Dater column: Who stays and who goes from Avs free agent list?

After a couple of days off, hello again. I’ll tell you what, it’s been weird being back in Thornton, back in my home, back where I live again. I’ve had to re-acquaint myself to my life, pre-Edmonton playoff bubble life, a life I lived for 50 days. Where do I always leave my keys again? Oh yeah, there. What time is the best time to buy stuff at King Soopers again? Oh yeah, around 8 p.m. That’s when they start marking stuff like the salmon at half off. Who are the Avs again? Oh yeah, the team that should be playing still right now.

Alas, they’re not. It’s still a bit of a shock they aren’t. I really thought they would hold on to win Game 7 after Vladislav Namestnikov scored that goal with 3:40 left in regulation. I probably jinxed it by thinking that. Sorry. Actually, I do remember thinking, in my seat alone in Rogers Place: “There’s still too much time left on the clock.”

The Avs had three one-goal leads in a Game 7, including two in the third period, and they couldn’t hold it. Injuries or no, the Avs have only themselves to blame for this. A killer instinct remains as elusive as Bigfoot for this team.

I’m going to go through the Avs’ list of free agents – restricted and unrestricted, as of now – and give some quick, Sept. 8, in the Year of Our Lord, 2020, opinions as to whether or not I think they’ll be back.

RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS, (chance of staying):