Jesse Montano and AJ Hefele get on the mic to talk about the Avs’ 3-2 OT win over the Calgary Flames in game two of the Western Conference Quarter Finals.
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jpwheels
At the end of the second segment, you summed up what I’ve been seeing all over the interwebs about Makar.
There’s a whole lot of people thinking he will come in and make a huge positive impact right away.
And I think those feelings boil down to hope.
I have lots of hope and belief he’ll get there someday. But I’m having a very, very hard time thinking it will happen right away.
There’s no way I’d play him in game 3. I just think dropping a kid who is 100% raw to pro hockey into a playoff series is too much, too soon.
And if the Avs go up 2 – 1 in the series, I still wouldn’t play him. Let him practice and learn.
Plus, I don’t think the Avs necessarily need him to beat Calgary. They could have fairly easily been up 2 – 0 in the series if they hadn’t have disappeared halfway through game 1.
The ELC thing doesn’t bother me. And I know most folks are talking like the expansion draft being two years away shouldn’t be a concern either.
But I’d like someone to paint me a picture in which the Avs wouldn’t like to have the extra protection slot that would be available if one doesn’t have to be used on Makar.
Wait, I can think of a scenario — the Avs drop Makar in and win the cup this year. Great! — I’m all for it!
Honestly, I don’t think he’ll be enough to get them there. But I could easily see him being more of a factor next year.
So we’re back to everyone’s favorite word – patience.
Something that isn’t being talked about much by the “it’s too soon to play him!” is that this will undoubtedly help Makar next year. Maybe they won’t win the Cup this year (nobody really knows) but the experience gained is going to be invaluable moving forward. Maybe it helps them take a big step as a team next year. The only real downsides here are business related.
The expansion slot just isn’t a big deal. You’re going to lose a good player. That doesn’t change with or without Makar.
jpwheels
You’re right — I haven’t seen much from folks on how Makar playing now could benefit him down the road.
I suppose exposure now could help later down the road. But I see the NHL playoffs as all kinds of intense chaos rather than a great learning experience for someone who hasn’t seen a game at the NHL level before.
Yeah, I know the Avs will lose a good player to expansion. But they have the opportunity to limit the exposure by one player.
I don’t know, man. There’s lots to consider. I guess my conservative nature is coming out on this.