Colorado Avalanche All-Time Roster

 

Last week on Twitter a lively debate about the Colorado Avalanche All-Time Roster sprung up as I was sifting through the team’s history for no particular reason. As a result of the discussion, I decided to sit down and actually come up with what my all-time Avalanche roster would look like and provide some reasoning behind the selections. It’s also August and I have nothing else to write about so here we are.

Before we jump right into the roster, one big caveat must be mentioned. There have been a number of Hall of Fame caliber players to come through Colorado for brief periods of their careers. Paul Kariya, Teemu Selanne, Dale Hunter, Pierre Turgeon, and Jari Kurri all donned Avalanche sweaters in their careers but none of them appear on this list. The simple reason is that I only looked at how a player performed while a member of the Avalanche. Even though Selanne scored 684 career goals, only 16 came in Colorado.

The other caveat for the roster is that I wasn’t necessarily building a roster like you would actually construct one. There are no 4th line grinders or penalty killing specialists. With apologies to Mike Ricci, Stephane Yelle, Dan Hinote, and Shjon Podein, this is more of an Avs All-Star roster. I gave only minimal thought to roster composition. This is simply the best players, in my opinion, to play for the Avalanche in a roster construction.

The other big question mark comes in the form of young players currently on the Avs roster. As you will see, there are a couple already on here but a player like Tyson Barrie, with just under 200 NHL games player, isn’t going to make this list. Five years from now, it’s very possible he would be a slam dunk on this list but future potential isn’t taken into account here – again, it’s only about what a player  has actually done in an Avalanche sweater.

The final note is that I built the roster using 13 forwards, 8 defensemen, and 2 goalies. There was no particular reason for this.

Now, let’s get to it!

1st Line

Peter Forsberg – Joe Sakic – Milan Hejduk

What more can you say about these guys? Two Hall of Fame players and the greatest right wing in Avs history.  This was the easiest line to come up and was even the most popular combination on Twitter. When the internet comes to a consensus, you know it wasn’t a very hard decision.

I cheated a little here and made Forsberg a left wing instead of putting him at center because the Avs center depth is simply ludicrous but his inclusion needs no justification.

Like Forsberg, Sakic is an all-time great player enshrined in the Hall of Fame who requires no explanation for being included on this list. Sakic is one of the 10 best forwards to ever play the game and Avs fans are insanely lucky to have experienced his career up close.

While Milan Hejduk isn’t going to join his linemates in the Hall of Fame, he is certainly one of the top Avalanche players of all-time. Playing only for the Avalanche in his career, Hejduk currently sits 1st in games played, 2nd in goals, 3rd in assists, second in points, 10th in penalty minutes, 5th in plus/minus, 1st in game-winning goals, 2nd in shots on goal, 1st in power play goals, and 4th in short-handed goals. So…a pretty prolific career and the top right winger in Avalanche history.

 2nd line

Alex Tanguay – Paul Stastny – Claude Lemieux

While a certain drop off from the first line, the second still provides plenty of pop. In this group you have arguably the best first and second round selections in Avs history in Tanguay and Stastny, respectively, and one of the greatest playoff performers in NHL history in Lemieux.

Tanguay’s Colorado career has been a two-part story, first as the ace draft pick in 1998 who went on to cement his place in Avalanche and NHL history when he scored two goals in Game 7 of the 2001 Stanley Cup Finals, and now as the wily veteran in the twilight of his career providing leadership and guidance to an up-and-coming Avalanche squad. Tanguay is currently 4th in Avs history in points, where he will likely remain for the rest of his career.

While the wound of Stastny’s controversial departure from Colorado is still fresh in the minds of  Avs fans, the numbers backing up my selection of Stastny as the 2C for this roster are impossible to ignore. His place as an all-time Av is obvious as he is currently 7th in games played, 5th in goals, 5th in assists, 5th in points, 5th in game-winning goals, and 4th in power play goals. Some may maintain their bitterness at the way he left but while he was here, he was one of the best in Avs history.

Lemieux no introduction to old-school Avs fans as he is the guy credited for sparking what would become one of the greatest rivalries in sports history when his hit on Kris Draper in the 1996 Western Conference Finals against the Detroit Red Wings required Draper to have facial reconstructive surgery (this included having his jaw wired shut, the only time in Draper’s career there was a reprieve from his mindless yammering). Lemieux was a good, occasionally great, player in the regular season but was a noted playoff performer who finished 9th in NHL history in playoff goals scored.

3rd line

Valeri Kamensky – Matt Duchene – Adam Deadmarsh

For all the frustration about finding Duchene good linemates, imagine if he had these guys flanking him on a nightly basis, eh? These three fan favorites with diverse skill sets were highly productive for the Avalanche and are frequently named by Avs fans as top players in team history.

Kamensky’s career is one of the more underrated of his era as he was part of the mass exodus of Russian players to North America in the early 1990’s. Injuries held back Kamensky throughout his career but his play alongside Sakic and Lemieux in 1995-96 was a major reason the Avs were able to bring home the Stanley Cup that year. Kamensky currently sits at 9th in team history in points scored.

Duchene, one of the team’s current stars, is a player who endeared himself to Avs fans immediately as a lifelong fan of the Avalanche organization and then he went out in his rookie season and helped lead the Avalanche to a stunning playoff berth, scoring the game-winning shootout goal against the Vancouver Canucks to clinch the team’s spot in the playoffs. Duchene is an electric player whose youthful exuberance on the ice and passion for Colorado off the ice has made him a fan favorite. At just 24 years old and signed long-term, Duchene is already 6th in team history in points and figures to continue his assault on that list throughout his career.

Deadmarsh was a player whose entire career was built around his hands, either by using them to score a plethora of goals or to pummel an opponent in the literal sense, and his hard-nosed, high-skilled play style made him a beloved player in Colorado. Even now, Deadmarsh currently sits 6th in goals and 8th in points scored in Avs history. While concussions ended his career prematurely, Deadmarsh found his way home as a member of the Avs coaching staff in 2009.

4th line

Gabriel Landeskog – Chris Drury – Marek Svatos

This line is an intriguing mix of today, yesterday, and a whole lot of what could have been. Landeskog has been a rock solid player since entering the league in 2011, Drury was a fan favorite who was traded far too soon, and Svatos was a goal-scoring machine whose career ended up as more of a shooting star than a prolonged bright light because of shoulder injuries.

Landeskog is the team’s current captain and was the youngest in NHL history when he was given the title. In the list of other things you already know about Landeskog but always hear anyway, he’s also Swedish. Landeskog is a power forward in every sense, playing a physical, punishing style while having enough skills to consistently pot 20 goals per season.

Ask almost any Avs fan which trade they would take back, the vast majority of the responses you’ll receive will be the Chris Drury trade. Dealt by Pierre Lacroix in his endless roster tinkering, Drury’s legacy in Colorado lives on as a clutch playoff player who was instrumental in the Avs winning the 2001 Stanley Cup. His 11 goals in the playoffs were vital, especially after the team lost Forsberg after the Kings series, and his game 6 performance in the Cup Finals cemented his legacy in Avs lore.

Svatos is a player oft-remembered for his ridiculous rookie season when he came from nowhere to score 32 goals. Unfortunately, Svatos was slight of build and shoulder injuries wiped out his ability to handle the physicality of the NHL and despite being 10th in team history in goals scored, Svatos was finished as an NHL player in 2011, just 6 seasons after his explosive rookie debut. His inclusion also signifies the long-time issue the Avs have had finding quality right wing depth

Healthy Scratch

Ryan O’Reilly

Given his contentious relationship with ownership and his desire to get paid maximum dollars at every turn, O’Reilly’s legacy in Colorado will always draw the ire of some people but as a player there was no doubting how good he was. Making the NHL roster immediately after being drafted in the second round, O’Reilly was a bottom 6 contributor on the surprise Avs playoff team and he was credited with the infamous OT goal when San Jose Sharks defenseman Dan Boyle accidentally scored in his own net.

O’Reilly would go on to become a very good two-way player and had a career high 28 goals in 2013-14 playing alongside Matt Duchene. He brought a lot of highlights to Denver and he finished his Avs career 10th in games played, 10th in assists, 10th in shots on goal, and 5th in short-handed goals.

1st pairing

Ray Bourque – Rob Blake

I know this pairing is going to cause some consternation because of who isn’t listed but I’m going to add the caveat that I would have been completely comfortable with any combination of the top four defensemen so their “pairing” listing is irrelevant in my eyes. Because of that, I decided to go with the left hand/right hand combinations I would have gone with as the coach had these guys actually been on my team.

There are plenty of people who don’t feel like Bourque is a “true Av” or some n but there’s no denying that his 18 month tenure in Denver was nothing short of prolific. 73 points in just 94 regular season games played despite already being 40 years old is nothing to scoff at but as a defenseman it’s downright ridiculous. Bourque’s goal-scoring dropped in Colorado but his vision and elite passing were still there as he propelled the Avs at even strength and on the power play.

Rob Blake’s acquisition from the LA Kings was equal parts heartbreak as it was exciting because the team gave up Adam Deadmarsh in return but Blake made the most of his opportunity in Colorado, winning a Stanley Cup with the team in 2001. Blake played parts of five seasons in Denver, scoring no less than 45 points in any full season and playing the same punishing defensive style that helped get him inducted into the Hall of Fame.

2nd pairing

Sandis Ozolinsh – Adam Foote

The classic offense/defense pairing, Ozolinsh and Foote are both players fondly remembered by Avs fans for being some of the greatest in team history at what they did.

While Ozolinsh didn’t have the longevity as some of the other players on this list, his productivity from the blue line was unparalleled, highlighted by his 68-point season in 1996-97. In his five seasons in Colorado, Ozolinsh averaged 50.6 points per season. His only non-50 point season was an injury-abbreviated 32 points in 39 games campaign in 1998-99. He was an electric offensive defenseman and while his defense ranged from “non-existent” to “generally aware a game is happening around him”, his offense more than made up for his lack of defensive shortcomings.

On the complete opposite end of the spectrum is Adam Foote, who scored only 308 points in 1,154 games played. Known for his hard-nosed defense and ability to shutdown the opposition’s best players, Foote made a career out of crushing players at every turn and making no apologies for obliterating the mere mortals who dared ventured into his general vicinity. His lockdown defense on St. Louis Blues power forward Keith Tkachuk in the 2001 Stanley Cup Finals was the stuff of legend and best exemplified where Foote excelled on the ice.

3rd pairing

John-Michael Liles – Alexei Gusarov

Another solid offense/defense pairing, both players remain fan favorites in some circles and underrated in other circles.

There were plenty of people who responded that Liles didn’t belong on this team but I couldn’t justify leaving the all-time leading defensemen scorer off the Avs all-time roster. Liles struggled in his own end due mostly to his small stature but his name is all over the Avs all-time lists. He is 8th in games played, 6th in assists and 7th in points. In seven seasons in Colorado, Liles never scored fewer than 31 points in a season and was a remarkably consistent player throughout his tenure in Denver.

Gusarov was Adam Foote’s long-time defense partner and played the role of Robin to Foote’s Batman perfectly. Quiet, understated, oft-overlooked, “Goose” played a pivotal role in the success of Colorado’s first Stanley Cup-winning team. While not a point-scorer and in the shadow of a giant like Foote, Gusarov’s career nonetheless remains appreciated by old-school Avs fans.

Healthy Scratches

Karlis Skrastins – Erik Johnson

Skrastins is fondly remembered as Mr. Reliable and as a member of the Avalanche set the NHL record for consecutive games played by a defenseman, breaking Tim Horton‘s record. A solid defensive defenseman, Skrastins was very reliable not only in playing every night but also on the ice as a player.

On the flip side, Erik Johnson’s time in Colorado has been nothing but excitement and highlights. Given more time, I expect Johnson to shoot up these rankings and potentially break the ceiling of the top four but right now, he’s still working his way up the list. Injuries continue to slow Johnson but his growth defensively coupled with his decent offensive game mean he is Colorado’s top defenseman moving forward. Should he live up to his potential, he is easily going to crack the list as an all-time great Av.

Goaltenders

Patrick Roy – Semyon Varlamov

The easiest selection beyond the top line, these two goaltenders stand out head and shoulders above the rest of the competition.

Roy is arguably the greatest goaltender to ever play the game. Leaving him off this list would be moronic and invalidate everything I’ve ever written. I don’t feel the need to expand upon this any further.

Varlamov has transformed into an elite goaltender the last two seasons at just 27 and signed long-term has a chance to chase down some of Roy’s team records. While some may have banged on the table for a guy like Peter Budaj or David Aebischer, there’s simply no comparison between the body of work Varlamov has put together already. He sits 3rd in games played, 2nd in wins, 2nd in shutouts, 3rd in save percentage, and 2nd in saves. He’s the clear-cut second best goaltender in Avalanche history.

Head Coach

Bob Hartley

He won a Stanley Cup in Denver, he’s got a great coaching record, and he provided a handful of hilarious postgame quotes over the years. Maybe Roy takes over this spot someday but for right now, Hartley is the top dog. I’m not including Marc Crawford on this list because of his involvement in the ugly Steve Moore incident.

Disagree with any of my selections? Let me know below!