Stefan Elliott. Photo: Bridget Samuels/Flickr.

For the final installment of my “Player Review” series, I thought I would talk about all of the other players who spent some time with the organization at some point this season. This includes a few players who were traded away, as well as players who bounced between the Lake Erie Monsters and the Avalanche.

Daniel Winnik- 63 GP, 5 G, 13 A

Winnik was in his second season with the Avalanche before he was traded to the San Jose Sharks. He played well for the Avalanche this season, giving them a lot of energy and effort each game. He was part of the penalty kill unit for the majority of the season, and was definitely a big reason why the unit went from being ranked 30th in the league to 12th. Winnik was also a durable player, who played in 63/63 possible games for the Avalanche this season. However, Winnik’s offensive production was rather suspect. In both his years with the Avalanche, he got off to quick starts, and then would go for long stretches without scoring a goal. Someone who spent about a 6 weeks on the top line, and then continued to earn a decent amount of playing time once he was moved down, needs to produce more. There were also many times where I believed he could have made a break for some shorthanded opportunities, and instead he would give up on the puck for a line change. (This could very well have been coaching, but it was still incredibly irritating to watch.) Once he was traded to the Sharks, he politely thanked the Avalanche, and proceeded to score over half his amount of goals in a third of the games. I wish Winnik success, but at the end of the day believe the Avalanche will need stronger offensive players if they want to make it into the playoffs.

TJ Galiardi- 55 GP, 8 G, 6 A

Ah, the conundrum that is TJ Galiardi. On the one hand, he seems to have enough skill where he should be scoring 15-20 goals a year. On the other hand, he did spend time on the top lines, and he didn’t produce the points. I’ll be upfront and say that I am a HUGE Galiardi fan- and believe he will have consistent success at the NHL level. These past two seasons, however, were subpar, and made him dispensable. In 2010-2011, Galiardi only played 35 games, due to a broken arm and a broken wrist. Over the summer of 2011, he went absolutely nuts and was consuming about 20,000 calories a day. He packed on 20 pounds of muscle (and said that at one point he got to 216 pounds). He read books about the powers of positive thinking in order to become stronger mentally. He was so much bigger and stronger, and the season seemed like it would be his best yet. However, some struggles with the coaching staff caused him to lose some confidence, and I don’t think that he was always utilized properly. Did he get time on the top lines? Absolutely. Was he the first person to be downgraded? Yes. It got to the point where he would take a penalty, and Sacco would bench him for the rest of the game. A player like Galiardi cannot be worried about penalties-he is an agitator. He drives people nuts. And that means that he is going to have elevated minutes in the box. I miss Galiardi in the burgundy and blue, but as long as Sacco is the head coach, Galiardi will never fit in to the lineup playing wise. I’ll miss his crazy post-win handshakes with O’Reilly, Landeskog, and O’Byrne. I’ll miss he and Paul Stastny teasing eachother all of the time because they were roommates at home. I know all of the boys miss him in the lockerroom. I hope he finds success, whether it be in San Jose or with some other team. Gali, I’ll root for you wherever you are. Except when you’re playing the Avs.

Kyle Quincey- 54 GP, 5 G, 18 A

Quincey had a good season production wise with the Avs. He scored a lot of points, and seemed to return to 2009-2010 Quincey form. However, his trade was necessary. There are just too many blueliners in the Avalanche system who deserve an NHL spot. It was better to lose Quincey via a trade (where the team got something in return) than to lose him through free agency. Right after Quincey left, there were several negative comments made by him reguarding the Avalanche. Those, along with other comments leading up to his trade, make me believe that Quincey started to get an elevated sense of self-import, and was focusing more on himself than on the team. However, he is still good friends with many of his old Avalanche teammates, so it appears that they are all very forgiving. Let bygones be bygones, and hope Quincey enjoys his time with the Red Wings. And whenever he plays the Avs, he can expect a special game.

Brandon Yip- 10 GP, 0 G, 0 A

Oh Yip. He’s another player I love, but the team lost him on waivers to Nashville. I think the team would have preferred it if he had gone down to Lake Erie and been available to play for the Avs still. However, I’m sure Yip prefers an NHL job, and was happy that the Predators picked him up. Yip suffered a broken arm during a preseason game, and he was not healthy enough to play for several weeks. By the time he was ready to play, there was seemingly no room for him. He was scratched for a good number of games, and he failed to produce offensively when he was given a chance in the lineup.  At the end of the day, this was better for the team. Stronger offensive players have been able to come in. And Yip, seems to have seen a resurgence in his game in Music City.

Stefan Elliott- 39 GP, 4 G, 9 A

Elliott came into training camp this year highly touted. Both he and Tyson Barrie were considered the blueliners of the future.  Elliott started the season with the Lake Erie Monsters. He was recalled in November, and scored his first goal during his first game. He continued to play well, but soon hit a wall offensively. Due to the fact that his billing is as an offensive defenseman, he began seeing less icetime. He spent the majority of his time up with the Avs, but saw himself become a healthy scratch. I think Elliott will be ready to be a full-time NHLer next season. He learned a lot this year, and is only going to improve his strength. His defensive skills are surprisingly well developed, something that I believe was often overlooked due to his outstanding offensive capabilities. If he does make the team out of camp this year, I would like to see him paired with Ryan Wilson. When they were together, they each had their strongest games. (And the other pairings I like are Johnson/O’Brien and O’Byrne/Hejda).

David Van Der Gulik- 25 GP, 1 G, 5 A

Van der Gulik was one of those really cool stories this season. He was called up just before the birth of his son. He played 25 games with the team, and finally seemed to be earning himself a real chance at being a regular NHLer. However, he was sent back to Lake Erie eventually. I know that his contract is up, and that he will probably go to the team that gives him his best chance at being in the NHL. Still, I hope that he can remain in the Avalanche organization. He’s a physical, aggressive player, and he fits in very nicely on the fourth line. He was also a very good penalty killer during his time with the Avalanche.

Joakim Lindstrom- 16 GP, 2 G, 3 A

Lindstrom was one of Greg Sherman’s more surprising signings during the offseason. He was coming over from the Swedish Elite League, and had some NHL experience. Lindstrom was with the team for about 20 games, and then the team wanted to send him to Lake Erie. Lindstrom, however, chose to return to the Swedish Elite League. His contract expires this summer, and I know he recently signed an extension with his team in Skelleftea. It’s a shame he had to leave, for he did have some offensive upside, and was a wonder in the shoot out.

Tyson Barrie- 10 GP, 0 G, 0 A

Poor Barrie. I think he was credited with his first NHL assist about three different times, only to have it taken away. Still, he showed that he can be great at setting up offensive opportunities, even if he doesn’t always get on the board. I know that Barrie technically finished the season with the Avs, but he only played 10 games, which is why I decided to review him as a part of this list. There were a few key turnovers in the offensive zone that lead to goals with Barrie, and those are my biggest concern. He needs to be stronger on the puck, and he needs to become stronger overall this summer if he wants to make the Avalanche right out of training camp. I’d love it if Barrie could be the seventh defenseman in the lineup, for the next season, and gain more experience. He might not play a lot of games, but I think practicing everyday with NHL-caliber players is what is going to turn him into a reliable, (Avalanche!) defenseman for the majority of his career. If both he and Elliott make the team next year, the draft year of 2009 could become the most legendary on in Avalanche history. Matt Duchene, Ryan O’Reilly, Stefan Elliott, Tyson Barrie-all from the same year, all on the same team? That is how you build a dynasty, my friends.

Brad Malone- 9 GP, 0 G, 2 A

Brad Malone played his first professional season this year, after competing for three years at the NCAA level. He spent the majority of his time in Lake Erie, but his nine game stint with the big club gave me a lot of hope. I don’t know if he is ready to become a full time NHLer (I’m leaning towards no), however he did prove that he can play at this level. He earned two assists while mostly filling a fourth line role. 2 points in 9 games is pretty good for your fourth line guys. He was physical, and I know he really enjoyed getting to play against his cousin (Ryan Malone of the Tampa Bay Lightning). If he can continue to work hard (and work with his cousin, who is a full time NHLer), I think within a year or two, he could be the Avalanche’s fourth line center.

Evan Brophey- 3 GP, 0 G, 0 A

Evan Brophey did not earn a lot of time on ice when he was with the Avalanche. He only took about five faceoffs, and his shifts were extremely short. As such, I don’t really feel comfortable reviewing him. Hopefully, he continues to develop and can be a more integral member of the Avalanche system.

Mike Connolly- 2 GP, 0 G, 0 A

Connolly was another player who did not get a lot of playing time while he was with the Avs. He was acquired at the deadline with Jamie McGinn (and Michael Sgarbossa) from the Sharks. However, he was a good physical presence during the two games he played, and seems very eager to continue improving.

Photo: Bridget Samuels/Flickr.

Games Played: 53

Games Started: 52

Win/Loss/OT record: 26/24/3

Goals Against Average: 2.59

Save Percentage: .913

Shots Faced: 1564

Saves Made: 1428

Shutouts: 4

PIM: 2

Points: 1

Last summer, Greg Sherman traded for Semyon Varlamov. The Avalanche paid a steep price, (2012 first round pick, and a second round pick) for their “goalie of the future”. It was a rocky start to the season, however Varlamov proved that he can be one of the best goalies in the league down the stretch. He will still struggle with some inconsistency, however his recent gold medal win at World Championships shows that he can absolutely play and be accountable at the highest level.

The Good:

Varlamov played more NHL games this season than ever before, recorded more wins than ever before, and more shutouts than ever before. If anyone questioned his ability to carry a number one goaltender’s NHL season on his shoulders, they have their answer. Varlamov did not sustain any injuries throughout the season, which was another concern some fans had, given his history with the Washington Capitals.

Varlamov really grew throughout the season, he became more and more mentally resilient. In November and December, Varlamov seemed to lose his confidence. He lost his starting job for about a month, sharing the load with J.S. Giguere. However, Varlamov never complained, instead he continued to work hard, and work his way back into the starting position. It was also impressive to see him improve his statistics. His save percentage fell below .900 several times throughout the season, but he fought to bring it back up to .913. His GAA also soared over 3.00 a few times, but he was able to bring it back down to a respectable 2.59.

Varlamov’s strength is his agility. He is at his best when he is sitting aggressively at the top of his crease. His athletic abilities allow him to make many spectacular saves. Varlamov has a quick glove hand. While he has the ability to make a large number of saves in a game, he is not a “shutout goalie”. In other words, don’t expect him to have 10 shutouts in a season, but instead rely on the fact that during most games he will keep the other team to two goals or less.

This season, Varlamov became the king of the shoot out, as far as goaltenders go. He allowed only two goals on 26 shots, and he won eight shoot outs, while losing none. I’m always confident when Varls is in net and the team goes to a shoot out.

The Bad:

The fact of the matter is Varlamov did not get this team into the playoffs this season, and the Washington Capitals will be picking 11th overall in the Entry Draft. The Avalanche will not be picking until 35th. Varlamov is obviously not entirely responsible for the Avs not making the playoffs, however his inconsistency and struggles did not help the team.

This Summer:

Varlamov is going to just have to continue to work on remaining mentally strong and recovering from poor efforts quickly. He needs to remain as limber as he was this season, so that he can continue to make the saves he needs to.

Other:

Here is the first press conference we ever saw with Varlamov in English:

His English gets way better by the time he does this interview:

And here he is falling as he receives the IIHF World Championship Cup:

Contract Status:

Varls is all squared away for the next two seasons.

No, I am not making this up. A team that is a part of the VIHL (Vancouver Intramural Hockey League) is named “Shane OBeautys” (Aka O’Beauty’s hockey club). I became aware of this when Shane O’Brien retweeted one of the members yesterday. The team’s jerseys look like this:

Posted by Colin McGrath (@SuchChange) on twitter.

If you want to follow the team, here is the league’s site. They won 10-2 on Friday- probably because the other team was distracted by their smiling logo.

Seriously though, I think this is awesome.

Also, if you haven’t read it yet, read Adrian Dater’s (Denver Post) blog reguarding news he has heard in terms of the Avs and contract negotiations.

I award Jiggy the award for best overall mask this season (on the Avalanche). I love the simplicty of it. Photo: Bridget Samuels/Flickr.

Games Played: 32

Games Started: 30

Win/Loss/OT record: 15/11/3

Goals Against Average: 2.27

Save Percentage: .919

Shots Faced: 850

Saves Made: 781

Shutouts: 2

PIM: 2

J.S. Giguere played his first season with the Avalanche this year. He signed as a free agent on the first day of last summer’s free agent market. Initially, I was a bit skeptical. Giguere was a fantastic goalie in Anaheim, but his past couple of years in Toronto he struggled. However, Giguere underwent two groin surgeries over the summer, and returned a different player. While he was brought in as a backup, and a mentor, there were stretches wherein he held down the fort in net. When Semyon Varlamov was struggling, Giguere took over the workload, and kept the team going.

The Good:

Due to the fact that Giguere had sports hernia surgery on his groin, he was able to play a much more structurally sound, butterfly style. I think the strongest parts of Giguere’s game were his “compete level” (as Coach Joe Sacco phrases it) and his rebound control. Giguere never gave up on the play, which resulted in some spectacular saves. As for his rebound control, even if he did not cover the puck, he was usually able to send the puck into less threatening areas of the ice.

Giguere played in the last game of the season, and it was undoubtedly his worst game of the season. Had he been on the bench, this season his save percentage would have matched his career high of .922 (instead, he let in six goals and it went down to .919). Discounting that last game, which was an overall lackluster effort from the entire team, he really had one of his strongest years, and proved that he is still very capable of taking on about a third of the workload for his team in the NHL.

Giguere’s leadership should also be applauded. He worked very closely with Varlamov, and the two became good friends. I believe that he was instrumental in helping Varlamov regain his confidence after he seemed to lose it in December. Giguere was also a leader in the lockerroom, his fiery disposition inspiring his teammates. (If you go to my Ryan Wilson review, Giguere shows up in the “defending teammates” video. In it, he has perhaps the best line: “We need to send a message that these things cannot happen to this team. We’re all very proud of OB [O'Brien], and I am sure the message has been received.”) His disposition also earned him one minor penalty this season (I believe the call was for tripping, when he got sick of Matt Cooke running into him.)

The Bad:

Giguere did not have a lot of bad this season. However, he was out for a few games with a “slight groin strain”. If he continues to have problems with his groin, it could really affect his play. The other concern was his capabilities during shootouts. The team lonly suffered two losses during the shoot out last season, and both came with Jiggy in net. (He did earn one win, during a game in which the Avs scored on all three attempts and the Flyers scored two goals and had one miss. Interestingly, one of his losses came against the Devils. Due to the fact both he and Brodeur pitched shutouts through 65 minutes of play, he was awarded his second shut out of the season, even though the team lost.)

This Summer:

Giguere’s biggest concern should be maintaining his health, agility, and flexibility this summer. If he has a chance to work on one-on-one attempts, that would be good too. He did let in several breakaway goals, and it would help the team’s confidence if they get the game into a shoot out with him in net.

Other:

These two brilliant saves- which one is better?

In my opinion, Giguere is one part of “The Best Goaltending Tandem Accent Combination” in the league. Also, Giguere Baby #3 is on the way!

Contract Status:

Giguere has one more year left on his contract. I expect the Avalanche to keep him for the entire year. If the team is successful, and Giguere wants to continue playing, I would not be surprised to see him stay with the Avs longer.

A rare photo of Wilson with short hair (yes, this is short for him). CUT YOUR HAIR, HIPPIE, YOU LOOK HOMELESS 90% OF THE TIME. Photo: Bridget Samuels/Flickr.

Full Disclosure: Ryan Wilson is my favorite defenseman for the Avalanche. Which is why I feel entitled to somewhat jokingly tell him he looks homeless over the internet.

Games Played: 59

Goals: 1

Assists: 20

Points: 21

PIM: 33

Plus/Minus: +11

Takeaways (Takeaway/Giveaway Differential): 33 (+5)

Hits: 97

Blocked Shots: 70

Ryan Wilson was the best defenseman for the Colorado Avalanche two months into the season, and one of the most valuable players on the team. Then, on December 6, he was concussed on an unpenalized hit from Maxim Lapierre. A little over a month later, he was able to return. He struggled to play as consistently as he had earlier in the season, but he still finished with a fairly strong overall season.

The Good:

Wilson, especially early on, proved that he can be a good offensive player. He earned a career high number of assists (20) and matched his career high point total of 21. When one considers how little power play time Wilson earns, it is good to see that he can be relied upon to boost the scoring during even-strength play. (It is also good to note that in junior, Wilson was the main set up man for Steven Stamkos, aka the league’s only 60 goal scorer this season.)

However, the best part to Wilson’s game is his physical style of play. He is the strongest pure hitter on the team (although it could be argued that Gabriel Landeskog has usurped, or at least shares this role with him). He did not reach the 100 hit plateau this season, however he missed a total of 23 games, so hit final count of 97 is still very strong. I think it became clear early in Wilson’s career with the Avalanche that the coaching staff was grooming him to be stylistically similar to Adam Foote. Wilson benefited from two years with the Avalanche captain, and is now primed to fulfill that role more fully. (NB: I am not saying Wilson will be Adam Foote 2.0. However, they have a lot of similar qualities about their play, and it is important to have a tough, gritty, and feared defenseman as a part of the team’s core.) Luckily for the Avalanche, the referees of the league do not watch Wilson as carefully as they watched Foote (though that may come to change), so he does not earn a lot of minor penalties (nine this season).

His plus/minus was the second best on the team, and he was the only defenseman to have a positive takeaway/giveaway differential. Both of these prove that he is more than just a strong defensive-defenseman, but one who can be relied upon to provide some secondary scoring.

The Bad:

After Wilson’s concussion, he was not the same player. He was sometimes hesitant about hitting, and there were stretches where he misplayed the puck, failed to block a shot, or just appeared out of his element. Luckily for the team, these concerns manifested inconsistently, rather than regularly. He also only scored one goal this season, after scoring three in each of his first two seasons.

This Summer:

I have high hopes for Wilson next season. He has this summer to heal up, and I believe he will be more confident getting back to his physical game after a full summer of workouts. He should continue to work on his puck-handling skills, and I would like to see him become more comfortable with practicing his shot. (I attended about 20 of the games this season, and I noticed that during warmups, when Wilson would take his final shot before heading back to the lockerroom, he always hit the same spot in the net. If he can grow more confident with shooting the puck during games, I think he has a real chance to add a few more to his goal total.)

Other:

Alright, I said he was my favorite. So here is an overload of Wilson:

Great article by Mike Chambers (Denver Post)

If you’ve ever wondered what Ryan Wilson’s living quarters look like. (If it doesn’t send you directly to the page, page 40)

He can throw hits like this:

And punch like this (slash annoy the Pittsburgh announcers):

And here he is talking for about 10 seconds in a “defending your teammates” feature (around 1:50)

Contract Status:

Wilson is a restricted free agent this summer. Last year he earned $1,275,000 (which was a HUGE step up from 2010-2011, where he earned 530,000). I think the Avalanche really need to resign him. He is a young player, still developing, and he has the potential to be a big part of this defense core for a long time. If he is resigned, I wouldn’t expect much of an increase in his salary, and I think it would be a 1-3 year deal, seeing as the Avs will already probably be signing players like O’Reilly, Duchene, and Johnson to long term deals this summer.

Photo: Bridget Samuels/Flickr.

Games Played: 74

Goals: 1

Assists: 6

Points: 7

PIM: 57

Plus/Minus: -5

Takeaways (Takeaway/Giveaway Differential): 13 (-11)

Hits: 180

Blocked Shots: 141

This was Ryan O’Byrne’s second season with the Colorado Avalanche. He joined the team last season in November, and immediately fell in love with the city. He’s earned a top-6 spot on the Avalanche roster. O’Byrne is part of a shutdown pairing with Jan Hejda, and is a part of the top penalty kill unit. He’s the largest player on the Avalanche (at 6’5″), and he’s a very strong player. (I can personally testify to his height. I sat along the boards this season during one game, and I stood holding a sign during warmups. Due to the fact the floor I was standing on was several inches taller than the ice surface, I was around the same height as most of the players- a few were taller or shorter, but we were mostly pretty close. Ryan O’Byrne and Erik Johnson still towered over me. Luckily they seemed to like my sign, so it wasn’t quite so frightening!)

The Good:

O’Byrne really seemed to find his niche on the team once he and Hejda became a consistent pairing. He was second on the team in hits (behind Gabriel Landeskog), throwing 180 hits in only 74 games. Most of these hits came when he was playing strongly against the boards. O’Byrne certainly made it a punishing experience for any opponents who entered the zone. Perhaps the strongest part of O’Byrne’s game was his willingness to block shots. As a whole, I believe the team needs to become stronger in this area, and O’Byrne can lead the way. One particularly notable shift came when he was a part of a 5 on 3 penalty kill- he made four different blocks during the minute he was on the ice. That level of commitment earned him a rousing ovation from the fans, and keeps him in the lineup. Ryan O’Byrne is not going to be a player who scores a lot of points-but he did match his career high this season (with 1 goal and six assists, he matched his rookie totals).

The Bad:

I think the biggest concern with O’Byrne’s game has to be the takeaways/giveaways. He only took the puck away from opponents 13 times during the season, and he gave it away 24 times. While 24 giveaways in 74 games would typically be pretty good, given the icetime he plays, the fact is he did not balance the giveaways with takeaways. For O’Byrne to become a more effective player, he needs to work on his puck handling skills.

Another thing is his lack of offensive capabilities. The team did have some struggles offensively this year, and I think it becomes difficult to justify playing a player who has scored 33 points in 266 games when the team is looking for goals. If the team is playing with the lead or is tied, he is a good player to have on the ice. However, if the team is behind, Joe Sacco cannot play him as frequently, as other defensemen are more likely to help the forwards put the puck in the net.

This Summer:

Mainly I think O’Byrne should work on his puck-handling skills. If he works first on minimizing his giveaways, it will benefit the entire team. While I would like to see him become stronger at taking the puck away, his first priority should be working on keeping the puck when he has it. Otherwise, he just needs to continue to maintain his health and strength, so that he can continue with his physical style of play.

Other:

O’Byrne is having a summer camp this year. A few teammates should be helping to instruct. As always, it’s good to see players giving back. http://ryanobyrnecharitycamp.com/

Contract Status:

O’Byrne has one year left on his contract with the Avalanche. I expect him to be with the team the entire year.

Photo: Bridget Samuels/Flickr

Avalanche goaltender Semyon Varlamov won the gold medal in the IIHF World Championships today. Varlamov made 29 saves on 31 shots against Slovakia in Russia’s 6-2 win.

Varlamov had an outstanding record of 8-0 in the tournament. His save percentage (.939%) was number one among goaltenders who were in the net for 40% or more of the team’s time on ice. His goals against average of 1.77 was second among all goaltenders in his category. He played 440 minutes throughout the tournament, and made 201 saves. Of the thirteen goals allowed, eight were power play goals. Varlamov earned one shutout entirely on his own, and was part of a joint effort for Team Russia’s second shutout.

You can read more about Varlamov and Team Russia here. (Also love how Varls looks in the victory photo.)

Overall, I think that this win is going to go a long way for Varlamov’s confidence. He proved in this tournament that he can win the big games. Granted, he did have some of the best offensive players in the world in front of him, but he routinely faced about 30 shots. If he faces around 30 during each game next season, and can keep his GAA under or at 2.00, the Avalanche should make the playoffs.

The only thing that makes me feel a little concerned is the number of power play goals against. I didn’t have an opportunity to catch his games, but it is often said that “the goaltender has to be the best penalty killer”. However, if the penalty kill unit in front of him did a poor job, I don’t think the blame can lie with Varlamov. Hopefully, it was a situation where the four players in front of him did very little to support him. (Also, five goals against during 5 on 5 play on over 200 shots is excellent. The Avs struggled to score goals at even strength last year, and allowed more than they scored. If Varlamov can consistently play at that high level, preventing the opposition from scoring 5 on 5 for the most part, it should go a long way for the entire team.)

Photo: Eric Magnuson/Flickr.

Today the Colorado Avalanche announced that they have resigned Captain Milan Hejduk. Monetary details have yet to be released, however it is a one year deal. I imagine that Hejduk will recieve a similar amount of money that he earned last season-3 million.

Overall, this is a good decision by management in my opinion. Hejduk is perfectly capable of having a bounceback season in terms of offensive production. He’s the captain, the leader of the team. A young team like the Avalanche absolutely needs his experience and guidance. Another thing to look at is who the next captain will be. I believe that management intends for Gabriel Landeskog to be the captain after Milan Hejduk, and to be the captain for many years. Landeskog is still so young though, that I think they want to give him another year or two under the tutelage of Hejduk and his other veteran teammates.

Today Paul Stastny, Ryan O’Reilly, and Gabriel Landeskog (and their respective teams) were eliminated from the World Championships. Paul Stastny was named Team USA’s best forward for the tournament. (He finished with 9 total points.)

Semyon Varlamov and Russia won their quarterfinal today, and move on to the semifinals. Varls made 19 saves on 21 shots. Here’s hoping he can win the whole thing-I think that will be huge for his confidence in the upcoming season. Plus, I can’t route against my goaltender unless it’s for my country.

Photo: Bridget Samuels/Flickr.

Games Played: 76

Goals: 3

Assists: 17

Points: 20

PIM: 105

Plus/Minus: +2

Takeaways (Takeaway/Giveaway Differential): 28 (-5)

Hits: 138

Blocked Shots: 86

Shane O’Brien was signed last summer, and I did not know a lot about him. After the first game of the season, I fell in love with him. He was exactly the type of player that this team needed. He’s one of the most popular guys in the lockerroom, he has a lot of veteran experience, and he’s a strong player.

The Good:

O’Brien nearly matched his career-high point total this season. He earned 20 points, one shy of the 21 he posted one season in Tampa Bay. He did match his career-high number of assists (17) this season. O’Brien’s strongest influence was perhaps in the room, where he became an outspoken leader, and everybody’s best friend. He’s a veteran, a little bit older than most of the players on the team, but at the same time he still has that youthful personality that helps him fit in and make everyone relax. He is the proto-typical “glue guy”-he brings a team together, and holds them steady.

I think O’Brien really showed this season that he can fit into an offensively minded system very well. Sylvain Lefebre had all of the defensive players join or initiate offensive rushes, and I think O’Brien was very successful at driving into the offensive zone. He’s a large player, which makes him hard to push off the puck. His size helps him to be a very strong player along the boards, and to keep people out of Semyon Varlamov’s way.

Best of all, O’Brien really grew to love it here in Colorado. He said that he would absolutely love to be resigned, and he became a fan favorite.

The Bad:

O’Brien is prone to giveaways, particularly at the blue line. These giveaways can be costly. There were a few in particular that led directly to the opposition scoring.

This Summer:

Mainly, I think O’Brien just needs to keep doing what he has been doing. If he could work more on his puck handling skills, he should be able to minimize the number of giveaways he has. I would also like to see him work on shooting the puck more-if he can create some more rebounds out front, the forwards will have a good chance to score more frequently.

Other:

http://video.avalanche.nhl.com/videocenter/console?id=161247

After this video spam, also thought I should mention he calls Ryan O’Reilly “FactDaddy” which just makes me laugh.

Contract Status:

O’Brien is an unrestricted free agent this summer. He is a relatively inexpensive player ($1,100,00 last year). If the Avs don’t resign him, they are idiots. Plain and simple.

Today is the final day of the preliminary round for the WC. As of right now, I can only talk about Ryan O’Reilly’s day. The center returned from a minor injury today, and scored two goals! These were his first goals of the tournament. A video interview with he and Duncan Keith here.

As I write this, Team USA is winning 2-1 after the second period over Switzerland. Paul Stastny has one assist in the game. Team Sweden has yet to start.

Photo: Bridget Samuels/Flickr.

Games Played: 33

Goals: 3

Assists: 3

Points: 6

PIM: 8

Plus/Minus: -3

Takeaways (Takeaway/Giveaway Differential): 11 (-7)

Hits: 24

Blocked Shots: 30

This season surely had to be a disappointing one for Matt Hunwick. He only played 33 games. The other 49, he was a healthy scratch. Last season he was a regular in the lineup. There were plenty of fans who did not like him, which had to make him feel pretty horrible. Personally, I think he got off to a poor start when he was first traded to the team, before recovering. Unfortunately, there are plenty of morons people who only think of their first impressions when viewing a player (or anything in life really). Through all of this adversity, Hunwick remained positive. He is the definition of a consummate professional.

The Good:

Hunwick scored his first goal in an Avalanche sweater this season. He also scored his second and third. He is billed as a player with a lot of offensive talent, so it was good to see a few of his shots finally break through. It was also good to see him become a more physical player. He didn’t have a lot of hits, but his work and strength along the boards definitely improved this season. Hunwick is a small player (he is only about 5′ 9″), so it was important for him to become stronger in the tougher areas of the defensive zone.

As mentioned above, Hunwick showed what a consummate professional he is this season. He was positive, always with a smile for the media. He stayed in great physical condition as he waited for his opportunities. It is always difficult to be a part of an NHL team, but not get to play in a lot of actual games, but he handled it with a laudable maturity. His teammates all clearly love and respect him. (When Hunwick scored his first goal, the fifth goal scored in 5-0 win against Columbus, the entire bench was jumping up and down. Not because they wanted to rub the goal in the face of the Blue Jackets, but because they were so happy to see a teammate who had worked so hard earn some success. When Hunwick registered his first 25+ minute game of the season, several players joked that he was in such good physical condition that he could have played for the entire game, plus another couple of games after that.)

The Bad:

It is hard to say there was a lot of bad about Hunwick’s play this season- he was simply edged out by better players. I think it became clear that he was not more gifted offensively than several other defensemen (Erik Johnson, Stefan Elliott, Kyle Quincey, and Ryan Wilson). Yet he does not fit into the “shut down” role filled by Ryan O’Byrne and Jan Hejda. It was just harder to slot him into the lineup, except when injuries occurred.

This Summer:

Hunwick needs to work on regaining his confidence offensively this summer. He scored six goals during two seasons with the Boston Bruins. If he wants to earn a top-6 NHL spot, he will need to prove that he can be more of a threat to score. If he continues to maintain his fitness and strength levels, he will be in good shape.

Other:

One of Hunwick’s goals for the Burgundy and Blue:

Hunwick’s little brother, Shawn, was signed by the Columbus Blue Jackets late in the season. Also, one of Matt Hunwick’s nicknames is “Hunny”. Let’s just take a minute and revel in the thought of hearing that being shouted on the ice.

Contract Status:

I doubt that Hunwick will be resigned this summer. Stefan Elliott and Tyson Barrie should be competing for a spot on the team next year, and the other five defensemen really should be kept together. I hope that another NHL team will sign him, as he’s pretty inexpensive ($1,550,000 this season), and that he will have a chance at a regular spot in an NHl lineup.

(This is purely speculation, but I think he might be a good fit for the Rangers. I’m a part-time Rangers fan, and I’ve noticed that they need to solidify their bottom pairing. Hunwick could fill the hole nicely and he would fit into the offensive defense core they have. Plus, the Rangers got a first hand look at how good he can be in the scoring zone (above). He could certainly find a place on other teams, I just happen to know more about the Avs and the Rangers than any other teams.)