Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Mike Shanahan Fired!

This was long overdue. I will post some analysis in the next few days as I am still visiting family for the holidays.

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Stastny out Forsberg in?

With news that Paul Stastny will be out 4-6 weeks. The Avs are now in a scary situation where Tyler Arnason is now the Avs first line center.

However, there are reports Forsberg is feeling healthy. Considering the Avs lack of passion and a first or second line center the Avs will take a chance on Forsberg.

Another piece of speculation on my part is the Avs moving Wolski to center and dealing for the struggling but talented winger Afinogenov. Since the is lot of speculation Clark will be dealt this would work well as both Afinogenov and Clark make 3.5 million.

As much as the Avs could use Drury now that Sundin has signed with the Canucks its unlikely the Rangers would deal him.

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Let me just gloat for a moment

I was right about Teixeira going to the Yankees.

Though agreement "in principle" doesn't mean much in baseball as the Rafael Furcal incident makes a good example.

However, I will admit that it was not the $160 million over eight years that I was expecting. In fact, the deal was $180 million over eight. We can now firmly declare the Yankees believe they are recession proof.

Nevertheless, good defense and an excellent switch hitter were exactly what the Yankees needed.

The evil empire has struck again so the AL East will be very interesting this coming season.


*For the record I do not have inside information. I do work in baseball and even on the rare chance I do have inside information I would not publish it. I am just a fan and sports writer for my college paper. This is purely a hobby.

Monday, December 22, 2008

Excellent article on the Yankees and Teixeira

I was going to write a blog about how the Yankees need to acquire Teixeira but Dayn Perry beat me to it.

Nevertheless, I highly recommend you check out that article as lays a pretty good case.

Since the Angels and BoSox dropped out of the Teixeira sweepstakes the Yankees are a natural fit.

The Nats have offered $160 million over 8 years . Though Michael Schmitdt mentions in the New York Times that the Yankees are willing to match but not go higher

The Yankees need to pull out all the stops to get Teixeira. The good news is Manny Ramirez doesn't expected to be signed until after Teixeira. The Yankees don't need another aging hitter that can't play defense. The Yanks are better of with nothing than Ramirez.

Sunday, December 21, 2008

Wow Broncos and Avs wow

That was terrible. I want three and half hours of my life back. Both of these games should have been easy wins but again both Denver teams somehow managed to blow it.

Is it just me or are Colorado's teams really lazy?

No effort. No passion.

At least the team I cover for my college paper loses a lot but puts some damn effort into it. Not to mention they have to pay a lot for the money for even the priviledge to pay while these guys get paid millions. Honestly, I get better hockey out of Metro for free than spending hundreds to go to an Avs game.

Both Denver teams are a joke. When the Nuggets are out doing the Rockies, Broncos, and Avs we are in trouble.

Oh wait the Nuggets just lost their last 3 games.

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Sundin, Avery, and Goalie Controversy in Detroit

Big new of the day is that Sundin signgs with Vancouver Canucks. $10 million one year deal which is pretty ridiculous. Don't get me wrong Sundin is a good player and the Canucks need a center badly. Will the Canucks make a run with Sundin? I am a little skeptical. Especially, with the Wings and Sharks as good as they are I have a feeling Vancouver will fall short. But in the end it will probably put asses in the seats and sell jerseys which is really the goal. Maybe if the Canucks are lucky enough to avoid the Wings and Sharks until late in the playoffs Vancouver will make enough dough to make the contract worth while.

Though it is a bit late I think the NHL needs to take a deep breath on Sean Avery. I bet the NFL, NBA, and MLB would love to have a players as tame as Avery (yes, a small hyperbole on my part but true). Dallas might want to trade him but good luck with that. He's a great fantasy player (lots of penalty minutes and a few points) but he was massively over paid.

By the way is it just me or is Chris Osgood not the best goalie in Detroit? I will let the stats speak:

Chris Osgood 12-2-4 3.16 GAA .876 SV%

Ty Conklin 8-4-0 2.75 GAA .902 SV%

I particularly look at OTL 4-0 in favor of Conklin, that is all goalie there especially considering the forwards Detroit has. Plus the status are in Conkins favor (except for loses but if you combine OT and regulations loses Conklin wins out).

Lastly, though I do cheer for the Avs the Hejduk "shootout goal" on Mike Smith was a bad call. Mike Smith dropped and did not throw his stick. Tough loses for a bottom feeding team like Tampa.

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

How will Forsberg's return/trades affect Colorado's lines?

With Forsberg most likely on the verge of signing with the Avalanche, as Adrian Dater mentions both here and here. The Avs will have to jumble their forward lines quite a bit. Additionally, trade rumors regarding both Drury and Halak could complicate matters further.

Though this is purely speculation on my part I believe the Avs are more likely to go after a goalie than Drury. However both Drury and Halak would have the advantage giving the Avs a quick boost and help long term. I also find it likely that the Avs will sign Forsberg which will put the Avs under the allusion of having their center position addressed. I honestly love Forsberg and think he would give the Avs big improvement but his health and age, 35, make him a short term solution at best even if one of his mysterious "groin pulls" don't come up again.

The numbers will be problematic but Drury would be expensive at 7.1, 7.1, 8.05, and 5 million over the next 3.5 seasons. The Avs have about 5 million in cap space (because Sakic's long term injury exemption) to get Drury and Forsberg. Trading Clark for Halak would free up about 2.7 million. If Drury were to go through waivers the Avs could cut Drury's salary in half so about 3.55 (actually all of these salaries would be slightly less that gives the Avs 4 million to sign Forsberg.

Again the numbers are approximate and it would be pretty incredible of the Avs pulled this all off.

As mentioned in my previous blog trading Tucker would be helpful to get under the cap. Tucker makes 2.2 million this season and 2.3 the next. Which is an awful lot for a tough guy who sometimes scores goals. Not to mention the Avs already have those kinds of players (Stewart, Laperriere, and to some extent McLeod).

Anyway assuming this was all pulled off the Avs will need to make tough choices. Both Stewart and Hensick are playing well and deserves time on the Avs roster therefore the lines could be:

Smyth Stastny Hejduk
Forsberg Drury Svatos
Wolski Hensick Jones
McLeod Laperriere Stewart

Scratches: Arnason and McCormick

If the Avalanche were to only get Forsberg (most likely possibility) than the lines would most likely be:

Smyth Stastny Hejduk
Wolski Forsberg Svatos
Jones Hensick Stewart
McLeod Arnason Lapperiere

Once Sakic returns this will be even put further out of wack. But most likely Forsberg will be injured so Sakic will just take his spot. If the high risk pays off well honestly the Avs are liable to have a top six forward injured somewhere. Look at last season.

Monday, December 15, 2008

Goalie? Which goalie?

Wow the Avs should take Raycroft out to a fancy dinner or something. The Raycroft really stood on his head.

With Budaj playing poorly against the Flyers could we see another goalie controversy in Denver?

Though Budaj has played well the previous games so he should be cut some slack.

Avalanche need to trade Clark

Clark should be the Avs biggest trade chip.

He leads the league in blocked shots and Adrian Dater of the Denver Post had a post suggesting that the Avs may trade Clark for Montreal goalie Halak, JaroslavJaroslav Halak.

Brett Clark gets paid 3.5million this year and next to be a above average defenseman who blocks shots. His offense is highly overrated. He has also become expendable as Daniel Tjarnqvist has really stepped up in the absence of Adam Foote.

Halak on the other hand is an excellent goalie. He's young and more importantly not named Andrew Raycroft or Peter Budaj. Not to mention he will only make 750 thousand this year and 800 thousand the next.

Budaj has played well but I really don't see him as anything more than a pretty good back up goalie. Halak would get a chance at full time work with the Avs. Honestly, the Avs are rebuilding and need to dump salary.

Also, the Avs need to dump Darcy Tucker's 2.20 million this season and 2.3 the next. Hopefully, a team in desperate need of grit and lots of cap space. The Avs really only need a draft pick in return. Tucker has become really expendable as Chris Stewart and Cody McLeod have played well. Additionally, when a team has those two guys plus Ian Laperriere and Cody McCormick why did the Avs sign Tucker? At least we didn't sign Jeff Finger to 3.5 million over 4 years so I guess its a good trade of overpaid players (for the Avs anyway).