Eurolanche

Former Avs in the play-offs

For many fans of the Colorado Avalanche, me included, it probably is a struggle to follow the NHL play-offs closely after seeing their own team eliminated in a very disappointing way. The interest in hockey dwindles quite a bit and the next hockey-related event one really looks forward to might be the NHL Draft Lottery which gives the Avs a 3,5% chance of getting the 1st overall pick in the 2016 NHL Draft.

However, with those events, especially the Draft itself, not exactly coming up very soon, one could be willing to find ways of getting interested into the play-offs. After all, it is hockey and it is the fight for the Stanley Cup. How about cheering for the Dallas Stars to knock out the Minnesota Wild, the team the Avs built up a decent rivalry with and got outpaced by in the fight for the last play-off spot in the Western Conference? Or rooting for the Tampa Bay Lightning in their series against the Detroit Red Wings, the Avs' big rival from the 1990s and early 2000s. On a sidenote, both the Stars and the Lightning are up 1-0. 

Another approach of making the play-offs more appealing could be looking at some of the overall 12 former Avalanche players who are participating in this year's fight for the Stanley Cup. There is at least one former Av in every match-up, except for the series between the Los Angeles Kings and the San Jose Sharks. Obviously, not all of them have been with the Avs for a very long time and some also may no longer be very popular among Avalanche fans. Therefore, I want to focus on the three most interesting ex-Avalanche players still contending for the Cup.

1. Paul Stastny (St. Louis Blues)

Originally picked 44th overall in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft, Paul Stastny spent eight seasons in an Avalanche sweater before signing with the St. Louis Blues as an Unrestricted Free Agent. In doing so, he followed the path of his father, Peter Stastny, who played ten years for the Quebec Nordiques before finishing off his career with the Blues. Paul played 538 games for the Avs recording 458 points and was one of the key players in the Avs' play-off runs back in 2009-10, and 2013-14 when they even finished on top of the Central Division. He, and his playmaking abilities have been sorely missed since then. The roster of the Blues also includes another two former Avs, Kevin Shattenkirk, who was the main piece going to St. Louis in the big Erik Johnson trade, and Brian Elliott. 

2. Jamie McGinn (Anaheim Ducks)

While not as skilled as players like Paul Stastny, Jamie McGinn definitely used to be a fan favorite in his four years with the Avalanche. Known for his ability to fit in every spot from the first to the fourth line, and his exemplary attitude on the ice, he is a very valuable addition to every play-off team. Acquired by the Avalanche on Trade Deadline Day in 2012, in exchange for Daniel Winnik and TJ Galiardi, injuries unfortunately limited "Ginner" to playing only 162 games over the course of four seasons for the Avs. His best campaign came in 2013-14 when he scored 19 goals, 38 points in 79 games, adding another 5 points in the post-season series against the Minnesota Wild. After an injury-riddled 2014-15 season he was then traded to the Buffalo Sabres as a part of the huge Ryan O'Reilly trade, which brought Nikita Zadorov, Mikhail Grigorenko and JT Compher to Denver. On Trade Deadline Day 2016, the Anaheim Ducks acquired him from Buffalo in order to bolster their roster for the upcoming play-off run. Chris Stewart and Chris Wagner are other ex-Avs on the Ducks.

3. Tomas Fleischmann (Chicago Blackhawks)

Acquired from the Washington Capitals for Scott Hannan during the 2010-11 season, Tomas Fleischmann came in and proved to be an impressive addition for the Avalanche right from the start. Back in the day the Avalanche missed all of Peter Mueller, Chris Stewart and TJ Galiardi due to long-term injuries and the Czech was able to replace them nicely, picking up 21 points in 22 games, proving to be a legit top 6 winger and having great chemistry with Matt Duchene. In his first game at Pepsi Center he scored a goal and two assists in the last 2:24 minutes of the third period helping the Avs to an incredible 7-5 comeback win against the Chicago Blackhawks. Only two days later he scored a third-period hat-trick against the same Blackhawks giving the Avs another 4-3 win. One month later, though, he was diagnosed with pulmonary embolism and therefore was not able to play any more games that year. At the end of that season, the Avalanche and former GM Greg Sherman decided to let him go because of the "risks associated with his health", as reported by the Denver Post back in July 2011. Fleischmann signed with the Florida Panthers and played all 82 games in the following season, scoring 27 goals and 34 assists for a total 61 points. After being traded to the Blackhawks at this year's Trade Deadline, "Flash" is looking to help the contender win another Cup.

Other ex-Avs in the play-offs are David Jones for the Wild, Kevin Porter for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Kyle Quincey for the Red Wings, Johnny Boychuk for the New York Islanders and Daniel Winnik for the President Trophy winning Washington Capitals.