Aarif Deen
Question from Jp52
Martin Necas now has a 20-game playoff sample size with Colorado and just 2 goals. Avoids physicality in the playoffs at all costs. Is there any avenue by which the Avs move on from him before next season? We saw the writing on the wall with Ryan Johansen, then Casey Middlestadt, and it seems as though Necas is on the same trajectory. Thoughts?
Aarif’s Response
I do think Necas’ performance against the Vegas Golden Knights was troubling. I won’t deny that. He was uninterested in taking contact, going through the center of the ice, or fighting for pucks. That’s something he needs to work through, one way or another.
But I don’t think it’s reasonable to move on from him because of that. The Avs already traded down from Mikko Rantanen to Necas, albeit it wasn’t as big a drop-off in production (regular season, at least) that we had thought it would be. But at some point, if you’re going to keep trading a quarter for two dimes and a nickel, you’re not going to have much to work with aside from a bunch of spare parts. And this is coming from the knucklehead (me) who thought a Necas for J.J. Peterka swap made sense last summer.
Necas has to do the work and commit to being better in the postseason. But moving on from him now, given that there likely wouldn’t be an equal on the market to get for him, would be a mistake. I also think comparing him to Casey Mittelstadt and Ryan Johansen is a bit much.
Question from Smanderson23
Aside from personal stats, why don’t teams try to rest players more during the regular season? Allows you to explore more line combinations, give Eagles’ standouts a good look, etc. I don’t believe in the President’s Trophy jinx, but winning it ultimately didn’t help us out of the West. Egos? I bet Nathan MacKinnon would rather finish his career with 3 cups than an extra 100 goals.
For that matter, I’d be completely in favor of consistently giving the bottom six more time during the regular season. It’s the healthiest best team, not the best team that wins the cup.
Aarif’s Response
I hate the idea of resting players and I hope that the rise to 84 games doesn’t make it more common in the NHL like it is in the NBA. But, that doesn’t mean you should play your top guys as much as the Avs do every night. And quite frankly, it’s not just Colorado. Most teams do it.
I know the Avalanche have an aging secondary core with Artturi Lehkonen, Valeri Nichushkin, Gabe Landeskog, Brock Nelson, and Nazem Kadri all on the wrong side of 30. Some of them are closer to 40 than 30 at this point. But I wouldn’t be surprised to see an offseason shake-up with one or even two of these guys on the move to get a little younger.
I also know everyone’s confidence isn’t all that high right now in Nelson and Kadri, but having both of them for a full season should (keyword: should) help bring MacKinnon’s ice time down in the regular season. I hope Jared Bednar entertains this thought. I am a big supporter of lowering the ice time of your top guys and giving more to your bottom six throughout most of the regular season to keep everyone fresh for the playoffs. Full stop.
Question from Ben
Does Brent Burns actually come back next season? I didn’t see a whole lot to like from him in these playoffs.
Aarif’s Response
I hate that the Avalanche couldn’t get the job done for him this year. It was setting up to be a magical ending before it all came crashing down in the Western Conference Final.
I think Burns was a great addition last summer and was well respected by every player in the room. They absolutely loved having him around.
Unfortunately, I don’t think they should bring him back. And it’s for one big reason: The Ironman streak.
Burns would be a really good fit as a No. 6 or No. 7 defenseman. But if your top five remains Cale Makar, Devon Toews, Sam Malinski, Josh Manson, and either Brett Kulak or a replacement who plays a similar game, then I don’t think you can stick with Burns 84 times next year. You need another lefty, who is ideally younger and more physically engaged than Burns is at his age.
He would be ideal for the 2025 Erik Johnson role. If that’s not possible because of the streak, I fear there isn’t a fit for him.