|
Post by Jesse (Avs) on Apr 26, 2010 18:23:03 GMT -7
THE DENVER NEWS NUGGET[/u] Apr.26/2010
The Colorado Avalanche recently held a press conference, fronted by new GM Jesse Roy. Press was invited to listen in as he gave a quick rundown of the team, his goals, and the future of the Avalanche franchise. After the opening greetings and regularities, Roy got to the meat of the conference.
Roy: "We're a very young team, everyone knows that. We've got a core of guys that we're very excited about, and have every intention of building this team around. Guys like Paul Stastny, Peter Mueller, Matt Duchene, Kevin Shattenkirk... and that's just the tip of the iceberg (or avalanche if you'd prefer). So as far as the core of the team, I think we're set on that and won't be looking to change that up any time soon.
We've made two great moves during preseason. We've acquired Rod Pelley, a great defensive forward from New Jersey, and (who many in Denver are quite excited about), former Dallas veteran Mike Modano. Everyone knows Mike's history and legacy with the Stars. He's been amazing for that franchise. But this year, Dallas and us here in Colorado, are facing opposite situations roster-wise. They need youth, and we needed another great leader. We're hoping to have him center on the first line for Mueller and Stastny, but we're still working things out.
This year will be about a lot of experimenting.. with players, call ups, lines, etcetera. Because we have such a young team, many of these players are breaking into situations in the league for the first time. We'll most likely have about 4-5 rookies this season playing big league minutes, so theres a lot of learning going on within this organization."
When asked about Colorado's playoff hopes, Roy had this to say..
Roy: "I'm not gonna play dumb. We're young. There's alot of work to do. It all depends on how quickly, and how diligently these guys want to work to learn. The skill is there, we just need to help these young players find a grove and succeed. Craig Anderson is another key for us this year in hopes of a successful season. We've worked with Craig during the offseason and we think he's ready to make a big impact playing number one minutes."
Finally, when asked about the team's player contract situation...
Roy: "The great part about that is, is that we're approaching the cap floor. It's exciting for us, because we have the space to build players, build contracts, and essentially build our future. We've extended offers to a large bunch of guys to show them we want them here for good.
Peter Mueller just signed with us for 4 years at 1.1 Million, and we're pleased about how easy a process it was. We knew what Peter expected, and we know he wants to be in Colorado. He and Paul Stastny will have a long time to work together and I think they're pumped to have that comfort here in Denver.
We've extended renewal offers to TJ Hensick and Brett Clark on our NHL side, and our AHL hopefuls Kevin Shattenkirk, Tyson Barrie, Stefan Elliot, and a few more have recieved our entry level sheets."
To end the conference, Roy announced the expected starting lineups for the season opener in Phoenix.
Mueller - Modano(A) - Stastny Stewart - Duchene - Hejduk(A) McLeod - Yelle - Tucker Galiardi - Pelley - Jones
Liles - Hannan Quincey - Clark Wilson - Foote (C)
Anderson - Budaj
Fwd Xtra - Porter D Xtra - Cumiskey
|
|
|
Post by Jesse (Avs) on May 8, 2010 6:00:31 GMT -7
THE BOYS IN BURGUNDY WIN 3 STRAIGHT[shadow=red,left,300] [/shadow] After a dismal start to the season with no regulation wins in 11 games, the Colorado avalanche have picked up a trifecta of wins, including most recently, a 1-0 shutout over the Carolina Hurricanes. Many have said this small success for the Avalanche has come by the hands of the Avalanche's veteran core (Hejduk, Smyth, Modano), or that the secondary scoring of young talent like Chris Stewart, Paul Stastny and Kyle Quincey have come up quite strong. The one man who has completely shined over this last week has been none other than backup Peter Budaj. STATS3-0-0 GAA: .99 SO: 1 Save %: 94.5 This has only been 3 games, so Budaj still has yet to prove himself, and with a great showing defensively by the Avs over this 3 game stretch, it will become tougher for Budaj down the road. The Avs seems to have a new faith in Budaj though, after seeing that Anderson wasn't the guy who would save the team from defensive lapses. GM Jesse Roy spoke on the matter... " Was I disappointed with Andy over the first 11 games.. yes. But was I disappointed with the entire team over the first 11 games.. yes. I think Craig fell over some hard luck through the first 11. The team wasn't where it should be, and we hadn't won in regulation over that entire stretch. He had some great games, but the rest of the team also had some pretty poor showings. I think we brought Budaj in at the right time, and the last three games have shown that. Peter is a hard worker, and I'm very glad to see he's shown what he's capable of, and helped us get on the right track. We'll see what happens over the next couple of weeks as to how we're going to play our goalies. We've got three days off here in Denver, so that should help us keep our legs when we host Edmonton after that time. Budaj will of course be playing, coming off his shutout against Carolina, but we also want to get Andy back in there to redeem himself soon because we know what he's capable of as well." The Avalanche organization has assured us all that this is only a minor success amongst the big picture, but they seem very optimistic in Denver that things will turn around for them going forward.
|
|
|
Post by Jesse (Avs) on May 28, 2010 16:30:55 GMT -7
Avs Fall in Standings, Hopeful of FutureApproaching the new year, Colorado Avalanche GM Jesse Roy had a few words with the press after another grueling Avs practice. It's well known Roy pushed the coaching staff to push these young players hard through this season, and talked briefly about that and the team's lack of success over the first 38 games of the season. Q: Why have you pushed so hard for heavy practice schedules with this team? Roy: "We have a very young core. And consistency is an issue with young players, and obviously has been shown with our team this season. The first 20 games we had a .500 record, but had streaks of 10 losses and 10 wins. Our young future regulars have to be worked hard to develop and to contribute fully to the team. I feel we've been successful in that area, and have seen improvements in a number of our young guys." Q: Who has impressed you the most over the first half of the season? Roy: "Paul Stastny is the name I bring up when I'm asked that. He's a leader on this team, and has shown that statistically and in the locker room. Our guys look up to him as much as they do Adam Foote, Ryan Smyth and Milan Hejduk. He definately is shining this year." Q: What has been the basis behind your two big acquisitions this season, adding Ryan Smyth and Mike Modano? Roy: "Like I've said, we have a young team. We needed guys like Smyth and Modano to step in and show our guys how they need to play, and at the same time they learn from them. Until Modano's injury, that was working well for us. There was a bit of a slide after the incident with Mike, but at the same time, we were waffling with a win here a loss there anyhow." Q: Do you know who your starter is? Roy: "To be honest, no. On one side, Peter Budaj had some great games early on, and an amazing streak but is now on a slide. On the other, we've got Andy who's played quite well on a number of occasions, but when he's in net we can't seem to pull off a win. The team as a whole is to blame, but Craig also needs to come up in those situations big for us." Q: Plans for the future? Roy: "We had expected to be in a high draft position situation, and it still looks that way. We expect to take the pick rather than trade it. We've got a lot of developmental depth, but young goaltending prospects are our number one priority right now."
|
|
|
Post by Jesse (Avs) on Jun 13, 2010 9:21:12 GMT -7
Avalanche Signings & Moves Update
Over the last few weeks, the Colorado Avalanche have made a number of moves to help solidify the future of the team.
Veteran Center Mike Modano signed for 1 year - $2 Mil Modano who has been out indefinately for the rest of this season, was offered - and has accepted - a 2 Million dollar deal with the Avs for next season. GM Jesse Roy made it well known that if things looked good for Modano through his recovery, that he would definately be rejoining the Avs next season, and this makes it official.
Colorado Captain Adam Foote dealt to Canadiens Captain and hard hitting defenceman Adam Foote was just recently sent off to the Montreal Canadiens to help with thier playoff push. In return, the Avs recieved MTL's 2nd round pick this year, and Russian forward Sergei Fedorov.
GM Jesse Roy has said that "...even though Sergei was not originally in our plans going forward, we're very excited to have him as part of our organization now, and hope his veteran skills will set an example for our young squad."
Backup Goaltender Peter Budaj still in the air? Colorado has yet to sign Peter Budaj to a deal past this season. He, along with 4th line forward Rod Pelley are the only remaining Avalanche regulars without contracts extending past this season. Darcy Tucker is openly testing the market after this year, so signs are pointing to the Avs going in a different direction with Budaj and Pelley, but time still has yet to tell.
Avalanche release Lake Erie Goaltender John Graham - Acquire replacement Goaltender Michael Leighton GM Jesse Roy: "Lake Erie has seen a similar stretch as our Avalanche have... they started out quite well, and as of late have slumped incredibly. Graham was signed last season in order to fill a void on our squad at that time, and was no longer fulfilling the need we had for him originally. Michael Leighton has impressed us in Hershey and South Carolina this season, and we're hoping he fits in now in Lake Erie."
|
|
|
Post by Jesse (Avs) on Jul 5, 2010 14:22:07 GMT -7
Taylor Hall goes 1st Overall to the Colorado AvalancheIt wasn't very clear where the 1st overall pick for the 2010 draft would go this season. The Colorado Avalanche, who at the trade deadline had the number one pick, were openly shopping the slot to the rest of the league. A few deals were on the table, and a number of them were close to set, but the trigger was never pulled. Fast forward to draft day, the Avs stayed still in last place in the league, and ended up drafting forward Taylor Hall 1st overall into the NHL. "We weren't sure where we were going to go, that I'll admit. On two seperate occasions we had deals on the table for one of the league's best forwards, and one of the best defencemen. Some top end talent was up for grabs for this pick, and for whatever reason we either decided against it, or took to much time and the deal was off the table." Avs GM Jesse Roy spoke after drafting Taylor Hall "I feel good now that we've drafted Taylor, and looking towards the future, we have some of the leagues best prospects on our squad. Taylor Hall, Matt Duchene, Kevin Shattenkirk, Stefan Elliot.. I think we're set for a long time. And with the depth we have, we're in no need to rush any of these players into the NHL if we or they don't feel ready. Our main guys are capable of holding down the fort and will only get better. We've got a very solid youth movement going forward and if there's any problem we'll have, it's having too many guys to choose from." "If Taylor succeeds in making the Avs lineup next season, we'd ideally like to have him work with Mike Modano. Taylor is a very offensive minded player, and we think it'd help him round out his game if Mike shows him the ropes."
|
|
|
Post by Jesse (Avs) on Jul 17, 2010 11:56:32 GMT -7
Colorado Avalanche Awards Banquet[/u] Just a day after the new Stanley Cup Champions were crowned, the Colorado Avalanche had thier awards banquet to celebrate the team's achievements over the past season. The Pepsi Center was sold out for the all-day event, which included many celebrity and local faces. Former Avs Captain Adam Foote was in attendance, and was honored by being announced as the first Avalanche player to have his number retired during the RHL/NHL era. The number will be raised to the rafters before next season's home opener. Foote was traded to Montreal at the trade deadline this past season for a 2nd round pick. The pick after a few moves turned into WSH's 2nd round pick, which the Avs used to select German winger Tony Ritter. AWARDS... Most Improved Player: Peter Mueller Avalanche Leadership & Perserverance Award: Mike Modano Outstanding Forward: Paul Stastny Outstanding Defenceman: J.M. Liles Colorado Class Award: Milan Hejduk 2010 Retired Number: Adam Foote - "52" In other Avs news, a number of moves have been made since draft day.. IN: Brian Campbell, Mikael Samuelsson, Josh Harding, Ruslan Fedotenko, Danny Markov, Mark Streit, Viktor Tikhonov OUT: Viktor Tikhonov, Brett Clark, Scott Hannan, Ryan Smyth
|
|
|
Post by Jesse (Avs) on Jul 31, 2010 8:22:27 GMT -7
HEJDUK RE-UPPED TILL 2012The Colorado Avalanche have just announced that they have come to terms with veteran winger Milan Hejduk to keep him up until the end of the 2011-12 season. Hejduk signed a $1.5 Million 1-Year deal which included a no-trade clause. "Milan is an integral part of our squad, and has been a core piece of our franchise since day one. We had discussed whether or not Milan would be interested in playing next season in order to facilitate an extension early this season. After this season we have a number of expiring contracts, and we just wanted to make sure we had our numbers set, and to make sure Milan knew he was still going to be here." Avs GM Jesse Roy said this morning. Hejduk finished the 2009-10 season with 26 goals and 32 assists good for 58 points. One goal shy of his mark the season before, but with 6 less games played. He had 1 goal in Colorado's first preseason game this fall.
|
|
|
Post by Jesse (Avs) on Oct 20, 2010 11:29:07 GMT -7
AVS LOOKING FORWARD TO 2011Here are some quick comments recorded from a recent press conference with Colorado Avalanche GM Jesse Roy.. We've noticed you keep a strong hold of your core players, and new ones that have come in and out haven't stuck. Why is that? "Part of that is, is that we're very proud of our main core of guys in this organization. Stastny, Mueller, Stewart, Quincey. What we're trying to do is keep the guys we see as pure Avalanche players, and acquire the players we feel will complement them. We've had a bit of trouble with that, as we've seen guys like Brian Campbell, Lubo Visnovsky, Cal Clutterbuck all come in and leave shortly thereafter. The other side of that coin is, we've found guys who HAVE clicked well with the team. Mikael Samuelsson, who many people thought was near the dying end of his career came to us last offseason after being with 3 teams that year. He played on our 2nd, 3rd and 4th lines and had a career year at the age of 34. Wayne Simmonds came to us midway through this season and also finished with a career season. It's an exciting time for the Avs." What new names will we see in 2011? "The great thing for Avs fans is that there will be.. old, new faces. Guys we've already seen in a Colorado uniform, will now be playing full time. A bunch of guys from our AHL Champs Lake Erie; Ryan O'Reilly, TJ Galiardi, Kieran Millan in net, Kevin Shattenkirk, and the most anticipated new Av, Taylor Hall." Speaking of Hall, what line would you like to play him on next season?" "We're hoping for him to Left Wing Paul Stastny.. the actual question is who we'll have playing Right Wing. Milan Hejduk, Chris Stewart, and possibly Mikael Samuelsson are all going to be trying out for that position." Hows the goalie situation? "We still have faith in Craig Anderson. Josh Harding was our starter last season, and didn't do what we needed him to do. He's on the last year of his contract, so he most likely won't be back next season. We just re-signed Anderson, after seeing the late part of his play this season, and his win at the World Championships, we're impressed and if we can fit a defensive core around his talent, I think he'll become more comfortable and give us a chance to win next season." TENTATIVE OPENING DAY AVS LINEUPHall - Stastny - Hejduk Duchene - Mueller - Stewart Samuelsson - O'Reilly - Simmonds McLeod - Galiardi - Caron Elliott - Quincey Liles - Shattenkirk Wilson - Barrie (Tinordi) Anderson - Millan (Harding)
|
|