Denver Post sports writer Adrian Dater posts his Avs Mailbag every Monday during the 2008-09 NHL season on DenverPost.com.
To drop an Avalanche- or NHL-related question into the Avs Mailbag or visit DenverPost.com’s .
It was great to see . Does Smyth carry any animosity for Hejduk from the time Hedgie’s high stick cost Smitty a tooth or two back in 2005 or is all forgiven when you’re teammates?
— Jeff, Oklahoma City
Jeff – All is forgiven. Those weren’t the only chicklets Smitty has lost over the years. He lost a few when former Oilers teammate Chris Pronger blasted a slap shot right into his mouth, on a power play.
Losing teeth is just something hockey players take for granted in a long career. Usually when their careers are over, they all get dental implants or expensive bridgework. Hockey players are a dentist’s best friend.
Adrian – During periods of the last years of Wayne Gretzky’s career, he was essentially a winger who took faceoffs. I noticed this initially during his short stint under “Iron” Mike Keenan with the St. Louis Blues. It relieved him of some defensive responsibilities while maintaining the perception that his play hadn’t dropped off. Assuming he returns to the Avs next year, do you think the time has come for Joe Sakic to embrace similar usage?
— Tom Jackson, Aurora
Tom – I doubt it. I don’t think Sakic would want to try a new position after 20 years as a center, and I doubt it would be the best thing for his play or for the team. Peter Forsberg converted to a winger when he returned to the Avs last year (and he played at wing at times previously with Colorado, especially in the second half of the 1998-99 season under Bob Hartley). But Forsberg was/is more suited to the grinding, banging game in the corners than Sakic would/could be.
It’s going to be very iffy for Sakic going forward. We’re all still waiting to see if he’ll even be able to play again this year — forget about next year. He nearly lost some fingers in a snowblower accident, and now he’s also recovering from back surgery. As someone who’s had back surgery myself, I can tell you you’re never the same. But Sakic is in just a little bit better shape than yours truly, sitting here in his recliner typing this, looking forward to some leftover pizza in the fridge when I’m done.
Adrian – I’m beginning to believe that Darcy Tucker is the worst free-agent signing the Avs have ever had. While Francois Giguere has made some quality trades, his free-agent signings and draft picks are questionable. Any talk about a hot seat for the GM? Thanks.
— Eric, Littleton
Eric – There’s always a hot seat, for any coach or GM. Generally, the seats are a little warmer for coaches, but GMs are not immune. The general rule for a GM is they get three coaches before losing their jobs, while coaches get one GM.
The Tucker signing has not worked out so far, it’s very true. He just doesn’t seem to have a good role on this team. He seems miscast. The Avs already have a few grinding, agitating forwards (Ian Laperriere, Cody McLeod, Cody McCormick), so it seems like overkill with Tucker added to the mix. He’s been a consistent 20-25 goal-scorer through his career, but has just five through his first 36 games with the Avs.
The knee injury Tucker suffered earlier this season in Anaheim didn’t do him any favors, either. He’s been playing with a brace on the knee ever since, and that’s cut down on a bit of his speed and agility. Tucker has another year left on his contract after this season, and I don’t know what the trade market is for 30-something wingers with a bum knee making over $2 million, but I would hazard a guess that it’s not very good.
I’ve been critical of Giguere over some of his offseason moves. . I thought it was a mistake to let Jose Theodore go over a small difference in money, and I thought it was a mistake to let Andrew Brunette go for nothing, too. So far, we haven’t seen a single trade this season from Giguere, and patience is wearing thin among the fan base. But Paul Stastny should be back in 2-3 weeks, and maybe Sakic will return not long after. So maybe those will be the Avs’ big “acquisitions” down the stretch.
I heard Peter McNab giving Marek Svatos kudos for his play, but I can’t help wonder if that’s not the same as a mother praising a child no one else cares for. Since the ’05-06 year, he has done little. What do you think management’s plan is for him? He seems like good trade bait to me.
— Skip, Washington
Skip – So, Svatos’ 26 goals last season — leading the team at the time he suffered a season-ending injury — was “little”? Yeah, he could be nice trade bait, but I think it’s wrong to suggest he has not done much for this team the last few years. He’s relentless around the net for loose pucks, and a clutch scorer.
No, he’s not having a great year, but it hasn’t been awful, either. He’s got 20 points in 40 games, with nine goals. He’s spent a lot of time on the third line with various partners, with Tony Granato trying to use him as a way to jumpstart the production of them and spread the wealth. Maybe that isn’t the best use of his talents, and maybe it would serve him and the team best if he went elsewhere — provided the Avs got something of good value in return.
Will the Avalanche ever address or just continue to throw seasons away?
— Brent, Colorado
Brent – You sound a little cynical. That was a “So when did you stop beating your wife?” kind of question.
Listen, I’ve been a tough critic of Peter Budaj and I think the numbers he’s put up this year have warranted a lot of criticism. He certainly did not go into the all-star break on a good note, getting bombed by the Kings before being yanked by Granato.
Goaltending just has been hit-and-miss since Patrick Roy retired. And yet, I thought the Avs might be set nicely for a while after last year, when Theodore had a great second half and stole a first-round playoff series. But then they let him go over a relatively small difference in salary. I said it was a mistake at the time and I still say it (and, yes, I
know that Theodore’s saves percentage so far with Washington — .898 — isn’t great. He’s also got a 17-9-1 record and has played much better of late than earlier in the season — just like last year).
The goalie prospects in the organization are question marks still. Trevor Cann is probably the most promising in the junior ranks, but it’s certainly a different game at the NHL level than junior. Tyler Weiman is playing well again for Lake Erie, and assuming he remains in the organization next season, I think he’ll get a long look in training camp for the top job. Everybody always wants to be better in goal, unless your team name is Vancouver, New Jersey or Boston. That’s why they call it the toughest position in all of sports.
Hey, Adrian! I love the mailbag. David Jones seems to be an exciting player for the Avs, but his points don’t seem to show that. Do you see David picking it up?
— Myron Dirks, Okatoks, Alberta
Myron – He’s been picking it up of late, so put your worries about Jonesie to rest. I think he’s definitely a kid on the rise, and he’s finally playing with some good confidence at the NHL level. I think you’ll see him hit the 20-goal mark next year.
Hi, Adrian. I thoroughly enjoy your commentary, and I know you’ve been probably asked the same question that I’m about to ask you, like, a hundred times. But … in your opinion … how can the Avs get back on track and try to regain a bit of their Patrick Roy-era glory?
— Nayef AlAbduljabbar, Golden
Nayef – I suppose if I had all the answers I’d be sitting in Francois Giguere’s office, with the title of GM instead of him. How does any team get better? Usually, things have to go bad for a while before it gets better. You finish out of the money for a few years, and you get better draft picks. Those draft picks then make you better, until their careers wane and you start all over again.
Yes, some teams, like the Red Wings, have managed to stay at the “elite” level over the years. Just about every other team, though, has gone through a period of mediocrity or worse. Look at the Capitals now. They’re one of the top teams in the league, but were horrible for a few years. Then, they get a guy like Alex Ovechkin and it all turns around. If the Avs get bad enough to get a top pick in the draft, or in the top five, the same kind of thing can happen.
We were spoiled all those years, with a championship team literally dropped in our laps in 1995. Now, finally, come the reckoning and the rebuilding. Depending on the choices made by management — in the draft and trades and everything else — the rebuilding back to elite level could take one or two years. Or, it could take 20. We’ll see.
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 .
