Nathan MacKinnon Wins The Calder Trophy. Obviously.

Well, as many have speculated, Nathan MacKinnon has won the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s rookie of the year. Kudos to Ondrej Palat and Tyler Johnson on their nominees, but lets be serious. Was there any doubt Nathan MacKinnon would win the award? Let’s take a look at the stats:

	Goals	Assists	Points
MacKinnon	24	39	63
Palat	23	36	59
Johnson	24	26	50

Check it out. We used a table. Stick tap to my mom’s boss who showed us how to do that on Microsoft Word 2003.

So the stats tell this kind of story: MacKinnon isn’t a runaway points wise. The goals are as even as they can be, and apart from Johnson’s lack of comparable assists, the points are pretty even as well. So let’s look a little deeper into the situation: MacKinnon’s corsi and fenwick are just so much be-…..just kidding we hate advanced stats.

But look at the way these players have played. Palat had a horrible start, points wise, to his season. It took until December 10^th for him to score his 5^th goal of the season. Granted, at this point in the season he was mostly being used as a 3^rd/4^th line guy. But the Calder trophy isn’t an award for best January-April. Sorry Palat, but your new contract extension should cheer you up.

Tyler Johnson. You scored a Hattrick against the Avs. So that’s why you lost. Now go sit in the corner and think about what you did.

Ok fine. Apart from that, Johnson was pretty inconsistent throughout the year. He went through long scoring droughts, even though he was consistently getting over 17 minutes a game, playing on the top line at time and with Steven Stamkos. Come on Johnson, you’re 5’9. You should be more like Martin St. Louis. Yea, it’s that easy.

So, you’re welcome for that expert analysis. Look out Mike Milbury and Jeremy Roenick, we’re coming for you.

Our 2014 NHL Awards Picks

Our #NHLAwards picks:

Hart: Nominees: Crosby, Getzlaf, Giroux

Winner: Crosby

By far the worst trio to be picked for the Hart in a long time. None of these guys really deserve it but we’ll give it to Crosby.

Vezina: Nominees: Bishop, Rask, Varlamov

Winner: Varlamov

Varly all the way on this one, and not because we’re biased. Rask played behind a great defense and awesome team, and Bishop had a good year but people seem to confuse breakout seasons with a Vezina worthy campaign. Varly played with a not so strong defense and was a HUGE reason the Avs finished third in the league.

Norris – Nominees: Chara, Keith, Weber

Winner: Chara

Weber didn’t do enough to help his team be successful. Keith got ot play with a great defensive forward corps, and Chara is getting old and is still absolutely unbeatable.

Calder: Nominees: Johnson, Palat, MacKinnon

Winner:MacKinnon

Again, no bias here. Johnson was good this year as demonstrated in his games versus the Avs. Palat was OK but nothing special. MacKinnon was an explosive game changer that could make the difference between 2 points and a loss. The Lightning pair were just to overshadowed and under exposed for us to give them the nod, and we think the same will go for the voters of this trophy.

Lady Byng: Nominees: Marleau, O’Reilly, St. Louis

Winner: Marleau

The sportsmanship award. St. Louis requesting a trade because he was left off team Canada. O’Reilly is being a greedy little snob. And Marleau is who is left. Congrats.

Jack Adams: Nominees: Babcock, Cooper, Roy

Winner: Roy

Again, NO BIAS. Babcock coached his team to a solid limp into the playoffs. Why is he here? Why not Therrien or Boudreau? Cooper has done a great job in Tampa Bay even though they missed the playoffs. But Roy turned a 29^th overall team into a 3^rd place team, and you can’t just credit that too the players starting to develop. Roy’s new system and demeanor with the players snags him the first of many Jack Adams awards.

Selke: Nominees: Bergeron, Kopitar, Toews

Winner: Bergeron

Toews was a close 2^nd in our books and Kopitar was a far away third. But Bergeron takes the cake as the best 2-way man in the league.

Bill Masterton: Nominees: Jagr, Malhotra, Moore

Winner: Malhotra

Malhotra suffered that eye injury and many thought his career was over. But after successful rehab and a stint with the Charlotte Checkers has him back in the big leagues. Jagr is just old and defected to the KHL for a bit. Moore is a close 2^nd.

These next awards are kind of…well, pointless, so we’ll just give a quick rundown.

Mark Messier Leadership: Nominees: Brown, Getzlaf, Toews

Winner: Toews. Duh.

NHL Foundation Player Award: Nominees: Bergeron, Burns, Keith

Winner: Burns

GM Of The Year: Nominees: Bergevin, Lombardi, Murray

Winner: Bergevin. Murray with those Perry/Getzlaf contracts…LOL.

Ted Lindsay Award: Nominees: Crosby, Getzlaf, Giroux.

Winner: Crosby. Pointless award.

The Best Draft In Colorado Avalanche History

Off the top of your head, what do you think is the greatest draft in Avalanche history? Is it the 2001 draft where they got Budaj, McCormick, and Svatos? The 2005 draft where they picked Hensick, Cumiskey, Stastny, and Stoa? 

No.

This would have been a much harder task had it not been for the Avs recent debauchery from 2009-2012 where they got all those high picks in the draft. So, according to us, and we hold some pretty big clout in the Avs community (we were once mentioned by a casual fan during an Avs practice, so that’s a pretty big deal) the best draft in Colorado Avalanche history is the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. We’ve outlined the top 5 draft busts, but let’s focus on the positive for a short while. Let’s take a look at the players:

2009 Draft	Rd.	Pick	Pos.	HT	WT	Shot	Cause for departure	Currently
Matt Duchene	1	3	C	5-11	200	L	-	Colorado Avalanche
Ryan O'Reilly	2	33	C	6-0	200	L	-	Colorado Avalanche
Stefan Elliott	2	49	D	6-1	180	R	-	Colorado Avalanche
Tyson Barrie	3	64	D	5-10	190	R	-	Colorado Avalanche
Kieran Millan	5	124	G	6-0	190	L	-	Wheeling Nailers (ECHL)
Brandon Maxwell	6	154	G	6-0	195	L	Not Extended A Contract	Medvescak Zagreb (KHL)
Gus Young	7	184	D	6-2	190	L	-	Yale University (NCAA)

 (Stick tap to AvalancheDB . Go there. Best site on the internet)

That is just money in the bag. Matt Duchene 3^rd overall. Duchene is one of the leaders on this club and arguably the best player. Despite some injuries, he can be counted on for almost a point per game. His blistering speed and totally ungreedy money hungry attitude makes him a little bit more valuable and respectable than the next player drafted.

Ryan O’Reilly, all joking and contract disputes aside, is probably the best 2^nd round draft pick in recent memory. Everyone knows about his heart and work ethic as well as his two way play. In a first round that featured Zack Kassian, Magnus Paajarvi, Louis Leblanc, Jacob Josefson, and Philippe Paradis, most teams will be kicking themselves for not locking this dynamo down. He made the Avs right out of training camp, unheard of for someone taken in the 2^nd round. Now let’s hope the Avs can lock him for a decent prize and for a long time. Fun Fact: Carl Klingberg, Joonas Nattinen, and Scot Glennie were all ranked a lot higher than O’Reilly by Central Scouting.

At this point, with these two players, this could already be considered the best draft for the Avs. But just like every slap chop, mighty putty, and Sham-Wow commercial, wait! There’s More!

Enter Stefan Elliott. He has not been as great for the Avs as some people would have hoped, but in his last few showings, as well as down in Lake Erie, Elliott has really developed into a strong young defenseman. Look for him to be a 2^nd/3^rd pairing dman on the Avs in the next couple years. Elliott is a nice little pick at 49^th overall.

Enter newest NHL stud and Matt Cooke’s best friend Tyson Barrie. Anyone who watched an Avs game this year knows that his solid puck moving, OT loving, defenseman is going to be great, as long as players stay away from his MCL’s. Scratched frequently/minor league bound at the beginning of the year, Barrie found his confidence and gained Coach Roy’s trust and this allowed him to blossom into one of the great young defenseman in the NHL.

Out of all the bad that Avs management was doing in 2009, this draft was one saving grace for the scrubs who ran this team. The rest of the draft featured the usual late round busts in Keiran Millan, Gus Young, and Brandon Maxwell, but that’s ok because as of right now, the first 4 players the Avs selected are still with the team, and they’re still going.

So if you think we’re wrong and there is a better draft in Avs history (Not Nordiques) we’d love for youto tell us why!

The Colorado Avalanche's Top 5 Biggest Draft Busts

Every team has their drafts that they would love to do over, and picks they wish they would have stayed away from. Because in the years following, it is always made clear, in hindsight, who should have been left off the scouts list. Instead, teams are left with a relatively unknown name in their list of prospects. Some of the most well-known draft busts are Patrik Stefan, Scott Scissons, Rick DiPietro, and Alexander Daigle.

Like every team, the Avalanche also have a nice little list of top drafted players who amounted to nothing. Here are the top 3:

Peter Ratchuk: Colorado drafted this promising defenseman in 1996, the Avs 2nd draft, in the 1^st round, 25^th overall. Ratchuk was seen as an offensive defenseman who scored 23 goals and 31 assists in his last year of junior (Hull Olympiques, QMJHL). The Avs chose not to sign Ratchuk to an entry level deal, making the young blueliner a free agent. Ratchuk went on to play 32 NHL games with the Florida Panthers, scoring 1 goal and an assist. He then toiled in the minor leagues and Europe before retiring in 2011.

Other players the Avs could have drafted: Zdeno Chara, Tom Poti, Toni Lydman, Pavel Kubina, Willie Mitchell, Tomas Kaberle, Fernando Pisani.

Mikhail Kuleshov: Hardcore Avs fans might remember Kuleshov. After being drafted 25^th overall in the 1999 entry draft, he went on to play in 3 games for Colorado in the 2003-04 season. He went 0-0-0, -1. So why is Kuleshov listed as an all-time bust? After being drafted in the 1^st round, in ’99, Kuleshov went on to play 31 games over 3 seasons in the Russia Super League. He scored a total of 2 points, all assists. The Avs then brought the young left winger over to North America, where he suited up for the old affiliate Hershey Bears (AHL). He never scored more than 8 goals in any of his 4 AHL seasons (19 total), and eventually went back to Mother Russia where he would never score another goal in the RSL. Kuleshov retired in 2006. In Soviet Russia, hockey plays you.

Other players the Avs could have drafted: Ryan Miller, Henrik Zetterberg, Martin Havlat, Mike Commodore, Jordan Leopold, Craig Anderson, Chris Kelly, Mike Comrie, Brian McGrattan, Ryan Malone, Georges Parros.

Kevin Grimes: Grimes was drafted 26^th overall in the 1997 Entry draft. Grimes was a tough, hardnosed defenseman that was capable of putting up some points. But the Avs wasted this first round pick on a player that never made it out of the ECHL or IHL. After junior, Grimes never scored more than 2 goals in a season, and after seeing his playing time and games dressed decrease, he retired in 2004 with only 460 pro games under his belt to go along with just 15 goals. After not being extended a contract by the Avs, Grimes re-entered the NHL draft, but was passed over. Talk about a fall from grace.

Other players the Avs could have drafted: Max Afinogenov, Peter Sykora, Joe Corvo, Jason Chimera, Kyle Calder, Mike York, Brian Campbell, Shawn Thornton, Andrew Ference, Kristian Huselius. 

We expect a thank you card from his mom for writing the first hockey story on him in 10 years. You're welcome. 

(This hockey card is pretty much worthless)

Vaclav Nedorost: Nedorost was drafted 14^th overall in the 2000 draft. Nedorost was a promising young Czech forward who was capable of tearing it up on the score sheet, with blazing speed and soft hands. Nedorost played a total of 67 games for the Avs scoring 6 goals and 7 assists before being traded to the Panthers for Peter Worrell and a draft pick. Nedorost would continue his NHL career another 32 games and 7 points before a brief stint with San Antonio (AHL) and an eventual exile back to the Czech league. He is currently good for about 15 goals a year in the KHL, so based on KHL standards he is most likely making eleventy billion dollars.

Other players the Avs could have drafted: Brooks Orpik, Anton Volchenkov, Justin Williams, Brad Boyes, Nik Kronwall, Tomas Kopecky, Ilya Bryzalov, Jared Stoll, Paul Martin, Henrik Lundqvist.

Jonas Johansson: Johansson was another promising young forward that the Avs drafted in the 1^st round (28^th overall) who scored 18 goals for the Kamloops Blazers (WHL) and didn’t match that goal total at all in his career until he got a dream contract in the Italian league about 10 years later. Johansson bumped around the Avs minor league system before being shipped off to Washington with Bates Battaglia in exchange for Steve Konowalchuk. Wow did the Avs ever win that trade. Johansson played 1 NHL game and didn’t do anything in it at all.

Other players the Avs could have drafted: Tobias Stephan, Josh Harding, Matt Greene, Duncan Keith, Matt Stajan, Kiri Hudler, Frans Neilsen, Dennis Wideman.

Dishonourable Mentions: Nigel Williams (2006, 51^st),  Serge Soin (2000, 50^th) Graham Belak (1997, 53^rd) Yuri Babenko (1996, 51^st)

  

Ryan O'Reilly: Take Your High Demands And Greedy Big Ego And Hit The Road

Everyone else has seemed to weigh in on the O’Reilly situation, so it’s our turn.

If you get the Sportsnet channel (Canadian) or have access to Youtube (Everywhere, probably the moon by now.) then you can listen to ROR’s agent Pat Morris talk about the contract situation. Here is the video. ROR talk starts at 6:06

Let’s take some quotes out of this piece. “no player has been “arbed” for a pay cut of his(ROR) stature”

His stature? The guy is an NHLer of 5 seasons.  In those 5 seasons he has averaged well below 20 goals a year. Yea he is great defensively, but don’t try to sell him for an all out superstar. He isn’t Zach Parise. He isn’t Patrick Kane. He isn’t Anze Kopitar. If O’Reilly thinks he deserves to be on the pedestal he made for himself, then he is dreaming.

“Ryan would like to stay in Colorado, at the same time a long term deal has not been worked out”

Because the Avs don’t want to give this guy a 45 million dollar deal  over 7 years. Rightfully so.

“Ryan is unrestricted in two years, given the model now where Colorado has “arbed” him, short term looks like it’s the future for Ryan."

This is pretty much saying “we’re offended by the Avs, and we want to go elsewhere once O’Reilly is a UFA”. If that’s the case, then O’Reilly and his agent can shove it. If the guy is only passionate and in it if the right dollar amount gets written on a check, then he isn’t a true hockey player. He shows heart on the ice and in the dressing room, but it’s nice to know now that it was all because of how much the Avs got snaked into paying him.

When asked by Doug MacLean if they’d take 2 years arbitration deal and walk, Pat Morris pussy footed around the question.

“We are now preparing for an arbitration case that we didn’t think we’d have to attend to and at the same time, as of the 25^th of June people can entertain talking to RFA’s and he’s an RFA effectively until July 5^th.”

This pretty much means “We’ll talk to other teams and see what they’ll pay us.” Again: where does ROR get off thinking he is worth over 6 million dollars? He is -8 in his career, scores about .6 points per game, and is the whiniest greediest little brat that has ever dealt with the Avs.

“There has been some history with the previous contract and Ryan is a stubborn young man”

History meaning the Avs brass didn’t think this little rockstar was worth 6.5 million dollars? The only one who thought he was worth that was Jay Feaster. So that pretty much proves everything about this deal and ROR’s numbers is insane. And stubborn? No. There is a difference between stubborn and greedy.

Bottom line is this: The Avs can sign ROR long term at 6.5M per, or maybe more, who knows. The maybe somewhere down the road they don’t have the cap space to sign one or more of Duchene, Landy, Barrie, EJ, Varly, and whoever else. So is ROR worth the Avs potentially blowing up their team or losing some key players just to keep him on? No.

So, if you’re reading this O’Reilly (which you 99% most likely aren’t but how cool would that be, I mean come on, that would be sweet, we’d be kind of a big deal for once) then take a hike and go bog down some other team with your unnecessary and unwarranted demands. You are not worth 6.5M. If you think you are, then get your head out of your rear end.

Where Are They Now? Chapter 3

Here is our latest istallment of "Where Are They Now": A look at notable former Avs around the NHL.


Johnny Boychuk (BOS)-  75 GP, 5G, 18A, 23PTS. Boychuk is a physical force on the Bruins back end and one of their best defensemen. Oh what could have been. He is a penalty killer extraordinaire and looks great paired up with Zdeno Chara or just about any other defenseman.  

Departure:  Colorado traded Boychuck to Washington for Matt Hendricks, who later signed with the Capitals

Jordan Leopold (STL) – 27GP, 1G, 5A, 6PTS. Leopold missed some time this year with the Blues, but when he did play, he was a solid defender. Avs fans may remember that Leopold still had some holes in his game, but he has really come into his own on the St. Louis blueline. He’s 33, but he still has a few good years left.

Departure: Traded to the Flames for Lawrence Nycholat, Ryan Wilson, and the pick used to select Stefan Elliot.

Scott Hannan (SJS) – 56GP, 3G, 9A, 12PTS. Hannan scored more goals this season than he has since 07. Hannan is still a solid defender, a word that is probably way overused for dmen like him, but he is an integral part of a skilled Sharks d corps.

Departure: Colorado traded Hannan to Washington for Tomas Fleischmann.

Tomas Fleischmann (FLA) – 80GP, 8G, 20A, 28PTS. Fleischmann’s point production has slowed down a bit. Either he is getting worse, or Florida is so awful that no one broke 40 points this season. Further research indicates that yes, the Panthers are so awful that no one scored over 40 points.

Departure: Colorado let him walk for nothing.

Peter Mueller (Kloten – Swiss-A League) - 49GP, 24G, 22A, 46PTS. Mueller has been banished to Europe, but at least he’s in the classy part of Europe. Switzerland has been good to Mueller though, as he scored 46 points in 49 games. He probably won’t see NHL ice time again.

Departure: Colorado let him walk for nothing as well.

Michael Bournival (MTL) – 60GP, 7G, 7A, 14PTS. Bournival was a prospect for the Avs and now is a budding offensive sniper for the Habs. He’s only 21, but look for him to start ripping up the score sheets in the next 3-5 years.

Departure: Colorado traded him for the unfortunate Ryan O’Byrne.

Wojtek Wolski  (Nizhny Novgorod Torpedo - KHL) - 54GP, 19G, 19A, 38PTS. Wolski’s last few years in NHL weren’t the prettiest. 4^th line minutes with the Rangers and Caps and very little production saw him banished to the fiery depths of the KHL. Poor guy. But he managed to get with Ashley Leggat, and that’s a pretty big deal. Seriously, Google Image search her. Worth it.

Departure: Colorado traded Wolski to the Coyotes for Peter Mueller and Kevin Porter.

Peter Budaj (MTL) – 24GP, 10W, 8L, 3OTL, .909SV%, 1SO, 2.5GAA. Budaj saw some increased ice time this year due to Price going down with a few injuries, and helped backstop the Habs to 2^nd place in their division. Budaj was solid when he needed to be and continues to be a reliable backup for the Canadiens. He’s only 31 too, so he has many years left.

Departure: Signed as a free agent with Montreal

Craig Anderson (OTT) - 53GP, 25W, 16L, 8OTL, .911 SV%, 4SO, 3.00GAA. Andy still has it as a legitimate starter in the NHL. Snubbed off the Team USA Olympic team in place of Ben Bishop was a mistake, and apart from the recent 7 goal light up against the Habs, he has been great night in and night out. But alas, the playoffs elude him once again.

Departure: Colorado traded Anderson to Ottawa for Brian Elliott.

Radim Vrbata (PHX) – 79GP, 20G, 31A, 51PTS. Another 20 goal season from Vrbata! That makes for 4 20 goal seasons in his last 6, and he got 19 and 12 the other 2 (the 12 goals was during the lockout). This guy just doesn’t stop. This was the 3^rd most points he has scored in the league. He just needs to stop putting up so many points against the Avs.

Departure: Colorado traded Vrbata to Carolina for Bates Battaglia. Bates Battaglia. Here is his Wikipedia page in case you are like most people and fail to recall who he is: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bates_Battaglia

Kevin Porter (BUF)  12GP, 0G, 1A, 1PT. Porter did just what everyone knew he would this season. Play himself out of a roster spot on the awful Sabres team. Good riddance.

Departure: Colorado traded Battaglia and prospect Jonas Johansson to Washington for Steve Konowalchuk and a 3^rd  round pick in 2004.

Daniel Winnik (ANA)- 75GP, 6G, 24A, 30PTS. Winnik is still a physical penalty killing workhorse who fits perfectly on the Ducks 3^rd line. Some offense in there makes him invaluable to a team looking for a long playoff run.

Departure: Winnik was traded to the Sharks along with Galiardi for Jamie McGinn, Mike Connolly, and Michal Sgarbossa.

Kevin Shattenkirk (STL) – 81GP, 10G, 35A, 45PTS. Shattenkirk has had another great season for the Blues. That’s what one would expect from a blue chip, top prospect defenseman. The emergence of Johnson has helped shoulder the blow of the awful trade, but that still goes down in history as one of the worst moves in Avalanche history.

Departure: After a night of binge drinking and mechanical bull rides, Greg Sherman called the Blues GM and proposed Shattenkirk and Chris Stewart in exchange for McClement, Johnson, and a 1^st round pick. The drinking/bull story isn’t confirmed, but we figure that’s what had to have happened for Sherman to think up such a deal.

Chris Stewart (STL/BUF) – 63GP, 15G, 11A, 26PTS. We now don’t feel so bad that Stewart was traded. We don’t need a lazy self proclaimed rockstar on this team.

Departure: See above Departure.

Jay McClement: (TOR) – 81GP, 4G, 6A, 10PTS. McClement has been absolute dynamite for the Leafs this year in terms of great defensive play and awesome penalty killing. Departure: Signed as a Free Agent by the Maple Leafs.

Brian Elliott (STL) - 31GP, 18W, 6L, 2OTL, .922SV%, 4SO, 1.96GAA. Elliott is still sticking around in St. Louis and he's been signed on for a few more years. I guess they trust him more than Ryan Miller. An 18-6 record and under 2.00GAA, he might even be able to get them all the way to another 1st round playoff exit. 

Departure: After trading Craig Anderson to Ottawa in exchange for Elliot, he signed in the offseason with the Blues.

John-Michael Liles (TOR/CAR) – 41GP, 2G, 7A, 9PTS. Liles found himself in Randy Carlyle’s doghouse yet again and was frequently a healthy scratch, suiting up in only 6 games for the Leafs. He got shipped off to Carolina where he played a little more but there's no question that he is on the downside of his career.  

Departure: Colorado traded Liles to Toronto for a 2^nd round pick (2012). Wait…wasn’t Quincey worth a 1^st?

Matt Hendricks (NSH/EDM) – 77GP, 5G, 2A, 7PTS. Hendricks continues playing hard, being hard to play against, and providing the Caps with a great physical presence. Unfortunately he's been banned to the far reaches of the Oilers 4th. This is the guy we gave up Johnny Boychuk for. Then let slip away for nothing. I’m beginning to see a trend in the departures…

Departure: Signed as a free agent with the Capitals.

Chuck Kobasew (PIT) – 33GP, 2G, 0A, 2PTS. Kobasew scored a goal in each of his first 2 games as a Penguin…then never again. With a 3^rd line of McGinn, Talbot, and Mitchell, The Avs don’t miss him. He used to play for the Wild. Ew.

Departure: Signed as a Free Agent by Pittsburgh.

David Jones: (CGY) – 48GP, 9G, 8A, 17PTS. Jones was Jones in Calgary. Playing on a second line (sometimes 3^rd and 4^th) and contributing nothing offensively, bringing others down with him. Aren’t you so glad he isn’t on the Avs anymore? He isn’t very good.

Departure: Avs traded Jones and Shane O’Brien to Calgary for Alex Tanguay and Corey Sarich.

Shane O’Brien (CGY) - 45GP, 0G, 3A, 3PTS. O’Brien provided solid defense for the Flames when he made it into the lineup. He was -8 on a Flames team that was just awful, so in reality that’s like plus 100. Think about this though: We got Tanguay and Sarich, two solid players with a lot left in the tank, for O’Brien, who was hurt and scratched frequently, and Jones, who was obviously hurt much of the year because he’s Jones. You know what that means? We finally won a trade with Calgary! And think of this while you’re at it too: How many times have we used the word “solid” in this post? Dear Santa: For Christmas we would like a thesaurus.

Departure: Avs traded O’Brien and David Jones to Calgary for Alex Tanguay and Corey Sarich.

Aaron Palushaj (CAR) – 2GP, 0G, 0A, 0PTS. Palushaj’s success with the Avs wasn’t paralleled in Carolina. He wasn’t given a chance on the big club but he scored 22 goals and added 36 assists in the AHL. Pretty solid.

Departure: Signed as a Free Agent by Carolina.

Steve Downie (PHI) 51GP, 3G, 14A, 17PTS. Downie could have been great in Colorado but his injury last year really held him back from shining. He made it to Philly and got hurt in his first game and missed some time. We here never liked Downie when he was on the Flyers previously and the Lightning. He was a reckless goon and was a Sean Avery type early on. He matured in Colorado and found a way to use his size and toughness effectively. Hopefully he carries on.

Departure: Colorado traded Steve Downie to Philadelphia for Max Talbot.