Aside from a touch of gray around the temples, it looked like the same Joe Sakic Friday who has been at the start of every other Avalanche training camp since 1995.
The Avalanche captain, who turned 39 in July and weighed retirement before deciding to return for a 20th NHL season, took part in physical testing at the Pepsi Center along with the rest of his teammates. The future Hall of Famer said he is ready to get on the ice in earnest Saturday in the first day of training camp.
And, despite several national publications that have picked the Avs to finish out of the playoffs, Sakic is expecting the opposite this season.
“I like our team. We’ve got a good mix on this team, and I’m excited,” Sakic said. “I think we’re real good on the back end, and we’ve got guys who can score too. I think we’re going to be a real good team.”
Sakic said his body feels great, with the hernia injury that sidelined him half of last season fully healed. Maybe more important than that, he said, his mind feels hungry for hockey again.
“I wanted to really wait to make the right decision to come back, and I know now I did,” he said. “I’ve done this my whole life, and the competitive drive hasn’t gone away.”
For now, at least, the Avs are a fully healthy team – although forward Marek Svatos has been wearing a yellow “no contact” jersey in recent scrimmages with teammates. By the end of the playoffs last season, the Avs had several top forwards and defensemen out of the lineup with various ailments.
One of those players, center Paul Stastny, said the minor surgery he had on a knee hasn’t given him any problems.
“Everything feels good, ready to go,” said Stastny, the Avs” lone all-star representative last season.
Avs coach Tony Granato said he will emphasize the same up-tempo offensive philosophy of years past, and will put a major priority on improving the power play and penalty killing – areas in which the Avs finished in the bottom 10 in the league.
“We have speed and great offensive instincts with the puck,” Granato said. “I want to be able to use that to our advantage. But we also have to be good without the puck. You have to be conscious of it, and our overall philosophy going forward is that we have to ask ourselves how we can be a little better every single day? I’m confident and excited at the challenge.”
Adrian Dater: 303-954-1360 or adater@denverpost.com
