New Look Avs Or Same Old Avs?

nordiques100 writes "After spending a few seasons rebuilding the farm system and restocking the organization with young talent, the Colorado Avalanche went back to their tried and true ways of mortgaging the future for the present.

Unfortunately this time it did not work out for the team, and now, with the numerous free agents they have and the age of some of those players, it is a bit up in the air as to where the team is headed.
For two decades the team has been built around captain Joe Sakic. They brought back his long time cohorts in Peter Forsberg and Adam Foote for one more run at glory but came up short. Will they be brought back one more time for one last shot at glory? Or will they turn over a new stone, look to a newer, younger nucleus and rebuild again for a run down the road?
The team has already gone into a new direction behind the bench. Coach Joel Queneville was let go and back behind the bench is former coach, turned associate coach Tony Granato. We will see if this is the right move. While Granato had a couple of decent seasons behind the bench, he failed in the playoffs which was the primary reason he was demoted. Now he is back and whether that will make the team better or worse remains to be seen.
Things will depend on what kind of team the Avs will have next season. GM Francois Giguere and his staff will have some major decisions to make. The team has enough cap space to take a run at a few players in free agency and could bring back the old crew for one last kick at a cup. They would still need a goalie and to shore up their defence, but would contain a core that would be good enough for one more playoff run. On the other hand, the team does have a good young core to build around. They've added some leadership when Smyth and Hannan were brought in and with sound goaltending, should have a very good young team. The Avs could try and target top players in their prime join their young core instead of bringing the old gang back. They have the cap space to be aggressive in free agency and could find a top scorer, a top offensive blueliner and a goalie to push the team ahead while still going into a new direction. They have options and having flexibility from having good depth and cap space will allow the Avs to do whatever they want.
Here is how the team looks heading into the off-season
2008-09 CAP HIT - $28.1 million for 12 players.
The Avs will have cap room available to make some big acquisitions if they so choose. The team will be actively looking to move the salaries of Clark and Arnason which would save them $5 more million. They have a few young players also ready to step in who will be cheap, affordable talents that wont break the bank.
UFA – Adam Foote, Joe Sakic, Jose Theodore, Peter Forsberg, Andrew Brunette, John Liles, Kurt Sauer, Jaroslav Hlinka, Jeff Jillson, Wyatt Smith, Jeff FInger, Scott Parker
RFA – Marek Svatos, Wojtek Wolski, Jason Bacashihua, Brad Richardson, Cody McLeod, Cody McCormick
The amount of cap space they will have to explore free agency will depend on who they bring back and for how much. If Sakic plays next season, it will undoubtedly be in an Avalanche uniform. The captain, despite an injury riddled season, is still an elite talent. He still has great hands and perhaps the best release in the game. His leadership, dedication and work ethic are invaluable pieces that are irreplaceable and he would have great value serving as a mentor to the young players the team has. If he returns, do Forsberg and Foote follow suit? Forsberg is a health risk and will probably not be available for half the team's games at least. But he can still be an impact player in the playoffs and a big point producer so he may return albeit on a part time basis. Foote is likely to return as well, unless he gets another outrageous offer like he got from the Blue Jackets which is why he left in the first place. Do the Avs want to bring back the old guard or is it time for a change? They will all want to return, but with a new coach, is it possible they will want to move into a new direction?
Probably bigger than the big 3 on the agenda is the goaltending situation and what the team should do with Jose Theodore. The former Hart winner has reinvented himself and vaulted himself back to being a top number 1. Will another big contract bring him back to mediocrity like it did when he re-signed in Montreal after a big season? Or is he truly back to being a stud and has several good seasons ahead of him? There are some other goalies available via free agency, but Theodore may be the best of the bunch.
Players like Brunette, Liles and Sauer will likely not be brought back, while the team will need to re-up players like Wolski and Svatos who are big keys to the team's future.
Under Contract:
Goal – Peter Budaj
As mentioned earlier, the goaltending situation is a bit muddy in Colorado. Does the team want to bring back Theodore or will they seek someone else who would likely come a bit cheaper? Theodore did show flashes of the brilliance he showed in Montreal, but was pulled several times in the series against the Wings. So what goalie is he? He is probably good enough to backbone the team to a playoff spot, but is he good enough to be one who can carry them through the playoffs? Budaj is a solid backup but might be dangled as trait bait as there are simply not enough games for him if Theo returns. But he offers a great insurance policy as in spurts he can be quite solid.
Defence – Scott Hannan, Ruslan Salei, Brett Clark, Jordan Leopold
If healthy, the Avs can put together a very solid group of defensive defencemen. If Foote returns, they could put out 2 defence pairs that are capable of shutting down the opposing team's top players. Hannan is capable of being one of the best, but he seemed to try and do too much in trying to live up to his big deal. Salei is a solid acquisition and can provide some offence as can Leopold, though he has struggled with injuries throughout his Avs career. Unfortunately they are very weak offensively and need a big time PP QB. Clark was to be that guy but faltered under the weight of a big contract and will be dumped. Liles did not have a very good contract year and will likely be replaced as well. The team will need at least 2 good offensive minded defenceman who can move the puck and be 40 plus point producers on the backend. They need that scoring balance back there to compliment their skilled forwards.
Forward – Ryan Smyth, Milan Hedjuk, Tyler Arnason, Ian Laperriere, Paul Statsny, Ben Guite, David Jones
Even if Forsberg and Sakic dont return, the team has a good nucleus of offensive forwards to build around. Statsny is the key and has emerged as one of the league's brightest young stars. His first season was a surprise, but in his second, he proved it was no fluke. He led the team in scoring and is among the league's best playmakers. If they lose Sakic and Forsberg, the team will need to find another top centre to compliment Statsny. They would probably prefer someone with the combination of size with skill. Hedjuk and Svatos are pretty capable 30 goal men while Wolski is someone the Avs hope will turn into that kind of producer. He is still young and full of potential. A bit disappointing was the production the team got from Smyth. Injuries were a factor, but they were probably expecting more than 14 goals in 55 games. They need Smyth to be better. The team has high hopes some of their younger players can step in and add more scoring depth to the team. The Avs have been for the last few years very top heavy with most of the scoring on the top 2 lines and little after that. The team needs the scoring balance to succeed. They have a good number of muckers and grinders like Laperriere, Guite, McCormick and McLeod.
Top Prospects
Goal: Tyler Weiman, Trevor Cann
Weiman had a brief taste of the NHL last year and may be in contention for the backup job if Budaj is moved. Cann is their top goalie prospect. His numbers in junior dont really show how talented he is as he was behind a few weak Peterborough teams the last couple of years. Not your typical large goalie who fills the net, Cann is more the old style athletic goalie who relies more on quickness, position and reflexes. His lack of size though may hurt his chances at succeeding in the NHL.
Defence: Kevin Shatterkirk, Nigel Williams, Kyle *****insky, Raymond Macias, Colby Cohen, John Boychuk
Shatterkirk would fill one of the big needs the Avs have for a skilled, offensive minded blueliner. He is still a few years away and the team is happy he'll be developing on a good Boston University team. Williams is another US National team grad like Shatterkirk and also is an offensive minded defenceman. He instead honed his craft in the OHL and played very well in helping his team from Belleville to the Memorial Cup. Players like Boychuk and *****insky have had brief stints in the NHL and provide the Avs wtih decent depth.

Forward: TJ Hensick, Chris Stewart, David Jones, Ryan Stoa, TJ Gallardi, COdy McLeod, Denis Pershin, Tom Fritche, Justin Mercier

A few extra picks in the earlier rounds has improved the depth of the team's farm system after being stripped bare from trades made for cup runs. The team is very high on 3 forwards who may make the team full time as early as next season. Hensick is their top prospect. He is a skilled centre who just may eventually fall in behind Statsny giving the team a solid 1-2 punch up the middle. He has a high skill level to go with great speed and all that is really missing is size. He should get a good chance at a spot among the top 9. David Jones also made a big impression on the team and should be a regular next season. The team loves his size and grit he brings and should be an effective replacement for Brunette as a grinding forward. Stewart may also emerge and fill that role as well. He is more physical and plays a more rugged game, but was able to show a scoring touch in his first minor pro season. He just might fill in a 4th line energy role if he makes the squad.

By trading their first rounder in the Foote deal, the Avs will not be picking until late in the 2nd round. But considering their recent track record (Hensick, Statsny, Williams were all picked outside of the 1st round), they should still find a decent player thanks to their expert scouting in what is a deep draft. Their success in the later rounds allowed them to move some picks around this year loading up at the trade deadline. They should be able to still find a hidden gem at some point in this draft.

Though the Avs will not be busy at the draft, this should be a very eventful summer for the team. The change in the coaching ranks may just mean a new direction for the team, maybe younger, faster and leaner. But the old guard beckons and they will be hard to say no to if all 3 veterans, Sakic, Forsberg and Foote decide they want back. The last time Granato was head coach, it didnt work out so perhaps something fresh and new where he could mould a younger squad and develop his own leaders is the best case scenario. This might serve Granato a bit better as he needs to prove he can be a tough coach and get his players to go the extra mile. That might be difficult with an old boys club dressing room atmostphere. Regardless, he will need to be much stronger behind the bench or else his second time around will be failure as well.