[Trade] Erik Johnson to Colorado....

[fzusher]

My final word on this - as a fantasy owner, i'm loving it. I own Shattenkirk, Elliott, and Cumiskey in one keeper, Elliott and Barrie in another. I was worried Shattenkirk would make it tougher for Elliott/Barrie to make the NHL, because there's so much room on a roster for smallish offensive Ds. I'm with Dobber that the Blues are on the cusp of being an offensive powerhouse, so this may improve Shattenkirk's position, and at any rate doesn't hurt it if he maintains top-pp duty with Pietrangelo, while opening up a future spot for Elliott/Barrie. It also gives Cumiskey extra quality minutes short-term, if he shakes off his concussion. Problem is, I overpaid somewhat for Quincey recently because I already had Shattenkirk/Elliott and figured he'd give me a one two punch. That plan's out the window now ...

[STONE.]

This definitely leaves the Avs top 6 even slimmer. Fleischmann and Mueller have got to be considered question marks still -- even looking ahead, since Fleischmann's blood clotting issues are severe and this isn't Mueller's first concussion.

Suddenly, the Avs are sitting with two great Cs (Stastny and Duchene) and a lot of spare parts to build around them (Yip, Jones, Hejduk - old, O'Reilly, Stoa).

As a Stastny owner, this deal stinks. Colorado's looking more like Pittsburgh, but Stastny and Duchene aren't Crosby and Malkin.

[mapletreemarty]

I had been hearing the last week how the Avs needed to add size to their blueline, they needed a big defencemen that can also be effective over playing 25 to 27 minutes a night. I just couldn't believe the players that were involved... you hardly ever see trades like this anymore.

What I don't understand is the McClement part of the deal... They have O'Reilly a terrific 3rd line C... so I don't really see where he'll fit in... on the 4th line? move him to the wing?? We have more than enough guys in the bottom 6 that can play that role... I'm very disappointed that's the F they received in return. Currently their top 6 looks like GARBAGE.... Galiardi-Stastny-Jones with Porter-Hejduk and one of Olver, McClement or O'Reilly centering those two... last game it was Olver....Moving out a guy like Stewie does this also open up a little room for someone like Hishon going forward?

[fzusher]

Mapletreemarty,

McClement balances out the cap hits/salaries. Both teams sit close to the floor and don't really want to add salary. The only added value I see McClement bringing to the Avs is experience with a similar situation. He's just spent 5 years on a team that rebuilt from scratch. He knows how it goes, the ups and downs, trials and tribulations. The Avs had 4 veterans going into the season. Hannan and Anderson were already moved, Hejduk and Foote UFAs. There's a void here and McClement may help fill it. Stress on 'may'.

[Carcillo]

Avs have one of the worst PK's in the league. McClement is tremendous PK'er and should immediately help Avs' PK.

[letnry]

As an EJohnson owner the only thing that disappoints me is that he'll lose about 3 games on the season with this move.

[fzusher]

Avs have one of the worst PK's in the league. McClement is tremendous PK'er and should immediately help Avs' PK.

Good point. Didn't check on that, and should've ...

[gfhyde]

Just seeing this now. WOW. Stewart and Statty? Sounds like too much to me. I've never been a huge EJ fan but maybe things will be a lot different on Colorado...

[dyzfunctioned]

Wow, didn't see this coming at all. Huge trade, major pieces involved.

Didn't think EJ would ever get traded.

[SlobTheGreat]

...so I wonder what Burke's master plan is regarding this move...because we all know he has his evil little mitts somehow involved in every deal done in the NHL....right?

[fungchen3]

Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. I can't even wrap my head around this one yet. I just traded for EJ and was hoping to have him and Pietrangelo as anchors for a decade. F$%K!!!!

[letnry]

Johnson becomes just the 2nd 1st overall pick selected since 2000 to be involved in a trade. Kovalchuk was the 1st obviously.

[baumer]

Do you realize that St. Louis has 5 games this coming week? Great for Shatty and Stewart owners.

[fungchen3]

as an EJ owner I am happy.

Bomm, then please, by all means, take the elevator up to the 36th floor, come into the room, open up the window, extend your hand out and help me off the ledge. Because right now I'm fuming over this deal as an EJ owner.

Help me please!! Tell me why this is all going to work out because I have nothing but bad feelings about this one right now. This trade is alarming on a couple of fronts IMO:

1.) The fact that the Blues gave up on their 1st overall pick and potential cornerstone defenseman leads me to believe all is not well in EJ-land. Either from a development standpoint, character standpoint or chemistry standpoint. You just don't bail on big, young anchor defensemen like that unless you have lost a bunch of faith. This is scary from an EJ perspective. Let alone, what is a shocker like this going to do to his psyche??

2.) With Stewart gone, I'm not sold on the Avs forwards. Sure, they have a nice 1-2 punch at center with Duchene and Stastny, but no one who scares me on the wings other than an aging Hejduk. Mueller is out, Duchene is out, Flash is out. How are the Avs planning on scoring?

The ONLY positive I am trying to drain from this trade is that, under the Blues system, Johnson was beeing conditioned as more of a defensive TOI hog while Pietrangelo was emerging as the offensive PP guy.

Maybe in Colorado Johnson will just be handed the keys to all special teams and be asked to QB the PP. Maybe Liles will be feeding EJ bombs from the point and he'll help generate offensive from the backend?

But man, I just don't see this working out for us EJ owners. And, as an owner of both Johnson and Pietrangelo, I was waiting for the day they would be running the PP a la Chris Pronger and Al MacInnis.

Those dreams and visions were just crushed right before my eyes. I hope Doug Armstrong finds a bloody band-aid in his nachos this afternoon. F%$K!!!!

[mapletreemarty]

Perhaps the Avs are in full tank mode and figure they can afford to give up a top fwd, because instead of drafting a top big D and waiting for him to develop, they grab a guy like EJ... Shatty is easily replacable with Barrie/Elliott in the system, and they've really liked what Gaunce has done in both the AHL and up in the Bigs!! Stewart is replaced by a top pick forward whom the team hopes will work out like Duchene did. It takes a lot less time for a Fwd. to develop than a D (in most cases anyways). They need help sooner on the back end than in their top 6.

Being an Avs fan I went from owning 2 in my 30 team league to owning none haha.