The Drop of the Puck!

The NHL season gets underway tonight!  The Avs' will kick things off on Saturday against the hated Detroit Red Wings.  Things will get underway early with the retirement ceremony for #21, Peter Forsberg.  It is sure to be an epic night!  The Avs will also pay tribute to the three former players whom we lost over the summer and will likely wear a commemorative patch or sticker for those players this season.  The offseason has been way too long!  Hopefully the Avs will once again get accustomed to June-October offseasons instead of these brutal early April-October offseasons!

The Avs finshed the preseason with a 2-4 record.  However, I am of the believe that preseason records mean absolutely nothing.  No team has ever won the Stanley Cup, clinched a playoff berth, or even earned a single regular season point from a preseason game.  If anything, the opposite is true.  Aside from coaches evaluating players and guys trying to make the team, everything else that can come out of the preseason is bad.  Sure, it's a necessary evil for guys to get into game-shape, but superstar players especially have really nothing to gain and a whole lot to lose in the preseason.  Take last year's Avalanche team for example.  Peter Mueller sustained a concussion that kept him out the whole year.  Would the Avs have been better than 29th overall with him healthy all year?  Probably.  With that said, the Avs didn't not suffer any serious preseason losses this year.  A few guys (Yip, Cumiskey, and Olver) will start the season on IR though.

Yesterday, Adrian Dater posted the Avs' practice lines this week, which will likely be the lineup we will see on Saturday night.  Some changes I would make would be to put Gabriel Landeskog on Stastny's line from the get-go.  Give this kid a chance to shine off the bat.  Duchene was the #2 center opening night 3 years ago.  Sure, they want to light a fire under Kobasew, but who's going to be the future of the team, Lando or Kobe?  I would also put Galiardi on the 3rd line.  He was injury-plagued last season, but I really like what he's done over the summer and he has top-line skill.  This could be a breakout campaign for Gali.  Like Dater and much of Avalanche nation, I would have liked to see Stefan Elliott in an Avs sweater on opening night.  I have no doubt that he will be soon, but with his camp and preseason, everyone said across the board that he deserved to be here.  Here's my opening night lineup:

Forwards
Mueller-Duchene-Hejduk
Landeskog-Stastny-Jones
Galiardi-O'Reilly-Winnik
Kobasew-McClement-McLeod
Defensemen
Johnson-Hejda
O'Brien-Quincey
O'Byrne-Elliott
Goalies
Varlamov
Giguere
Healthy Scratches
Porter, Wilson, and Lindstrom
IR
Yip, Cumiskey, Olver
(Hunwick sent to Lake Erie)

The three players who will be key to the Avs success this year will be Varlamov, Duchene, and Johnson.  Varlamov is obvious.  The Avs gave up a lot to get him and this will be a HUGE year for him, make or break.  I would go so far to say that Greg Sherman's and Joe Sacco's jobs directly tie to Varly's success as well.  The Varlamov trade will be judged on the 1st round pick given to the Caps to get him.  If the Avs finish poorly and the Capitals get a lottery pick out of it, the trade will be a massive failure.  If Varlamov performs well and the Avs are more the 09-10 Avs than the 10-11 Avs, the trade will be a success.  Having only played 59 NHL games in his career, Varlamov will not be a 70-game workhorse like Craig Anderson was two years ago.  If the Avs can get 50-60 quality games out of Varly and 30 or so from J-S Giguere, their revamped goalie tandem will be a success.

Matt Duchene is the face of the franchise and its best player.  He has a lot to live up to following the footsteps of his boyhood idols, Joe Sakic and Peter Forsberg, but Duchene certainly seems to have that "it" factor. Last year he was the victim of being the best player on a very bad team.  When he finally started to gel with one of his wingers, Tomas Fleischmann, he suffered pulmonary emboli and was lost for the season.  If Duchene, Mueller, and Hejduk gel and stay healthy, this could be a very formidable line and all three players could enjoy a lot of success.  While neither of Duchene's first two years have been bad by any means, he could really breakout this year.

Like Varlamov, the Avs gave up a lot to get Erik Johnson.  Chris Stewart was very popular and just starting to tap into his full potential as an elite power forward.  The Avs are going to give Johnson every opportunity to success including possibly even the captain's C.  Since being traded, it appears that Johnson has a chip on his shoulder, which is fantastic for the Avalanche.  He said that he wants to make the Blues regret giving up on him and he has said that the Capitals will not get a good pick in the Varlamov trade as the Avs will be competitive.  He certainly seems to be the vocal leader on the team now and the undisputed leader of the defense corps as captain Adam Foote has hung up his skates.  If Johnson finally taps into his potential that made him the #1 overall pick, the Avs defense will be very good.

Other players who will have a major impact on this team are Paul Stastny, Peter Mueller, Gabriel Landeskog, and Stefan Elliott.  Paul Stastny has been much maligned since he signed his big 5-year contract extension.  After 5 years in the NHL, Stastny may not have become the next Joe Sakic or Peter Stastny, I guess, but he is still a very good NHL center.  People have been calling for Stastny to be traded, but I believe that would be a mistake.  2009 first round draft pick Joey Hishon is a center, who could supposedly one day supplant Stastny as a top line center for the Avs, but he is suffering from post-concussion syndrome and missed all of training camp.  Hopefully Hishon will crack the roster and make an impact.  He could be a future winger as well though.  Don't get rid of Stats.

The million dollar question with Peter Mueller is obviously his health.  He suffered two concussions in 2010 and hasn't played in an NHL regular season game since March, 2010.  Another question is what level of play he'll be at if he remains healthy.  How much of a toll will missing an entire season affect his game physically.  People always say that you can workout and practice all you want, you cannot simulate NHL game-level intensity.  If Mueller remains healthy though and reaches the level of play he had with the Avs before his injury, he could be a real factor for the Avs offense and power play.

Gabriel Landeskog.  Anytime you're drafted as high as Landeskog, there will be tremendous expectations.  Matt Duchene didn't disappoint and Landekog seems to have all the tools to succeed.  Those who have talked about Lando frequently use phrases like "mature beyond his years," "great leader," "most NHL-ready of the 2011 draft."  Very good praise for the young Swedish forward.  The Avs could have their second Calder candidate in three years.

Stefan Elliot will get his chance to play for the Avs this year and make an impact as a scoring defenseman.  After all, why would you not want the player who broke defensemen scoring records in the WHL.  He could make Avs fans forget all about last year's standout defenseman, Kevin Shattenkirk and maybe even longtime fan favorite, John-Michael Liles.  Barrie could get the call-up eventually too and possibly next year, we could be seeing first rounder Duncan Siemens with the big club.

Many experts are picking the Avs to finsh outside of the playoff picture yet again, but if these pieces fall into place, we could see an Avs team that suprises many other teams and "experts" alike, just like the team did two years ago.

(Hopeful) Predictions for the 2011-12 Season:
-The Avalanche will win the Stanley Cup
-Matt Duchene will score over 30 goals and 100 points and win the Hart Trophy
-Gabriel Landeskog will win the Calder Trophy
-Stefan Elliott will be a regular on the Avs blue line before the end of October and will also get a Calder nod
-Semyon Varlamov will establish himself as a bona fide #1 NHL goalie and Vezina candidate
-J-S Giguere will have a renaissance year as Varly's mentor and spot-starter
-Ryan O'Reilly will establish himself as a premier Jordan Staal-type two-way player and get a Selke nod

(Realistic) Predictions for the 2011-12 Season:
-The Avalanche will make the playoffs
-Matt Duchene will be a point-per-game player
-Paul Stastny will be a point-per-game player
-Gabriel Landeskog will get nominated for the Calder Trophy
-Stefan Elliott will be a regular on the Avs blue line before Thanksgiving
-Semyon Varlamov will establish himself as a bona fide #1 NHL goalie
-J-S Giguere will have a renaissance year as Varly's mentor and spot-starter
-Ryan O'Reilly will establish himself as a premier Jordan Staal-type two-way player with 40-50 points

Training Camp

The Colorado Avalanche are officially in the midst of training camp.  Last week, the rookies, including first round picks Gabriel Landeskog and Duncan Siemens, participated in the Colorado Avalanche rookie camp and then beginning last Saturday, training camp opened.  I attended the on-ice session yesterday and here are my thoughts:

The Avs are going to be a young team.  This is not a bad thing.  There will likely be only 3 players on the roster over the age of 30; Milan Hejduk (35), Jan Hejda (33), and J-S Giguere (34).  The Avs certainly lost experience and leadership with the retirement of captain Adam Foote, but Hejda and Giggy will provide veteran leadership and experience.  Giggy brings a Stanley Cup win and a Conn Smythe as well.  At the ripe old age of 20, centers Matt Duchene and Ryan O'Reilly will be entering their 3rd NHL seasons.  O'Reilly has looked good at camp.  He had a nice shot that beat Varlamov glove-side high yesterday.  I really want to hear the O'Reilly Auto Parts song when he scores in games!  Both of these guys look like they have matured physically over the summer.  Hopefully it's a healthy combination of good, offseason training and natural physical maturity at their age.  They are also both entering the final year of their rookie contracts.  Hopefully the Avs management will be smart and lock them up longterm soon.  Duchene especially.  Young stars like Tyler Myers, James van Riemsdyk, and John Tavares, Duchene's counterpart from the 2009 draft all recently signed lucrative longterm deals and the Avs certainly should pay Duchene his due as he has been more consistent and productive than any of the aforementioned.  You can argue for Myers, but I'm sticking with Duchy.  There is no good reason to not sign him now.  Would they not sign him until next year and hope he has a disappointing season so that they can pay him less?  Not a good strategy.  If he progresses and further proves himself, which I fully expect him to do, they'd only have to pay him more.  Worst case, he'd be in a contract dispute a year from now, which is where Los Angeles is with their stud defeseman Drew Doughty.  I don't see Duchene going that route though.  He's got too much class to ever holdout.

Duchene winning the faceoff with Peter Mueller on the right.

Mueller looked good.  He says he is 100% healthy after missing the entire 2010-11 season with that nagging concussion.  He appears bigger, stronger, and he's now sporting the tinted visor to reduce the glare from the lights.  It is very bright playing on the Pepsi Center ice and the lights make it hot out there.  Every time Muells takes a check in camp, everyone seems to notice.  He did appear to favor his leg after a hit yesterday, but returned without missing a shift.  If Sacco leaves Mueller with Duchene and Hejduk, that line could be very hot and dangerous once they click!

Several Avs players look bigger.  A major focus over the summer must have been strength training and muscle development.  Duchene, O'Reilly, Mueller, Stastny, and Galiardi all look noticeably bigger and stronger.  Duchene has amazing stick skills and is probably the most fun player to watch with the puck since #21 was in his prime.  His criticism in the past has been that despite his flashy moves, he's a little to easy to move off the puck.  With some added strength as size, Duchene could certainly resemble a certain Swede!  Let's not forget that Foppa was always known as a playmaker and not a scorer.  Duchene's other idol had the best wristshot of all-time, #19.  If he can put both those skill sets together, we could be looking at a future Hart Trophy winner.  O'Reilly began to emerge as an offensive threat toward the end of last season as injuries began to decimate the Avs forwards.  Hopefully, he will take the next step their and become a premiere two-way center.  Like Mueller, Galiardi's 2010-11 season was affected greatly, although certainly not to the extent that Mueller's was.  Both players have dedicated themselves to making themselves bigger and stronger this season.  While injuries will certainly never be entirely preventable, a smaller, weaker guy is certainly more likely to get hurt than a bigger, stronger player.  Galiardi gained 20lbs. of muscle and his "giraffe neck" is almost unrecognizable!  I expect a breakout year from the trash-talking Dartmouth alum.

Coach Joe Sacco said that the captaincy has not yet been decided, but alternates Paul Stastny and Milan Hejduk are certainly in the running.  My vote's still for Stastny with Hejduk, Duchene, and Erik Johnson rotating the "As."  Sure, Stastny has his critics.  People say he's underperformed, but based on what?  His contract?  That's not his fault.  His agent was good and the Avs overpaid.  He's not flashy?  That's not his game.  Sure, 57 points in 74 games could have been better, but he was consistent throughout the year and he was an NHL All-Star.  Not to mention, he was an Olympic Silver Medalist in early 2010.  My point is, let's not run Stastny out of town just yet.  He's a very smart hockey player, and like a lot of other guys, seems bigger, stronger, and hungrier at camp this year.  He's not the most outspoken player, but he does have the quiet leadership capabilities like Joe Sakic did.  He's only 25 and he's been an alternate captain for several years now. 

Gabriel Landeskog has also looked good.  The Avs prized rookie looks comfortable playing against NHLers and will only get better with more experience.  There is no way this guy should not be on the opening night roster.  I'd like to see him with Stats and Galiardi. 

#92, Gabriel Landeskog

On defense, Siemens has looked good too.  I would certainly be in favor of keeping him up for the maximum of 10 games before they have to decide whether or not to send him back down to Saskatoon.

Finally, I like our goaltending tandem.  Varlamov has looked really solid at camp.  Varlamov has perhaps been affected by the tragedy in Russia more than any other player and he undoubtedly is still struggling with the tremendous losses.  The Avs have provided grief counselors for him and other players and Varlamov seems determined to play to honor his fallen teammates and friends.  On a more upbeat note, I really like his new pads and mask!

Well, that's all for now.  I hope to have more as the preseason rolls along.  I was hoping to go out to the preseason finale against the Kings in Las Vegas, The Frozen Fury, but it's looking like that mini vaca may have to wait until next year.

Remembrance

I'm going to keep this one short.

I just wanted to pay my respects to the players that the NHL and the hockey world have lost this summer.  Three enforcers have lost their lives.  Derek Boogaard, 28, Rick Rypien, 27, and Wade Belak, 35.

Earlier today, the hockey world suffered another terrible tragedy with the plane crash of the Russian KHL team Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, which killed 43 people and injured 2 more.  Among those killed were former Avalanche players Ruslan Salei and Karlis Skrastins.  Both of whom I met when they played here in Colorado.  Skrastins, I met during Avs training camp one year.  He came off the ice and I opened the door for him.  He said "thanks" and he must have been hungry because he came back with a Powerbar a few minutes later.  During his time with the Avs, Skrastins earned the nickname, Iron Man, by passing the all-time consecutive games played streak for a defenseman.  The record was previously held by Tim Horton, another player who died tragically before his time.



I was fortunate enough to be able to attend the Avs' annual Meet-the-Team event in 2009, for season ticket holders.  Among the many players I met, was Ruslan Salei.  He was playing air hockey against fans.  Right before me, there was a little boy who was probably about 3.  He could barely see over the table.  Salei graciously let him win and took several pictures with the boy afterward.  The boy was elated.  You could tell that Salei just made the kid's day!  The way he interacted with that kid was better than many dad are with their own kids, sadly.  He wasn't so generous to me.  He got off to a 5-0 lead and quipped about whether or not I would score a goal at all.  The game ended 7-2.  I saw him again later during the autograph sessions and he remembered me, and made another joke about my lack of air hockey skills.  I told him that I had beaten Scott Hannan after I played him.  Anyway, he seemed like a very down-to-earth, nice guy.  The kind of guy you could sit and have a beer with and watch a game and talk sports.  Matt Duchene recently tweeted, "So saddened by the news of the Russian plane crash.  Mixed reports on whether former teammate R. Salei was on it or not, I'm praying he wasn't"  Unfortunately, it has since been confirmed that Salei was in fact on board.



Salei had a wife, Bethann and three kids,  Alexis, 5, Aleksandro, 3, and Ava, who was just born last March.  Skrastins had a wife, Zane and two daughters, Karolina and Laurena.  Also among the deceased was former NHL All-Star Pavol Demitra.  My thoughts and prayers are certainly with the families of the players and personnel on the plane. 

Of course, we are also a few days away from the 10th anniversary of 9/11, one of the darkest days of U.S. history.  On one of the flights were LA Kings scouts, Garnet “Ace” Bailey and Mark Bavis.

Very tragic indeed.

What I'll Be Watching This Fall

We're about a month away from the new 2011-2012 fall TV season getting underway.  Here's what I'll be watching.  Really quickly, here are the top 5 summer shows that are currently in season right now:  5. Wilfred, the new comedy is hilarious and has already been renewed for a second season.  4. Damages, after a long hiatus due to its move to DirecTV's Audience Network from FX, this season has picked up and gotten really good.  It's like Law and Order meets 24.  3. Entourage, the HBO show is in its final season and has plenty of storylines to wrap up.  2. Rescue Me, also in its final season, Tommy Gavin and company have definitely pulled out all the stops.  Plenty of laughs as usual and also a lot of poignant drama, like last night's footage from Ground Zero.  1. True Blood, after a good, but not great third season, the vamps and company are back in a very good season thus far.  The battle with the witches is definitely heating up!



Despite several promising and entertaining series being canceled after last season, there are still some very good shows returning.  First and foremost, Dexter and Boardwalk Empire will be returning on Showtime and HBO respectively.  These shows alone are reason enough to subscribe to their premium channels.  Two of the best shows on TV right now, hands down.  Showtime will also premiere Homeland starring Claire Danes and Damian Lewis of Life fame.  I'll give it a shot, especially since I'll have Showtime already for Dexter.



With regard to network dramas that are returning, Fringe leads the pack.  The JJ Abrams sci-fi series may not be Lost, but it's the closest thing we have now that hasn't been canceled.  Hawaii Five-O and Law and Order: SVU will also be back.  The Walking Dead will also be back on AMC.  A very good zombie series. 



As far as returning comedies, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is by far the best and funniest show out there.  ABC's breakthrough hit Happy Endings, CBS' How I Met Your Mother, and the animated Family Guy and The Simpsons.  I've decided to give The Office my standard probationary two episodes to see how James Spader is taking over Steve Carell's lead, but I was very underwhelmed with last season as a whole.  Spader is going to have to have a great couple of episodes in order for me to keep that on my DVR.  The usually reliable 30 Rock will be back, but has been pushed to midseason due to Tina Fey's real-life pregnancy.



While there aren't too many great returning shows (the aforementioned shows being the exceptions), the new show lineup is even thinner.  JJ Abrams is taking another shot with Person of Interest.  Despite Abrams failed espionage show last year in Undercovers, Person of Interest does seem to have potential.  Its test ratings were apparently through the roof, the highest of any drama in 15 years, according to CBS.  I may also give Ringer a shot.  It stars Sarah Michelle Gellar and Nestor Carbonell of Lost and The Dark Knight.  A show called Revenge on ABC.  Maybe give Whitney a shot, starring comedian Whitney Cummings?  Don't know about that one, but like I said, the list is lean this year.  I will give How to be A Gentleman a shot.  It stars David Hornsby, Rickety Cricket from Sunny and Entourage's Kevin Dillon.  MTV's infamous Beavis and Butthead will also be returning this fall.  Remember them?  Huh huh...he he...



There are actually some promising shows set to debut midseason this year.  JJ Abrams is producing another series titled Alcatraz, starring Jorge Garcia (Hurley from Lost).  Kiefer Sutherland will return to TV in the series Touch, by Heroes creator Tim Kring.  Jack Bauer with superpowers!



Anyway, the tricky thing with all the new shows is that I have yet to even see previews for them, so at this point, I'm going solely off of descriptions and star power.  We'll see how it all shapes out.  Here's my schedule below.

Sundays

The Simpsons, Fox 9/25

Family Guy, Fox 9/25
Boardwalk Empire, HBO 9/25

Dexter, Showtime 10/2

Homeland, Showtime 10/2

The Walking Dead, AMC 10/16

The Firm, NBC midseason

Mondays

How I Met Your Mother, CBS 9/19

Hawaii Five-O, CBS 9/19

Alcatraz, Fox midseason

Tuesdays

Ringer, CW 9/13

Apartment 23, ABC midseason

Wednesdays

Law & Order: SVU, NBC 9/21

Revenge, ABC 9/21*

Happy Endings, ABC 9/28

Thursdays
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, FX 9/15

Person of Interest, CBS 9/22

The Office, 9/22*

Whitney, 9/22*

How To Be A Gentleman, CBS 9/29
Beavis and Butthead, MTV 10/27
30 Rock, NBC midseason

Fridays

Fringe, Fox 9/23

TBA

Touch, Fox midseason



* denotes 2 episode probationary period
shows in italics are new

Glass Half Full

The Colorado Avalanche's seasons have been a roller coaster ride of late.  In 2008, the Avs reacquired stars and fan favorites Peter Forsberg and Adam Foote and made a strong late season push to make it to the playoffs.  They upset the Minnesota Wild before eventually falling to the hated Detroit Red Wings.  In 2009, they finished at the bottom of the Western Conference and third from the bottom overall.  The silver lining was of course the high draft pick that turned out to be Matt Duchene and then Ryan O'Reilly in the second round.  Their rookie year, the Avs were back on track making the playoffs and giving the #1 seed Sharks a run for their money.  It seemed as if these young rookies as well as new goaltender Craig Anderson were propelling the Avs in the right direction.  However, last year, Anderson suffered a couple injuries and never quite regained his 2009-10 form.  On February 18th, 2011, Anderson was traded to Ottawa for fellow goalie Brian Elliott.  Elliott would prove to not be the Avs answer in goal to say the least.  The Avs would finish the season in the penultimate spot in the standings.  They drafted highly touted prospect Gabriel Landeskog with the second overall pick.  A Swedish-born player, who played juniors in Canada, Landeskog was considered by many the most NHL-ready of the 2011 draft class.  Barring an injury or an absolutely terrible camp, Landeskog will almost certainly be on the Avs opening night roster.  He has a highly impressive junior career including becoming the first European-born captain of the Kitchener Rangers, but as Alexandre Daigle, Ryan Leaf, Jamarcus Russell, and Patrick Stefan will tell you, it not about what you do before you're drafted, it's all about what you do afterward!

The Landeskog pick certainly makes sense.  He's pegged as a power forward, a position the Avs were in dire need of after trading away up-and-comer Chris Stewart.  The controversial trade sent Stewart and defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk to St. Louis for former #1 overall pick Erik Johnson, Jay McClement, and a first round pick.  Expect big things from Johnson.  Considered by some to be a bust already, Johnson is only 23-years-old and missed an entire season due to a freak ACL injury.  In fact, many people are picking Johnson to take the reigns as Avs captain following the retirement of captain Adam Foote.  Avalanche Executive Advisor/Alternate Governor Joe Sakic compared Johnson to former Av Rob Blake.  With Johnson no doubt leading the defensive corps, the blue line also boasts a returning Kyle Quincey, who missed most of last season with a shoulder injury.  He'll be in the final year of his contract with a lot to prove.  Although the Avs have traded away promising defensemen like Shattenkirk and Colby Cohen, 2009 draft picks Stefan Elliott and Tyson Barrie are expected to bolster the Avs defense in the very near future.  The Avs also signed big free agents Jan Hejda and Shane O'Brien.  Both these guys will add tremendous size as the Avs blue line was very small last year.  While the Avs did trade away veteran and fan favorite John-Michael Liles, Elliott is said to have skills that will make Avs fans forget about Liles and Shatty.  Finally, the Avs first round pick from the Stewart-Johnson trade turned out to be Duncan Siemens, a defensman who's been called the toughest player in the WHL.  At only 17, Siemens will probably spend one more year in juniors, but expect him in an Avs uniform making an impact very soon.

In addition to drafting Landeskog, the Avs signed former Minnesota first round pick Chuck Kobasew to add depth to their forward ranks.  At center, the Avs have Matt Duchene, Paul Stastny, and Ryan O'Reilly.  Those are three very solid centers.  2010 first round pick Joey Hishon might have a chance to make the team as well and may be converted to a winger since the top three center spots are filled.  Hopefully, the Avs will see more of the Peter Mueller who was acquired in 2010 and was phenomenal in his 15 short games with the Avs before a couple of concussions put him out of action for over a year. 

The old cliche is that a team is only as strong as its goaltending.  Craig Anderson is now gone.  Longtime backup Peter Budaj is now gone.  Brian Elliott is now gone.  In a bold move, the Avs traded their 2012 first round draft pick for former first round pick and once goalie of the future in Washington, Semyon Varlamov.  Varlamov claimed the #1 job from former Av Jose Theodore a couple years ago, but was unable to retain it last year due to injuries.  Ironically, Tomas Vokoun, the veteran all-star many picked to sign with Colorado, ended up going to Washington.  Many people have criticized the Avs' acquisition of Varlamov, especially at the price of a first round pick, but Varly could certainly experience a breakout year similar to Craig Anderson in 2009.  He says his injuries are behind him and being a former first round pick, he has the talent to be a legitimate #1 goalie.  The Avs also picked up former Conn Smythe winner and Stanley Cup champion Jean-Sebastien Giguere.  Although he's been injury plagued the last couple of years, Giggy still has some gas left in the tank and will be a good veteran mentor for the younger Varlamov.  The Avs new goaltending tandem will be solid.

In conclusion, I expect the Avs to be good.  Sure, I'm an Avalanche optimist, but I do think they have what it takes to get back into the playoffs this year and give their young guys some playoff experience.  I think this year, we'll see a team more like the 2007-08 and 2009-10 teams rather than the 2008-09 and 2010-11 teams.  I don't think the Avs are quite a Stanley Cup contender yet, but perhaps a first round upset and a berth into round 2 of the playoffs.  Keep in mind, the Avs core guys are still in their early 20s.  Finally, here's a look at Giggy's new Avs mask.

Summer Blockbusters!

Ok, for my second non-Avalanche, non-hockey blog, I've decided to touch upon the big summer blockbuster movies.  You may agree with me, you may not.  Anyone who knows me knows that I am a huge fan of comic book movies.  I think about 80% of the Blu-rays I own are comic book movies.  This summer has been a pretty good one for the aforementioned genre.  Marvel graced us with three films this summer, two of which will lead us into next year's The Avengers, with Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger.  2008's Iron Man and last year's Iron Man 2 also will lead into The Avengers.  I though both Thor and Captain America were good, solid flicks.  Chris Hemsworth, who made a brief appearance in 2009's Star Trek as Captain Kirk's father took on the role of Thor.  He certainly looked the part.  He had Thor's trademark long blond hair and beard and he certainly put on the necessary muscle to embody a Norse god.  Thor also boasted a worthy supporting cast of Natalie Portman, Kat Dennings, Stellan Skarsgard, and Anthony Hopkins.  While not a household name, Tom Hiddleston did a good job as Loki, Thor's brother and the film's primary villain.  He will return in The Avengers as well.  Thor had a good, entertaining story and was a good mix of comic book and mythological elements.  I would certainly welcome a Thor 2 after next summer's Avengers flick.

The second comic book flick of the summer was X-Men: First Class.  When I first heard about this project, I honestly wasn't too excited.  It seemed like they were just rebooting the X-Men series after 3 pics and a Wolverine spin-off.  However, First Class played much more like a prequel to Bryan Singer's 2000 film and even featured cameos by Hugh Jackman as Wolverine and Rebecca Romijn as Mystique (although Jennifer Lawrence played the character for the majority of the film).  Sure, there are some definite continuity errors between First Class and the other X-Men movies.  *SPOILERS AHEAD*  In X2, Hank McCoy is seen as still human looking, but in First Class, he transforms into his blue Beast version.  Professor Xavier is paralyzed at the end of First Class, but at the beginning of X-Men: The Last Stand, an older Professor Xavier (Patrick Stewart) is seen walking with Erik Lensherr.  The Emma Frost character does not lineup with the Emma Frost depicted in X-Men Origins: Wolverine.  *END OF SPOILERS*  However, despite the inconsistencies, I really enjoyed First Class.  In fact, I would say that it was my favorite flick of 2011 thus far.  Jennifer Lawrence was good as a young Mystique and I think she will be very good as Katniss in the upcoming Hunger Games series.  Michael Fassbender of Inglourious Basterds was also very good as young Eric Lensherr.  Expect big things from him.  James McAvoy was also good inheriting the role of Charles Xavier from Patrick Stewart.  Seasoned actor Kevin Bacon also made a very good villain in Sebastian Shaw.  I hope they follow through with making First Class into a new prequel trilogy.

The only DC venture this summer was Green Lantern.  While Ryan Reynolds is probably the most well-known actor to take the big screen this summer as a comic book hero, Green Lantern was actually the only film of the four to receive negative reviews.  I liked it.  Sure, it was by no means the best comic book movie of all-time, let alone this year, but it was good and entertaining.  Reynolds was a perfect Hal Jordan (and he would also make a perfect Wally West/The Flash) and Blake Lively was good as Carrol Ferris, Strong as Sinestro, and Peter Sarsgaard as Hector Hammond.  Green Lantern was criticized for being to comic booky, but sometimes it's okay for comic book movies to be comic booky!  Not everything has to be serious and realistic like Christopher Nolan's Batman series.  The Fantastic Four series got similar criticism.  When you're dealing with a hero who has a ring that can create whatever he imagines, it's going to be comic booky.  Same with a guy whose power is to stretch himself and a guy made out of orange rock.  While Green Lantern was not a huge success at the box office, I do hope they green light (pun intended) a sequel to further explore the character and build on the series.

The final comic book movie of the summer was Captain America: The First Avenger.  Chris Evans, who was already a familiar in the Marvel world after playing Johnny Storm/The Human Torch in The Fantastic Four and its sequel played Captain America.  Evans has a reputation as playing funny, wise-cracking character such as Johnny Storm, Jake Jensen in The Losers, and Nick Gant in Push.  However, he displayed his acting ability in Captain America by showing a serious side.  He also bulked up to play the super soldier.  When watching Evans in Captain America, you did not think of Johnny Storm.  Newcomer Hayley Atwell was good as his love interest and the always reliable Hugo Weaving was a good Red Skull.  Weaving always plays villains well like Agent Smith in the Matrix trilogy and voicing Megatron in the Transformers movies.  Tommy Lee Jones was also solid as the cliche Colonel.   Captain America was the darkest of all four of the movies, but was very good overall.  In fact, it pretty much leads right into The Avengers! 

Other than comic book films, I thought they did a very good job wrapping up the Harry Potter series.  Surprisingly, The Deathly Hallows Part 2 was only the second of the series that I've been able to see in theaters.  The other one was The Half-Blood Prince.  I enjoyed the latest Pirates of the Caribbean flick.  Even with the departures of Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley, I would say it's the best Pirates movie since the original.  Bridesmaids was funny, but I didn't love it as much as Heidi did.  Some of the movies I missed this summer, but want to see are Super 8, the new Transformers, and Cowboys and Aliens. 

Looking ahead, we still have Immortals to look forward to in November, which will hopefully gain better recognition than the Clash of the Titans remake did.  Future Superman Henry Cavill, Freida Pinto, and Mickey Rourke lead that cast.  In December, the first of the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo trilogy comes out with Daniel Craig as the lead.  I am currently finishing the Swedish versions of the series.  Next year, Hunger Games comes out in March and in July, the conclusion of the most epic comic book series of all-time, The Dark Knight Rises.  While this may not live up to The Dark Knight and Heath Ledger's masterful performance as The Joker; Nolan, Bale, and company will no doubt end the series well.

Captain Colorado

The million dollar question right now is who will be wearing the "C" on his jersey come opening night for the Avalanche.  Any hockey player will tell you that it's a tremendous honor to be selected to represent your team as its captain.  Let's take a look at the Avs' former captains.  Joe Sakic and Adam Foote.  Needless to say, whoever takes over the captaincy will have huge shoes to fill.  Even though Sakic and Foote were both great leaders, they were also very different.  Sakic was a phenomenal, Hall-of-Fame scorer and a quiet, lead-by-example guy, while Foote was a punishing, bruising, hard-hitting defenseman who held people accountable.  So...who will it be?  Let's examine the top candidates.

Matt Duchene

Pros:  In his brief NHL career, he has quickly established himself as probably the biggest fan favorite on the team, he earned a nomination for the Calder Trophy his rookie year, and he became the youngest player in franchise history to lead the team in scoring last year.  You could definitely make the argument for Duchene; at 20-years-old, he has established himself as top NHL center and will be the featured center of the Avs for many years to come.
Cons:  He's only 20 and could use more time to focus solely on his game rather than having the added responsibility of being the captain of the team.

Milan Hejduk

Pros:  He is by far, the most experienced and accomplished member of the Avalanche.  He is the last remaining member of the 2001 Stanley Cup team and the only current Avalanche player with a ring.  He's a former Rocket Richard winner and a 3x All-Star.
Cons:  Hejduk is very quiet and unimposing and may not want the responsibility of being the captain.  He's been an alternate captain for several years and might actually prefer that.  He would also be great to mentor a younger captain.

Erik Johnson

Pros:  He's hungry to prove that the St. Louis Blues gave up on him too early.  Sure, Johnson has his critics.  He was a former #1 overall pick on 2006 and hasn't won the Norris Trophies people expected.  However, due to a freak knee injury in 2008, he missed the entire 08-09 season, so he's only had 3 full seasons in the NHL.  Missing an entire season at 20 is sure to hamper a young defenseman's growth.
Cons:  He's only played 22 games for the Avs and as previously mentioned, he has yet to fully prove himself.  The potential is absolutely there, but do you give the "C" to potential?

Paul Stastny

Pros:  He's a 2nd generation Av (counting the Nordiques) and at 25, he's already established himself as a premiere player in the NHL.  Nearly a point-per-game player and a 2-time All-Star selection.  He may not dazzle you with flashy moves, but he's consistent and makes the wingers around him better, like any great center.
Cons:  When Stastny signed a big contract a few years ago, some people expected him to become the next Sakic or Forsberg.  While Stats' numbers certainly aren't bad, they're not Super Joe's or Foppa's.  Since he's on the tail end of his contract, the trade rumors have begun.

People have also mentioned Ryan O'Reilly, who is said to be a great leader and have a tremendous work ethic.  However, like Duchene, he's only 20, but doesn't have Duchene's point production to his resume.  People have also talked about giving the captaincy to Gabriel Landeskog.  Way too premature for that.  Landeskog has to make the team first (which he will).  Despite his many accomplishments and vast potential, the captaincy has to be earned at the NHL level, not in juniors or the draft.  Please vote for your pick to the right!