Denver Post sports writer Mike Chambers posts the Avs Mailbag every other Thursday during the regular season.
Pose an Avalanche- or NHL-related question for the Avs Mailbag.
Hey Mike, Semyon Varlamov has not been that great this season. Why does Patrick Roy keep going to him? I believe that Calvin Pickard is the Avs goalie of the future.
— John, Parker
I agree with you — partly. Varlamov is more talented and his quickness is world-class. But I think Pickard’s game is more complete and he’s better composed.
I think the Avs should consider a rotation and not continually go with Varlamov. I believe you should rotate your goalies and then go with the hot hand. If all things are relatively equal, keep the healthy competition going.
This core is obviously not championship caliber. Do Joe Sakic and Patrick Roy have the gumption to dramatically remake this team? If they do, does the organization have a plan to improve its drafting an development of players?
In the NHL you need to be challenging for the Stanley Cup, or terrible to get generational players to build around. The Avs are neither.
— Jay Nishikawa, Englewood
The Edmonton Oilers also have a handful of two-three overall draft picks and will again miss the playoffs. Success is a combination of building through the draft and choosing the right free agents.
The Avs would welcome Auston Matthews to the mix but they already have a good group of the players you cite.
Mike, it hurts that both Matt Duchene and Nathan MacKinnon are out right now. If the Avs miss the playoffs, can we point the finger and injuries this season?
— Tom, Denver
No, absolutely no. Duchene and MacKinnon both played the first 71 games this season. It hurts that they’ve missed the last week, but two players don’t make a team. And the long-term injuries to forward Jesse Winchester and defenseman Brad Stuart should not be an excuse whatsoever.
Is one of the causes of the Avs penchant for third-period collapses a lack of conditioning?
— Jerry Krysl, Centennial
I don’t think so, Jerry. Conditioning and nutrition are at the forefront of this team’s gameplan. Every player has a postgame workout based on how much they played and the scratches practice by themselves after morning skates and during offdays. The regiment is very structured. The late-game collapses are more mental or simply a lack of talent. Good teams win tight games.
Perhaps you can shed some light for us, because the national media is focused elsewhere. Is MacKinnon’s or Duchene’s injury serious? This final playoff push is a lot more challenging without them.
— Mark G., Denver
Indeed, the playoff push lately has been slowed because of these knee injuries. Duchene is back practicing Thursday as I’m writing this, but MacKinnon is not. It appears MacKinnon might miss the season’s final games — for the second consecutive year. Duchene is scheduled to make his return on Friday against the Washington Capitals.
Erik Johnson plays quite a few minutes per game. Is he tired and is that why he plays so lazily? Or does he get that many minutes because he conserves his strength and stamina by playing so lazily?
— Tom, Arvada
I don’t agree with you Tom. Johnson is a workhorse, usually very engaged. Yes, sometimes he’s exhausted after long shifts but that’s natural. I’ve always seen a very high compete level from Johnson.
I can’t believe how the Avs just fell apart over the weekend. What do they need to do to get back to the playoffs?
— Kevin, Littleton
Kevin, they need to upgrade their defense. As I have said throughout the season, they did not do enough in free agency the past two summers to improve their blue line.
Denver Post sports writer Mike Chambers posts the Avs Mailbag every other Thursday during the regular season.
Pose an Avalanche- or NHL-related question for the Avs Mailbag.