Eurolanche

Sherman's masterpiece (part 2)

The first part was about goalies. The third and the last one will be about forwards. You can expect it on the Eurolanche website next week.

The Defense

In the time when Greg Sherman took over the Avs, there were five defensemen with salary higher than 3 mil., which made Colorado unique among other NHL teams. Unfortunately on the ice it doesn’t seemd so and the Avs defense was average at best and without any leadership. Here is the line-up of 2009/2010 season: Adam Foote, John-Michael Liles, Scott Hannan, Brett Clark, Ruslan Salei, Kyle Quincey, Ryan Wilson and Kyle Cumiskey. Two and a half years later, only Ryan Wilson remained. And this complete change went well – not only money wise. Today we have much more music for much less money in overall performance and future perspective. First of all, Erik Johnson is the first leader of our defense since Rob Blake.  St. Louis trade was one of those you simply can’t believe when you hear it but a year later you must admit Sherman’s risk, for which he was criticized a lot, paid off.

Short defensemen Liles or Cumiskey - who didn’t scare a single forward in a league – were replaced by huge and physical Ryan O’Byrne, Shane O’Brien and Jan Hejda. Nowdays there are more and more prospects drafted in the last years – Stefan Elliot, Tyson Barrie, Cameron Gaunce and Duncan Siemens – who will probably play with Avs in the future.

How could the Avs defense look in one or two seasons? Quite surely Erik Johnson will be there along with long contracted Jan Hejda. When it comes to youngsters Avs mostly count with Elliot and Siemens. I would add to these four defensemen Shane O’Brien who is to young defensemen something as Giguere for Varlamov – mentor and leader. He is an example for them. I’d like to see Wilson in the team either, uncompromising, tough defenseman capable to take down any player with big but clean hit. I do believe the chance will be given to Gaunce even if it would be as the 7th defenseman. Defense like this could be ideally balanced – containing both young and experienced, offensive and defensive, tough and technical, fast and positional players.

It would mean that O’Byrne, Hunwick and also young, talented and offensively playing Barrie (who could be traded for some interesting countervalue in the future), would have to go. Afterall it’s hard to imagine having four defensemen in the line-up younger than 23. I don’t suppose there will be any new face or big name coming to our defense in that two year future, but who knows. Anyway I just don’t see it now.