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

[Phanuthier]

Originally Posted by Dion

He would have had a better shot at the Cup if he was playing for a team in the East. Anahiem, LA, Chicago and St Loius are teams that Avs have to compete with to get to the Cup finals.

My personal opinion is that Iggy went for the money and security of a 3 year contract.

I see that he wanted a chance to win, but wanted to get fairly compensated as well as Iginla historically doesn't leave money on the table. Which of coarse is his right as a UFA, but I would say Iginla was looking more for a balance between money and cup, and not just looking for a cup which was a little dissapointing for me.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by codynw

I'm sure the 3 year deal helped, but he wouldn't have signed there if he didn't think they had a decent chance to win.

You're saying but not saying it. You're dancing around it.

No one is saying the Avs are hot garbage, they've got a decent chance, they could do it, but thats not the same as taking your best chance.

He picked Pittsburgh for a reason. He picked Boston for a reason. He did not pick Colorado for the same reasons.

Originally Posted by Poe969

you guys are talking in absolutes here.... The "new avs" haven't even played a game yet, they could be the best team in the league and heavy favourites to win the cup. You can argue that other teams are better but this team has made significant strides to become better and their young players are getting better and entering their prime (much like the oilers thought their "stars" would do). They have really good goaltending, great forward depth and decent D. I'm willing to bet they're considered contenders by the end of the year.

My personal opinion is Iggy had a lot of teams interested in him and went after a cup and money at the same time.

That goaltending is an outlier and Varlamov is notoriously inconsistent.

They are a very stacked team offensively, with 'decent' defence. But if that defence is a little off and Varlamov isnt in Vezina form then that team is going to have to score itself out of trouble and that simply isnt championship caliber.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by codynw

I'm sure the 3 year deal helped, but he wouldn't have signed there if he didn't think they had a decent chance to win.

I just think the odds are not in his favour when it comes to getting that Cup ring that has alluded him. The West is stcked with a lot of good teams the Avs must beat to reach the Finals.

I believe part of the reason he signed with the Avs was because of all the talent they have and his belief he can suceed under coach Roy and his system. I only question weather he can keep up with the younger talent over a 82 game schedule. Time will tell.

[Finger Cookin]

Iginla will someday be at or near the top of lists like these. And that sucks.

http://www.sportsbreak.com/nhl/10-be...tanley-cup/10/

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by Phanuthier

I see that he wanted a chance to win, but wanted to get fairly compensated as well as Iginla historically doesn't leave money on the table. Which of coarse is his right as a UFA, but I would say Iginla was looking more for a balance between money and cup, and not just looking for a cup which was a little dissapointing for me.

I agree that he was trying to find a balance between winning and getting paid, but I am not too disappointed really.

If anything, I am glad to see him make a bit of a longer commitment to a young team. It always feels a little bit cheap to me when veterans become 1 year ringers near the end of their career to try and win a Cup.

I also think the Avs have a half decent chance at a Cup in the next 3 years.

[Phanuthier]

Originally Posted by Locke

You're saying but not saying it. You're dancing around it.

No one is saying the Avs are hot garbage, they've got a decent chance, they could do it, but thats not the same as taking your best chance.

He picked Pittsburgh for a reason. He picked Boston for a reason. He did not pick Colorado for the same reasons.



That goaltending is an outlier and Varlamov is notoriously inconsistent.

They are a very stacked team offensively, with 'decent' defence. But if that defence is a little off and Varlamov isnt in Vezina form then that team is going to have to score itself out of trouble and that simply isnt championship caliber.

Agreed here. I think its true there are "no absolutes" ... not even sure if Colorado got better. They added Iginla, but lost Statsney (downgrade IMO). MacKinnon is older, Tanguay is older (upgrade). Varlamov a Vezina goalie? I'm not so sure. And their defense is weak. But even if they do get better, they lost to Minnisota in the playoffs, not LA/Chicago/Anahaim or even the arguable SJ Sharks. The next 2 years, those 3 listed above are the clear favourites. Iginla's best chance may be in year 2 or year 3, depending how Chicago goes, but then how about "Factor" ? Does Landeskog or Duschene have to get dealt for blueline help? Colorado's best chance may actually be to shed salary and add a blueliner, and the best player to move for a blueliner may actually be Iginla... Colorado is there to win a cup for Colorado, not "Win a cup for Iggy" like it was here. I could see maybe next summer, Colorado trying to trade Iginla.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Phanuthier

Agreed here. I think its true there are "no absolutes" ... not even sure if Colorado got better. They added Iginla, but lost Statsney (downgrade IMO). MacKinnon is older, Tanguay is older (upgrade). Varlamov a Vezina goalie? I'm not so sure. And their defense is weak. But even if they do get better, they lost to Minnisota in the playoffs, not LA/Chicago/Anahaim or even the arguable SJ Sharks. The next 2 years, those 3 listed above are the clear favourites. Iginla's best chance may be in year 2 or year 3, depending how Chicago goes, but then how about "Factor" ? Does Landeskog or Duschene have to get dealt for blueline help? Colorado's best chance may actually be to shed salary and add a blueliner, and the best player to move for a blueliner may actually be Iginla... Colorado is there to win a cup for Colorado, not "Win a cup for Iggy" like it was here. I could see maybe next summer, Colorado trying to trade Iginla.

And that doesnt even include St. Louis! The Stanley Cup is staying in the West for the foreseeable future barring the circumstance where the Western teams beat each other up so badly that they falter in the Finals and Colorado, in my opinion, is fighting for 5th or 6th with San Jose.

We're not even talking about home ice for the playoffs.

[ComixZone]

I'm not sure why people don't see Colorado as a contender.

Defense can be taught, and acquired fairly easily.

Mackinnon, Landeskog, Duchene, O'Reilly, Tanguay, Briere, McGinn, Talbot, and of course Iginla himself is the deepest group of forwards in the West. Mackinnon may very well prove himself to be the best centre in the West as soon as this year if last season was any indication.

Johnson and Barrie are high-end top 4 d-men, and then they have a plethora of hard working guys. Also, there's going to be some very good d-men available in free agency in the next few years.

Varlamov is a top 3 goalie in the league.

This is a very, very good hockey team.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by ComixZone

I'm not sure why people don't see Colorado as a contender.

Defense can be taught, and acquired fairly easily.

Mackinnon, Landeskog, Duchene, O'Reilly, Tanguay, Briere, McGinn, Talbot, and of course Iginla himself is the deepest group of forwards in the West. Mackinnon may very well prove himself to be the best centre in the West as soon as this year if last season was any indication.

Johnson and Barrie are high-end top 4 d-men, and then they have a plethora of hard working guys. Also, there's going to be some very good d-men available in free agency in the next few years.

Varlamov is a top 3 goalie in the league.

This is a very, very good hockey team.

Thats not the case at all. No one is saying that they're a crap team or 'not a contender.'

Simply that they're among the weakest of a group of contenders.

- LA (2 recent cups)
- Chicago (2 recent cups)
- St. Louis (one point less than COL last season and on the upswing with more off-season improvement)
- San Jose (one point less than COL/total wild card)
- Colorado

And I think SJ and COL are interchangeable.

If Varlamov falters that team might not even make the playoffs.

[formulate]

Originally Posted by ComixZone

I'm not sure why people don't see Colorado as a contender.

Defense can be taught, and acquired fairly easily.

Mackinnon, Landeskog, Duchene, O'Reilly, Tanguay, Briere, McGinn, Talbot, and of course Iginla himself is the deepest group of forwards in the West. Mackinnon may very well prove himself to be the best centre in the West as soon as this year if last season was any indication.

Johnson and Barrie are high-end top 4 d-men, and then they have a plethora of hard working guys. Also, there's going to be some very good d-men available in free agency in the next few years.

Varlamov is a top 3 goalie in the league.

This is a very, very good hockey team.

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.

[Fighting Banana Slug]

Given that he signed a 3 year term indicates to me that he picked the Avs as a potential cup winner. A one year shot, then sure go with Pittsburgh or Boston, as he did in the past. The Avs are young and on the rise, in my opinion. In 3 years, Pittsburgh and Boston my not be in the mix, or not as a "sure thing" as some seem to suggest.
The big issue is goaltending, and that is probably the biggest factor come playoff time.

[Hackey]

Originally Posted by Phanuthier

I see that he wanted a chance to win, but wanted to get fairly compensated as well as Iginla historically doesn't leave money on the table. Which of coarse is his right as a UFA, but I would say Iginla was looking more for a balance between money and cup, and not just looking for a cup which was a little dissapointing for me.

I think some term was also important for him. To be able to settle his family in one place for an extended period of time.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Locke

He picked Pittsburgh for a reason. He picked Boston for a reason. He did not pick Colorado for the same reasons.

I think he did.

However, I think he discovered an additional consideration. The Avs are his fourth team in three years, and I doubt his family really wanted to be moving around so frequently. So he chose the best team he could with the ability and desire to allow him to settle in one spot for a while.

[Steve Bozek]

Originally Posted by Locke

Thats not the case at all. No one is saying that they're a crap team or 'not a contender.'

Simply that they're among the weakest of a group of contenders.

- LA (2 recent cups)
- Chicago (2 recent cups)
- St. Louis (one point less than COL last season and on the upswing with more off-season improvement)
- San Jose (one point less than COL/total wild card)
- Colorado

And I think SJ and COL are interchangeable.

If Varlamov falters that team might not even make the playoffs.

Agree, but I suspect Iginla might have been thinking that in the search for a Cup win, he's picked two prior Cup winners with proven veteran lineups, and that hasn't worked. In Colorado, he's got a team that appears to be on the rise with youth, great offense potential, and an excellent goaltender.

[Fire in the disco]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

I think he did.

However, I think he discovered an additional consideration. The Avs are his fourth team in three years, and I doubt his family really wanted to be moving around so frequently. So he chose the best team he could with the ability and desire to allow him to settle in one spot for a while.

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

[Oil Stain]

Originally Posted by Steve Bozek

Agree, but I suspect Iginla might have been thinking that in the search for a Cup win, he's picked two prior Cup winners with proven veteran lineups, and that hasn't worked. In Colorado, he's got a team that appears to be on the rise with youth, great offense potential, and an excellent goaltender.

It worked for Hossa.

[Phanuthier]

Originally Posted by ComixZone

I'm not sure why people don't see Colorado as a contender.

Defense can be taught, and acquired fairly easily.

Mackinnon, Landeskog, Duchene, O'Reilly, Tanguay, Briere, McGinn, Talbot, and of course Iginla himself is the deepest group of forwards in the West. Mackinnon may very well prove himself to be the best centre in the West as soon as this year if last season was any indication.

Johnson and Barrie are high-end top 4 d-men, and then they have a plethora of hard working guys. Also, there's going to be some very good d-men available in free agency in the next few years.

Varlamov is a top 3 goalie in the league.

This is a very, very good hockey team.

if you really think that, you should be applying for some GM jobs. A lot of teams have been lost in the woods because they couldn't find that top pairing d-man for years.

[GreenLantern]

Just a few seasons ago we watched the 8th seed team in the West win the Cup, just make it to he dance and anything can happen. I would never write the Avs off of contention with the group they are iceing. People think losing Stastny will crush them, I don't think they realize that he was 5th in team scoring (with 60 points, now that alone is a crazy stat) and was by no means carrying this team. They just replaced that with a guy who had 3 more points last year and has one of the best shots in the league.

The best part about their forward group is that at age 22, 22, 20 and 18 they are just going to keep getting better and better.

[Phanuthier]

Originally Posted by Locke

And that doesnt even include St. Louis! The Stanley Cup is staying in the West for the foreseeable future barring the circumstance where the Western teams beat each other up so badly that they falter in the Finals and Colorado, in my opinion, is fighting for 5th or 6th with San Jose.

We're not even talking about home ice for the playoffs.

Agreed here, I don't see Colorado even fighting for home ice advantage for years. For the next 2 years, they are clearly behind LA, Chicago, Anahaim and they are IMO easily behind SJ and St Louis. I see them in the mix for #6-9 for the next 2 years for sure. Year 3 is really hard to say, 2 years is a long time for rosters to change.

Also, once they cement themselves as a contender, not all teams make that jump from talent to being the team that can go out and win those clutch games. They could easily go the direction of San Jose or Washinton, instead of LA, as a team that has some talent but can never get it together in the playoffs. This is a team, after all, that is just under 2 years ago gave up on their coach and was called out for caring more about going to Vegas then winning hockey games. And this is the biggest hurdle to cross, not mentioning the other difficult hurdle of top pairing d-man.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Phanuthier

Agreed here, I don't see Colorado even fighting for home ice advantage for years. For the next 2 years, they are clearly behind LA, Chicago, Anahaim and they are IMO easily behind SJ and St Louis. I see them in the mix for #6-9 for the next 2 years for sure. Year 3 is really hard to say, 2 years is a long time for rosters to change.

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.