The NHL’s salary cap was responsible for breaking up some of the Avalanche’s longtime core of star players. Now, the cap is keeping Avalanche president and general manager Pierre Lacroix from making any trades that might help rebuild his team.
While Lacroix said he likes the way the Avalanche has performed so far, he acknowledged exploring trades in recent weeks – something he stressed he is always doing, in any year. But in the salary-cap era, making a deal isn’t as easy as in the old days.
“It takes two to tango. You need a willing partner, and right now there are no willing dance partners,” Lacroix said of the current trade landscape. “If you talk to a team, there are always a lot of factors now. The cap – they don’t have any room, you don’t have any room – it doesn’t quite fit, etc.”
Goaltending has been in the Avs’ spotlight of late. Colorado has three healthy goalies on its roster going into tonight’s home game with Ottawa, just as it has the previous three games. Rumors have floated for weeks about the Avs trading a goalie, most likely David Aebischer – and probably more – to Florida for well-regarded young netminder Roberto Luongo.
Lacroix would not get into specifics of any trade talks.
The Avs are near the $39 million cap, and would have to cut some salary even if they unloaded Aebischer’s $1.9 million contract to take on Luongo ($3.2 million), who can become an unrestricted free agent after next season. Another published report recently said the Avs have inquired about Anaheim goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere, but he is making $3.99 million.
The Avs had some cap space created recently with the season-ending injury to Steve Konowalchuk, who was making $1.9 million.
Lacroix said he is not unhappy with Aebischer or rookie Peter Budaj, both of whom have sat the past three games in favor of Vitaly Kolesnik, a rookie. Kolesnik will get the start again tonight against Ottawa, coach Joel Quenneville said Sunday.
“We have three very good young goalies,” Lacroix said. “It’s a good situation for the team, a competitive situation. We’re happy with what we have.”
In 1995, Lacroix said almost the same words about being happy with young goalies Jocelyn Thibault and Stephane Fiset, but then dealt Thibault as part of the blockbuster deal that brought Patrick Roy to Denver.
Lacroix said he has enjoyed watching the Avalanche’s style of play this season. Tonight’s game features the two highest-scoring teams in the league, with Ottawa’s 116 goals just ahead of Colorado’s 114.
“Even in the games we’ve lost, fans have come away saying, ‘Wow, that was exciting,”‘ Lacroix said. “Of course, our hockey staff wants to win every game. But we’re playing an exciting brand of hockey, one that our fans love, and we have a lot of great pieces to the puzzle here.”
A new trading landscape
The two most significant trades in the NHL this season:
Joe Thornton traded by Boston to San Jose for Marco Sturm, Brad Stuart and Wayne Primeau: So far, the trade is blowing up in Boston’s face. Thornton had four points on Saturday night in a Sharks win, while the Bruins looked anemic in Denver last week. Boston also has given up on Bobby Orr, Phil Esposito and Ray Bourque in the past.
Sergei Fedorov and a fifth-round pick in 2006 traded by Anaheim to Columbus for Tyler Wright and Francois Beauchemin: A pure salary dump by the Mighty Ducks. The Blue Jackets are waiting for dividends. Fedorov did not score a goal in his first eight games with Columbus. Some wonder if he is over the hill.
OTTAWA AT COLORADO
7 tonight, ALT
SPOTLIGHT ON DANY HEATLEY
The forward’s career outlook became clouded after he was injured in a September 2003 car crash in Atlanta that claimed the life of teammate Dan Snyder. But Heatley might be the NHL’s most valuable player through the first third of the season. He has been terrific playing on a line with Daniel Alfredsson.
NOTEBOOK
* SENATORS STUMBLING: Ottawa enters tonight’s game on a two-game losing streak, one in overtime and one in a shootout. Ottawa had not lost two in a row all season. The Senators, whose 118 goals lead the league, scored only three goals in losses to Vancouver and Calgary.
* SENATORS NUMBERS: Ottawa ranks among the top five in overall penalty-killing percentage (87) and power-play (21.1). The Senators’ .815 winning percentage is tops in the league.
* FOOTNOTES: The Avalanche held a brief workout Sunday at the Pepsi Center. … Colorado has allowed at least one power-play goal in 14 of the past 16 games. … Senators youngster Jason Spezza, third in the league with 43 points, has been bothered lately by a sore hip. He is expected to play tonight.
* This story reported the Ottawa Senators had scored 116 goals and the Avalanche had scored 114 going into Monday night’s game. Those numbers reflect the total goals scored by each team excluding shootouts. Shootout goals are not added to players’ goal totals. One goal is awarded to the winning team of each shootout and is reflected in the goals categories of the NHL standings. Including shootout goals, the Senators had 118 goals through Sunday and the Avalanche had 115.
Staff writer Adrian Dater can be reached at 303-820-5454 or adater@denverpost.com.
