Rick Sadowski: One more postseason disappointment

Speaking simply for me, I couldn't care less whether or not Nate has won anything at the NHL level so long as the team actually has. Pretty selfish attitude, but I can understand his frustration right now. Maybe next year he could consider scoring a couple goals when it matters to help him towards his goal of winning something for himself?

This one is worse than last year by far, since you already know when your starting goalie is Michael Hutchinson that the Cup probably isn't in your near future. Anyhow, this team has no one to blame but themselves, and it's good to see coach B knows that. Thankfully there will be no excuse to bench Byram next season since Graves and Nemeth will both be gone. With Ranta, O'Connor, and Newhook ready to permanently replace some of the farts that the team currently ices, next season should be really exciting.

I for one hope the find the money for Saad. I know it will be tough, and we're probably going to be shopping for a goalie which will make it even more difficult money wise. I just can't see Grubi taking a deep cut to stay with this team. Someone is going to offer him a Brink's, especially if he wins the Vezina. But Saad was one of our most consistent performers in the playoffs, even when he didn't score. He was always noticeable, always skating, always making something happen. I hope they pay him.

Opening night can't get here fast enough. There has to be a cup(s) in this team's near future, but the pressure is going to mount with every playoff failure.

Gibson would help

Looked to me like your defense got pushed around. Might need to get a bit bigger back there.
Might be a good idea to move on from Girard who seemed to panic under pressure.

Speaking simply for me, I couldn't care less whether or not Nate has won anything at the NHL level so long as the team actually has. Pretty selfish attitude, but I can understand his frustration right now. Maybe next year he could consider scoring a couple goals when it matters to help him towards his goal of winning something for himself?

This one is worse than last year by far, since you already know when your starting goalie is Michael Hutchinson that the Cup probably isn't in your near future. Anyhow, this team has no one to blame but themselves, and it's good to see coach B knows that. Thankfully there will be no excuse to bench Byram next season since Graves and Nemeth will both be gone. With Ranta, O'Connor, and Newhook ready to permanently replace some of the farts that the team currently ices, next season should be really exciting.

I for one hope the find the money for Saad. I know it will be tough, and we're probably going to be shopping for a goalie which will make it even more difficult money wise. I just can't see Grubi taking a deep cut to stay with this team. Someone is going to offer him a Brink's, especially if he wins the Vezina. But Saad was one of our most consistent performers in the playoffs, even when he didn't score. He was always noticeable, always skating, always making something happen. I hope they pay him.

Opening night can't get here fast enough. There has to be a cup(s) in this team's near future, but the pressure is going to mount with every playoff failure.
- ddMoose

I couldn’t agree with you more. Well spoken. You Colorado (frank)s are a thorn in the blues asses. (frank) you. Good team. Lets get a rivalry!!! You ass-spelunking, pot smoking mountain loving bumholes.

I pay much less in mortgage than you do in rent. Think about that🍻

3rd year and not getting out of the 2nd round, maybe they need to upgrade at coach to get them over the hump.
I will say as a St Louis fan I was glad a Kroenke team choke, I don't like Vegas either, but glad Stan's team did it normal thing.

I don't see any cause for alarm. Vegas is a very well built team, especially for the playoffs. Any other year and that's a Western Conference final matchup. Avs did not stack up well against them all year, but at times in the series the Avs could out skate them for large stretches of time (not in games 3 and 4, but all other games).

Bednar is a solid coach and gets a lot from his team. There's a few pieces he used that will be replaced, but nothing major. Three years ago, the Avs lost to a better SJ team. Last year, half of the Avs lost to a lesser Dallas team (barely), and this year the Avs lost to a slightly better team. Maybe the Avs have more talent than Vegas, but they didn't have that toughness or size or x-factor.

I'd love to see this roster (minus the obvious players replaced by new blood) go again next year. I think MacKinnon's comment is more that he knows he carries this team, not that he is looking for individual honors. He knows everyone looks to him to be the guy so if he underperforms, his team underperforms. I see it more as him taking blame for not leading this team to anything substantial yet. Just my take considering his level of compete.

My biggest question is a goalie for this team. Grubauer is not worth the $8-10 million that top goalies get in some markets. Not sure what to do there. Do the Avs have any goalies prospects? Not for next year, but coming through the pipeline? The team can't afford to pay big for a goalie and hope to retain the necessary pieces to win a Cup.

Lastly, I think Tampa Bay is a good lesson here - it took them years to actually win the Cup. They had much larger offseason disappointments than the Avs have had. If you go back to 2014 which is the start of their current success (winning nearly 50 games per year with top-end talent):

2014 - lost in the 1st round
2015 - lost in the Stanley Cup final
2016 - lost in the Conference final
2018 - MISSED PLAYOFFS
2019 - lost in the 1st round (swept by CBJ)
2020 - won the Cup

That's a lot of years of not winning the cup. Only one team does.

It will be interesting to really see how good of a GM Sakic is. He took the Avs from a bottom-dweller to a legit contender, quickly. Now, can he take them that extra step?

Looked to me like your defense got pushed around. Might need to get a bit bigger back there.
Might be a good idea to move on from Girard who seemed to panic under pressure.
- Reubenkincade

Girard is a great puck mover. He was not the problem by a long shot. There are other small tweaks that they can make to the bottom 6 forward and bottom 3 d that will make a noticeable difference. They’re close. Really close.

They're out of time as currently constructed. Sakic swung for the fences and made all the right moves. Vegas scouted well bc Grubaur is great except for high glove and they went there a lot.

I still believe Vegas circumvented the cap. I didnt know that sitting players cut the cap bc you can't send them down without it counting most of the salary against the cap. The cap is beyond confusing.

I don't see any cause for alarm. Vegas is a very well built team, especially for the playoffs. Any other year and that's a Western Conference final matchup. Avs did not stack up well against them all year, but at times in the series the Avs could out skate them for large stretches of time (not in games 3 and 4, but all other games).

Bednar is a solid coach and gets a lot from his team. There's a few pieces he used that will be replaced, but nothing major. Three years ago, the Avs lost to a better SJ team. Last year, half of the Avs lost to a lesser Dallas team (barely), and this year the Avs lost to a slightly better team. Maybe the Avs have more talent than Vegas, but they didn't have that toughness or size or x-factor.

I'd love to see this roster (minus the obvious players replaced by new blood) go again next year. I think MacKinnon's comment is more that he knows he carries this team, not that he is looking for individual honors. He knows everyone looks to him to be the guy so if he underperforms, his team underperforms. I see it more as him taking blame for not leading this team to anything substantial yet. Just my take considering his level of compete.

My biggest question is a goalie for this team. Grubauer is not worth the $8-10 million that top goalies get in some markets. Not sure what to do there. Do the Avs have any goalies prospects? Not for next year, but coming through the pipeline? The team can't afford to pay big for a goalie and hope to retain the necessary pieces to win a Cup.

Lastly, I think Tampa Bay is a good lesson here - it took them years to actually win the Cup. They had much larger offseason disappointments than the Avs have had. If you go back to 2014 which is the start of their current success (winning nearly 50 games per year with top-end talent):

2014 - lost in the 1st round
2015 - lost in the Stanley Cup final
2016 - lost in the Conference final
2018 - MISSED PLAYOFFS
2019 - lost in the 1st round (swept by CBJ)
2020 - won the Cup

That's a lot of years of not winning the cup. Only one team does.

It will be interesting to really see how good of a GM Sakic is. He took the Avs from a bottom-dweller to a legit contender, quickly. Now, can he take them that extra step?
- manchester33

Same thing happened in St. Louis. A number of first round exits, eventually a conference finals loss. Missed the play offs. Made some moves and bam won. Now the hunger for a lot of players seems missing. Injuries and covid.

The amount of speed and that defense will take Colorado far. They just need an above average goalie and growth. Now the cap's going to do some shredding.

Any idea what Landeskog wants on his new deal? Would $7 million over 8 years get it done? Is that way too much/too long?

Same thing happened in St. Louis. A number of first round exits, eventually a conference finals loss. Missed the play offs. Made some moves and bam won. Now the hunger for a lot of players seems missing. Injuries and covid.

The amount of speed and that defense will take Colorado far. They just need an above average goalie and growth. Now the cap's going to do some shredding.
- BluemanGuruu

And Binnington played out of his mind. Unless you have one of about three goalies in the entire league, you have to be lucky that your keeper gets hot. That’s why I’m hoping the Avs either retain Grubauer for 3-4 years (doubtful if he wants a big pay day elsewhere) or find someone else for a few years. These 8 year goalie contracts are the worst. Goalies never perform consistently during that time.

The best case scenario is you have a solid number 1 and then someone in development that comes out of no where for a year or two.

Any idea what Landeskog wants on his new deal? Would $7 million over 8 years get it done? Is that way too much/too long?
- zetterberg40

7 years is gonna be rough during the back half of that deal, especially with his style of play

They're out of time as currently constructed. Sakic swung for the fences and made all the right moves. Vegas scouted well bc Grubaur is great except for high glove and they went there a lot.

I still believe Vegas circumvented the cap. I didnt know that sitting players cut the cap bc you can't send them down without it counting most of the salary against the cap. The cap is beyond confusing.
- BluemanGuruu

Out of time as constructed? Do you know how old the players in the core are?

7 years is gonna be rough during the back half of that deal, especially with his style of play
- Nucker101

No doubt, but I'd pay a premium and live with a trash contract for a cup (or two). If you read the Pens board it sounds like a lot of their fans are happy to reward the big three for what they've earned to this point rather than trade them and retool to be competitive again faster. Obviously I am putting the cart a little before the horse here, but I can't help but be optimistic about this team in the near future.

I couldn’t agree with you more. Well spoken. You Colorado (frank)s are a thorn in the blues asses. (frank) you. Good team. Lets get a rivalry!!! You ass-spelunking, pot smoking mountain loving bumholes.

I pay much less in mortgage than you do in rent. Think about that🍻
- BluesDroogie

Swear on me mum lad, if I see you out in public I'll call you a bloody wanker.

No doubt, but I'd pay a premium and live with a trash contract for a cup (or two). If you read the Pens board it sounds like a lot of their fans are happy to reward the big three for what they've earned to this point rather than trade them and retool to be competitive again faster. Obviously I am putting the cart a little before the horse here, but I can't help but be optimistic about this team in the near future.
- ddMoose

That's a fair take, ideally he takes a bit of a hometown discount and the cap goes up during the back half of the contract so it becomes an easier pill to swallow. It's supposed to stay flat for the foreseeable future though according to what guys like Friedman are hearing.

The best window for the Avs is probably these next few years so it makes sense to just bite the bullet and lock up the captain long-term

That's a fair take, ideally he takes a bit of a hometown discount and the cap goes up during the back half of the contract so it becomes an easier pill to swallow. It's supposed to stay flat for the foreseeable future though according to what guys like Friedman are hearing.

The best window for the Avs is probably these next few years so it makes sense to just bite the bullet and lock up the captain long-term
- Nucker101

If Sakic has proven anything, it's that he's a shrewd manager and the team is one a lot of players want to be a part of so I'm sure he'll get a raise but it might not be a team killer. Makar should get a bridge deal so for a nice 3 year or so chunk of the window there will be room to be found to keep the band together.

The biggest problem in paying for all of this is goalie. Like was said upthread, these long term fortune contracts that goalies receive tend to be anchors, and if Grubauer wants anything north of 6.5 I balk at that hard.

Contracts like Donskoi and Johnson kill you at times like these. Too much money for guys that don't move the needle

Trade Donskoi, Buyout Johnson, Let Seattle take someone

If Grubauer wants 6 million per, should probably go for it. Any other options at Goalie?

Contracts like Donskoi and Johnson kill you at times like these. Too much money for guys that don't move the needle

Trade Donskoi, Buyout Johnson, Let Seattle take someone

If Grubauer wants 6 million per, should probably go for it. Any other options at Goalie?
- TheGame316

I think Grubauer is worth 6 million per, just depends on how long the contract is. If he'd do 4 years, then for sure go for it. Get a solid backup and try to win in the next four.

Donskoi under $4 million isn't really that bad; he can score some clutch goals and is not a liability anywhere on the ice.

They're out of time as currently constructed. Sakic swung for the fences and made all the right moves. Vegas scouted well bc Grubaur is great except for high glove and they went there a lot.

I still believe Vegas circumvented the cap. I didnt know that sitting players cut the cap bc you can't send them down without it counting most of the salary against the cap. The cap is beyond confusing.
- BluemanGuruu

There was a goalie, up I-55 from ST.L, that was "great except for high glove". He won two cups.

Corey something right?

How many more chances does Bednar get?

I'm a Wild fan but Colorado Is arguably the best team In the league and they are very entertaining to watch, All they need Is a head coach.