The NHL free agency period is nearly upon us. Starting July 1st, teams and players alike will be free to choose from a huge pool of talent. Many of the decisions made on this day will affect who will win or lose in 2012-2013. Currently the Avalanche boast the second most cap space in the league with just over $32 million space to sign players. The Avs NEED to use a good part of this to re-sign some key players: Ryan O'Reilly, Eric Johnson, Steve Downie, & Jamie McGinn are all key pieces of the team's future. I think Jay McClement is another player they need to re-sign, because he adds a veteran and defensive presence we need, really rounding out the centers.
After all these guys are dealt with, the Avs should definitely still have more than enough money to make a serious run at some of the biggest names in Free Agency. The Avs have two major needs: A big, strong, two-way defenseman, and a top-six forward to play with Matt Duchene. With the recent announcement that we will not re-sign Peter Mueller, one has to think they will make a push for a big-time forward, but also a D-man who can replace his big shot on the Powerplay. Using CapGeek.com I made a Free Agency "dream team" for the Avs. The link is here: Avs Dream Team. As you can see this is a major stretch, however it shows that we most certainly have the cap space. Both Suter and Parise would be making more money annually than Sidney Crosby, and that would be a tough offer for any player to refuse.
The name I'm most intrigued by is definitely Zach Parise. We could not only offer him a MASSIVE contract, but he has spent his career playing for the super defensive-minded Devils team. If the Avs can make the pitch of him playing in our high-paced offensive system alongside the likes of Matt Duchene & Milan Hejduk, then the Avalanche could start to look like one of the better fits for Parise. If he can scratch the Top-10 scorers annually playing with the Devils, he could easily jump right into the running for the NHL scoring title with the Avs.
Even if NOBODY on NHL.com is talking about the Avs as being front runners for any of the big names, they should still make a run. Here's a list of some other big names the Avs definitely need to consider.
Forwards: Shane Doan, Ray Whitney, Alexander Semin, PA Parentau, Andrei Kostitsyn, Jiri Hudler, Dustin Penner.
Defense: Matt Carle, Pavel Kubina, Jason Garrison, Sheldon Souray.
The priority of GM Greg Sherman without a doubt is, and should be, getting our young talent under contract. But if he truly wants the Avs to be a contender, he must make use of his cap space to sign some older but seriously proven NHL talent to fill the gaps, and set the right example for our young players to follow. The Avs have a great young core, but with a good Free Agency this summer, they have a good chance of being contenders this season.
After all these guys are dealt with, the Avs should definitely still have more than enough money to make a serious run at some of the biggest names in Free Agency. The Avs have two major needs: A big, strong, two-way defenseman, and a top-six forward to play with Matt Duchene. With the recent announcement that we will not re-sign Peter Mueller, one has to think they will make a push for a big-time forward, but also a D-man who can replace his big shot on the Powerplay. Using CapGeek.com I made a Free Agency "dream team" for the Avs. The link is here: Avs Dream Team. As you can see this is a major stretch, however it shows that we most certainly have the cap space. Both Suter and Parise would be making more money annually than Sidney Crosby, and that would be a tough offer for any player to refuse.
The name I'm most intrigued by is definitely Zach Parise. We could not only offer him a MASSIVE contract, but he has spent his career playing for the super defensive-minded Devils team. If the Avs can make the pitch of him playing in our high-paced offensive system alongside the likes of Matt Duchene & Milan Hejduk, then the Avalanche could start to look like one of the better fits for Parise. If he can scratch the Top-10 scorers annually playing with the Devils, he could easily jump right into the running for the NHL scoring title with the Avs.
Even if NOBODY on NHL.com is talking about the Avs as being front runners for any of the big names, they should still make a run. Here's a list of some other big names the Avs definitely need to consider.
Forwards: Shane Doan, Ray Whitney, Alexander Semin, PA Parentau, Andrei Kostitsyn, Jiri Hudler, Dustin Penner.
Defense: Matt Carle, Pavel Kubina, Jason Garrison, Sheldon Souray.
The priority of GM Greg Sherman without a doubt is, and should be, getting our young talent under contract. But if he truly wants the Avs to be a contender, he must make use of his cap space to sign some older but seriously proven NHL talent to fill the gaps, and set the right example for our young players to follow. The Avs have a great young core, but with a good Free Agency this summer, they have a good chance of being contenders this season.
Come Back on July 1st for Free Agency Updates and Analysis!
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