claude lemieux?

would you pick him up for about 400K?

do think he will call his old buddy lacroix to see if he can jump aboard what could be his last cup run?

picking him up would replace aubin and allow svatos or mccormick to get more ice time in hershey.
what do you all think?

would you pick him up for about 400K?

do think he will call his old buddy lacroix to see if he can jump aboard what could be his last cup run?

picking him up would replace aubin and allow svatos or mccormick to get more ice time in hershey.
what do you all think?

I'll be the first to get my no way in hell vote in. Claude is finished from what I saw in the playoffs last season. No game, bad penalties and rode the bench from then on. Forget it.

would you pick him up for about 400K?

do think he will call his old buddy lacroix to see if he can jump aboard what could be his last cup run?

picking him up would replace aubin and allow svatos or mccormick to get more ice time in hershey.
what do you all think?

From the little I saw of him last year, he didn't have much left in the tank at all. If I am wrong, and he still is capable of contributing, then yeah he'd probably be a decent scrap part.

At a cheap price like that why the hell not ? We don't exactly have a surely complete top 12. He can vie for icetime amidst the grinders and if he can come out on top he deserves it.

But the other posters are correct in that he doesn't seem capable of playing real hockey anymore.

I'd rather gamble on Fleury than Lemieux.

I also just read that he had groin surgery in July, and was having problems with it again in camp with Dallas. Just doesn't seem like he'd have much to offer, especially if he's not 100%.

I don't care how he plays. He earned the contempt of the Avalanche players before he left and the fact that it's even public when hockey players keep everything in house, is a very big deal. I wouldn't touch him.

Claude's best, heck even his average days are behind him. It's time for Pepe to hang them up. His "veteran experience" didn't do Dallas much good. I don't want another Mike Keane situation.

I have no use for Pepe at this point.

Comon....I wanna see another McCarty vs Lemieux fight!

At a cheap price like that why the hell not ? We don't exactly have a surely complete top 12. He can vie for icetime amidst the grinders and if he can come out on top he deserves it.

But the other posters are correct in that he doesn't seem capable of playing real hockey anymore.

I'd rather gamble on Fleury than Lemieux.

I think that whoever take the gamble on Fleury may hit the jackpot hockeywise. But I suspect no one is willing to take the chance on that guy these days. Shame, I always enjoyed watching him play.

We already made the mistake of re-acquiring a player from times past when he was past his prime and useless. We don't need another Mike Keane. Claude isn't even much use as a pest these days. I don't care if he'd play for minimum wage--he'd be taking a roster spot away from another player who's more deserving of it.

This team is younger, more athletic, more talented, faster, and deeper than any other team we've had in the past. Why mess it up by re-acquiring a guy who's getting outplayed by rookies half his age in Dallas?

Picking up Lemieux would regress to what we were at last season. The whole idea of dropping all of our 4th liners last season was to get some speed, skill, and youth on the back 6 ... not to add more, age and unpredictability.

After having both Cody McCormick and Marek Svatos make the big club, bringing in Claude Lemieux would be a step backwards.

No thanks.

Put a fork in Claudia Lemeow,she's toast!

From what I saw in last years playoffs with Dallas, I liked the guy. Of course his best days are behind him, but his clutch days aren't. And he has accepted his grind-line role on the teams which has played with after Colorado. I think he could end up with 30 points a year and at least one huge goal in the playoffs.


Just in case anybody forgot......he set up Stu Barnes' goal against Anehiem that might have tied/won it had the net not been dislodged. Barnes-Lemieux-Turgeon was one of the best clutch lines I've ever seen in my life! Eventhough Turgeon isn't clutch at all, but the others ability to score in prime-time superseeded his defieciecies.

Picking up Claude Lemiex would force one of our guys out of the lineup on the bottom two lines, and they have all shown that they clearly deserve to be there. If we are going to pick up anyone to play on the bottom two, I would vote for Stumpy Thomas. He's about as clutch as they come, is great in the locker room, has loads of experience, and would probably come at a cheap price as well.

[i]Picking up Claude Lemiex would force one of our guys out of the lineup on the bottom two lines, and they have all shown that they clearly deserve to be there. If we are going to pick up anyone to play on the bottom two, I would vote for Stumpy Thomas. He's about as clutch as they come, is great in the locker room, has loads of experience, and would probably come at a cheap price as well.[i]



What bottom two lines? Frei was right when he said we had a bunch of junk players instead of real 3rd and 4th lines. The only two guys on the bottom lines who are argueably better than him are Niko, Hahl, Hinote, and "Maybe" Battaglia, everybody else is fair game in my mind. It can't hurt to have a guy that clutch on your team, even if he only plays half the year....

What bottom two lines? Frei was right when he said we had a bunch of junk players instead of real 3rd and 4th lines. The only two guys on the bottom lines who are argueably better than him are Niko, Hahl, Hinote, and "Maybe" Battaglia, everybody else is fair game in my mind. It can't hurt to have a guy that clutch on your team, even if he only plays half the year....

What about Svatos and McCormick?? Even Worrell??

What about Svatos and McCormick?? Even Worrell??


Don't get me started on worrell. He's not a fighter but a poser. When Laraque was kicking his ass he was trying to run away from him for a 1 1/2 minutes! He only started swinging when he was getting his jaw racked. If Management wanted to keep a brawler they shouldn't have traded Berry. Parker's a better fighter than both of them anyway.

As for McCormick, is seriously doubt he's going to play the entire season. Upper management only does that with scorers and top line players (Drury, Hejduk, Tanguay). Grinders get sent down routinely.

[i]



What bottom two lines? Frei was right when he said we had a bunch of junk players instead of real 3rd and 4th lines. The only two guys on the bottom lines who are argueably better than him are Niko, Hahl, Hinote, and "Maybe" Battaglia, everybody else is fair game in my mind. It can't hurt to have a guy that clutch on your team, even if he only plays half the year....

What did Claude do in last years playoffs? Nothing, 1 assist in 7 games. What did he do the time before that he was in the playoffs with Phoenix. Nothing, 0 points in 5 games. Claude Lemieux was one of the best clutch players ever, but he is a shadow of his former self these days. It happens to everybody. There's a reason the Stars put him on waivers. He doesn't deserve a roster spot over any of our depth guys. As of now, they are all better than him.

What did Claude do in last years playoffs? Nothing, 1 assist in 7 games. What did he do the time before that he was in the playoffs with Phoenix. Nothing, 0 points in 5 games. Claude Lemieux was one of the best clutch players ever, but he is a shadow of his former self these days. It happens to everybody. There's a reason the Stars put him on waivers. He doesn't deserve a roster spot over any of our depth guys. As of now, they are all better than him.

I'm not a Av's fan, but I'll chime in abit:
First, the reason the Stars put him on waivers was his huge contract. He was making bank and not earning it. Having said that, the question was if he were to sign for 400k would you do it. If I were the Avs with the current lineup, I'd do it in a second. (I'd add Stumpy while I was at it) I would much rather have these guys in my lineup than the players you mentioned -- especially come playoff time. Lemieux is a shadow of his former self, but even the shadow of him is going to do more for you than Svatos and McCormick. Stumpy and Pepe would be big upgrades for the lowerlines -- and if you could sign them to reasonable one-year deals, I'd do it.

OK, back to my corner...

Stumpy and Pepe would be big upgrades for the lowerlines -- and if you could sign them to reasonable one-year deals, I'd do it.

I respect your opinion Del, but in response to this, I say NO, NO, a thousand times, NO.

I'll admit, seeing Worrell play in Las Vegas I was thoroughly unimpressed. The guy skated like I did when I was 5 and learning hockey for the first time. But any of you who say we have junk on our 3rd and 4th lines must still think we have Shantz, Keane, and Messier here. We don't. Aubin, Larsen, and Willsie aren't here anymore either.

Battaglia will have to regain his form. So far his preseason play has me worried, but he'll be given every chance to succeed. Nikolishin is a huge upgrade from what we had last season as our 3rd line center, a faceoff expert, PK specialist, and is showing great chemistry with Marek Svatos. If you haven't seen Svatos play, let me assure you he's the real deal. He hasn't played a regular season game yet, but he shows all the talent of Radim Vrbata, but unlike Vrbata, is willing to fight for the puck in the corners and in the slot. Our third line is a bigger scoring threat than it's been since Mike Ricci left.

Our 4th line isn't something to laugh at either. You have McCormick, Hahl, and Hinote. Hinote's proven his worth--hopefully he can go back to being the crazed forchecking madman he was a few years back. Hahl will provide adequate defense, forchecking, and may be able to use the ripper of a slapshot to score the occasional goal. McCormick was very impressive this preseason--a skilled player who isn't afraid to drop the gloves if he finds someone he doesn't like. He may not play the entire season, but don't be surprised if he sticks around for a while.

Now I ask you, is a washed-up Lemieux an UPGRADE over any of those players? Heck no he's not. He's too slow, too fragile, and doesn't even antagonize the opposition much anymore. It doesn't matter how much he's willing to take, he'd be taking away a roster spot away from a younger, more deserving player.

Stumpy? Well, he did well for the Ducks, but before that had an absolutely horrible season with the Blackhawks. There's no guarantee he'd be an upgrade either.

Come on, folks. We have a much younger, tougher, faster, more energetic, and deeper squad than we've ever had. Wait until the puck drops before you declare our bottom two lines garbage. I think they might surprise you.

And for the record, Frei was referring to last year's 3rd and 4th lines. And yes, they sucked.

I'm not a Av's fan, but I'll chime in abit:
First, the reason the Stars put him on waivers was his huge contract. He was making bank and not earning it. Having said that, the question was if he were to sign for 400k would you do it. If I were the Avs with the current lineup, I'd do it in a second. (I'd add Stumpy while I was at it) I would much rather have these guys in my lineup than the players you mentioned -- especially come playoff time. Lemieux is a shadow of his former self, but even the shadow of him is going to do more for you than Svatos and McCormick. Stumpy and Pepe would be big upgrades for the lowerlines -- and if you could sign them to reasonable one-year deals, I'd do it.

OK, back to my corner...

Stumpy maybe, I'd like to see him on the Avs, but I think he's more of a playoff pickup if he's still available, and in shape. But I don't think Lemieux is an upgrade over Svatos or even McCormick. McCormick is a big tough kid who can hit really hard, has a bit of skill, and can drop the gloves. Plus he has the potential to be more, which is the main reason. He was also a big time leader for the Bulls in the OHL last year. As for Svatos, he just has too much promise and skill to be scratched for an aging Lemieux.

Come on, folks. We have a much younger, tougher, faster, more energetic, and deeper squad than we've ever had. Wait until the puck drops before you declare our bottom two lines garbage. I think they might surprise you.



I'll readily admit I haven't followed the Av's closely in the preseason. It is entirely possible that Svatos and McCormick are both ready for full time duty, but with a contending team, I'd hesitate. I've not been terribly impressed with Riku Hahl either,but that's just me. At anyrate, as I said, I'm not really an Av's fan, but if I were a GM, I think at 500k a pop, I'd add both of them for one year and hope it pays off in the playoffs. I don't think another year in the minors would hurt the development of your young guys, and with bargain contracts if either of the vets didn't work out, they could easily be released to make room for the youngsters. It would simply give you more options, and I'm a big believer in depth for contending teams. Obviously, if you were like my team, the Blackhawks, I'd just as soon give the youngsters a chance to play -- as they're actually doing this year! But I think the Avs would be a good fit if only for this one year push.
Anywho, just my take, and like I said, I haven't watched Svatos play a single game, so maybe he'll impress -- I'll keep an eye out for him :)

Speaking of Avalanche 4th lines...

I liked the 4th line of Larsen - Hahl - Willsie from 2 years back.
Sure they played 5 minutes a game, but they were a GOOD five minutes. Got the job done.

Speaking of Avalanche 4th lines...

I liked the 4th line of Larsen - Hahl - Willsie from 2 years back.
Sure they played 5 minutes a game, but they were a GOOD five minutes. Got the job done.
2 years back?

2 years back the three of them combined for only 128 games (out of 246).

I'm not entirely sure that all three of them even played on a line together that season. Larsen was injured (no doubt), Willsie got a callup during the begining of hte year, and most of Hahl's games were at the tail end of the season.

Willsie is no scrub. He is on pace for a 164 point season.;)

I'll readily admit I haven't followed the Av's closely in the preseason. It is entirely possible that Svatos and McCormick are both ready for full time duty, but with a contending team, I'd hesitate. I've not been terribly impressed with Riku Hahl either,but that's just me. At anyrate, as I said, I'm not really an Av's fan, but if I were a GM, I think at 500k a pop, I'd add both of them for one year and hope it pays off in the playoffs. I don't think another year in the minors would hurt the development of your young guys, and with bargain contracts if either of the vets didn't work out, they could easily be released to make room for the youngsters. It would simply give you more options, and I'm a big believer in depth for contending teams. Obviously, if you were like my team, the Blackhawks, I'd just as soon give the youngsters a chance to play -- as they're actually doing this year! But I think the Avs would be a good fit if only for this one year push.
Anywho, just my take, and like I said, I haven't watched Svatos play a single game, so maybe he'll impress -- I'll keep an eye out for him :)

Another year in the minors wouldn't hurt either one of McCormick or Svatos, and they might end up there anyway, but as of now they showed in camp and in the preseason they deserve a shot right now. I wouldn't be surprised at all if Lacroix picked up a veteran for the bottom two lines come playoff time. After all we lost a lot of experience with the departures of Keane, and Messier, and Patty. One vet can make a huge difference in the playoffs by just locker room presence alone.

As for Riku Hahl, I can see why you havn't been too impressed with him, if you havn't seen him play too much. You have to see him night in and night out to appreciate guys like him. It's the things that don't stand out immediately on a team as talented as the Avs, and the little things he does so well that make him a great depth guy. He plays very solid D in his own end, has good speed, is surprisingly good on the forecheck, isn't sloppy with the puck, and just never seems to make a mistake out there. What else can you ask from a fourth line player. He's certainly no Forsberg but works hard every shift and the coach doesn't have to worry about him in his own end, that's the main thing.

What did Claude do in last years playoffs? Nothing, 1 assist in 7 games. What did he do the time before that he was in the playoffs with Phoenix. Nothing, 0 points in 5 games. Claude Lemieux was one of the best clutch players ever, but he is a shadow of his former self these days. It happens to everybody. There's a reason the Stars put him on waivers. He doesn't deserve a roster spot over any of our depth guys. As of now, they are all better than him.


Based on what, stats? Hockey's not played on paper, it's played on ice.

Now I ask you, is a washed-up Lemieux an UPGRADE over any of those players? Heck no he's not. He's too slow, too fragile, and doesn't even antagonize the opposition much anymore. It doesn't matter how much he's willing to take, he'd be taking away a roster spot away from a younger, more deserving player.

Come on, folks. We have a much younger, tougher, faster, more energetic, and deeper squad than we've ever had. Wait until the puck drops before you declare our bottom two lines garbage. I think they might surprise you.


You almost have a point, except Lemieux hasn't lost a step, and isn't any less annoying than he was 6 or 7 years ago. He's the same son of a biatch who's going to run the other teams toughest guy and take it to the crease. There's NOBODY on the Avs besides Battaglia who tries to do that, oh, and he was scratched last night too.

Also, as I've said before, usually the coaches don't stay with a rookie the entire season unless he's a top 2-line player. I'll bet you $20 that McCormick and Svakos don't see any more than 60 games.

Speaking of Avalanche 4th lines...

I liked the 4th line of Larsen - Hahl - Willsie from 2 years back.
Sure they played 5 minutes a game, but they were a GOOD five minutes. Got the job done.


I agree, but the line never got a chance to put in some real minutes. They were assembled so quickly, Hartley didn't trust them with any real playing time.

[i]



What bottom two lines? Frei was right when he said we had a bunch of junk players instead of real 3rd and 4th lines. The only two guys on the bottom lines who are argueably better than him are Niko, Hahl, Hinote, and "Maybe" Battaglia, everybody else is fair game in my mind. It can't hurt to have a guy that clutch on your team, even if he only plays half the year....

:handclap: :handclap: :bow:

Hinote is marginal even in that list IMO. Niko, Hahl and as you said "maybe" battaglia if he ever decides to play for this team. Hinote has gotten carried by fan hype. He's Shean Donovan with grit IMO.

Based on what, stats? Hockey's not played on paper, it's played on ice.

Ok so what makes him deserving of being on the Avs, defense, leadership. He's not good enough in either one to be able to take a spot from one of our depth guys, so unless he starts scoring those clutch goals again, he doesn't deserve to be on the team. Lemieux was only good in the playoffs most of the time. So if he can't score any more in the postseason, then it might be time to hang um up.

I'm getting sick of this, hockey's not played on paper stuff. Sure it's true, and has lots of merit when discusing a topic like the Avs are going to win the cup, because they look the best on paper. But people are using it in every discusion just because it sounds good. Stats aren't meaningless. If you take away Jagr's stats, what is he good for? Not much.

If they Avs wanted defense and leadership, they should have held on to Mike Keane and we saw how that experiment worked out. I like going with some youthful energy on the bottom two lines. I know most observers think the Avs have nothing after their top six forwards, these two lines are significantly different from last year, and can't be much worse. I think once things have settled, the Avs 3rd and 4th lines will be better than advertised.

Ok so what makes him deserving of being on the Avs, defense, leadership. He's not good enough in either one to be able to take a spot from one of our depth guys, so unless he starts scoring those clutch goals again, he doesn't deserve to be on the team. Lemieux was only good in the playoffs most of the time. So if he can't score any more in the postseason, then it might be time to hang um up.

I'm getting sick of this, hockey's not played on paper stuff. Sure it's true, and has lots of merit when discusing a topic like the Avs are going to win the cup, because they look the best on paper. But people are using it in every discusion just because it sounds good. Stats aren't meaningless. If you take away Jagr's stats, what is he good for? Not much.


I don't think he can ever be the leader he once was. He always was a *****, there's no doubt about that. But when his minutes got cut down the 3rd and 4th liners, he naturally couldn't "lead."

As for the on paper thing, that's just a cliche' people/posters use when they have actually seen a player on the ice and disagree with someone else based on the fact of stats. I don't think Kariya even lead his own team in point last year, but that doesn't mean he has [cliche']"lost a step" and [cliche']"Is a shadow of his former self."