Rick Sadowski: No excuses for latest playoff miss

My top five suggestions for the Avalanche to improve over the off-season:

1.) The defensive core needs to change and some serious playoff warriors and proven winners need to be brought in. I'd like someone along the lines of Hjalmarsson (three time Cup winner) to be brought in and a young guy with speed, grit, and pure desire to do whatever it takes to win. Someone with the pedigree of a Dumba out of Minnesota. Not saying these are the guys we need to acquire, just using them as an example.

2.) Coaching strategies need to be improved. Our D-zone coverage of blocking shot after shot is just not working. The powerplay and penalty kill just need to be scraped and revamped.

3.) Puck possession in this league is huge to be able to win. If the Avs can increase their puck possession game then when that third period roles around and we have the lead we're in much better shape to hold on to the lead and win.

4.) Roy needs to be held accountable or change his style of playing lesser talented players over the core and skilled guys. Seeing McLeod out there on a 6-on-5, looking for a goal in the third situations, is literally embarrassing. Holden has no business logging the minutes he does. He's a bottom pairing 5/6 d-man at best and I respect him as a hockey player, but I'd like to see him get traded.

5.) Roy needs to STOP shuffling lines and changing combos as often as he does. As a former coach and player I like to see chemistry in my lines, but it doesn't just happen immediately. Sometimes it takes time to learn tendencies of other players and the chemistry will eventually then happen. At least keep players together for about 10 games before you blow it up and flip-flop lines every single game.

Honorable mention: Sign or trade for a legitimate star for the top line to play with MacKinnon and Duchene. I'm all for trading for Taylor Hall with a package including Barrie, Grigorenko, our 2016 1st, and a prospect or two in order to get a legitmate star in this league. Imagine a first line of:

Hall - MacKinnon - Duchene

Expendables this summer:

Redmond, Bodnarchuk, Guenin, Holden, Mitchell, McLeod

I seriously wonder if any of the playoff bound teams would even have any of these guys in their lineups.

In all honesty as well, Comeau and Mathias shouldn't be playing any higher than the third line. They are 3rd/4th line players at best. That is their role and should be utilized to kill penalties, rile up the opposition and fire the team up with their grit.

Dream Team:

Hall --- MacKinnon --- Duchene = Superstar line
Landeskog --- Soderberg --- Boedker
Rantanen --- Compher --- Iginla
Comeau --- Mathias --- McLeod

Bigras --- Johnson
Zadorov --- Hjalmarsson
Beauchemin --- Gelinas

Extras: Martinsen, Skille, Gormley

If MacKinnon is smart he will take a bridge deal and then absorb Iginla's money plus the cap increase if he signs for a year or if he goes for two years he can absorb Iginla/Beauchemin money and two years of a cap increase.

I see MacKinnon taking a 2-year $4,000,000 a year deal and then signing a max 8-year deal in the range of $8-9 million if his production improves. No way a 50-ish point player gets a deal after 3 seasons anywhere over $6,000,000 as some of you keep saying.

Coga, what say you? I always enjoy our bantering back and forth on occasion. Glad you're a passionate fan who wants to see this team improve and win. Need more fans like you sir!

My top five suggestions for the Avalanche to improve over the off-season:

1.) The defensive core needs to change and some serious playoff warriors and proven winners need to be brought in. I'd like someone along the lines of Hjalmarsson (three time Cup winner) to be brought in and a young guy with speed, grit, and pure desire to do whatever it takes to win. Someone with the pedigree of a Dumba out of Minnesota. Not saying these are the guys we need to acquire, just using them as an example.

2.) Coaching strategies need to be improved. Our D-zone coverage of blocking shot after shot is just not working. The powerplay and penalty kill just need to be scraped and revamped.

3.) Puck possession in this league is huge to be able to win. If the Avs can increase their puck possession game then when that third period roles around and we have the lead we're in much better shape to hold on to the lead and win.

4.) Roy needs to be held accountable or change his style of playing lesser talented players over the core and skilled guys. Seeing McLeod out there on a 6-on-5, looking for a goal in the third situations, is literally embarrassing. Holden has no business logging the minutes he does. He's a bottom pairing 5/6 d-man at best and I respect him as a hockey player, but I'd like to see him get traded.

5.) Roy needs to STOP shuffling lines and changing combos as often as he does. As a former coach and player I like to see chemistry in my lines, but it doesn't just happen immediately. Sometimes it takes time to learn tendencies of other players and the chemistry will eventually then happen. At least keep players together for about 10 games before you blow it up and flip-flop lines every single game.

Honorable mention: Sign or trade for a legitimate star for the top line to play with MacKinnon and Duchene. I'm all for trading for Taylor Hall with a package including Barrie, Grigorenko, our 2016 1st, and a prospect or two in order to get a legitmate star in this league. Imagine a first line of:

Hall - MacKinnon - Duchene

Expendables this summer:

Redmond, Bodnarchuk, Guenin, Holden, Mitchell, McLeod

I seriously wonder if any of the playoff bound teams would even have any of these guys in their lineups.

In all honesty as well, Comeau and Mathias shouldn't be playing any higher than the third line. They are 3rd/4th line players at best. That is their role and should be utilized to kill penalties, rile up the opposition and fire the team up with their grit.

Dream Team:

Hall --- MacKinnon --- Duchene = Superstar line
Landeskog --- Soderberg --- Boedker
Rantanen --- Compher --- Iginla
Comeau --- Mathias --- McLeod

Bigras --- Johnson
Zadorov --- Hjalmarsson
Beauchemin --- Gelinas

Extras: Martinsen, Skille, Gormley

If MacKinnon is smart he will take a bridge deal and then absorb Iginla's money plus the cap increase if he signs for a year or if he goes for two years he can absorb Iginla/Beauchemin money and two years of a cap increase.

I see MacKinnon taking a 2-year $4,000,000 a year deal and then signing a max 8-year deal in the range of $8-9 million if his production improves. No way a 50-ish point player gets a deal after 3 seasons anywhere over $6,000,000 as some of you keep saying.
- Lundstrom

The hockey gods love us and we win the lottery , it's that simple don't complicate things

Hall, MacKinnon and Duchene are not superstars...

Hall, MacKinnon and Duchene are not superstars...
- OnTheFly

beat it, you are just a negative nancy troll

My top five suggestions for the Avalanche to improve over the off-season:

1.) The defensive core needs to change and some serious playoff warriors and proven winners need to be brought in. I'd like someone along the lines of Hjalmarsson (three time Cup winner) to be brought in and a young guy with speed, grit, and pure desire to do whatever it takes to win. Someone with the pedigree of a Dumba out of Minnesota. Not saying these are the guys we need to acquire, just using them as an example.

2.) Coaching strategies need to be improved. Our D-zone coverage of blocking shot after shot is just not working. The powerplay and penalty kill just need to be scraped and revamped.

3.) Puck possession in this league is huge to be able to win. If the Avs can increase their puck possession game then when that third period roles around and we have the lead we're in much better shape to hold on to the lead and win.

4.) Roy needs to be held accountable or change his style of playing lesser talented players over the core and skilled guys. Seeing McLeod out there on a 6-on-5, looking for a goal in the third situations, is literally embarrassing. Holden has no business logging the minutes he does. He's a bottom pairing 5/6 d-man at best and I respect him as a hockey player, but I'd like to see him get traded.

5.) Roy needs to STOP shuffling lines and changing combos as often as he does. As a former coach and player I like to see chemistry in my lines, but it doesn't just happen immediately. Sometimes it takes time to learn tendencies of other players and the chemistry will eventually then happen. At least keep players together for about 10 games before you blow it up and flip-flop lines every single game.

Honorable mention: Sign or trade for a legitimate star for the top line to play with MacKinnon and Duchene. I'm all for trading for Taylor Hall with a package including Barrie, Grigorenko, our 2016 1st, and a prospect or two in order to get a legitmate star in this league. Imagine a first line of:

Hall - MacKinnon - Duchene

Expendables this summer:

Redmond, Bodnarchuk, Guenin, Holden, Mitchell, McLeod

I seriously wonder if any of the playoff bound teams would even have any of these guys in their lineups.

In all honesty as well, Comeau and Mathias shouldn't be playing any higher than the third line. They are 3rd/4th line players at best. That is their role and should be utilized to kill penalties, rile up the opposition and fire the team up with their grit.

Dream Team:

Hall --- MacKinnon --- Duchene = Superstar line
Landeskog --- Soderberg --- Boedker
Rantanen --- Compher --- Iginla
Comeau --- Mathias --- McLeod

Bigras --- Johnson
Zadorov --- Hjalmarsson
Beauchemin --- Gelinas

Extras: Martinsen, Skille, Gormley

If MacKinnon is smart he will take a bridge deal and then absorb Iginla's money plus the cap increase if he signs for a year or if he goes for two years he can absorb Iginla/Beauchemin money and two years of a cap increase.

I see MacKinnon taking a 2-year $4,000,000 a year deal and then signing a max 8-year deal in the range of $8-9 million if his production improves. No way a 50-ish point player gets a deal after 3 seasons anywhere over $6,000,000 as some of you keep saying.
- Lundstrom

Um that defence you posted is terrible.

Not sure why Landeskog is the only one to always escape being thrown under the bus by Roy. In my opinion as far as leadership goes on ice he is the worst of any of the core and he wears the C. What kind of captain does something ridiculous like cross check someone in the neck for no reason and get suspended for 3 games at one of the most important times of the year? He takes more stupid undisciplined penalties than anyone on the team, is a coward and will never fight when he gets called on or fight to stand up for a teammate (zadorov the other night) and goes through long stretches where he totally disappears. 90 percent of the time he is no better than a matthias or comeau type player and yet gets nothing but praise from Roy and our 30 goal scoring class act #1 centre slips up one night and gets over excited after a goal and gets destroyed in the media? It's tough watching one of my favourite players of all time disappoint so much as a coach. If Duchene is traded this summer I might be done with this team.

anyone who starts talking about leadership as an excuse is going to get pistol whipped

Its a cop out hockey cliche that Roy is using as an excuse, lets me smarter than that and look at the bigger problems and not

"Grit" "Leadership" "Character" "Locker Room Guys" etc

That has been pretty much the only topic talked about today in the media and twitter

one more top guy shipped out this summer: Roy = Chip Kelly

That has been pretty much the only topic talked about today in the media and twitter
- agreig

thats all that Roy has been able to say for the past 2 weeks. He wont put blame on himself and keeps on talking about Leadership from the Core.

When he is playing Nick Holden and Jon Mitchell more than his core guys some nights...yeah thats not a leadership issue.

Until Roy figures out how to run a bench when it comes to player usage and deployment, no amount of talent or "leadership" is goign to help this team win....when the HC does not put the best players in positions to succeed, thats a problem

Agreed just voicing my opinion on what i read today.

thats all that Roy has been able to say for the past 2 weeks. He wont put blame on himself and keeps on talking about Leadership from the Core.

When he is playing Nick Holden and Jon Mitchell more than his core guys some nights...yeah thats not a leadership issue.

Until Roy figures out how to run a bench when it comes to player usage and deployment, no amount of talent or "leadership" is goign to help this team win....when the HC does not put the best players in positions to succeed, thats a problem
- DDM-Coga

Edit: when he'splaying Nick Holden at all. Tired of looking at him standing still, stick in the air with a dumb-as-rocks look on his face when there was a goal against.

I've started calling him Lenny it's so bad

-4 and on for the pp goal against. pretty solid night haha. its a shame barrie had to drag his ass around all year. i would like to see how many more points he could throw up playing with a d partner he knows will be back there to cover for him when he jumps into the play.

thats all that Roy has been able to say for the past 2 weeks. He wont put blame on himself and keeps on talking about Leadership from the Core.

When he is playing Nick Holden and Jon Mitchell more than his core guys some nights...yeah thats not a leadership issue.

Until Roy figures out how to run a bench when it comes to player usage and deployment, no amount of talent or "leadership" is goign to help this team win....when the HC does not put the best players in positions to succeed, thats a problem
- DDM-Coga

I don't see how trading dutchy or barrie will help, they took there game to another level in Nashville, they're producing so why I'd he call them out? I also don't see how saying that they need to help Landy lead... if he can't lead isn't that a Landy issue? I like what bob MacKenzie said,"Roy needs to look in the mirror and start judging himself" the avs can't afford to move another top line center 3 years in a row doesn't make this team s cup contender.

Not sure why Landeskog is the only one to always escape being thrown under the bus by Roy. In my opinion as far as leadership goes on ice he is the worst of any of the core and he wears the C. What kind of captain does something ridiculous like cross check someone in the neck for no reason and get suspended for 3 games at one of the most important times of the year? He takes more stupid undisciplined penalties than anyone on the team, is a coward and will never fight when he gets called on or fight to stand up for a teammate (zadorov the other night) and goes through long stretches where he totally disappears. 90 percent of the time he is no better than a matthias or comeau type player and yet gets nothing but praise from Roy and our 30 goal scoring class act #1 centre slips up one night and gets over excited after a goal and gets destroyed in the media? It's tough watching one of my favourite players of all time disappoint so much as a coach. If Duchene is traded this summer I might be done with this team.
- agreig

Yeah you're not wrong with that assessment. He's not a young guy, hes a vet, he creates and keeps the standard in the locker room and in the ice.... but he does need to step up.

where did you read that bob mckenzie quote?

Edit: when he'splaying Nick Holden at all. Tired of looking at him standing still, stick in the air with a dumb-as-rocks look on his face when there was a goal against.

I've started calling him Lenny it's so bad
- martok2309

Its madning how bad he has become (he never was really good) but this year he doesn't seem to skate at all, constantly being flat footed.

Gelinas has the same issues but he at least has some pedigree to him that he has a little ability to recover, but he has that shot on the PP which you start to forgive for his lack of mobility.

I think Gelinas will be such a huge improvement over Holden next season with an offseason of training.

but I am done with holden....#DONE (no coming back from a hashtag done)

where did you read that bob mckenzie quote?
- agreig[/quote
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/vid...-criticize-duchene~841659

Sorry it was craig button...

JVR for Duchene?

JVR for Duchene?
- mr.sir

reported

(and no I don't want to hear why you think its a good deal)

I don't think there will be any huge offseason moves. Maybe strip Landy of the C. Minnesota gave us every opportunity to get back into the mix and the avs squandered it. This is Roy's last shot. He gets a full year with Rantanen and any another addition but it's playoffs or bust.

Can you imagine a world where slow Alex Tanguay has more points for the Coyotes than speedy Boedker has for the Avalanche. Cause thats the world we live in. How is it Dave Tippet figure out how to use him, but he was too slow to play with MacK or Dutch.

J'accuse!

I want to love Patty, and the D is so bad that i think it drives poor possession and the high shot total, but all signs are pointing to "Bad Coach".

Hockey sucks when your team is hopeless.