Denver Post sports writers Terry Frei and Mike Chambers post the Avs Mailbag every other Thursday during the regular season.
Pose an Avalanche- or NHL-related question for the Avs Mailbag.
Do you guys fly and stay with the team? I can only assume you don’t because why in the world would you fly from Ottawa, to DC, to Detroit? In that total travel time you probably could’ve driven there.
— Dave, Littleton
No, Dave, we fly commercial and the team has a charter. Some NHL teams like the Blues offer charter travel for their beat writers but Terry Frei and I have it rough.
The Avs are usually out of the building they just played in within an hour after the final buzzer, sometimes quicker, and with our crazy deadlines these days we could definitely get on the bus with them. But we understand the privacy thing with professional athletes. There’s a time and place to conduct interviews and the athletes.
Bottom line, we’re all going to the same place and I wouldn’t mind paying the Avalanche a fair portion for the flight and travel with far less worries.
I just saw that Martin Brodeur’s statue was just unveiled by the New Jersey Devils. Why are there statues in front of the Pepsi Center of Patrick Roy, Joe Sakic or Peter Forsberg?
— Yehuda, Bergenfield, NJ
Great question and I need to get with the team about this. Joe Sakic’s locker stall at the Pepsi Center was supposed to be upgraded and moved to the concourse more than a year ago. Since he became general manager he didn’t want players always being reminded of who their boss is.
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Knowing Mr. Sakic I assume the plan is in limbo because he’s the boss and doesn’t want to draw attention to himself. Same with Patrick Roy. Perhaps Peter Forsberg would agree to become the first statue, since he doesn’t work for the team.
After seeing the Super Bowl how far a team can get by “kicking and screaming,” then hearing Patrick Roy say yet again this week on his radio show that he’s trying to keep his players “even keeled,” I have to ask if people in the Avs organization are beginning to understand that “even keeled” is a recipe for mediocrity.
Does St. Patrick need to modify his coaching style from one that facilitates the development of young talent to a more mature philosophy of complete accountability and never-give-up attitude?
— Patrick, Louisville
I’m with you Patrick, I’d like to see more fire from the coach. I sometimes see and hear it outside the locker room but Roy is indeed gentle when he talks about his players to the media. As for developing young talent, the verdict is still out but Nathan MacKinnon should be ahead of where he’s at.
Do you think it’s time to shake it up? It is hard to believe with adding a quality defender in Francois Beauchemin, they are still terrible. I think the Avs should trade Tyson Barrie.
He can not defend in the corners, he continually turns the puck over and doesn’t possess a good shot from the blue line. All the kid can do is skate. We need D men that know how to defend.
— Jeff Richards, Denver
I disagree with you about Barrie’s shot, Jeff. He has a good one-timer and his snap shot is pretty wicked for his size. In regards to defending, it’s a give-and-take with Barrie. You love his offense. A key part of being a defenseman is making that first pass out of the zone or skating it up ice. Those are Barrie’s strength, along with his one-timer.
What is it about the Avs that keeps them in their own end of the ice so much? They have trouble exiting their zone and they get trapped too much in the their end. It’s difficult to score from 150 feet away. Is it player talent, lack there of, or coaching?
— Dan, Arizona
The Avs are not a very good possession team and they didn’t do enough to improve their blue line over the past two years. Coaching must also play a factor. If the players don’t believe in the systems, they don’t believe in the coach.
When are the Avs going to let Roy go? Just tired of watching undisciplined hockey.
— Tom Clemens, Pueblo West
Well, Tom, I don’t think discipline is a problem. And I do not think Roy will be fired as long the Avs are in the hunt for the playoffs.
With Alex Tanguay and Jarome Iginla reaching retirement age, what could you see as the plan to replace forwards since the Avs best prospect for a wing position is Mikko Rantanen? Would it be better to trade for a natural wing instead of moving a center over?
— Jordan Fuentes, Denver
Tanguay’s contract is up this season and the Avs will not resign him. Iginla has another year. I expect Rantanen to be a top-six winger for this team next year.
Denver Post sports writers Terry Frei and Mike Chambers post the Avs Mailbag every other Thursday during the regular season.
Pose an Avalanche- or NHL-related question for the Avs Mailbag.