Colorado Avalanche Mailbag: Are Avs fans right to boo O'Reilly on his return?

Good morning Avalanche fans! Casey here with another edition of the Avs Mailbag to make your Tuesday a little more interesting. We had some great questions this week from the moderately trollish to the hugely trollish. Our readership knows me so well. Also, the Avalanche’s current 50 contracts continue to fuel speculation about potential trades.

But really, coming into this week, there seems to be one subject on a lot of Avs fans’ minds: what to do with Ryan O’Reilly. Just when Avalanche writers thought people might not ask us that question ever again…

With the Avs one point out of a wild card spot, do you think they’ll be active at the deadline? – @QualifiedView

Note: At the time this question was asked, the Avalanche were one point behind the Nashville Predators in the standings. However, they have since leapfrogged Nashville and now reside in the aforementioned wild card spot, though their grasp on it is tenuous.

I think the Avalanche will be active at the deadline because they are carrying 50 contracts. It’s possible they are still making a quiet behind-the-scenes push for touted forward prospect Jonathan Drouin, but more likely the trades we’ll see will be at the AHL or existing prospect level. The Avalanche have a glut of bottom-pair defenders in particular and it wouldn’t surprise me too much to see one of Nick Holden, Zach Redmond, or Brandon Gormley moved if a team expressed interest (as much as I’d personally dislike it).

If none of them, it wouldn’t surprise me to see a couple AHL-level guys go in favor of draft picks. I can’t see the Avs running on 50 contracts ’til the end of the season.

Given GM Joe Sakic‘s comments hinting that young goaltender Calvin Pickard might be playing with the Avalanche next season, another potential piece that could be in play is current backup goaltender Reto Berra. His current injury prevents that, though, and it’s possible the Avs will stick with Berra for the remainder of his contract if they decide Pickard needs more playing time in the AHL.

As far as a blockbuster forward trade, I don’t see that happening unless it’s something completely out of left field. The Avalanche’s forwards are playing quite well at the moment compared to how they began the season, I doubt management would fuss with that unless someone came on the market that they couldn’t pass up.

Maybe a question better suited for the trade deadline, but what do you make of the Avs’ goaltender situation?  Pickard looks like the makings of a future starter, but it feels like his prime will hit well before Varly starts to break down due to age.  Do you see Super Joe moving him or Berra this year? – Mark via email

I paired this question with the previous one as I felt like they sort of went together. Sakic has made comments that lead us to believe that Pickard is definitely sticking around as the future back-up rather than being traded away. The team and front office seem to have a lot of faith in him, rightfully so.

Berra is trickier as not only has his play been improved this year, he’s also had that niggling injury. I could see the Avalanche moving a healthy Berra to a team who suffered a goaltending injury/collapse while still trying to push for the playoffs. Us at BSN would sure miss his interviews, though!

Should Avalanche fans boo Ryan O’Reilly when he returns to Denver this week? I think they have every right to. – @DNFTO

I suppose whether or not fans feel like they should boo O’Reilly’s return hinges on which side of O’Reilly they most remember him by. When I think of Ryan O’Reilly on the ice in an Avs uniform, I remember him as one of the hardest workers on the team. He was a guy that was first on the ice at practice and often last off it, tirelessly tutoring young players while working his hardest to elevate his own game. There were entire games where he stood out as the only forward trying during some of the bad years.

O’Reilly off the ice is a different beast entirely. Some fans have never forgiven him for holding out after the 2012-13 NHL lockout ended, where O’Reilly chose to remain in the KHL playing for Metallurg Magnitogorsk. He eventually did return to the Avalanche, playing 29 games, but his relationship with the team’s front office seemed permanently damaged. If not that, some fans further still were burned when he signed that infamous $10 million offer sheet from the Calgary Flames.

And I suppose if it wasn’t either of those things, some fans yet further would hold his notoriously difficult contract negotiations against him. A lot of them did while he still played in an Avalanche uniform, after all.

In short, I agree with you that I think fans have every right to feel upset with O’Reilly. But at the same time, I can’t help but point out that there’s a whole lot we will never know about what transpired during his contract negotiations.

When I remember Ryan O’Reilly playing for the Avs, I remember him as a tireless worker who never gave up and worked to make the team better. The personal business negotiations between him and the front office are their own business.

Personally, I reserve my boos–which are typically very few in number–for cheap shot artists and actions on the ice that are genuinely loathsome. O’Reilly may have been a very frustrating player to have on the team at times, but in my eyes he’s not worthy of all-out scorn.

If the Avalanche wanted to troll O’Reilly a little on his return, what do you think would be the best item giveaway and the best songs to play on the Pepsi Center PA? – @DNFTO

This is such a creative question I just had to answer it even though I just said I don’t think Ryan O’Reilly is worthy of our scorn. Ahem.

Best giveaway: Nikita Zadorov posters.

Best songs:

Thanks for dropping by for another edition of the ‘Bag! If your question wasn’t answered, it’s possible other people snuck in before you or if you feel I’ve missed something, feel free to prod me on Twitter (@CaseyDownUnder). Be sure to include #BSNMailbag with your questions because without the hashtag, I may not see them! If Twitter isn’t your thing, you can always email questions to BSNAvalanche@gmail.com.