Colorado Avalanche Fans: Join Burgundy Brigade

Over the past season for the Avalanche, it became awfully tough to watch the games, especially in the second half of the season when the team only won about 4 games in the last 30.

At one point, later in the season, I had the good fortune of attending an Avalanche game with the Bulldog Support Group that supports the Denver MLS team, the Colorado Rapids. I wrote an earlier piece on them here

Two things happened at this game for me. First, I was absolutely disgusted by some of the fans. There was a kid sitting about five rows down from me who had an iPad that he played for the entire game. Never looked up once, except maybe to eat his food or drink his soda. Never looked at the game at all.

There were also a couple of ladies sitting in front of us who seemed put off by the fact that our whole group wanted to cheer through the game. Apparently the real fans were messing up their chance to have a nice quiet talk. Sorry sister, if you're at a hockey game, you should be there to make some noise.

Second, the BSG is loud, cheers, sings, chants, the whole game, and I had so much fun that they inspired me to get rolling with my own group for the Avalanche.

After tossing an idea or two around the Twitterverse, about 4 of us came up with what we want to call it and what we can to try and do with it. The group is called The Burgundy Brigade.

Our mission is to bring excitement, passion, and a real enjoyable environment back to the Pepsi Center and cheer for the team no matter what.

We've made a lot of progress since the start. We have our own web page, we have a facebook page, we have a Twitter, @BurgundyBrigade, and we're attempting to get some networking going with the Avs.

So this is my call to all Avalanche fans who are tired of being outcheered by the opponents fans. Fans who want to turn the Pepsi Center back into a place feared by opponents.

Let's do this!

Return to Roller Hockey

I had an interesting start to my week. First, I found out that my position was being cut for the next school year, so I won't have a job after May. Good times.

Then, later that evening, I went to play in my first roller hockey game in about 5 years. It was quite the experience.

Let me say this, I was expecting to be very tired by the end of the game because I am nowhere near as physically fit as I used to be. But almost nothing could have prepared me for how tired I would end up being.

My team only had 4 people show up to the game, and roller hockey leagues play 4 on 4. So all of us had to play the whole game, without any substitutes. If you've ever played any type of hockey, you know how exhausting just a few minutes can be, let alone the entire damn game.

I tried to take things easy, but after about 10 minutes had passed, I was completely and totally gassed and just kind of glided around until the clock had the good decency to run out of time. We lost in a shootout, so at least we gained a point.

On the plus side, I was happy to discover that I still am capable of skating pretty darn well, and that my positioning and hockey instincts are all pretty much intact. I just have to get back to the point where I can play for a while without feeling like I'm going to die.

What's even better, I actually seem to have a better wrist and slap shot than I did the last time I played, so I can call that a bonus!

Hopefully we'll have a couple more guys show up next week so that we can have some subs. If not, I may not be able to finish the game. I was barely able to stand at the end as it was. Ahh to be 16 and in great physical shape again. **sigh**

I'll keep you up to date on how things go! And if you live in or around Colorado Springs and want to join a roller hockey league, check out the Tour Arena website and sign up. Join the North Stars and give me a break from skating that much darnit!!

Peter Forsberg Signs on with the Colorado Avalanche!

Here we go again!! Yes, Peter Forsberg has announced that he will come back for another attempt at the NHL with the Colorado Avalanche.

This is the most recent attempt for Peter Forsberg to return to the Avalanche since his run in 2007-2008, when he rejoined the team towards the end of the season after an injury plagued year. He played nine games for the Avs that season and had a goal and 13 assists.

Throughout Forsberg's career, he has been a player that has had more than a point per game average. His career numbers are incredibly impressive. Forsberg has 249 goals and 636 assists in 706 regular-season games. A grand total of 885 points. His playoff numbers are equally impressive, with 64 goals and 107 assists in 151 career playoff games.

These numbers are so impressive that it really make one wonder what his totals would have been had he maintained his health.

There's no arguing with his numbers in his past career, the big question is going to revolve around whether or not he will be able to make a big enough difference for this Avalanche team in the rest of the season. The Avs are currently fourth place in the Northwest Division, and sit in 12th spot in the Western Conference. The catch being that they are only four points out of the eighth playoff spot, and seven points out of the fourth seed in the west.

Knowing Forsberg, he wasn't going to come back if he didn't feel as if he could play at the high level he is accustomed to playing. Still, will this be enough to push the Avs over the hump and into the playoffs? Quite possible.

If I am Joe Sacco, I immediately put Forsberg on a line opposite Milan Hejduk. These two played together for several seasons, most notably during Forsberg's Hart and Art Ross trophy winning seasons, as league's MVP and leading scorer. These guys have chemistry, and they will not take a long time to find it again. Throw Matt Duchene in the middle of that line, and you have something that could be very potentially scary.

From seeing Forsberg, if he is on his game, he can make everybody around him a better player and a potential scoring threat.

All in all, the addition of Peter Forsberg definitely can't hurt the Avs. We'll have to see how he feels while he's in the game time situations before we can fully decide whether Forsberg will be able to help push the Avs into the playoffs.

Avs Remind Fans How Far Rebuilding Effort Has to Go

Last year, the Avalanche were one of the feel good stories of the NHL year. Having finished dead last in the Western Conference, people were excited to see the once proud franchise making a playoff run. So, when this season started, it seemed natural that expectations should be a bit higher for this team. After all, from one season to another, especially with a team this young, generally you expect improvement from year to year.

Start of this season comes around and things were a bit slower than last year. But you can't expect the kind of fast start that the Avs had last season every year. 20 games go by, 30 games go by, the Avs are right there in the conversation and are hanging with the Canucks. We start thinking, ha! Vancouver who!? We're going to hit our stride and then go flying by those guys.

Only something different happens. More and more games go by, and instead of that energetic, never-say-die team that we had become so used to seeing, we start seeing a team that can't start a game to save their lives, play horrible defense, and can't climb back into games the way they used to. We start to think, well, everybody is thinking "hey, they're bound to hit a slump at some point. They'll rebound."

Well, we're still waiting for that rebound. The Avs dropped another today, this time to the Anaheim Ducks. Another game marked by taking bad penalties, poor defensive zone play, and a lack of offensive intensity. It's something that has marked their play for the last month, or more, of hockey. Then I remembered something.


This Avs team is still rebuilding. This is a team that is still nowhere near their full potential, and will probably take a couple of more years to get there. Last year we experienced something that probably shouldn't have happened. If it wasn't for the insanely amazing play of Craig Anderson, last year's Avs would have been nowhere near the playoffs. The defense was just as inconsistent, the offense experienced similar ups and downs, the big difference was that Anderson was able to make all those insane saves that he had no business making. It's like that guy you play poker with that everybody hates because he goes all in with stupid hands, but wins each time. Eventually, you know that guy is going to run out of luck, it's just a matter of time. It seems that time has happened this year.

So, to all Avs fans, and this is just as much for me as anybody else, yes, the Avs are not a very good team right now. Yes, we're most likely going to miss the playoffs with this type of poor play. Let's all remember, we haven't seen the best that these guys can offer yet. Stewie hasn't shown us a full season of what he will be, neither has Duchene. Neither have a lot of these guys, but their talent is there and they are still learning. Eventually, our front office will help us get bigger and more skilled on defense. Eventually, our goalies won't have to know from the beginning that they have to win the game for us.

Rebuilding is not a fun process for a team, but if you do it right, that time will pay off. Just ask the Pittsburgh Penguins and Chicago Blackhawks. They both spent a decent amount of time at the bottom of the NHL, and have both recently won Stanley Cups. The Avs will get there, I'm convinced, but we, as a fan base, need to make the trip with them and not give up on our boys.

FORSBERG SIGHTING IN DENVER!!!

It was reported today that Peter Forsberg will be practicing with the Colorado Avalanche, starting with the Saturday skate before the Avalanche game versus the Boston Bruins. No contracts have been signed, as of yet, and it seems that this is a way for Forsberg to test whether or not he is physically able to make another attempt at returning to the NHL.

Admittedly, when I first saw this reported I nearly jumped out of my chair; but there are so many questions that come along with this. It's important to try and look at all the pros and cons.

Pro:

The return of Peter Forsberg would mean amazing things for the energy level in the Pepsi Center. Forsberg is associated with the golden age of the Colorado Avalanche, and some excitement would immediately return to the building. If you watched the Avs last game, against Nashville, you probably noticed the absolute lack of any crowd noise. Just Forsberg's name would bring that buzz back to the Pepsi Center.

Con:

How much would this really help? Other than getting fans back in the seats, the Avs are still a team that is in the process of rebuilding. Sure, they have a lot of talent, but are the Avalanche really Stanley Cup contenders, even if Forsberg is able to make a return? At the moment the Avs are desperately fighting to maintain a spot in the playoffs. Sure, more excitement might return, but this might not amount to much more than a little bit of lightning in a bottle. Flashy and bright, but not very long lasting.
Just some of the amazing Highlights in Peter Forsberg's Colorado Career

Pro:

Imagine the affect that Forsberg could have on some of the younger players. Matt Duchene watched Forsberg play with the Avs when he was a kid, can you imagine how much he'll learn about the game by playing with him? It could be off the charts. Plus, veteran leadership is something that the Avs are hurting for at the moment. It's no secret that the Avs are a young team, and that youth is starting to show up in mass turnovers and poor defensive play. Forsberg could be a great teacher to many of the players on this team.

Con:

Forsberg's own body. Forsberg's career has been tragically short. He was on pace to have one of the truly great careers in hockey history, but he has been unable to get over that nagging foot injury that has had multiple surgeries. Couple that with the Avs horrible luck with player injuries right now, and it is one of those situations where it's almost like the hockey gods are just toying with us. Who's to say Forsberg wouldn't get on the ice and get hurt again?

Pro:

It really wouldn't cost the Avs that much. Forsberg's presence alone has demanded large contracts in the past. Even back in 2007-2008, when he tried his last come back, he still earned a pretty penny. The Avs salary cap, however, is one that could have handled multiple versions of that insane Kovalchuk contract that New Jersey is currently stuck with. I wonder how that's working out. At any rate, price is definitely NOT an issue when it comes to getting Forsberg signed.
3316419_crop_340x234 Peter The Great, working his magic
Brian Bahr/Getty Images

Con:

Time. We hear the name Peter Forsberg and immediately remember all of the amazing things that this guy was capable of. Even back in 07-08 he had an impact. In nine regular season games the guy had a goal and 13 assists. But can that realistically be expected of him at age 37 with a foot that has been operated on and injured more times than anybody can count? There's no doubt that Forsberg, when he was at his best, could play a mediocre game and still be better than most people's best games, but age has to take a toll at some point.

This is a very interesting situation in which we find ourselves. With all the injuries that have stung the Avs, especially recently, the Avs are desperate for somebody. If Forsberg feels that he could play, it wouldn't be that great a shock if the Avs took a shot with him. Sure, he's older, but you have to think that some of that magic that Peter The Great showcased throughout his brilliant, but all too short amount of time in Denver is still there.

It's very premature to speculate on what is going to happen, but this is one Avalanche fan who can't wait to hear whether or not we will see a return of Foppa to the Colorado ice.

Avs vs. Wild Recap

Well, the Avs had a 6 game win streak snapped by the Kings last game. Snapped is the nicest way to put it, as the Avs were completely dominated in every aspect of the game in a 5-0 beat down. So they were definitely in need of a good showing against the Wild just before a brief Christmas break for the league. Plus, it's a divisional game, so you'd think that they would be rearing and ready to play tonight. Well, you'd think that.

Period 1:
Avs came out with a good pace, and even had an early power play. Unfortunately, Shattenkirk wiffed on a simple D-to-D pass, giving Clutterbuck a breakaway on Andy. Save on the breakaway, but no hope for the early Christmas present right in front of the net. Hammered home by Matt Cullen for a 1-0 lead, Shorthanded.

Avs don't wait long to even things up, as David Jones hammers home a weak rebound on the remaining PP to even it up at 1. Backstrom thought he had the puck covered, but Jones managed to find it and slam it in.

Then, the Avs gave up another one as a shot from the point was sent intentionally wide. Andy seemed to overreact to this puck, slid way of the net and tried to cover it as it came sliding back through the crease, but couldn't turn himself fully around. He actually knocked the puck into the post, and then it sat in the crease, once again, awaiting the stick of Matt Cullen who put home his second goal of the night. Period 1 ended 2-1 in favor of the Wild.

Period 2:
Avs came out looking pretty decent in the second, until David Koci, the biggest waste of a roster space in the NHL, took an incredibly stupid penalty, pile-driving a Wild player into Backstrom about 10 seconds AFTER Backstrom had covered the puck.

Ensuing power play, a one timer from the point went a bit wide, and Andrew Brunette, a former member of the Avalanche, put a little backhander over the unnecessarily sprawling body of Craig Anderson. Andy looked horrible on goals 2 and 3. Out of position, unable to move back once he had committed anywhere, and just flopped all over the place. Andy was pulled after this goal, very deservedly so.

Avs were very soft for the rest of the period, with the exception of the last 3 minutes. Budaj made some good saves in this period, and a few other really good ones in the third to keep the Avs close.

Period 3:
No scoring, but lots more action. Avs got very brave, out of necessity, with their D jumping up in the play. Budaj played very well in relief of Anderson, and really was the only reason it stayed at 3-1. Avs just couldn't buy one offensively. Backstrom was on his game, the Wild blocked a ton of shots, and they just missed a ton of shots wide, high, wherever. Game ends with a 3-1 Wild victory.

Things to note.
Craig Anderson has looked AWFUL the last few games. He has had 1 or 2 goals against in the last 3 games where he just flops around in hopes that he might be able to grab it. Makes a lot of us following the Avs think that there might still be something wrong with his leg, his hip, his groin, or something because he has not been sharp.

Greg Mauldin knocked himself out of the game late in the game when he went head first into the glass when tripping himself over a Wild player. He left the game. Looked like he might have lost a tooth in this one.

Cal Clutterbuck, the league leader in hits, had a couple of questionable hits, most notable on Kevin Porter. Porter had turned his numbers very clearly out to the players, which means you aren't supposed to hit them, out of safety. Clutterbuck hit Porter, probably a bit softer than he could have but still a bit harder than he should. Adam Foote stepped in to protect his teammates, and Clutterbuck cowered away when he was challenged. Martin Havlat also took a few cheap shots. Was called for a blatant slash on Duchene early, then took a couple of little swipes at Foote throughout the rest of the game. Then, again, when Foote stepped up into his face, Havlat scooted backwards and started yapping once 3 of his teammates were between him and Foote. Some lack of class there. Though you expect tempers in a divisional game.

Speaking of divisional games, with this loss, the Avs are now 2-6-1 against teams in the Northwest Divison. That is not going to be good enough if you want to get to the playoffs. The Avs also have a lot of divisional games coming up. The play Edmenton and Calgary on back to back nights, and then host Vancouver. They need to play better within their division if they want to go anywhere in the post season.

Avs defense continues to hurt them. Shattenkirk had a horrible giveaway on their first goal. D unable to clear people from the front of the net in several situations. That has to improve. Avs also need to get healthy. They are seriously missing the likes of Chris Stewart and Milan Hejduk. Stewarts power and versatility is always tough for teams to deal with, and Hejduk just has so many intangible that he can always do what is needed.

Avs now get a few days off to think about what needs to get fixed, and then come back against Detroit on Monday.

Avs vs. Kings Recap

The Avs came into this game with the longest active win streak, at 6 games. Could the push it to 7? We would see.

Scoring Recap
The Kings got things going on a pretty weak goal. Rob Scuderi put a shot on Anderson from the point. Andy made the save, but kicked the rebound right back to Scuderi. Scuderi put it to the back hand and put it past Andy on the short side. Andy reacted very poorly to that move, waiting until after Scuderi had made the move and shot the puck before he reacted. 1-0 Kings

Second period
The whole second period belonged to the Kings. The Kings had a few shifts that lasted a long time in the Avs zone. Brad Richardson got his 4th goal of the year against the Avalanche, he has 5 total in the season by the way. He redirected a pass by Doughty who made a great move after the Avs were unable to clear the puck from their zone. That has been one of the things that the Avs have struggled with, quick, efficient clears to get the puck out of their zone.

Third period
Avs just couldn't get anything going, at all. Dustin Brown got a goal where he basically was picking up the scraps. Kopitar made a great move to the front of the net and muscled his way past Kevin Shattenkirk. Andy stopped that one, but couldn't control the puck, or himself. The puck stayed still, and Andy slid out of the way, allowing Brown to just put it home uncontested. I say uncontested because Hunwick just stood there and watched as Brown scored. 3-0 Avs.

Dustin Brown scored again with about 5 minutes left. Cut to the middle, just sort of threw it at the net, and Andy gave up another soft one through the wickets.

Later, the Avs took a late penalty, and immediately gave up a one time power play goal by Justin Williams. Kings finish off the Avs and their win streak with a 5-0 beat down.

This was the first game that the Avs were shut out all season long. Mark Rycroft said that the Avs competed tonight but just didn't get the breaks. That is not really the case in my estimation. The Avs were clearly the slower, weaker team tonight. The big difference came when the Avs got down. In the past couple of games, when the Avs were scored on, they immediately came back and got on their opponents to even up the game. That did not happen at all tonight. Instead of rising up to equal the game, it really seemed like they were actually deflated by these goals. It was almost like they were so used to getting a tying goal when down that they just expected it to happen, but it sure did not.

The other big thing that happened in this game, and happened a lot when the Avs have been struggling, was the amount of shots that missed the net. There were a lot of those tonight that just went high, or wide. It's hard to score goals when the pucks aren't going on the net. Only 23 shots on goal tonight, and that is just not going to do it against a team that is scoring and is very solid defensively like the Kings.

Andy has also been very weak of late. Yes, he won his last 6 before this, but he has been giving up a lot of goals in those games. He's been soft, and needs to regain some of that form from last year, even a little of it, in order to make sure the Avs don't go on the wrong kind of streak.

One thing that you know is going to happen is that Sacco will be all over the guys about this. Sacco is not the type of coach that lets this type of play just go and assume that things will get better. You better believe the Avs are going to be worked in their next practice. My hope is that Sacco will stick with is form of holding players accountable. Hunwick has hurt this team since being here. Tonight you saw it again, where he goes and stands in front of the net, and watches as the other team crashes aggressively and scores an easy goal. Since joining the Avs, Hunwick is -5, and has only had a plus rating in 2 games. That doesn't necessarily mean he's playing poorly, but it does mean he's on when we're scored against. And many of the plays that we saw tonight, where he just stands and watches, has become a regular occurrence.

Well, Avs next game come on Thursday against the Minnesota Wild. Avs hoping that Santa leaves an early Christmas gift under the tree and gets the Avs another big win against a divisional rival! Need a bounce back game!

Avs vs Canadiens Recap

Well, what a game tonight for the Avalanche! After a rather up and down game against the Ottawa Senators a couple of nights ago, the Avs played host to one of the top teams in the Eastern conference, the Montreal Canadiens. Well, before I recap this game, let's give a bit of lead up, shall we?

Coming into tonight, the Avs had won 5 straight games. Not only that, but they were 6-0-2 in their last 8 games. The Avs were quite fortunate to pull out the win that they did against Ottawa, an overtime win 6-5, because they were sloppy defensively, and Craig Anderson was not very solid in net. But, the Avs were firing on all cylinders offensively, and managed to answer Ottawa at every turn. They had to know that if they came out with that same kind of sloppiness against Montreal, they would be made to pay for it. Well, they definitely responded in kind.

Scoring recap.
Mike Cammalleri got the scoring started for the Habs, on the PP. 3 of the Avs PK all went to the same spot to try and clear the puck, and failed. Leaving Foote alone on a 2 on 1. Cammelleri made a very pretty give and go and fired it right over Andy's glove. Never had a chance.

Avs answered on a PP of their own. Ryan Wilson scored this one from the point, through a ton of traffic in front with about 7 seconds left in the first period. Price probably never saw the shot.

Habs went back on top with another PP goal in the second. A shot rebounded off of Anderson right to the waiting Alexander Picard, distant relative of Enterprise Captain Jean-Luc Picard, and pounded it home.

The Avs responded just over a minute later when Kevin Porter slipped one by Carey Price on a backhand as he rushed towards the net. This was a pretty weak one, by Price's standards, and I'm sure he would like to have it back. 2-2.

Then T.J. Galliardi put the Avs up to stay late in the 2nd period when Ryan O'Reilly but a very hard wrister on net. Price made a great save, up high, but the puck bounced straight up. Both Galliardi and Mauldin were crashing the net, and the Avs got a fortunate bounce off of Galliardi's leg, and past price. Proving the old saying true that "if you go to the net, good things happen."

The Avs survived an assault of shots in the third period, 14 to be exact, to hold on to the win. Anderson looking very good late, especially, to help the Avs hold on.

The Avs improved to 11-0-0 when leading after 2 periods, and the Habs fell to 0-11-0 when trailing after 2 periods, remaining the only team in the league to not come back and gain any type of point when trailing after 2 periods of play. The Avs also extend their win streak to 6 games, once again pulling ahead of the Vancouver Canucks by 2 points in the Northwest Division, and sit in 3rd position in the Western Conference. Where they will be by the end of tomorrow is anybody's guess in the crazy, crazy West.

Sadly, Matt Duchene's point streak was snapped in this game, but I don't think that will bother him too much. This guy is a huge team player. Galliardi returned to the lineup against Ottawa, after missing 17 games with a wrist injury, and has goals in both of his games. Not a bad way to come back. Since Anderson returned against Florida a week and a half ago, his only loss has come in OT, against those Panthers. Since then, he has not lost a game, and neither have the Avs. The Avs are in a current stretch of 19 games, where 15 of them will be played at home, and they have gotten off to a good start. As time goes on, this could prove to be a very crucial stretch of games for the Avalanche, where they very well could pull away from the Canucks as long as the continue to find ways to put the puck in the net.

One bit of bad news for the Avs tonight. Defenseman Kyle Quincey is to undergo season ending shoulder surgery after he was hurt in Washington against the Capitals. Obviously it is bad, because you never like to see a member of your team go down and out for the season. At the same time, Quincey has been very suspect, defensively, this year. He's made a lot of bad plays that have led to goals, and has been on the ice, just kind of standing and watching goals go in this year. He has been virtually invisible offensively, especially in comparison to what he did last year. Definitely hope he is able to fully recuperate from this injury and come back and play well.

Avs record now stands at 19-10-4, First in the NW Division. They play again on Tuesday when they host the LA Kings. Should be another good one as they try and push their win streak to 7 games! Go Avs!

Vancouver Woes

The Avs are having issues in Vancouver. Not just troubles of the winning kind either. Though the Avs just did lose tonight, 4-2, they lost a bunch more than just a game. For the second time in as many trips to Vancouver, the Avs lost goalie Craigh Anderson, this time to an apparent groin injury. Then, later in the game, Adam Foote went down with a leg injury that sure didn't look too nice in the replay. A knee to knee incident where you immediately saw that Foote couldn't support his weight anymore, and had to be helped off of the ice.

As if that wasn't enough, the game winning goal for Vancouver was scored when Tambellini, #10 for the Cannucks, hit backup goalie, Peter Budaj, in the head with his stick, which then bopped an airborne puck straight back into the net. This was the second game in a row where Vancouver scored a goal off of Budaj's head. You just can't ask for luck this bad against a team.

Plus, after the Avs had pulled back to within one goal, they managed to give the puck away at their own blue line which lead from one Sedin, to the other, then the Alex Burrows, and then to the back of the net. This was definitely more about poor puck possession than bad luck, but the whole night was just off for the Avs. Poor play in their own zone, constantly making bad attempts to clear the puck which resulted in several shifts where they were pretty much just running around in their own zone, not getting enough offensive pressure, and still taking too many penalties (though they did manage to keep Vancouver's #1 rated power play off of the score board tonight) led to this loss.

The Avs play tomorrow in Edmonton, and they had better look better than they did tonight. Joe Sacco said in the teams pre-game skate that these three games, which started with the Cannucks tonight, should be easy ones to motivate for. Well, while they weren't as horrible as they were the last time they played the Cannucks, they sure didn't look as if they were ready to come out and beat the Cannucks tonight. Tomorrow against the Oilers, a team that they should definitely beat, and then again on Saturday against the Wild, another team that has been bottom dwelling, that they should beat. Let's see how motivated and prepared this team is, because games against those kinds of teams, the teams that you really should be whenever you play them, is one of the things that will make you or break you when it's time to see who makes the playoffs.

The Avs Start to Get Healthy

10 games after my last post on the Avs, and a lot has gone on. The night I made my last post, Craig Anderson went down with a knee injury and nobody knew how long he would be out. Well, he returned tonight and helped the Avs to a 5-1 victory over the New York Rangers.

Over the past 10 games, the Avs have seen a lot of faces come up and contribute, due to necessity from injury. Adam Foote went out, Kyle Quincy, Kyle Cumiskey, TJ Galliardi, Craig Anderson, David Koci (though nobody really noticed his absence as all he does is come out for a couple of minutes and then sits for 5 minutes). Normally, a team this hit by injury, you would expect to crash and burn, but in the last 10 games, that have been without Craig Anderson, the Avs are 7-3. Why the success? The young blood that has come in, and, strangely enough, Peter Budaj. I mean, this is the guy that didn't manage to stay ahead of Jose Theodore, and assisted the Avs to a 14th place Western Conference finish, yet he's helped the Avs to a 7-3 record in their last 10. Why?

Well, here's my theory. Last year the Avs allowed more shots on goal than any other team in the NHL. And Craig Anderson bailed them out A LOT! There were very few games in which the Avs actually out shot their opponents last year, and they were quite frequently badly outshot. In the last 10, the Avs out shot their opponents 4 times, were exactly even in shots twice, and really only badly outshot once, against the Sharks in an OT victory. Something seems to have happened to this Avs team that took a full season and 20 games to catch on.

In the last 10 games, the Avs have scored 40 goals, and only given up 24. Once Craig Anderson went down, then Adam Foote, and other defensemen, it seems as if this team realized that they couldn't actually rely on their goalie to steal games for them, and realized that some serious offense was in order. Suddenly, the Avs have realized that the best way to win the games is to score against your opponents. And the young blood that was brought in has definitely helped.

Kevin Porter has scored some great goals, and actually has the GWG in the last 2 games for the Avs. Kevin Shattnekirk has proven to be very effective defensively, and has 2 goals in his last 2 games. Colby Cohen was involved in a lot of scraps in the time that he spent, and even managed to get under the skin of Jarome Iginla. Jonas Holos jumpstarted the Avs power play with his big shot, and helped with his physical play.

Now, the Avs are getting healthy. Adam Foote is back in the line-up, Craig Anderson is back in the line up, and it is obvious that those two should be brought right back into the line-up. Both great leaders for this team, but now there is a real question about what to do with the 2 Kyles, Cumiskey and Quincey, when they get back. If you ask me, at least one of them needs to go. We have a better offensive defensemen right now, and it would be a huge mistake to send him back down. Shatty is ready for the big time, and has already proven that he is more reliable than both of the Kyles in his own zone. I'm quite interested to see where this Avs team goes. They are now tied for first in the NW division, and if the type of offense keeps coming around that we have seen in the last 10, and Andy and Boods actually get the support that they have needed, we could possibly see a big move up in the standings for these Avs.

As the giant homer that I am, I will keep rooting for my Avs to make a return to the top of our division.

9 games in, my thoughts on the Avs thus far.

Well, we're nearly 10 games into the NHL regular season, and we are once again seeing some great action from the Colorado Avs. Craig Anderson has been good, although we are now awaiting word on his injury from warm ups in Vancouver (other than it is a knee injury), and the team has its skating legs. But there is definite room for improvement.

First off, bright spots. John Michael Liles has been a HUGE bright spot. 0 goals, but 11 assists in 9 games, with a record setting assist in each game. He's not a big guy, and he doesn't have a huge shot, but he's a very fast skater who can get the puck to the net and let the bigger guys get things done. With 11 points in the first 9 games, you have to think that cracking 40 points will be a no brainer. Could be a career year for Liles.

Daniel Winnik was possibly the best offseason pickup by the Avs this year. This guy is fast, and smart. He's great defensively, and is able to contribute offensively. He logs a bunch of penalty minutes, and may get you 15 goals, great contribution from a 3rd line guy. I have been amazingly impressed by this guy, and won't be surprised to see his ice time continue to go up.

Chris Stewart. Always wonder about a guy who really busts out in a contract year. Wonder if he can put out that same type of effort now that he got a raise. So far, so good. 5 goals, including that amazing bomb (at 33 seconds) that beat the great Martin Brodeur. This guy is the real deal. I'm expecting 30 goals from him.

Minuses.
Special Teams.
As pointed out by several people, such as Adian Dater, have pointed out that the Avs are very undersized on the blue line, which hurts both your special teams. Hard when you don't have a big guy to get a big shot on the PP, and then you also can't keep your crease clear on the PK. Avs PK is located towards the bottom of the league, and the PP has given up 4 short handed goals, which you just can't do. This could be a big deciding factor in whether or not the Avs make the playoffs.

Defense
Again, thus far, the Avs D has looked about the same. Giving up tons of shots against, and just not getting involved enough offensively (with the exception of Liles of course). They're small, and very young. Holos has been a great surprise, and has even helped out the PP a bit, but this team lacks a really big #1 style shut down defensemen that isn't in his 20th year in the league. I love Footer, but that guy is old, and not long for this league.

4th line.
Really, we don't have one. They play, but we really don't get much productivity out of them. And, again, they are small. Our biggest guy, David Koci, is also our most worthless guy. He was a healthy scratch almost all of last season, and when he was on the ice, his job isn't to play, it's to fight. We lack a strong checking, very physical, and intimidating 4th line.

Question marks.

Craig Anderson
Slow down, I love this guy! The question is definitely not about his ability, it's more about whether or not he can handle the same type of load that Joe Sacco gave him last year. He faced more shots than anybody in the NHL, and made more saves, last year. Had 7 shutouts, and was just amazing. I'm more questioning how he will be used, because I think he was tired by the time we were giving up 50 shots each playoff game to the Sharks. He needs help. edit: Of course, now the question has become when is he going to be back for the Avs?! Currently, he is being listed as indefinitely out. This, needless to say, is bad. So now the bigger question is how will Budaj respond, and will we try and make any moves to get another goalie to help shoulder the load?

Matt Duchene
He's playing well, and has decent numbers (2 goal and 6 assists), but he seems like he is trying to do too much at times. He's getting chances, but really looks like he's trying to be too cute sometimes. I think he'll get through it, but you gotta hope that this Calder finalist won't fall victim to the sophomore slump.

All in all, my general assessment of this team is that they are, by and large, exactly the same as last year. Lots of shots, will rely heavily on their goalie and on a bunch of really young players that we aren't totally sure are going to be able to live up to their expectations. I'm not going to write them off yet, but I do believe that the Avs will be fortunate to make the playoffs this year. So here's hoping. GO AVS!

NHL Season Preview: Eastern Conference

A couple of days ago we dealt with the Western Conference, and tonight we get to deal with the Eastern Conference. So, here we go!

Atlantic Conference:
New Jersey Devils
New York Islanders
New York Rangers
Philadelphia Flyers
Pittsburgh Penguins

When you talk about this division, you have so much to talk about. Crosby, Malkin, Kovalchuk, Parise, Fleury, Broduer, Tavares, Richards, Lundqvist. This is a loaded division. The Pens have had a rough start in their new arena, but you know that they'll rebound. Though the loss of Sergei Gonchar is not something that should be taken lightly. Philly, you know, must be brimming with confidence after their playoff run. And if their new young goalie continues on his good beginning, then they could be the next cup champs. Islanders will still stink, and the Rangers could sneak in if they are very, VERY lucky. We could probably see 3 playoff teams from this division again. But, in the end, I think our division winner may be the one returning to the cup finals. Most people are going to ride the Pens or the Devils;

Division Winner: Philadelphia Flyers

Northeast Division:
Boston Bruins
Buffalo Sabres
Montreal Canadiens
Ottowa Senators
Toronto Maple Leafs

Another very decent division. Though the Leafs have been down and out from the beginning, I think that they may be THE Eastern Conference dark horse that comes out to play. J.S. Giguere is an outstanding goalie that has won a Stanley Cup and a Conn Smythe (of course not in the same year). Hard to look down on the Sabres while they have Ryan Miller, thought their offense has a lot left to be desired. The Habs, I bet, will still probably make the playoffs, but I doubt they win this division. Look for the Bruins to repeat.

Division Winner: Boston Bruins

Southeast Division:
Atlanta Thrashers
Carolina Hurricanes
Florida Panters
Tampa Bay Lightning
Washington Capitals

I don't think that there is any secret about who is going to win this division. The Capitals have been one of the best teams in the NHL for the last few years, yet always come up short in the playoffs. The question isn't whether or not that Caps win this division, it's whether or not they will win the President's tropy, the entire Eastern Conference, and the Stanley Cup. Plus, 2 teams from Florida in the NHL? I mean, come on. Move one of these guys back to Canada where they appreciate their hockey. Easy choice.

Division Winner: Washington Capitals.
Though watch for tampa to make a run at the playoffs. This team is much better than they were.

NHL Season Preview: Western Conference!

We are still plenty early in the season, so I thought that I would take a moment to give my season preview for the NHL. People are quite familiar with my feelings on hockey, as I do believe that it is currently the most exciting game to watch in the world right now, and I certainly hope that you all will join me and my excitement for this exhilarating game! Now, let's have a look at each division and conference. Starting with the best conference, the Western Conference.

Central Division:
Chicago Blackhawks
Columbus Blue Jackets
Detroit Red Wings
Nashville Predators
St. Louis Blues.

All of these teams, except for the Preds, have colors in them. Fun fact, but completely irrelevant to the conversation. Now, as many people know, the Blackhawks are the reigning Stanley Cup Champions. They just raised their Stanley Cup Championship Banner the other night. But their offseason was not pretty. Serious salary cap issues forced them to get rid of a number of the players that were key to getting them to that Stanley Cup. Most notably, Dustin Byfuglien and Antti Niemi. Niemi played incredibly on their way to the cup, and Byfuglien could not be stopped from in front of the net. They did pick up Marty Turco, life-long good regular season goalie but playoff choke artist, to help them out in goal, but the physical presence that Byfuglien brought will be sorely missed.

The Detroit Red Wings made waves by signing long time rival Mike Modano. Jimmy Howard played great for them in goal last year, and was a Calder finalist, NHL rookie of the year award, the big question will be about whether or not he can avoid a sophomore slump. They didn't really do too much, otherwise, to make themselves any younger, and the question for the Wings does revolve around whether or not they remain too old. There is no doubt of their skill, with players like Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg, and others, but will they be able to push past other teams in their division.

The sleeper team in this division is the St. Louis Blues. Now, you might say what about Nashville, well they've been the sleeper in this division for a while. Usually competitive, but just not quite there. The big thing that makes the Blues a possibility is their big goalie acquisition this year. Jaraslov Halak. Now, Halak played OUT OF HIS MIND in last year's playoffs with the Montreal Canadiens. The big question is was this just a random fluke, or can he be the real deal? Now, people are fare too excited about him right now, claiming that he is this absolutely legit goalie, but one decent playoff run does not a franchise goalie make. He played scary good last year, no denying that, but we'll see what he's made of with a young Blues team that has a lot of talent, but a lot of shortcomings too. This team could be a surprise.

Columbus is the sad story in this division. Mainly because they just are never able to get over that hump. They have never been able to build a solid foundation around Rick Nash, and probably won't. Nash's contract keeps him in Columbus until 2018, but he may want out before that since he will never, EVER win a Stanley Cup in Columbus.

Division Winner: I hate to do it, but I think Detroit will benefit from Chicago's losses. Chicago will play well, and make the playoffs, but I think Detroit will take this division.

Northwest Division:
Calgary Flames
Colorado Avalanche
Edmonton Oilers
Minnesota Wild
Vancouver Cannucks

This is always one of the most difficult divisions to win. Each team, regardless of how well they are playing that season, always plays the others very hard. Vancouver has had a stranglehold on this division for the last few years, and I really don't see that changing this year. I'm a bit perplexed though. Vancouver is over the salary cap, and I'm not certain what the penalty is for that. You would think they would be forced to comply, but it doesn't look like anything is happening. I'll have to try and figure more of that out.

Edmonton managed to win their opening game of the season, and they will be quite exciting to watch, with a lot of really young talent, but I wouldn't count on them getting out of the basement this year. They may be ahead of Minnesota, but they won't make the playoffs by a long shot.

The big question, in my mind, in this division revolves around the Colorado Avalanche. Not just because they are my favorite team, but because they had a huge turn around last year, and everybody is curious about whether that was a fluke, or if they will be the real deal. Matt Duchene is the real deal, and that kid will only get better. Chris Stewart showed some amazing game last year, but the contract year question lingers around him. Did he play that well because it was a contract year, or because he's really that good? I think it is the latter, but we will see. And, of course, Craig Anderson. Last year, no goalie saw more shots, or stopped more shots, than Craig Anderson. Can he be as lights out as he was last year? In my opinion, they aren't going to want to play him as many games as they did last year. If they can get 10 more quality starts than last year out of Budaj, Anderson should stay fresh. Anderson, as it happens, is now in a contract year as well. So count on him playing his best so that he can lock up a long term deal with the Avs.

Division winner: Vancouver.

Pacific Division:
Anaheim Ducks
Dallas Stars
Los Angeles Kings
Phoenix Coyotoes
San Jose Sharks

San Jose has dominated this division for years, but are they now yesterday's news? They are still loaded, there is no doubt about that. Marleau, Thorton, Heatley, plus the likes of Pavelski and Setoguchi, and Dan Boyle. Now a Stanley Cup winning goalie in Antti Niemi. People seem to think that San Jose managed to life their stigma of choke artists last year. I disagree. When you are the best team in the conference, you should be expected to win your conference. They have yet to do this. Should we say that they aren't choking just because they managed not to lose right away? To me, they are still chokers, they just didn't choke as bad as they usually do. Here's the cookie that you so richly deserve.

A lot of other interesting things though. The LA Kings are hot on the heels of the Sharks, as are the Phoenix Coyotes. The Kings are young, but have great veteran leadership as well. Ryan Smyth isn't what he used to be, but that guy will always work his guts out for you, and is a great stabilizing presence on the power play. The youth of this team is insanely gifted. Led by Drew Doughty, a finalist for the Norris Trophy (NHL's best defenseman last) last year, they also have the best scorer that nobody knows about, Anze Kopitar, on their team. Jonathan Quick also had a great year last year, in goal, and, should he improve, may be able to push the Kings to places they haven't seen since The Great One was in town.

The Coyotes are also quite talented. They finally have a stable goalie in Ilya Bryzgalov, who is also in a contract year. They also have an amazing core of young talent. A great acquisition from the Avs, Wojtek Wolski brings size, speed, and ability. Then add in the wiley veterans Shane Doan and very savvy offseason pick up of Ray Whitney, and you have a dangerous team. They're quite big and powerful on the blue line, as well, and really have great potential for this division. They are kind of the sexy pick to win the division.

Divison winner: I can't resist the sexiness, Phoenix wins the division, but people in Arizona still don't care about hockey. Sorry Gary Bettman.

Tune in next time for the preview of the Eastern Conference! Should be a good one!

Hockey Is Back!

Great time of year! Early in October, we see the return of the toughest gladiators in sports. Yes, that's right, hockey is back baby!! I know that I'm one of the minority in the United States that believes hockey is the sport to watch, but I am okay with that. I make my case yearly to people, and I'm fairly certain that I've made it on this blog before. I just believe hockey is the fastest, hardest hitting, most exciting game there is.

Plus, you have the players that are the most athletic that there are in sports. These guys all have to be in incredible shape to play this game. You watch how these guys skate, they are going all out the second that they step on the ice. Also, these guys are the classiest athletes in professional sports. You hear these guys making the Randy Moss comments after their first regular season game for their contracts? You see these guys making their own talk show because they simply can't stand to hear anything other than the sound of their own extremely annoying voice? No, these guys are all business. They go out, do their thing, play their game, and then they are good role models in the community. How many of these guys are dog fighters, or gang bangers, or other types of convicted felons? Hockey players have their head in the right place.

I will close by saying my usual comment. In this world where everything happens so fast; e-mail, food, music, news, everything, it shocks me more people aren't into this game. The thing people need, is education. Let me tell you right now, if you feel you can't understand the game of hockey, drop by my place, or A-Mac's place, and we'll teach you the ins and outs. Once you know it, you will be a fan for life. Bring on the pucks! LET'S GO AVS!!!

Rejected!!

Couple of days late with this one, but school has been starting, you guys understand. Anywho, our favorite Russian diva has been back in the news after the arbitration hearing for Ilya Kovalchuk sided with the NHL on Monday. Now, I know that there are a lot of people upset about this whole thing, most of them are probably Devils fans, but I am personally dancing about this decision! I mean, come on, when the GM of the team says that he doesn't believe that contracts like this should even exist during a press conference to celebrate the contract like that, then you know that this thing shouldn't really be able to hold up to any kind of smell test.

Here is the main reason that I think that this is a good thing. As most hockey fans know, the current collective bargaining agreement will end after the 2011-2012 NHL season. Many people have already feared that there will be another lockout, something that players have not helped along with all the rumors of Donald Fehr being tapped by the players to lead the player's union into negotiations. Money is always the issue in these, not that anybody involved in the negotiations really need more money, and you know that these types of mega-long term, front loaded contracts were going to be a huge issue. The league now has a precedent on their side that these sorts of things won't fly. They can come to the bargaining table already knowing that they have won that argument. If the players try to push too hard for that, they will lose badly. If this had gone the other way around, the players could just argue that it was allowed in the last CBA, and they wanted to make sure that it stayed that way. Now, all that will really happen is some kind of clarification.

This will pave the way, in my opinion, for an NBA-like maximum contract. If you aren't sure of what those are, just look at Lebron James' current contract with the Heat, and you will see what I mean. It would be a fantastic thing for the NHL to put in a Max contract that says the most years that you can have on a contract is 7 years, (6 in the NBA). Then, a good compromise as far as the whole front loading of contracts, could that the league says a player may only front load their contract a certain amount, not how nutty the whole thing was with Kovy, so that there can be a slight manipulation of the salary cap, instead of the attempt to completely avoid it as it happened with Kovy. A possible restriction on salaries based off of a player's age could be a good idea as well, also something that happens in the NBA. Bettman SHOULD know about all that, as he did come from the NBA, but of course, he remains absolutely incompetent.

All in all, a big win for the NHL and its fans. This is something that may help to prevent a work stoppage in a couple of years. One last word to Mr. Kovy. I know you really, really wanted to be the highest paid player in the NHL after this. Well, then the last thing that you would really need to do before being the highest paid player is to actually be better than the current highest paid players, which you are not.

Ilya Kovalchuk, Again....

Well, we are now into August with what has been a pretty stinking ridiculous summer in regards to Ilya Kovalchuk. I have written a number of posts regarding Ilya and his quest to be the highest paid player in the league. The latest being his filing a grievance after the NHL denied his insane contract. All of it starting because he wouldn't back down from the number that he absolutely positively knew that he was worth. I'll say again, I didn't think that there was a guy that could come off looking worse in free agency than LeBron did, but Kovy has definitely done it.

Well, the grievance hearing has been heard by an arbitrator, and we have learned that it looks like everything is going to be said and done on Monday. Apparently, most experts seem to think that this is pretty much an unwinnable case for the NHL, since there really isn't anything in the CBA that says this type of contract is illegal. The only thing that the CBA says is that a team cannot build a salary that circumvents the salary cap, which is hard to prove. But come on!! Look at Kovy's contract! You cannot honestly look at this, especially knowing little space the Devils have in their salary cap, and not conclude that they did this so his absurd number don't fully bite them in the rear end. I mean, I still don't understand how it works, which is why I don't work for capgeek, that a player can be being paid 11.5 million dollars in a season, yet his cap hit is still only 6 million. That just doesn't make sense to me. I, personally, can't even begin to think of it in any other terms than circumventing the salary cap, and can't really see how any impartial, logical person could either.

Kovy seems so dead set on this 17 year thing, and the KHL has even offered him a 17 year deal WITH THE TEAM OF HIS CHOICE, for crying out loud! This sort of thing is kind of why I figured Kovy would end up in Russia for the next few seasons, but I guess it will all hinge on this decision. I would not be surprised at all, if Kovy loses this arbitration hearing, to see him go to Russia because he knows that they will kiss his rear end until the borscht comes home. And at this point, I'm happy to see him go. A loss in this arbitration for the NHL basically sets up the fighting point for the next CBA. In my eyes, it almost assures a lockout, and that would be absolutely deadly to the NHL. So, once again, Kovy, just go to Russia. They'll be more than happy to tell you whatever it is you want to hear. We would miss your talent in the NHL, but not your attitude.

Kovalchuk Files a Grievance

In an act that most people figured was going to come along, the NHLPA has filed a grievance against the NHL after it rejected Ilya Kovalchuk's 17 year, $102 million contract because the NHL said that it violated the CBA. In this Puck Daddy article, from Yahoo Sports, he outlines the process of how this will get to arbitration. The way that this sounds, it doesn't sound like there is going to be a resolution to this any time soon.

The issue that the NHL has with this contract is not the amount of money, or even so much the length of time, it's the way that the contract was structured. I will, again, reference you to CapGeek.com to see how Kovy's contract was to be paid out. What the NHL is saying is a violation essentially comes down to the last 8-10 years of Kovy's contract, when he would move from making $11.5 million a year, going down to the league minimum of $550,000 a year by the time he's 40 and no longer scoring 40 goals every year. The Devils did this to manage their cap hit from Kovy so that, even when he was making the $11.5 million a year, their cap hit would still only be $6 million. Basically, the NHL thinks that it is a dishonest contract because, even though the cap hit would still be at $6 million, they don't believe that he would still be playing by the time he was to be making the $550,000 per year. And that is a somewhat realistic assumption. Who is the last power forward that we have seen play well into their 40s? I honestly don't know.

What is going to be the result of all of this? I really don't know. I feel like the NHL will probably win this one, which would be a very good thing, all around. That would set a precedent for the next CBA, and really wouldn't give the NHLPA a leg to stand on when it comes to these insanely long contracts. The whole concept of front loading the contracts has really hurt some teams because they just don't have enough money, and then they become the Atlanta Thrashers and can't keep any stars because they have too much money tied up in 1 so they never really win, and then that one star leaves because he wants to win. Should the NHLPA win this one, and should Kovy get to keep this contract, and should the NHLPA then hire Donald Fehr to lead them into the next CBA "negotiations", I can almost guarantee you that there will be another lockout, or strike, the next time around.

Rarely will I ever pull for Gary Bettman, especially since I've rated him the worst commissioner in professional sports, but in this case, I have to put myself in Bettman's corner and cheer my guts out, because this is one batter that he can't afford to lose.

NHL and Donald Fehr??

Over the past couple of weeks, I've seen a couple of stories here and there mentioning that the NHLPA was interested in hiring Donald Fehr as the new head of the union. I didn't think too much about it, at first, I recognized the name but didn't really remember why. That is, until I saw a picture of him. As soon as I saw this photo, my blood instantly went cold. The casual sports fan might not recognize him, but if you are big into sports, especially baseball, you know exactly who this guy is.

Donald Fehr was the head of the MLBPA from 1986 - 2009. He was the acting head starting in 1983. Fehr was always known as a very powerful leader of the MLBPA, which, in and of itself, isn't that big of a deal; however, did his job a little bit too well. He was largely responsible, mostly because the union pretty much told him to do whatever he saw fit, for 2 work stoppages in the majors. One in 1985, and the famous one later in the 1994-95 season that caused the cancellation of all the post season and the World Series. Not a great track record there.

The thing for which he is probably the most notorious, just like the game of baseball itself right now, is his "work" to prevent any type of changes in MLB's fight against steroids. Wherever he could, he threw up road blocks in an effort to keep things from going forward. The players are equally to blame in all of that because they gave Fehr all of their authority. Fehr is possibly best remembered for his testimonies in front of congress, where he did everything possible to not answer questions about things the players were open to in changing steroid testing. Bleacher report also has a great take on Donald Fehr and his potential impact on the NHL.

Now, why is Fehr bad for the NHL? Not because he's a strong union head. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the union having somebody strong and competent to represent them. I don't think that anybody has an issue with that. But I would seriously caution the NHLPA before hiring this guy, mostly because of the statement that it makes. This guy has a serious track record with work stoppages. To me, this is the players trying to send a message to the owners that they are ready to not play again. This says, "You guys got us in the last round, now we're going to get you, even if we have to have another lockout, or strike, to do it." This would be disastrous for the NHL, who is just now really starting to regain its popularity that it lost after its last lockout. They players are showing that their interests lie solely in their contracts and not in the well being of the game or the fans. Are they really willing to ruin the league with another work stoppage? Do they really think that the fans will take this? I suppose it's something that we will all find out in the days to come, but my serious word of advice to the players of the NHL is to NOT hire Donald Fehr. It would be a recipe for absolute disaster.

Ilya Kovalchuk, the Final Chapter!!....or is it?

Well, the drama was played out, the teams made all of their pitches, and we finally know that Ilya Kovalcuk, the prize of this year's NHL Free Agent group, has signed with the New Jersey Devils for a record contract. Now, if you thought that Marian Hossa's deal was crazy, then you'll pretty much go nuts yourself when you hear what Kovy's deal ended up being. Kovy signed a 17, yes 17, year deal, worth $102 million.

Now, in my humble opinion, this is probably the dumbest contract ever offered in the history of contracts. Obviously, the Devils are happy with it because they get their man, and don't really have to go to any lengths to familiarize him with the team as he played there from the trade deadline to the end of the season. So that makes a bit of sense. The big problem with this is two-fold. One, do you honestly expect this guy to play out the entirety of this contract? He's 27 now, which means he'll be well out of his prime by the time that he still has 9 years LEFT on his contract. At that point, you'll be paying a 35 + year old man 11.5 million dollars! Secondly, this sets a very unhealthy precedent for the rest of the upcoming superstar free agents. Professional athletes are a lot like 5 year old boys. They see that Tommy across the street has a super awesome new bike, and they want one, too. So now that Ilya across the street has a ridiculously long and lucrative deal, every single other player is going to want this, too. The players have gone from wanting insane amount of money and being locked out during a CBA year, to wanting still pretty large sums of money, but for an insane time period on a contract. I do not look forward to the next CBA year, because I don't want another lockout canceled season! CapGeek has a great run down of Kovy's salary and how it is broken down. Take a look!

Now, the rest of the problems here lie with the Devils. If you take a look at the Devil's salary for this coming season, you will probably notice a pretty big problem. The Devils are currently 2.52 million dollars over the league salary cap. Which means they need to do something to get under it. So, they have to either trade somebody, or hope that some of their players are able to clear waivers and send them down to the AHL. It seems that most people believe that the Devils are going to try and trade Zach Parise, as he has basically been told that he will never be the teams #1 left wing. That would do it, as his cap hit, this year, is 5 million bucks. The next problem with the Devils is going to lie in the long term. Yeah, sure you, have Kovy now, and let's pretend that, by some miracle, they actually manage to make sure that Parise stays through this year. By the time they have anybody else as a free agent that they want to keep, they pretty much won't be able to, because Kovy's salary is going to jump up to 11.5 million bucks each year after year #2 of his contract. They have, pretty much, mortgaged the team's future. Their future is going to be Ilya Kovalchuk. No, we're not talking a Miami Heat situation, they have 3 superstars that they managed to keep under the cap, not just 1. The Devils will then, essentially, turn into the Atlanta Thrashers who did the exact same thing. Threw a ton of money at Kovy, and then weren't able to keep any of their other stars because Kovy ate up too much money.

But what does Kovy care? He wanted a record contract to beat Ovechkin's, and he got it. What he'll be measured by is pretty simple. Once Ovechkin signed his big deal, he went out and lead the league in goals, scoring 65 by the end of the 2008 season. Will Kovy do something similar, or will he fall into the trap that a lot of players do, and relax? Ahh, the get paid and then take the season off syndrome can strike hard, but I suppose we'll see. Regardless, this is a deal that is bad for all hockey fans but 1, Ilya Kovalchuk. I guess we'll see what types of insane deals come up next offseason as well, because this could get seriously ugly.

Now, I know that A-Mac has some opinions on this as well, and I want to hear them! Post your Kovy stuff A-Mac!!

**Update: Yesterday, the NHL rejected Kovalchuk's deal! Meaning that he is now a free agent again! We will try and keep tabs on what things are happening and where Kovy lands.....again.

Ilya Kovalchuk

Okay, NHL Free Agency has been going on for about 2 weeks now, and the big question going in was where was Ilya Kovalchuk, the prize of this year's free agency class, going to end up. Pretty much everybody (Puck Daddy, ESPN, Barry Melrose, etc...) figured that he was going to end up on the L.A. Kings. People figured that the Devils would definitely make an effort to keep him, but after the first day, with all the moves they made, it seemed like it was going to be impossible for him to stay. But Kovy didn't sign on the first day, or the second day, or the third day. No, he's drawn all of us out for 2 long weeks.

Now, The Kings were out, then back in, then out again, then Kovy went to visit them, but they weren't really back in quite yet, and now they may be out for good. The Devils have said that they would make space to keep Kovy, but it doesn't appear as if there has been any meaningful movement on that front. I had heard that the Devils had made him a 10 million a year offer for 17 years, but I, of course, have no references of that. Still, even if that was there, the Devils don't have anywhere near enough cap space to fit him in there, so, to me, that sort of report is clearly full of it.

What this has all boiled down to is money. Kovy wants 10 million a year for 10 years, which, in the salary cap era, basically means that you are blowing any chance of keeping any future talent because you've got all of your money tied up in one guy. Now, Kovy is naturally not concerned about that, he just wants to get paid. He is also the only one in this free agency class that would garner this type of money, but he has absolutely over-played his hand. He really needs to think of this like buying a house, or in his case, selling a house. When you're selling a house, you aren't the one that decides how much it goes for, the market is. If you want to sell your house for 500,000 dollars, but the market says it is only worth 450,000, there isn't any way that you're going to get it, no matter how much you say that it's worth that. Kovy is, unfortunately for him, our 500,000 dollar house. He believes that he is worth this much, yet the market has spoken. As far as we know, 3 teams have told him that he isn't getting what he wants, 4 if you include the KHL. Yet, he keeps saying that he is worth this. Well, I'm sorry Kovy, you are not going to get what you keep demanding, no matter how much you keep saying that you're worth it.

It's strange, I didn't really think there was a guy that could come out looking worse than LeBron in all of this free agency stuff. I mean, LeBron came off looking like a narcissistic primma donna who was more interested in being rich than working hard to make his home town team take the next step. But Kovy comes off as a stubborn narcissistic jerk who doesn't care that you don't believe he hasn't earned the money that he wants, you're going to pay it to him no matter what. Well, he's managed to do it!

At any rate, I don't think that Kovy is going to end up playing in the NHL next year. It is well known that the KHL wants him back in Russia and will do pretty much anything to get him back as he is a super talented player who is actually under 35 and is still pretty much in his prime. They will pay him more and kiss his butt to make sure that he comes there. In my opinion, don't count on Kovy playing in the NHL next year.