Posts Tagged ‘Jean-Michael Liles’

Restoring the Rosters: Colorado Avalanche

Based on Matthew Pouliot’s series on Circling the Bases, I have decided restore the rosters for every NHL team. Like Pouliot, I have established some ground rules for my selections.

1. Each team contains players they originally drafted or signed before any other NHL team. This includes players drafted and not signed, as well as European free agents coming over at an older age.
2. I have chosen to leave retired players off the list, and lean toward players in the AHL rather than those deported (KHL, SEL, DEL, etc.).

Essentially I am choosing the best available players for a team to succeed in the current NHL season. All 30 teams will be covered, with grades assigned to forwards, defense and goaltending. After all 30 articles are written, they will be ranked in order. This series’ intent is to reward or shame NHL scouts.

Read more…

Looking for a Defenseman?

As we approach the midway point of the 2009-10 season in the National Hockey League, many questions remain unanswered.

Which teams are serious about playoff contention?  Who needs a massive upgrade to make the push from a bubble team?  Which team should sell off the year and attempt a mini-rebuild?

Those are some thoughts circulating the League as we take a look at the state of all teams around the NHL.  Now, when perusing through certain rosters some names that could bring in returns which would benefit a team in need of depth.

Today, we look at the defensemen around the NHL likely to be moved by the March 3rd, 2010 trade deadline. As a side note, be sure to tune into “The Hockey Guys” on deadline day as there will be an all day live event with a live chat room for discussion on all the rumors and news as it breaks in the NHL.

Read more…

Avalanche Looking to Move a Defenseman?

With Avs rumors swirling around the internet, beat writer Adrian Dater of The Denver Post puts pretty much every current rumor involving youngsters Matt Duchene or Ryan O’Reilly to shame.

So the answer to the talented twosome leaving Colorado is no.  These rumors are false. No move will be made for Ilya Kovalchuk.  No need to swap veteran underachievers with the Flyers.  Nothing.

Dater, however, does hypothesize as to what till happen once Kyle Cumiskey returns from his foot injury.  Cumiskey, a young defenseman known for his offensive prowess very well could be the odd man out.  However, a 23-year-old d-man with limited NHL experience and a lengthy injury history provides limited value in the current trade market.

That leaves two players likely on the block: Jean-Michael Liles and Ryan Wilson.  The latter an undrafted free agent who at the ripe age of 22 actually is producing at the NHL level.

Turning a free-agent signing into a need would be excellent asset management as long as the team feels the current player they see is his ceiling. His reasonable capt hit of $ 551, 667 through 2011 certainly adds remarkable value should he be shopped.

Read more…