[Jacks]

Not sure if this has been posted or not, it was linked in a tweet from Millions.

http://blogs.denverpost.com/avs/2014...-attend/18548/

Well, unlike that picture of calm above, it officially has gotten frosty again between Ryan O’Reilly and the Avalanche. Sunday’s move by the team to elect for salary arbitration with their leading goal-scorer of 2013-14 did not seem to go over too well with Pat Morris, part of the mammoth Newport Sports Agency that represents O’Reilly.

Morris did an interview today with the excellent “Hockey Central” show from Canada’s Sportsnet, and it’s clear the Avs move to “arb” one of their “special players” – Morris’ words – didn’t go over well at Newport Sports.

“Ryan is unrestricted in two years, and under the model now, given that Colorado has arbed him, short-term looks like what the future is for Ryan going forward, possibly year to year or for the next two years….some people might look a little sideways that a team has done that to a special player, but they certainly have the business right to do that and Ryan is mature, but there’s a history a little bit on the previous contract and Ryan is a stubborn young man.”

So, basically, start your trade rumors everyone. After a night of thinking it over and chatting with a few others, I’m mostly of the belief now that the Avs will try to trade O’Reilly, quite possibly very soon. Why so soon? Well, under a new wrinkle in the CBA, other teams can actually call and talk to free agents on June 25 – restricted and unrestricted players. They can’t negotiate on actual numbers (wink-wink), but they can call and shoot the breeze all they want and try to see if it would be a “fit” for the two to do business together once July 1st rolls around.

Skip to 6:00 mark for ROR talk.