalanche coach Joel Quenneville
putting them in?
— Tina, New York
Tina – Well, those are good questions, but it boils down to the fact that other D-men are doing a good job and it would be harder to sit them. Brett Clark has been very good for the Avs, and doesn’t deserve to sit. The other five have been pretty good, although there are times when Ossi Vaananen or Karlis Skrastins struggle, along with Patrice Brisebois.
Boughner is 34 and probably has slowed down a step. Sauer is the bigger mystery to me. He was highly regarded as a young up-and-comer in the league just a couple of years ago. Now, he’s not playing at all. He’s probably trade bait at this point. He would be easier to move than Boughner, who is making $950,000.
Adrian: Did the Avs change their TV announcing team again? I like it!
— Rick, Cleveland
Rick – Yes, Mike Haynes, the longtime radio announcer for the Avs, is the new TV play-by-play guy on Altitude. Altitude replaced Doug McLeod with Haynes. I feel badly for McLeod; he was a nice guy with a family, and to be replaced 20 games into the season was pretty harsh. I don’t know all the politics of the decision, but apparently some viewers didn’t like McLeod and aired their views. I’m sure it was more complicated than that.
Haynes is a terrific announcer, and Peter McNab is one of the best color men around. So, it’s a powerhouse team now on TV. Norm Jones is doing the radio by himself now, and he’s a real pro, too. I just hope McLeod finds a good gig somewhere else.
In your opinion, what do the Avs need this year to win the Stanley Cup? I
know it’s still way early, but I see a team with good depth and the right
coach.
— Tim, Lakewood
Tim – The depth took a big hit with the loss of Konowalchuk. The Avs need to find a replacement forward soon. They can’t go with Brad May as the second-line forward much longer. May is a great fourth-line guy, but not on the second.
Quenneville is an excellent coach, so there are no worries there. The question is: Do the Avs have enough horses to go all the way? An awful lot of things would have to go just right for them to win a Cup, but anything’s possible once you get into the playoffs. They have to do that first, and it might not be easy.
Obviously, they’ll need great goaltending. So far, it’s been a bit spotty. And, they are too easy at times to get shots against. Vancouver put 44 on the board the other night, and there have been alarming stretches where the Avs give up numerous quality chances. The game in Detroit a couple weeks ago was another example of that.
I have always wondered why Marc Crawford wears that flower. I don’t recall
him wearing it when he coached the Avs.
— Jennifer, Longmont
Jennifer – Those are “poppies,” which everybody in Canada wears much of the winter to commemorate “Remembrance Day,” on Nov. 11. It is the Canadian version of our Veterans’ Day.
According to one website: “The tradition of wearing poppies in honor of Canada’s war dead takes its origin from the poem In Flanders Fields,’ written in 1915 by Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae. John McCrae was a Canadian Medical Officer during the First World War. His poem reflects his firsthand account of what he witnessed while working from a dressing station on the bank of the Yser Canal.”
Adrian: Do you think Rob Blake will be here next year? I don’t think he can
dominate in the new system.
— Dave, Longmont
Dave – Good question. Too early to tell, but if Blake comes back, he’s going to have to take a hit in salary from the nearly $7 million he’s been making with Colorado.
I’m not sure Blake ever was a dominating player in the sense that he controlled the tempo like defensemen such as Ray Bourque or Brian Leetch. He doesn’t have the puck-carrying skill of those two. His offensive prowess usually has come from blasts from the point on the power play, or some rebounds around the net. He’s not the passer and setup guy that Bourque and others were.
Still, Blake is a very good player who plays a lot of minutes for the Avs. Sometimes I think he might play a bit too much. He’s been a workhorse his whole career, and I wonder if his body is feeling some age at this point. He’ll be 36 in a few days.
Yo, Adrian. I thought I’d share something I didn’t know until lately. Every
hockey fan should know about the free highlights on nhl.com this year. The
website shows every goal of every game. It’s the perfect way to keep up with
the Avs when you can’t watch the games (or don’t have time to watch). Spread
the word, and go Avs!
— John, Palo Alto, Calif.
John – Yes, it’s incredible what you can find on that site now. It’s basically a “goal on demand” system. It’s a great way to see stuff you missed or want to see again. It’s a brave new world when it comes to technology. I mean, when I started on this beat, I was using a Radio Shack computer that had about enough memory to hold three or four stories, tops. It took several minutes to modem the stories into the paper by phone. I could barely see the one-inch screen in front of me (maybe that’s why I need reading glasses now). To read one of my stories on a road trip, I would have to call the paper and have it faxed to a hotel, then have it delivered to me. Now, I can call it up in one second on a high-speed wireless laptop.
But I won’t give up my rotary-dial telephones, darn it!
Adrian Dater has covered the Colorado Avalanche since the team moved to Denver in 1995. To drop a question into his Avs Mailbag or visit DenverPost.com’s .
