Avalanche Rumors

Kings Interested In Jarome Iginla

March 1, 2017 at 10:22 am CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

The Los Angeles Kings have expressed some interest in Colorado right winger Jarome Iginla, TSN’s Bob McKenzie reports via Twitter. Iginla holds a full no-trade clause but is open to lifting it to move to a contender and McKenzie adds that the interest may be mutual.

The Kings are looking for some help up front as they are one of the lowest scoring teams in the Western Conference. However, Iginla has tailed off offensively this season and is on pace for the worst offensive numbers in his career. In 61 games this year, the 39 year old has just eight goals, ten assists, and a -21 rating while averaging a career low 14:45 per game.

However, perhaps a change of scenery would result in a bit of a spark for the veteran. The Kings wouldn’t exactly represent a contending team, however, as they remain on the outside looking in at a playoff spot (they are one point behind the Blues for the last Wild Card spot but St. Louis has a game in hand).

Iginla is in the final year of his contract with a cap hit of $5.33MM. It’s likely that Colorado will have to retain a significant portion of the deal if a trade is agreed upon.

Coyotes, Avalanche Exchange AHL Wingers

March 1, 2017 at 9:40 am CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

The Avalanche and Coyotes have made a small trade as Terry Frei of the Denver Post reports (via Twitter) that Colorado has dealt right winger Joe Whitney to Arizona in exchange for left winger Brendan Ranford.

Ranford’s stay with the Coyotes lasted only a month after being acquired from Dallas back on February 1st. He didn’t get into any games with Arizona and instead played in ten games with their AHL affiliate in Tucson, being held off the scoresheet. For the season, the 24 year old has six goals and 11 assists in 46 minor league contests.

As for Whitney, he has spent the entire season with Colorado’s AHL affiliate in San Antonio. In 55 games with the Rampage, he has 11 goals and 17 helpers which ranked him fourth in team scoring.

Both players are slated to become unrestricted free agents at the end of the season.

Snapshots: Quincey, Duchene, Smith

February 27, 2017 at 1:20 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 2 Comments

Kyle Quincey has been removed from the lineup for the New Jersey Devils tonight against the Montreal Canadiens and though a deal is not imminent it is likely before Wednesday’s trade deadline. The team is keeping him in the press box to make sure he doesn’t suffer an injury as they are now firmly in the selling position. Deb Kaufman Placey of MSG Network reports that Quincey came to the arena today expecting to play, but was told by GM Ray Shero what was in store for him.

Quincey was signed for just $1.25MM this summer after the Detroit Red Wings let him walk in free agency. Once thought of as an integral part of the blueline in Detroit, his effectiveness was questioned over the past few years and it was ultimately decided to not re-sign him. In New Jersey, he’s put in a quietly effective season as one of the only players on the team with a positive plus/minus and improving possession numbers. He spoke to the media about the last time he was dealt at the deadline, in 2012 back to the team that drafted him. He’ll likely add to the Devils’ growing collection of draft picks in the next couple of days.

Matt Duchene isn’t worried about what the trade deadline has in store for him, but will definitely be glad to see it pass. Terry Frei of the Denver Post caught up to Duchene after practice this morning where the young forward told him he’s “just focusing on getting to Philly tonight and preparing for the game tomorrow.” Unfortunately for Duchene his name will undoubtedly come back up as soon as the season ends if he isn’t traded by Wednesday’s deadline, as the team clearly seems to want to move on from their current core. The Avalanche are still in dead last in the league with only 37 points and will have the best chance to select one of Nolan Patrick or Nico Hischier to replace the star centerman should he make his exit in the next few months.
As written today after the Detroit Red Wings signed defenseman Nick Jensen to a two-year extension, the team has now turned to a possible extension for Brendan Smith. Ted Kulfan of The Detroit News reports that Smith’s agent is in active negotiations with the Red Wings and has hopes for a deal being signed soon. Smith is earning $2.75MM this year and is an unrestricted free agent at season’s end.

Western Conference Snapshots: Berglund, Hanzal, Johnson, Bourque

February 25, 2017 at 5:45 pm CDT | by Glen Miller Leave a Comment

One potential option for clubs looking for center help ahead of the deadline was removed with the St. Louis Blues locking up Patrik Berglund to a five-year, $19.25MM deal. On the surface that might appear to be a hefty commitment for a player who hasn’t quite lived up to his advanced billing as a former first-round pick. Berglund is a skilled player with great size at 6-foot-4 and 223 pounds but has failed to register more than 38 points in any of his five previous campaigns and likely won’t reach that mark this year either. Yet Benjamin Hochman of the St. Louis Post Dispatch argues the Blues and Berglund settled on a fair agreement for both sides.

Hochman references a point made by fellow hockey scribe Greg Wyshynski in his “Puck Daddy” blog; Berglund’s new deal is identical to that which was signed last summer by Darren Helm. The Red Wings forward has six goals and 11 points in 32 games this season. Berglund, conversely, has 17 goals in 60 games. Ultimately Hochman’s argument boils down to his view that Berglund is at worst a solid third-line center capable of playing in all situations and contributing 20 goals a year. Based on the likely cost to replace that production on the free agent market, $3.85MM is a good deal.

Elsewhere in the West:

With Arizona one of the few declared sellers and the team yet to approach soon-to-be free agent center Martin Hanzal about a new contract, the big pivot knows his days with the only NHL organization are nearing an end. As Sarah McLellan of AZ Central writes, in the nearly 10 years Hanzal has spent with the Coyotes organization, he has developed from a young player who as longtime teammate Radim Vrbata observed, “I don’t think he understood what it meant to be an NHL player,” into one who routinely matches up against the opposition’s best night in and night out. Of course that’s exactly why Hanzal is being targeted by so many clubs looking for forward help going into the playoffs. The 6-foot-6 center can play in any situation and is also a threat as a net-front presence on the man-advantage. Reports indicate that Coyotes GM John Chayka has placed a high price tag on Hanzal and it’s easy to see why.
Colorado, in the midst of an agonizingly bad season, received some good news with word that top defenseman Erik Johnson and veteran forward Rene Bourque have both pronounced themselves healthy and fit for duty, reports Terry Frei of The Denver Post. The absence of Johnson, out since early December with a broken fibula, has been an especially difficult one for the Avalanche. At the time of his injury, Colorado had a record of 9-13-1. In the 36 games the veteran blue liner has missed, the Avalanche have amassed a paltry 16 points. Obviously Johnson’s return comes far too late to impact the team’s on-ice fortunes much but a stretch of solid play might enhance his value as an offseason trade asset should the Avalanche embrace a full rebuild this summer. Johnson is in the first year of a seven-year, $42MM pact and at 28-years-old, the contract is expected to cover the downward slope of the defenseman’s career and certainly complicates the notion of a trade. Bourque meanwhile, is one a cheap, one-year deal and has contributed nine goals in 43 games with Colorado. If he can get back in the lineup and play well for a couple of games, it’s conceivable a team looking for bottom-six depth might take a flier on him at the deadline.

Trade Candidates: Matt Duchene

February 25, 2017 at 1:30 pm CDT | by Glen Miller Leave a Comment

A wildly disappointing 2016-17 campaign in Colorado has led to rampant speculation that Avalanche GM Joe Sakic is ready to tear down a roster he has had a big hand in both assembling and keeping together. Should he decide to pull the trigger, Sakic’s most valuable and marketable asset is 26-year-old center Matt Duchene. In seven full NHL seasons, Duchene has tallied 20 or more goals five times and with 16 through 54 contests so far this season, it appears likely he’s well on his way 20 goals yet again. Top-six pivots still squarely in their prime and with multiple years of contractual control remaining are all but impossible to acquire which presents Sakic with a unique opportunity to jump start the reconstruction of the Avalanche franchise if he can squeeze fair value from an interested suitor.

Contract

Part of what makes Duchene a valuable commodity, besides his high skill level and past performance of course, is the two seasons remaining on his contract which call for a cap charge of $6MM per season. Compared to what comparable free agent talent costs on the open market, Duchene is a relative bargain at his price.

2016-17

While it’s been a tough season all around in Denver, on an individual level Duchene is in the midst of another solid season offensively with 16 goals and 36 points in 54 games. Prorated over a full 82-game schedule, he would be on pace for a 24-goal, 55-point campaign. Given the lack of offensive production around him in Colorado (the Avalanche are currently last in the NHL in scoring, averaging fewer than two goals per game) it’s easy to project better numbers elsewhere surrounded by better talent.

Season Stats

54 GP, 16 goals, 20 assists, 36 points, -20 plus/minus, 6 PIM, 124 SOG

Suitors

While any team in the league would love to add a player of Duchene’s caliber, a few stand out due to possessing the assets Colorado would want in return in addition to the need for a high end, top-six forward. Carolina boasts several talented young blue liners they could use to entice Colorado while Duchene would give the Hurricanes a skilled pivot to slot ahead of Jordan Staal, who is best suited for third line duty.

Ottawa, as mentioned earlier, absolutely could use another top-six forward and have the young assets required to make a deal work but at this point don’t appear interested at the current price tag.

Nashville has also been listed as a potential destination with either Mattias Ekholm or Ryan Ellis headlining a return package, but after dealing Seth Jones last year would the Predators wish to deplete their defense corps further to bolster their offensive attack?

Likelihood of a Trade

Blockbuster deals of this nature are difficult to execute in-season. With nearly every postseason contender at or near the salary cap ceiling, acquiring a player with a $6MM cap charge would generally either require a team to send an expensive contract back in return or to retain salary to facilitate a trade. That’s why a majority of major moves are completed in the offseason when salary cap concerns are lessened with clubs allowed to exceed the cap ceiling by 10%. More teams will realistically be able to join the bidding which should serve to increase the return Colorado can expect. It’s likely Colorado will pull of a blockbuster deal with Duchene a strong possibility to be moved, but the best guess is a deal will wait until summer.

Declining Greatness: The Case For Jarome Iginla

February 22, 2017 at 5:02 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 5 Comments

A few weeks ago Zach Leach profiled one of the greatest goal scorers in NHL history, Jarome Iginla. He started the piece by saying that Iginla was “a legend with very bad luck” and though he was talking about Iginla’s career, and how close (but yet so far) he has come on several occasions to being in the right place at the right time, he could have easily meant something else that teams should consider when looking at the 618-goal man this trade deadline.

No, it’s not his age—the fact that he’ll turn 40 this July is something everyone should be aware of, but not what this piece will be about. Not his cap hit either; the $5.33MM number is a tough pill to swallow for sure, but at least it expires at the end of the year. It’s his shooting percentage. Sure, Iginla might be a step slower than he has been in the past, and perhaps this legend is ready to ride off into the sunset. It’s just that there may be something left in the tank.

First of all, he’s playing on Colorado which has been a deathtrap for offensive players all season. Whether it’s the coaching of Jared Bednar, the horrible possession metrics almost everyone has put up, or some toxic attitude leaking down from the front office, nearly everyone has been underperforming. Matt Duchene is on a 52 point pace, which would be the lowest he’s recorded for a season where he played more than 70 games. Gabriel Landeskog may not crack 40, well below his career average. Even Nathan MacKinnon, who is currently leading the team in scoring doesn’t look like he’ll improve much on his 52 point effort from a year ago, in which he played only 72 games.

Iginla is right there along with them, scoring just 16 points in 58 games. But what do you expect from a guy who has lined up beside John Mitchell and Blake Comeau for most of the season, a duo that has a combined point total of 15. He’s also been given the least amount of icetime of his career, playing just 14:45 per night. Perhaps this is just because he’s no good anymore, but there may be a silver lining.

Yes, that’s the shooting percentage which currently sits at 6.1%, less than half of his career rate. He’s still generating shots, with 114 on the year but just nothing is going in for him. He’s on pace to almost match the shot total from each of the last two years, when he had 29 and 22 goals respectively, and doing it with much worse linemates. No, he’ll never be a defensive presence that drives possession, but he can be a goal scoring threat even at his advanced age. If he sat at his career shooting percentage we’d be talking about a 15-goal scorer instead, despite Mitchell and Comeau still being alongside him.

Playoff experience can’t exactly be quantified, but anecdotally the game slows down in the postseason. When the whistles are put away, a bit more obstruction takes place and physical goal scoring threats are extremely important. Iginla has scored 37 playoff goals in just 81 games, a better per-game pace than Sidney Crosby. It’s not that he’ll continue to be a legendary goal scoring threat, just that he may still be a fine secondary option for a team looking for some depth on the wing. He won’t cost much, and he might just get that one last chance at a Stanley Cup.

Injury Notes: Marner, Senators, Johnson

February 22, 2017 at 2:58 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

The Maple Leafs escaped with two points last night against Winnipeg despite having to kill an Auston Matthews penalty in overtime, and got some more good news this morning. Though practice was cancelled for the majority of the team, Mitch Marner hit the ice and looked no worse for wear since sustaining a shoulder injury last week. Though coach Mike Babcock says he won’t play tomorrow night against the New York Rangers, he has a chance at playing on Saturday.

That would be a nice boost for the Maple Leafs who are actually just five points out of first place in the Atlantic Division. The continued brilliance of their rookies was on display again last night as Matthews recorded three assists in the victory.

The Leafs will be without Connor Carrick however, who suffered an upper-body injury when he collided awkwardly with Mathieu Perreault and left the game. Alexey Marchenko will slot into the lineup in his place for the first time since being acquired off waivers from the Detroit Red Wings earlier this month. Carrick’s timeline for return is unknown.
Pierre Dorion told the Ottawa Citizen that both Mike Hoffman and Mark Stone could play as early as Sunday, which is extremely important news for the Ottawa Senators. Getting the two wingers back would be a boost to a group that had trouble scoring last night in a 2-1 victory. The team generated just 23 shots on goal and needed Kyle Turris and Erik Karlsson—their two remaining offensive options—to each light the lamp in the win.
Erik Johnson will return to the Colorado Avalanche lineup on Saturday according to Terry Frei of the Denver Post. The big defenseman has been out since the beginning of December and is finally skating without the non-contact jersey. As the Avalanche prepare for a busy trade deadline, Johnson looks like he’ll remain in Denver for the time being. His long contract and partial no-trade clause would make him difficult to move in-season even if there were people impressed enough by his return.
Ryan Callahan had another surgery on his hip yesterday, and is out indefinitely for the Tampa Bay Lightning. Callahan only played in 18 games for the club this season and now sounds like he might be out for the remainder of the year. While he’s not an integral part of their offense, losing a player of his experience is never a good thing. About to turn 32, Callahan is signed for another three seasons in Tampa Bay at a cap-hit of $5.8MM. Steve Yzerman said just a few days ago that he was operating under the assumption that Callahan and Steven Stamkos would be back at some point along with their cap-hits, and perhaps this clears that up.

Deadline Primer: Colorado Avalanche

February 22, 2017 at 12:21 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

With the trade deadline now just a week away, we continue to take a closer look at each team. Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs?

The Colorado Avalanche are a mess. Their season began with a coach walking out on them just two months before the start of the season, and has gone downhill from there. Now with just 35 points through 58 games they are a lock for last place in the NHL and are about to pull the trigger on the latest rebuild.

Even though much of their team is still young enough to be considered developing, GM Joe Sakic has said that there are very few untouchables. It’s time for a reset in Mile High, and the deadline looks to be the starting point.

Record

16-39-3, 7th in Central Division

Deadline Status

Seller

Deadline Cap Space

$3.38MM – full-season cap hit, 47/50 contracts per CapFriendly.

Draft Picks

2017: COL 1st, COL 2nd, COL 4th, NYR 4th, COL 5th, COL 6th, COL 7th
2018: COL 1st, COL 2nd, COL 3rd, COL 4th, COL 5th, COL 6th, COL 7th

Trade Chips

The Avalanche are one of just a few sellers (perhaps just two) that have appeared so far, and it may benefit them greatly. Multiple teams have already been in contact on Matt Duchene and Gabriel Landeskog, and the pair of young forwards look like some of the biggest fishes on the market this week. But it doesn’t end there for the bottom-dwelling Avs.

Jarome Iginla is almost certain to be dealt, as he’s expressed his want to go somewhere to try and win a Stanley Cup. While he doesn’t provide the same type of offense he once did—Iginla only has seven goals and 16 points this season—many teams might think that is just a symptom of the team around him. Indeed, he is just a year removed from scoring 22 goals for the Avalanche in 2015-16. When you’ve scored 618 goals in the NHL, plus another 37 in the playoffs a team is going to want you for the experience you bring. Look for Iginla to be dealt on the deadline itself for a draft pick.

The team also has Rene Bourque and Patrick Wiercioch drawing calls, with both likely costing very little at the deadline. Mikhail Grigorenko and Carl Soderberg are interesting options up front, but one may be too young to deal and the other too expensive. It’s all on the table for Sakic, who listed just Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen and Tyson Jost as the untouchables on his squad.

If Sakic really wants to blow it up, perhaps he’ll even consider the idea of trading Tyson Barrie, the puck moving defenseman that may have been at the core of the Roy departure. The Avalanche signed him to a four-year deal this summer, but has seen his defensive play deteriorate even further.

Five Players To Watch: C Matt Duchene, LW Gabriel Landeskog, RW Jarome Iginla, D Patrick Wiercioch, F Carl Soderberg

Team Needs

1) Young Defensemen – The Avalanche lost Nikita Zadorov for the season recently, but his development into an NHL defender has brightened up what has been a nightmare season. The team will be looking for more players like him to build around and finally fix their defensive problems. Francois Beauchemin and Fedor Tyutin won’t be around when this team is ready to contend again, and Erik Johnson will likely be a shell of himself—he’s signed through the 2022-23 season, but is about to turn 29 and surely won’t continue at his level into his mid-thirties.

2) Draft Picks – The team needs to restock its cupboards and though this draft is considered to have a weak top-end, there is a lot of talent throughout the first round especially at the center position. The Avalanche have set themselves up to be almost guaranteed a shot at one of Nolan Patrick, Nico Hischier or Gabriel Vilardi, but could also add depth with some first round picks if they deal off their big assets.

3) Prospects – The other option is just to trade for already drafted prospects and hope they develop the way is expected. Sakic has reportedly asked for each of these three things in a trade for Duchene, essentially hedging his bets across all three avenues. For a team that was just out of the playoffs the last couple of seasons, it doesn’t have to be a decade long rebuild. A quick turnaround isn’t guaranteed, but with a legitimate #1 center in MacKinnon and solid goaltending, a few prospects making a big jump could push them back into a playoff race as soon as 2018-19.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Can The Colorado Avalanche Be Fixed?

February 20, 2017 at 9:09 pm CDT | by natebrown 10 Comments

Patrick Roy quit unexpectedly. The team has just 35 points. And Nikita Zadorov is out for the year after getting hurt in practice. The 2016-17 season has been an unmitigated disaster for the Avalanche and as the season slips away, there has to be a new blueprint for a once proud organization that once won two Stanley Cups in six seasons. Though that feels like a lifetime ago, hope isn’t all lost as the Avs have several pieces in place to build around. The real problem is what route is best when it comes to rebuilding a team in shambles?

The Denver Post’s Mike Chambers indicates that the Avs are in full sell mode. That’s pretty obvious when Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations/General Manager Joe Sakic has been honest in his assessment of making players available. It’s been widely reported that the asking price is high for anyone the Avs are willing to trade, whether it be Matt Duchene, or Gabriel Landeskog. Chambers includes Jarome Iginla, Fedor Tyutin, John Mitchell, Andreas Martinsen Rene Bourque, and Cody Goloubef as pieces to trade off since they’re all set to be unrestricted free agents.

Though they could fetch a number of draft picks and prospects, especially if Landeskog or Duchene are moved, it might be something else the Avs should look at. Especially since the return on those trades are absolutely crucial.

I asked about Joe Sakic’s role in all of this back in December, and nearly 73% of our readers thought he should be shown the door. But is it that easy? Would firing Sakic really change a team in turmoil? If anything, perhaps Sakic goes out and instead of green lighting someone from the “glory days” when he played, grabs a knowledgeable former general manager or up and coming assistant that could help sort out the mess. Outside of opinion pieces, there hasn’t been anything to suggest that Sakic is feeling heat. As one of the leaders of the organization, hiring another pair of eyes to help, whether it be in a scouting or management capacity, would help Sakic and the organization most. Especially if there is no urgency from ownership when it comes to firing him.

Aside from the 2013-14 season, the Avalanche haven’t seen a lot of success since getting bounced during the 2010 playoffs. Since then, they’ve only returned once, and that one time was with Sakic in charge. Even if he begins selling off assets to rebuild, it takes keen eyes to pull of a successful rebuild. They take time, patience, and a lot of smarts. Look at Toronto.

Fixing the Avalanche begins with ownership taking a good hard look at what task is in front of them. Keeping Sakic works if he’s surrounded with more experience. Otherwise, it’s nothing more than an organization living in the past while flailing in the present, and inevitably, the future.

Evening Snapshots: Kings, Maple Leafs, Avalanche

February 20, 2017 at 6:22 pm CDT | by Mike Furlano 1 Comment

News and notes from around the NHL this evening:

The Los Angeles Kings seem content to go with goaltender Peter Budaj during the playoff run stretch, reports LA Kings Insider Jon Rosen. Kings head coach Darryl Sutter articulated that the upcoming deadline had no effect on injured goaltender Jonathan Quick’s recovery timeline—the organization will not start Quick earlier than planned just to see if they need to add something at the deadline. This implies that the Kings will not seek additional goaltending help. Overall, the Kings have to be satisfies with Budaj’s performance so far. He’s gone 26-19-3 with a .916 SV% and a 2.14 GAA, and a league-leading 7 shutouts. Budaj, however, has lost 5 of his last six, though peeled off five straight wins—with three shutouts—before that.
Toronto Maple Leafs forward Brooks Laich indicated to media today that he would like to go to a playoff contender if the Maple Leafs do not plan to use him this season. Laich has spent the entire season in the AHL with the Toronto Marlies, and has seen other forwards—Josh Leivo and Frederik Gauthier—receive callups to the big league. Part of the reason that Laich remains in the AHL is that the Leafs have been relatively injury-free this year. The organization has had little need for AHL replacements, and as a result veteran players like Laich get left behind. While one cannot blame an organization for wanting to test out its younger prospects, Laich’s feelings are sure to gather sympathy with the front office. The Maple Leafs have already traded away rarely-used forward Peter Holland, and could do the same to Brooks Laich.
Colorado Avalanche defenseman Nikita Zadorov is out for the remainder of the season, the team announced today. Zadorov hurt his ankle today in practice after tangling up with forward Mikko Rantanen. The 21 year-old defensive prospect has 0G and 10A for the Avalanche while averaging just over 19 minutes a night. With Colorado mired in last place—the next worst team is 12 points ahead of them—there is no reason to rush Zadorov back.

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