Hobey Baker winner Will Butcher not signing with Avs

[Axeman33]

http://www.denverpost.com/2017/04/11...ning-with-avs/

Avalanche draft pick Will Butcher, the University of Denver senior defenseman, team captain and 2017 Hobey Baker Award winner as national player of the year, is not interested in signing an entry-level contract with the Avalanche. Not now, perhaps never.

Butcher ? who is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent Aug. 15 if he chooses to not sign with the Avs ? said he met with Colorado general manager Joe Sakic on Tuesday and told him him he?s not signing anytime soon.

?I told him I didn?t want an offer yet,? Butcher told The Denver Post. ?I wanted to sit with him, talk with him about my year, what they?re thinking, what their philosophy is going to be. My parents are coming in this weekend for the banquet and I want to talk to my parents before they offer me anything.?

?As soon as they?re done, he?ll have a contract offer,? Sakic said. ?We hope to sign him. He?s had a tremendous year. Since the moment we drafted him, four years in college, he?s gotten better every year and he?s obviously hot, the Hobey Baker winner, and hopefully we can sign him and have him be part of the organization.?

Near the end of Butcher?s junior season a year ago, the Avalanche told Butcher?s ?family adviser? the team was not interested in signing him at any point. But that attitude toward Butcher was believed to have emanated from then-coach Patrick Roy, who was also the Avs? vice president. Roy resigned in August and the Avs had scouts or team executives at numerous DU home games this season. Assistant Avs general manager Chris MacFarland was at the Frozen Four in Chicago last weekend.

Butcher, 22, said he was doing his due diligence by meeting with Sakic on Tuesday.

?He came in and gave me his whole spiel about changes in the program, going younger and everything like that. I told him I?d get back in touch with him,? Butcher said. ?I?m weighing all my options right now. I want to take my time. I don?t have anything to rush into right now. I?m not going to play anywhere right now. So I might as well take my time.?

Butcher is among nine seniors on DU?s title team.

[Big Baby]

The avalanche are sad

[Sulla]

When you consider the college guys who have gone this route recently (and now more prevelantly) I wonder if outside of the top top prospects that teams may avoid drafting college guys if they will potentially lose them for nothing by the time they are ready....

[Poutine]

"I told him I'd get back in touch with him," Butcher said. "I'm weighing all my options right now. I want to take my time. I don't have anything to rush into right now. I'm not going to play anywhere right now. So I might as well take my time."

Sounds like he's an employer at an interview that will "keep your CV on file".

[lucafen4]

Bozak should reach out to his alum... just sayin'!


Really though, if, due to a CBA loophole, why not hold off until Aug 15, sign with a team that has a chance to go somewhere, or sign with some buddies.

Why would anyone, given the choice sign with Col? Van is brighter (with a lot of NCAA players in the system), NYI is brighter.

start the, 'where will he sign thread. Sakic has no chance.

[Axeman33]

Bozak should reach out to his alum... just sayin'!


Really though, if, due to a CBA loophole, why not hold off until Aug 15, sign with a team that has a chance to go somewhere, or sign with some buddies.

Why would anyone, given the choice sign with Col? Van is brighter (with a lot of NCAA players in the system), NYI is brighter.

start the, 'where will he sign thread. Sakic has no chance.

How about an opportunity out of the gate to log quality minutes. If there's one thing the Avs need, its defensive help. Hello opportunity!

[lucafen4]

How about an opportunity out of the gate to log quality minutes. If there's one thing the Avs need, its defensive help. Hello opportunity!

Said the Edm Oilers to Justin Schultz... I might rather take 17min/gm and see the playoffs before I'm 30 than take 22min/gm and lose 50 a year

[Axeman33]

Guys dont make as much money playing 17 minutes/game in a secondary role compared to those playing top minutes, even on a less than stellar team.

[lucafen4]

Guys dont make as much money playing 17 minutes/game in a secondary role compared to those playing top minutes, even on a less than stellar team.

this is true... he'll end up with a -30 in Col. That won't help either. I'd rather sign with Vegas and get big minutes. Tor has good minutes available next season. Van SHOULD. Same with Arz he can get 20+min with different organization that is further along.

[ericdaoust]

He's not wrong for wanting out. There's going to be opportunities on much better teams.

[Thunder]

Quote: "Near the end of Butcher's junior season a year ago, the Avalanche told Butcher's "family adviser" the team was not interested in signing him at any point."

The high school nerd turned billionaire tells the former head cheerleader turned trailer park trash, "yeah... thanks but no thanks. My hot supermodel girlfriend's waiting for me."

[Axeman33]

this is true... he'll end up with a -30 in Col. That won't help either. I'd rather sign with Vegas and get big minutes. Tor has good minutes available next season. Van SHOULD. Same with Arz he can get 20+min with different organization that is further along.

If you think his +/- will be much better on those teams you just mentioned, go take a look at their top Dmen and tell me what their +/- looks like and they have no issues getting PAID.

Zaitsev is a -22 and about to cash in big time. How was Morgan Rielly's +/- this year? Cough cough. No issues cashing those big cheques in T.O. with crap +/-.

The only team you mentioned that "might" give him quality minutes out of the gate is Vegas but until they finish drafting we wont know that for sure. His best chance is with the Avs but whatever.

[lucafen4]

I know he'll get the most playing time in Colorado... but with all the negativity from the players ending this season. I would give them a 5% chance of signing him.

in no particular order, teams that will be calling:

Toronto
Arizona
Vancouver
Las Vegas
Buffalo
NY Rangers
NY Islanders
NJ Devils
Minnesota
Winnipeg
Los Angeles
Tampa Bay
Detroit
Chicago
Edmonton

[CascadeFilly]

The Jets would love to sign a lefty d-man, but I know plenty of teams will be calling.

Is it me, or did this guy sound a bit less than respectful when talking about his chat with Sakic? "He came in and gave me his whole spiel..." Maybe I'm wrong, but something sounds off. It's Joe Sakic!

[ericdaoust]

Is it me, or did this guy sound a bit less than respectful when talking about his chat with Sakic? "He came in and gave me his whole spiel..." Maybe I'm wrong, but something sounds off. It's Joe Sakic!

Not the best choice of words but it doesn't worry me. It's just a quote. There's a much larger body of work for people to use to judge him.