Colorado would rather build from prospects, will pass on free agents
Q: I think Alex Pietrangelo is a better bet than Taylor Hall. Look at Hall’s numbers from this season and ask why Arizona is not offering seven or eight for him. Do you know what Joe Sakic’s thinking?
MC: I’m not sure what your question is about. Perhaps you’ve been reading other media types who have suggested the Avs are interested in pending unrestricted free agents Hall and Pietrangelo. But that won’t happen. Colorado isn’t interested in either. The Avs will continue to build from their prospects, not free agency. They love their top-six forwards and don’t have room for another right-shot defenseman, with Connor Timmins set to come up and join Cale Makar and Erik Johnson on the right side.
Q: When the NHL resumes, will the Loveland Express be up and running? In other words will the Eagles be playing so players could get ice time, get in rehab work, work to get out of a slump, replace injured players etc? Or will the Avs just have extra healthy scratch players with an enlarged roster?
MC: At this point, all signs point towards the AHL resuming if/ when the NHL does. Nothing’s official about that, and NHL teams can expand beyond 23 players for the playoffs, but the NHL and AHL are a close-knit bunch and I suspect they’ll come back together. On the other hand, perhaps AHL clubs argue that they aren’t making any money playing before empty arenas. There’s a huge difference in the television revenue with the two leagues. In Colorado, I know Eagles owner Martin Lind wants to finish the season; he told me that. And, of course, the Avalanche wants its top prospects to finish the season in Loveland as well.
Q: I know everyone is hunkered down and there are no team activities but are teams allowed to work with the injured players?
And has the team made any announcements about the status of those injured players? Thanks and here’s hoping we’re back to hockey real soon.
MC: The team is very tightlipped; they’re treating this like the offseason, with no players or coaches available outside their inhouse crew. But you can bet all the previously injured players are ready to go, including Colin Wilson, who hasn’t played since October. Last week I drove past the Avs’ practice facility in Centennial and their gated parking lot wasn’t even locked at the time. I don’t think players are meeting much with trainers, etc.
Q: Hi Mike, saw your story on Jared Bedmar talking about getting his team ready in two weeks when and if the season returns. Do you see the NHL jumping right into playoffs, or finishing the season and adjusting playoff schedules? I just don’t see hockey being played all summer and having a few weeks of an offseason before the 2020-21 season starts. What are you hearing?
MC: I’m hearing the NHL wants to complete the regular season, allowing the Avs to play their final 12 games before the playoffs. But I’m also hearing the league could get everyone to reach 76 games or so and then go into the playoffs. But, no, I don’t see the NHL going straight into the playoffs whatsoever.
Q: Mike, I know players are still working out on their own, but with rinks closed how out of skating shape will we see players when hockey returns?
MC: Players will need 1 to 2 weeks to get back into hockey shape, beginning with captain’s skates (players only). Jared Bednar says he needs 10 days to two weeks to get his team ready.
This isn’t baseball. We don’t need three weeks of spring training to get arms ready.