“Bettman has only a marginal interest in the weaker teams. He only wants the NHL to make a bigger profit as a whole.” -- Dominik Hasek

July 5, 2007

Domo Arigato Mr. Svatos



After receiving a qualifying offer early this week from the Avalanche, restricted free agent winger Marek Svatos decided against arbitration and re-signed with the team today.

Svatos, you may recall, made a big splash in 2005-06, his rookie season, when he scored 32 goals in just over 60 games. This past season, however, he never quite found his place on the team and sucked something awful. A frequent healthy scratch, he finished with 15 goals and 30 total points. To say his sophomore performance was slumptastic doesn't begin to cover it.

But Svatos isn't a lost cause. He's obviously got offensive potential, it's just that he has to be paired with the perfect linemates in order to shine. He's not physical, he's not good defensively, and when he doesn't have the puck he generally looks lost on the ice. But when he does get the puck he can work magic.

The Avalanche now has three full-time right wingers---Milan Hejduk, Ian Laperriere and Svatos---and will likely either fill the remaining spot with a standout rookie from training camp (TJ Hensick Jaroslav Hlinka, perhaps?) or will soon make a move for a veteran grinder (Dallas Drake, maybe?). At any rate, barring any huge surprises from training camp, the Avalanche roster has just about been filled out.

Hopefully Svatos can regain his past goal-scoring touch and stop sucking, or the Avs will have to find somebody to take his spot---again.

4 comments:

Mike at MHH said...

Are will still pushing the Drake signing? Does Jibbles collect some royalties for that if it happens?

Just checking.

Dear Lord Stanley said...

I think he does.

Personally, I don't think Drake's worth it, but it's still a possibility that the Avs will sign him, from what I've read.

Anonymous said...

I do like Svatos but I'm wondering about the health of his shoulders.

Jibblescribbits said...

I should get paid as a consultant if we sign Drake...

I would understand if we didn't though, He's not the same player he once was, but they just need a good PKer, and he'd do the trick.

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