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Rocky Mountain high 'Figure the Stanley Cup is going through Colorado'
Updated: Thursday February 22, 2001 12:35 PM
After the Los Angeles Kings traded defenseman Rob Blake to the Colorado Avalanche, CNNSI.com spoke to Sports Illustrated senior writer Michael Farber about Colorado general manager Pierre Lacroix’s guile, and what the move means for the franchise and the rest of the West. CNNSI.com: How did this deal finally come together? Farber: It happened because Pierre Lacroix routinely steals a march on other NHL GMs. He is remarkably aggressive, and he deals from a strength of conviction and the strength of the scouting and development of the Avalanche. Lacroix also moves more quickly on other teams. CNNSI.com: But this wasn’t really a case of trying to keep Rob Blake away from St. Louis or Detroit, was it? Farber: Not really. Colorado's looking at it from its own perspective. Lacroix sets the bar very high. This is not a defensive play; it’s an offensive play. Blake, even more than Lindros, is what I call a balance-of-power player. With Blake there, Colorado becomes a real power. Blake also provides insurance in case Bourque decides to retire. CNNSI.com: Where does this rank among Lacroix’s major deals in the recent past? Farber: All three -- Patrick Roy, Theo Fleury and Bourque -- were good deals, but this is probably the best, assuming he can sign Blake to a long-term deal. Maybe he says he's only considering Toronto, but if he signs in Colorado, it’s a great move. As much as I love Bourque, he’s 40 and has only about two and a half seasons in him. Blake figures, barring injury, to play five or six more seasons. CNNSI.com: You mention Blake is a balance-of-power player, but to what extent does this deal shift the balance of power in the Western Conference. Farber: The Blues and Red Wings have to look at themselves and figure that the Stanley Cup is probably going to go through Colorado. Then they, and to a lesser extent, the Sharks, have to ask what they are prepared to do in the short term to compete -- and does that dim their prospects down the road? Given the youth of Colorado, the Avalanche should be more than competitive for quite a long time. Besides being able to sign and trade for players, they have developed as many prospects as New Jersey and certainly some with a higher skill level -- Milan Hejduk, Alex Tanguay and Chris Drury. CNNSI.com: What are the odds on Blake staying with Colorado beyond this season? Farber: Even though Blake told me the only two teams he’d sign with, in short order, were the Kings and Maple Leafs, given Colorado’s track record, I would suspect he would give the Avs every consideration. They’ve been able to keep a number of players -- remember, when they picked up Fleury two seasons ago it was their decision not to keep him at the end of the season. In going after a restricted free agent like Blake, Lacroix has the benefit of showing him what it’s like to play in Denver. Players are very comfortable there. No one has disliked playing in Denver since the team moved from Quebec. Blake might end up in Toronto. But given the history of free agents in Denver, the success of the team, the natural charms of the city and the rosy future of the franchise, unless Blake has his heart set on Toronto I don’t doubt he would consider staying in Colorado. CNNSI.com: Under the circumstances, did the Kings get a decent return for Blake and Steve Reinprecht? Farber: Adam Deadmarsh has always been a vague disappointment. He’s someone from whom a lot was expected but who hasn’t been able to put together all the parts of his game. A lot of that is due to injury, but he hasn’t materialized into that guy who could score 30 goals and have 120 PIM. He’s a guy whose production will have to be monitored. He’s best on the wing, and in a pinch can play center. Deadmarsh is still a quality player, but not to the degree many expected. Aaron Miller is a professional defenseman. He’s a player of modest accomplishments, but a real character guy. His biggest contribution to the Avalanche may have been babysitting Sandis Ozolinsh -- for a while Miller was the stay-at-home anchor when Ozolinsh wandered. Miller is a workmanlike NHL guy, and the Kings needed someone like that back there. The Kings defense, while explosive, needed a calming presence and Miller is a decent NHL defenseman. Sports Illustrated senior writer Michael Farber covers the NHL and appears
regularly on CNN/Sports Illustrated.
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