Also, as a follow-up, adding Miller, Vanek, and Ehrhoff does not make a team a contender. Buffalo had all of them at the start of last year with Pomer, Regher, and Leopold and they shat the bed. Not saying this to be a jerk, I'm just saying if this group of players (Miller, Vanek, Ehrhoff) was worth the Isles three top prospects, they would have to have a history of success. I think you're overvaluing them.
- TheJerseyDevil1

You are WAY undervaluing them

Um, they did go to two ECFs in a row...
Recently, they haven't had much around them
Regehr & Leopold are both overrated. happy to see them go. Decent players, but we were using them as our top2 defenseman against guys like Crosby, Stamkos, etc...
They're more like role players... I think u OVERVALUE them...
To start last season, Leino was expected to be our #2center...
See what I'm getting at here?

Miller is still a top goalie in this league, and by himself makes teams like NYI & the AVs immediately better...
Ehrhoffs contract is long, but at only 4mil per, a bargain for his talent level (ESP compared to recent defenseman signings)... He a solid top4 defenseman on any team & would add stability to a shaky AVs/Isles defense...
And what team couldn't use Vanek?! The guy is pretty amazing. Only 6 guys in the NHL have scored more goals than him since the last lockout... And it's be even fewer if not for time missed due to injury... U think Moulson is hood with Tavares? Vanek would score 50!

Personally, I don't wanna get rid of any of these guys...
But reality is that they don't wanna wait around 2-3 years while guys like Hodgson, Grigorenko, Myers, etc grow into good consistent players...
And I don't blame them for wanting to win now
The best thing for us to do is trade them for good young talent that can grow together with what we already have...
But they would all be missed quite a bit

garth is a dolt. the fact ek is trusting anything he has to say shows how far this site has fallen. i hope garth sees this and tries to get me banned again. he can't spell, can't type, can't make logical sentences, etc. not to mention he is a totally biased sabres fan who thinks they can do no wrong (especially kaleta).

as for ryan miller, i hope he goes out west, nobody in the east is going to miss that hypocrite. good riddance.

garth is a dolt. the fact ek is trusting anything he has to say shows how far this site has fallen. i hope garth sees this and tries to get me banned again. he can't spell, can't type, can't make logical sentences, etc. not to mention he is a totally biased sabres fan who thinks they can do no wrong (especially kaleta).

as for ryan miller, i hope he goes out west, nobody in the east is going to miss that hypocrite. good riddance.
- bigkniht37

Mact vs sakic. Both unproven

Eakins vs roy. Both unproven

Top 6. Edm a little more flash, col a little more well rounded

Bottom 6. Colorado without a doubt

Defence. Edm certainly isnt strong, but col is so bad i say edm has the edge for sure.

Goaltending. Both question marks, but as of last year edm has the clear edge

Mackinnon is the x factor as he could give the avs an edge long term. But as of today, i think edm is a small step ahead.

A little biased though i suppose
- hugefemale dog77

I agree with this all, Avs dont quiet have the game breaks that the Oil have when it comes to forwards.

Our D still sucks but its nto as bad as everyone thinks and remembers...we got rid of 4 really bad dmen in turn over machines in O'Bryne, Zanon, O'Brien, and with Hunwick being but on waivers for AHL duty. This allows for Barrie and Elliott to log meaninful minutes and learn to play in the NHL.

They got screwed over the past 2 seasons with Sacco constnatly callign them up, playing them one game, benching them for 4, then sending them back down to make room for one of those plugs. Barrie and Elliott will make mistakes bc they are young and inexperienced but they will finally get the experience needed to improve.

The goalie situation is a tougher call, Varly and Giggy I think is a more desierable combo than Duby and Labarbera....Duby has shown he is a more capable starter than Varly, but Giggy as a back up is as good as it gets. He can calm the storm by starting a fwe games in a row, can steal the starting job too, I dont know if you could say that about Labarbera if things start to go sour with Duby.

I think our x-factors will be our management and coaching staff. It is huge news for the Avs to finally have a D-Coach in Foote, and a goalie coach in Allaire, and even adding an assistant coach in Tourigny is a huge plus. The days of "when in doubt dump and chase" Sacco are over, finalyl some staff to teach and know how to play to the strengths to all the young players will eventually lead to some of them taking the next step in their abilities

but le blueline.

I'm a bit bearish on Elliot and Sarich is meh. Hejda will suffice for now but I think looking for Johnson's partner of the future should be front and center on the to-do list.

Edit: but then again, I'm a Devils fan, we always think defense first
- TheJerseyDevil1

the blueline is still crappy on paper, but they must be banking on either landing a top 4 in a trade, or they really high on Seimens or Bigras to win a spot at training camp.

I can see Wilson being traded as well, he is a nice dman but adding him to a package with Stastny could get you a better dman in return.

A Buffalo Colorado deal makes sense. A Buffalo Edmonton deal (involving Miller) does not

Miller and a 3rd for Statsny and a 2nd.

Both picks are conditional. If Colorado makes the playoffs or Miller resigns it becomes a 1st round pick. If Buffalo makes the playoffs or Statsny resigns it becomes a 2nd round pick.

This deal makes sense for both teams. The Avs need to fix their goalie situation. The Sabres need to move Miller. Statsny wants out. Both are UFA's to be. Colorado would try to resign Miller hard I believe. If the Sabres don't want to keep Statsny he gets moved at the deadline (which he would get a decent return). At this point just get it done

A Buffalo Colorado deal makes sense. A Buffalo Edmonton deal (involving Miller) does not

Miller and a 3rd for Statsny and a 2nd.

Both picks are conditional. If Colorado makes the playoffs or Miller resigns it becomes a 1st round pick. If Buffalo makes the playoffs or Statsny resigns it becomes a 2nd round pick.

This deal makes sense for both teams. The Avs need to fix their goalie situation. The Sabres need to move Miller. Statsny wants out. Both are UFA's to be. Colorado would try to resign Miller hard I believe. If the Sabres don't want to keep Statsny he gets moved at the deadline (which he would get a decent return). At this point just get it done
- Stripes77

I dont think any draft picks need to be invovled though, and avs having 3 goalies wouldnt be ideal either, so Varly would have to be sent back.

Stastny/Varly for Miller/player x...I would love to try and acquire either a guy like Stafford or Foligno if parting with a dman like Ehroff is out of the question. And yes once we get to that sort of return for the avs, then we might have to sweeten the pot with a high draft pick

I dont think any draft picks need to be invovled though, and avs having 3 goalies wouldnt be ideal either, so Varly would have to be sent back.

Stastny/Varly for Miller/player x...I would love to try and acquire either a guy like Stafford or Foligno if parting with a dman like Ehroff is out of the question. And yes once we get to that sort of return for the avs, then we might have to sweeten the pot with a high draft pick
- DDM-Coga

Deja Vu

Deja Vu
- SabresFaninIndiana

I need to go where the hot Avs Sabres chat is, this place is dead.

Hockey lies and crap at it again !!!! SABRES DO NOT LEAK INFO LIKE THIS !

Hockey lies and crap at it again !!!! SABRES DO NOT LEAK INFO LIKE THIS !
- chuckeefox

Doesn't mean it didn't come from Colorado! (Playing devils advocate here)

But you are correct the Sabres don't leak info

I would take my chances on Dubnk
- Bonzi

Dubnyk is certainly a servicable and capable goal tender, but I'm really a bit puzzled by why Edmonton fans feel that he's more capable than Miller.

Granted their career stats are similar, but Miller does at a minimum edge Dubnyk in every stat category and blows him out of the water in win percentage. Not to mention he's played 361 more NHL games than has Dubnyk.

I don't think it's a slam dunk by any means, but personally I'd rather have Miller tending net than Dubby.

The Oilers remind me of the Isles. Lots of potential up front and an emerging superstar (Hall and Tavares) up front and on the back end they have one or two promising guys like Shultz and Harmonic.

The Avs remind me of, well, the Avs of past.

If you compare player to player, I'd do it this way. It was really hard to add Mitchell to the list and clearly Hemsky is better. The others are debatable but if I had to pick one group, it's the Avs.

Hall vs Landenskog
RNH vs O'Reilly
Eberle vs Duchense
Gagner vs Stastny
Yakupov vs MacKinnon
Perron vs Parenteau
Smyth vs Downie
Hemsky vs Mitchell

Hockey lies and crap at it again !!!! SABRES DO NOT LEAK INFO LIKE THIS !
- chuckeefox

As Ek's Sabres source, Garth does make up rumors though.

Dubnyk is certainly a servicable and capable goal tender, but I'm really a bit puzzled by why Edmonton fans feel that he's more capable than Miller.

Granted their career stats are similar, but Miller does at a minimum edge Dubnyk in every stat category and blows him out of the water in win percentage. Not to mention he's played 361 more NHL games than has Dubnyk.

I don't think it's a slam dunk by any means, but personally I'd rather have Miller tending net than Dubby.
- MnGump

That was never the issue. I dont think many oiler fans feel dubs is better thsn miller overall.
But he's half the price and we dont have to move any valuable assets to acquire dubs.
We already have him.

If we're gonna move assets, itll be for one of the 3 or 4 vacancies that are much more pressing than a new goaltender.

Dubs isnt the problem is kinda the whole point of being hesitant at moving for miller

no it doesn't.

1. edm doesnt have the space
2. goaltending is probably 4th or 5th on their list of needs
3. dubs is signed to a much better contract
4. dubs actually put up better numbers. at half the price. and with an arguably worse defence. at least comparably bad anyways
5. miller would prob cost a fair amount in a trade. and could walk in a year
6. if edm is gonna give up a good package in a deal, theyd move for a big top 6 winger, a quality 3rd line winger or a top 4 dman, all before another goalie


even if miller is better than dubnyk (he has proven a lot more over his career-dubs is only 26) that deal makes no sense for edm. goaltending is NOT the issue.

do your research bro
- hugefemale dog77

Goaltending is DEFINITELY an issue in EDM. Give your head a shake.

Lol, you have absolutely no idea what you are talking about and I highly doubt you are in Edm as we speak like you assert. Compare quality of living, discretionary income, wage growth, services etc. with some places in the US that have hockey teams. Then shut your (frank)ing yap. Didn't Detroit just go bankrupt? They have garbage piling up on the streets....meanwhile we are piling up DIRT and BUILDING because our economy is not in the toilet like most of North America...yeah, Edmonton sure is lousy.
- truthservedcold

I love Edmonton, I was born there, but having lived in several major metropolitan cities and travelling to several countries, I can honestly say that there is no way EVER that I would move to Edmonton again. It just does not have what other cities have to offer, period. I grew up watching the Oilers, my family is there still (extended family), but no, Edmonton doesn't compete as a city that I would like to live in, it's not in my top 50...no way.

The only reason I would go there to play pro hockey would be because the city is dead and I could focus on my game....kind of like Rocky Balboa going to the Russian wilderness to train.

Goaltending is DEFINITELY an issue in EDM. Give your head a shake.
- JLO961

About 4th or 5th down the list of pressing problems.

If you think dubnyk was a bigger problem last year than;
size in our top 6.
low quality of support players in our bottom 6.
inexperience of our core.
lack of proven top pairing/minute eating defenders.
and lack of depth on that back end.

then its you that needs to give your a head a shake.

but le blueline.

I'm a bit bearish on Elliot and Sarich is meh. Hejda will suffice for now but I think looking for Johnson's partner of the future should be front and center on the to-do list.

Edit: but then again, I'm a Devils fan, we always think defense first
- TheJerseyDevil1

The blue line is a HUGE issue. However I am happy the Avs didn't rush it. A new coach should help but at this point its about getting better. We have young prospects but we will have to see.

A Buffalo Colorado deal makes sense. A Buffalo Edmonton deal (involving Miller) does not

Miller and a 3rd for Statsny and a 2nd.

Both picks are conditional. If Colorado makes the playoffs or Miller resigns it becomes a 1st round pick. If Buffalo makes the playoffs or Statsny resigns it becomes a 2nd round pick.

This deal makes sense for both teams. The Avs need to fix their goalie situation. The Sabres need to move Miller. Statsny wants out. Both are UFA's to be. Colorado would try to resign Miller hard I believe. If the Sabres don't want to keep Statsny he gets moved at the deadline (which he would get a decent return). At this point just get it done
- Stripes77

Meh pass.