[Signing] Iginla to Colorado (3yrs, $5.3mil AAV)

[Fire of the Phoenix]

Colorado's defense is barely playoff bubble team caliber let alone contender caliber. They would be a wicked 80s team, too bad it's not the 80s. I doubt Iginla gets out of the first round for the duration of his deal unless that terrible back end is fixed.

[Hackey]

Originally Posted by Fire in the disco

I think we can all agree that the best case scenario is he plays great in Colorado but doesn't win the cup, only to get flipped to the flames at the deadline in 2 and a half years to win the cup in a veteran role in Calgary

You sure have some high hopes. I doubt the Flames are even a playoff team at that time. Would be nice but at the same time I've moved on from Iginla. I'm a lot more excited to see guys like Gio, Monahan, Bennett, Gaudreau, etc hoist the cup.

[Phanuthier]

Originally Posted by formulate

Disagree with the bolded.

If defense (top end, especially) was so easy to acquire, why is it still an issue for many teams across the league?

Free agency lists look great the year or two before, always. A good portion of the best free agents class of 2015, 2016, etc, will be signed before they actually become UFAs. In addition, we've seen that top-end free agents are often handed contracts that can make creating a well-rounded team quite difficult.

Varlamov played like a top 3 goaltender last year. So did Andrew Raycroft for the Bruins in '03-04. Until he plays like that consistently (year before last he had a .903 SV%), I wouldn't bank on him being a stalwart.

The Avs certainly have a lot of offensive talent, and I do hope they can grow together as a group. The potential is there, but for right now I don't see them in that top echelon in the West. In year 3 of Iggy's contract? I guess we'll see.

yup. If anyone thinks this is going to be solution, they are dead wrong.

[Phanuthier]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

LA, Anaheim and San Jose are completely irrelevant to whether the Avs can get home ice. They need only finish top two in their division. They will regress this year, but should battle with the Blues for 2nd in the Central.

......its been so long since we were playoff relevent that I forgot they changed to that new playoff format

I retract my statement.

[dino7c]

I'm not cheering for Iggy anymore...he is on his 4th team, 3 removed from Calgary now and honestly I dont care how he does.

I will remember him for the good times and continue to appreciate his career but really he is just another player on another team now.

and yeah the guy took money over having the best chance to win so why should I lose any sleep over him not winning his cup? (not saying he doesnt have a chance but its slim)

[Flames89]

Originally Posted by dino7c

I'm not cheering for Iggy anymore...he is on his 4th team, 3 removed from Calgary now and honestly I dont care how he does.

I will remember him for the good times and continue to appreciate his career but really he is just another player on another team now.

and yeah the guy took money over having the best chance to win so why should I lose any sleep over him not winning his cup? (not saying he doesnt have a chance but its slim)

Thank you for coming into a thread about Iginla to say you don't care about Iginla.

[Vinny01]

I don't get why people think Colorado is going to be any worse off? Sure they had some unsustainable numbers last year but I think MacKinnon is going to explode. I wouldn't be surprised if he is a top 5 player very soon and could see him scoring 80+ as soon as next year. Over the next 3 years they could have as good a chance as any of the major contenders. Iggy played on 3 teams in one year and wants to stop moving around.

If the flames land McDavid maybe he comes back for a year after this deal and gets to lift the cup with the Flames?

[scotty2hotty]

Originally Posted by Flames89

Thank you for coming into a thread about Iginla to say you don't care about Iginla.

Thank you for stating the point of of a forum.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by dino7c

I'm not cheering for Iggy anymore...he is on his 4th team, 3 removed from Calgary now and honestly I dont care how he does.

I will remember him for the good times and continue to appreciate his career but really he is just another player on another team now.

and yeah the guy took money over having the best chance to win so why should I lose any sleep over him not winning his cup? (not saying he doesnt have a chance but its slim)

I agree except that IMO, Colorado has a good chance of winning sometime in the next 3 seasons.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by scotty2hotty

Thank you for stating the point of of a forum.

Well, it isn't the first time he's come into this thread to let us all know how special he is by making this courageous decision not to cheer for Iginla any more.

[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by Vinny01

I don't get why people think Colorado is going to be any worse off? Sure they had some unsustainable numbers last year but I think MacKinnon is going to explode. I wouldn't be surprised if he is a top 5 player very soon and could see him scoring 80+ as soon as next year. Over the next 3 years they could have as good a chance as any of the major contenders. Iggy played on 3 teams in one year and wants to stop moving around.

If the flames land McDavid maybe he comes back for a year after this deal and gets to lift the cup with the Flames?

I have McDavid finishing 4th in scoring

[scotty2hotty]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Well, it isn't the first time he's come into this thread to let us all know how special he is by making this courageous decision not to cheer for Iginla any more.

Ah, I've been out of the loop for a while. My bad.

[automaton 3]

Originally Posted by Vinny01

I don't get why people think Colorado is going to be any worse off? Sure they had some unsustainable numbers last year but I think MacKinnon is going to explode.

You answered your own question. Their forwards look great and I agree MacKinnon is a special talent.

However their D is weak and Varlamov bailed them out with a career year (.927 sv%) last year while facing more pucks than any other goaltender in the league.

[The Fonz]

I don't understand those who are saying he chose money over a chance at a cup. Colorado has a hell of great, young, up and coming team. I'd say they are 1 top4 Dman away from being a perrennial cup contender.

Had Barrie not gone down with injury last playoffs, I don't think Minnesota gets by them in the 1st round.

[Hackey]

No one is debating how good Colorado is but simply understanding how tough the West is. To get past LA and Chicago will be a very tough task for anyone. To get past St Louis and Anaheim will also be very tough. Add in teams that could easily cause an upset like San Jose, Dallas, Minnesota. Winning 3 rounds against those teams will not be easy.

[heep223]

Originally Posted by Hackey

No one is debating how good Colorado is

This is literally what you are doing.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Hackey

No one is debating how good Colorado is but simply understanding how tough the West is. To get past LA and Chicago will be a very tough task for anyone. To get past St Louis and Anaheim will also be very tough. Add in teams that could easily cause an upset like San Jose, Dallas, Minnesota. Winning 3 rounds against those teams will not be easy.

And I dont think they have the horses on the back end.

Varlamov went from crap to fantastic overnight. It isnt inconceivable that he goes back, or, at the very least, yo-yos some more, which will have a significant impact on the Avs' fortunes.

[The Fonz]

Originally Posted by Hackey

No one is debating how good Colorado is but simply understanding how tough the West is. To get past LA and Chicago will be a very tough task for anyone. To get past St Louis and Anaheim will also be very tough. Add in teams that could easily cause an upset like San Jose, Dallas, Minnesota. Winning 3 rounds against those teams will not be easy.

You make it sound like they have to get past all of those teams. They only have to get past 1 of LA/Anaheim/SanJose under the new division/playoff format, in the WCF.

In rounds 1 + 2, yes, worst case scenario they could play St. Louis and then Chicago, or the other way around. It's just as likely though that St. Louis + Chicago play each other in R1, like they did this past season.

Regardless, if you want to win a cup, you have to beat the best teams in the league. This is the ways it's always been. What's the point in playing 3 rounds in the Eastern Conference, when you know you're not good enough to beat the team that comes out of the West?

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by Flames89

Thank you for coming into a thread about Iginla to say you don't care about Iginla.

thats the point of a message board...(the thread is about Iggy signing in colorado and full of opinions) I am not the first one in this thread to question Iggy's motives at this point and say that I'm not cheering for him

not sure why I get called out

Guy has made millions upon millions playing a kids game, its no sad story if he doesn't happen to win the cup.

Up for debate is Colorado's cup chances...even if they are a decent team the chances are slim of winning it in a 30 team league especially in that conference and division.

Furthermore I haven't visited this thread for months so please don't act like I am trolling Iggy or something.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by The Fonz

You make it sound like they have to get past all of those teams. They only have to get past 1 of LA/Anaheim/SanJose under the new division/playoff format, in the WCF.

In rounds 1 + 2, yes, worst case scenario they could play St. Louis and then Chicago, or the other way around. It's just as likely though that St. Louis + Chicago play each other in R1, like they did this past season.

Regardless, if you want to win a cup, you have to beat the best teams in the league. This is the ways it's always been. What's the point in playing 3 rounds in the Eastern Conference, when you know you're not good enough to beat the team that comes out of the West?

I made this point last year. Watching the ECF because I was in Montreal, what was the point? They were auditioning for an ass kicking because neither team had a hope in hell against either LA or Chicago.