 Avalanche inbox Avalanche writer Rick Sadowski answers readers' e-mails every Wednesday.Send your questions to sadowskir@rockymountainnews.com and he'll answer the best questions. |
What's up with Hannan?
Gary Gutowski has been expecting more from Avalanche defenseman Scott Hannan ...
Q: It looks like Joe Sakic and Ryan Smyth are starting to click and are giving consistent efforts. It's fun to watch Sakic pass to Smyth as he crashes the net or to watch Ryan's mullet-head knocking things around in the crease and making things happen. I had high hopes for both Smyth and Scott Hannan when they were introduced wearing Avs jerseys together last summer and it looks like Ryan is fitting in very well. My question is, when is Hannan going to start making his presence felt? And when he does, what can we expect to see?
A: You are right about Sakic and Smyth, though I wish coach Joel Quenneville would stick to the same line combinations for more than a period or two and allow players to get used to each other. I do think Sakic and Smyth will stay as linemates, and they obviously will get plenty of time on power plays.
I have to admit that I expected more from Hannan than what he’s shown so far. The Avalanche was hyping him as another Adam Foote, but they just aren’t the same kind of players. Unlike Foote, who is a smashmouth type of defenseman, Hannan is more of a positional guy and he isn’t always looking for a big hit. He is a strong guy at 6-1, 225, but he’s never had more than 61 penalty minutes in an NHL season. There’s nothing flashy about his game.
Hannan was a very good acquisition, though, even if the Avalanche probably had to overpay at $4 million a season to get him. He averages the most ice time (23:29 through 13 games) on the team and spends a ton of it killing penalties. The penalty killing units have shown improvement from last season – how could they not? -- and he always plays against the opponent’s top line. I don’t like the fact that Hannan is a minus-8 (worst on the team). He’s never been anything but a plus player in his career, so I expect that will change
Brandon LaSalle has a question about Peter Forsberg ...
Q: I know you are sick of questions regarding Peter Forsberg, but what is the latest? Over the past three months various reports have him going to Detroit, Philadelphia, Anaheim, and more recently, Dallas. A friend of mine with ties to the Avs says Forsberg has previously indicated that if he plays, he would like to play in Colorado. Any hope?
A: There is always hope. I spoke with Forsberg’s agent, Don Baizley, and wrote about Foppa’s situation in my weekly NHL column on Friday. You can read it on-line, if you already haven’t, but the gist of what Baizley said is this: Forsberg definitely wants to play in the NHL this season, but he will only do so if he feels up to it physically – he’s had foot/skate issues -- and if he believes he can still play at an elite level. He has been practicing with his former MoDo team in Sweden and is supposed to play in a three-game tournament in Finland and Sweden from Nov. 8-11. He will make a decision on whether to play or not after that.
Baizley said that Forsberg considers Colorado a “special” place, but that neither he nor Forsberg will discuss any negotiations with any teams if it comes to that. Baizley also said there have been no serious talks with any teams up to this point. My guess is, Forsberg would prefer to play with the Avalanche or the Flyers. A number of teams are interested, but I don’t think he wants to play against the Avalanche, which could rule out teams like Dallas, Detroit and Vancouver.
A quick update on Forsberg: Unfortunately, he is having foot/ankle/skate issues again and won't play in the upcoming tournament. He's obviously frustrated and mentioned the "retirement" word in an interview with Swedish television. It's a shame because he is such a great player when healthy.
Posted by Rick on November 5, 2007 03:30 PMI think the concerns around Hannan at this point are overblown. I don't think anyone should have expected him to come him and lay out thunderous hits every shift. The game has changed since the lockout, and players that once were a physical force every time they touched the ice had to adjust to the new game. Some did (Hannan included) and some struggled (ironically, Footer, who Hannan has been compared to, and other guys like Richard Matvichuk and Derian Hatcher).
Let's also not forget that Hannan is with new teammates, a new coach, and a new system. I'd much rather see a defenseman try to make a good first impression by being in the right place at the right time instead of trying to make the big hit...only to be caught out of position as a result. Once he gets more familiar with his defensive partners, I'm sure we'll see him take advantage of more physical play as the season progresses, and definitely in the playoffs. We've already seen the benefit of his presence with a far improved penalty kill, so not sure what the knock on him is.
Posted by Jeremy on November 5, 2007 11:56 AM