Hey, Denver.
Changes are coming to your Avalanche.
BIG changes!
Colorado Avalanche GM Joe Sakic teased the upcoming franchise changes in a radio interview on Tuesday.
In a nutshell, Avs fans will have to say goodbye to veteran core performers while saying an enthusiastic hello to young, fast, exciting organizational prospects.
Sounds like Joe and Avs ownership are about to tear it all down to the studs and rebuild with talented kids the same way the Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers and Buffalo Sabres have done.
How much will the Avs roster be changing this summer from last?
"A lot of turnover…, said Sakic, who identified his untouchables players earlier in this year. If your name is Nathan MacKinnon, Tyson Jost, Mikko Rantanen, J.T. Compher, A.J. Greer, or Nikita Zadorov, your roster spot is safe in Denver.
All others are now under review.
MacKinnon, the former first overall pick in the NHL Draft, is currently leading the IIHF World Championships tournament in goal scoring. MacKinnon is the player that Sakic will be building the Avs franchise around.
Rantanen was selected 10th overall by the Avs in 2015. The kid is a rock star. Like MacKinoon, he is big, strong, fast and skilled. In 75 games in Colorado in his rookie NHL season, Rantanen scored 20 goals and added 18 assists. The sky is the limit for Rantanen who plays center and wing.
Jost was selected by the Avs 10th overall in 2016. He had a great freshman season at the University Of North Dakota where he scored 16 goals and 19 assists in 33 games played. Jost also scored one goal in the six game call up he had at the end of the Avs' season. Jost has high skill, excellent speed and is going to help the Avs win games now.
Compher was the "oh by the way" player acquired in the Ryan O'Reilly trade with Buffalo.
Compher is a star in the making in the Jonathon Toews, Ryan O'Reilly model. He's glossy, skilled, relentless and plays a hard 200 foot game. Compher was a three year starter standout at the University of Michigan who played exceptionally well in his first season of pro hockey in 2016-17. Compher scored 3 goals and 2 assists in 21 games with the Avs after he starred in 41 games in AHL San Antonio (13G, 17A).
I've been saying for a year that I fully expect to see veteran core forward Matt Duchene being traded away for premium draft choices and/or high quality prospects.
Duchene is a center who plays the wing. Duchene and the Avs have been estranged for some time now. There was a time when Duchene was considered by Avs management to be a part of the solution and not a part of the problem. Today, Duchene's $6M AAV is an impediment to him staying and playing during the rebuild. Duchene has two years left on his deal and is in high demand around the NHL. At 26, Duchene is in the prime years of his NHL career and is looking to play for a team that is on the verge of winning a Stanley Cup. The Avs have only made the playoffs twice in Duchene's eight year tenure in the Rocky Mountains.
It's time for Dutchy to fly out of Denver.
In this interview, Sakic went to great lengths to pump the tires of Compher and Jost. Both youngsters play center ice.
Read between the lines. Dutchy is a goner. He was almost traded at the March 1 NHL NHL trading deadline. I'm told that Sakic received several interesting offered for Duchene leading up to the trade deadline. However, he opted to hold onto Duchene in an effort to create more trade value for the sniping forward just before the NHL Draft in June in Chicago.
Duchene likely can be had for a top organizational D-man or a first round draft choice.
Three NHL teams are very interested in a acquiring Duchene and his 30+ goal scoring prowess.
For instance, Sakic would likely trade a Duchene to Anaheim in exchange for Brandon Montour or Shea Theodore.
Montreal could man Duchene for Mikhail Sergachev.
Buffalo would have to trade their eighth overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft for Duchene in order to reunite him with Ryan O'Reilly.
The Avs will select fourth overall at the entry draft. Having two picks in the top ten will be very appealing to Sakic.
Thanks, AltitudeSports950
Sakic also confirmed that the Avs have reached a contract agreement with Russian defenseman Andrei Mironov, but is just waiting for the official KHL release before officially announcing the contract.
Mironov, 22, was selected by the Avs in the second round in 2015. Mironov is a left D and is currently playing in the World Championships for his native Russia.
***
Team USA has found its stride at the IIHF World Championships in Cologne, Germany.
The Americans have won three straight games after losing their tourney opener against the Germans.
Brock Nelson and Anders Lee scored for the Red, White, and Blue in their 3-0 shutout win over the Italians.
Buffalo Sabres super center Jack Eichel skated 16:54 TOI in the win. Eichel had 4 shots on goal. Eichel now has three assists in four tourney games.
Team USA's next opponent is Team Latvia on Saturday.
Latvia leads USA in the Group A standings.
Latvia have won three games in regulation and now has 9 points. USA has 9 points in four games.
Buffalo Sabres forward Zemgus Girgensons and the Latvia are undefeated.
Eichel calls his boy Girgensons "Gussy", who has a goal and an assist in the tourney.
The Jack and "Gussy" clash will be must see TV for all Sabres fans.