The 5 Stages of Grief

• Stage 1: Denial.  I posted an article on February 20th, arguing that it’s possible for the Avs to still make the playoffs.

• Stage 2: Anger.  I titled the article ‘Adrian Dater is Stupid.’  Enough said.

• Stage 3: Bargaining.   I posted an article on Deadline Day, bargaining players for a playoff spot.

• Stage 4: Depression.  I hit rock bottom with the below post and can only watch Avs games while drinking…Heavily.

• Stage 5: Acceptance.  Well hockey fans, I’ve come to accept it.  The Avs are getting ready to finish their worst season in Denver (last game of the season is April 12th against St. Louis).

But you know what?

I have a dream.  And so does Woody Paige.  And so do Avs fans all across the great state of Colorado.

This dream is that our hockey team, the Colorado Avalanche, will once again skate amongst the hockey elite and become a contender for the Cup every season.

The catch?

Apparently, no one knows how to make that dream a reality.  Tuesday in the Post, Woody Paige had a fantastic article that starts with the nitty gritty and doesn’t stop there.  While most people and press associated with the Avalanche (including the so-called “blogosphere”) have been calling on Stan Kroenke to fire Tony Granato and Francois Giguere, no one has offered up a name or two of who should replace them. And then Woody Paige opened his big mouth.

Paige calls for Pierre Lacroix to step back in as GM.  Lacroix would then hire Patrick Roy (yes, Roy) as head coach (yes, head coach).  Lacroix would then need to hire an assistant coach, our old head coach Bob Hartley.  Lacroix would then need perhaps an assistant GM, his son and ex-Avalanche player Eric Lacroix.

Sounds good?  Definitely doesn’t sound bad.  After all, when the goings got rough last season, we looked to our old “dream team” of Foote, Forsberg and Sakic to help us through – and it almost worked.  So now that times are, uhhh, “tough,” why not look to those who have helped us in the past?  Pierre Lacroix was a pretty good GM; he made some amazing trades and managed to retain some inspiring talent in young players.  Hartley hasn’t coached since leaving the Atlanta Thrashers in 2007, but he was The Man here in Denver after coaching the Avs to the playoffs for 4 consecutive seasons and bringing the Cup to Colorado in 2001.

I hate to say the same thing over and over, but things really started going sour for the Avs once Francois Giguere was named GM in 2006.  And as Terry Frei phrased it perfectly in his Denver Post article on the demise of our ever-loved club, the Avs have over-valued blue collar grit, bulking up on 3rd and 4th liners yet still delivering the message that “up-tempo,” fast paced, high scoring hockey was here in Colorado yet again.  Didn’t happen – and couldn’t happen – with the team that Giguere put together.

But then what in terms of next season?  Let’s say we get Coach Roy, we get back the two Lacroix’s, we get back Hartley.  What in terms of the team and re-building?  First and foremost, Sakic needs to come back for one more season.  It would be too heartbreaking for Sakic and his fans to see his epic career end with the Avalanche’s worst season ever.  Sakic’s last two seasons have been injury-riddled; hopefully a good rehab off the ice over the summer will do him a world of good.

The next and most painfully obvious step is finding a goaltender that is consistent.  There is a great chance that Budaj will be re-signed, but as he is only set to make $800,000 a season.  The Avs would be hard pressed to find another good back up goaltender for that amount of money.  The key words in that sentence: back up.  Budaj has potential and has repeatedly voiced that he knows he can play on a higher level; the problem is he has yet to prove that.   He’s best suited to remain an effective backup goalie.

To be completely frank, I don’t know how many times I can say these same things about the Avalanche.  It’s thoroughly depressing and today is a lovely spring day.  So I am going to let sleeping dogs lie – only time will tell what’s in store for the Avs.  I’ll be back tomorrow with a playoff preview, because really, it’s time we all moved on from this season.

Thanks to all who have been there for me throughout the season, shoulders to cry on and sympathize with.  We have read the last rites to our beloved Avalanche many times… But we must keep going.  Now it’s playoff time.

***NEWS UPDATE: Ryan Smyth is out for the rest of the season (big whoop) after having fractured his hand during last night’s game.  Nail in the coffin, ladies and gentlemen.