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Sakic: 'We love our chemistry' |
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Rick Sadowski
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Avalanche general manager Joe Sakic addressed the media Tuesday and talked about the moves he made Monday before the NHL trade deadline at 1 p.m. MT.
“We were looking to make moves and sometimes the best moves are the ones that you don’t make,” he said. “We feel we have a deep team, especially when everyone is healthy.”
*** On forward Vladislav Namestnikov, who was acquired from Ottawa for a fourth-round pick in the 2021 NHL draft:
“He plays fast, has got a great hockey IQ and can move up and down the lineup. He can play left wing, he can play center, right wing if you need him. A very versatile player who can kill penalties. He plays with a lot of grit as well.”
*** On goalie Michael Hutchinson, acquired from Toronto for Eagles defenseman Calle Rosen:
“We wanted to get some insurance for the third goalie position, and we feel he’s going to do a great job for us. We wanted to protect ourselves throughout the organization.”
Sakic said he never tried to trade Tyson Jost, the former first-round pick (No. 10 in 2016), who has gone 35 games without a goal.
“He’s our player. Every year there’s names out there in the media and none of us really know where they come from. I’m the only one who knows the players and the prospects we talked about, and that’s the way it’s going to be. Tyson has played really well the last few weeks. The only thing he hasn’t done is put the puck in the net. (If) he keeps getting the chances he is and playing the way he is, he’s going to get on the board.”
“We love the chemistry in our dressing room, and you don’t want to tinker too much for that, but we feel we added another quality player for our room,” Sakic said. “We have a lot of injuries, but we’re expecting they’re all going to be back by mid-March, the third week of March.”
Andre Burakovsky, who didn’t play Saturday in Los Angeles because of illness, skated while wearing a non-contact jersey. Matt Nieto also skated, but he is sore after blocking a shot against the Kings. Coach Jared Bednar said both are doubtful for Wednesday against Buffalo at the Pepsi Center.
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Namestnikov and Hutchinson practiced, and both said they struggled some with the altitude.
The 6-foot, 183-pound Namestnikov, 27, has 25 points (13 goals, 12 assists) in 56 games and is tied for the NHL lead with four shorthanded goals. He has 183 points (79 goals, 104 assists) in 416 career games with four points (one goal, three assists) in 29 playoff games.
“I kind of knew it was coming, so I was prepared for it,” Namestnikov said of the trade. “It’s a great team, a contending team, and I’m happy to be here. I’m kind of a two-way forward, responsible in my own zone and I can chip in offensively, so I’ll do everything it takes to help this team. Whatever role I’m put in, I’m happy to do it.”
The 6-3, 198-pound Hutchinson, 29, is a depth goalie the Avalanche will use as Pavel Francouz’s backup while Philipp Grubauer recovers from his lower-body injury. He went 4-9-1 with a 3.66 goals-against average and .886 save percentage with the Maple Leafs, 3-1-0 with a 1.98 goals-against average and .943 save percentage with the AHL Toronto Marlies.
Hutchinson has a 50-52-14 career NHL record with a 2.81 goals-against average and .905 save percentage in 126 games with Toronto, Florida and Winnipeg.
“I knew there was a possibility (of being traded), but I wasn’t expecting anything to happen,” he said. “When I did, it was kind of a whirlwind. It makes it that much easier when you’re going to a contending team. All the guys seem open and welcoming and very friendly, so I’m excited to be a part of the group now. I’m extremely excited to be traded here.”
Namestnikov and Hutchinson will be eligible for unrestricted free agency July 1.
Captain Gabriel Landeskog was happy that the Avalanche made a couple of moves without disrupting the group.
“Absolutely,” he said. “The bottom line is it’s a message from on top that we do want to keep this group together. We’re real excited about what we have. We’re going through a tough stretch with injuries right now and we added some pieces without giving up too much, which is a real positive. Now it’s up to the group to make it happen.”
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