The Colorado Avalanche may have lost one of the premier free agents, centre
Paul Stastny, but recovered somewhat by bringing in the top free agent
goal-scorer.
NBA Jerseys China . Numbers Game looks into
the deal for Jarome Iginla The Avalanche Get: RW Jarome Iginla. Iginla, 37,
scored 30 goals last season, just like he has in every full season since
2000-2001, while playing for the Boston Bruins. The Bruins ran into cap issues
that squeezed Iginla out of their plans and opened the door for the Avalanche to
improve their forward ranks. Sure, at his age, Iginla has probably lost a step
(his 2.68 shots on goal per game last season was his lowest since 1998-1999),
but over the past six seasons, he ranks seventh in goals, with 186. He can pull
the trigger and thats largely what the Avalanche will need from him. Colorado
has lots of young talent up front, guys that the can skate the puck into the
offensive zone and it would easy enough to fit Iginla on a line with rising star
Nathan MacKinnon and veteran Alex Tanguay, with whom Iginla shared some
productive years in Calgary. The issue for the Avalanche is how rapid Iginlas
descent might be. Hes been unbelievably durable throughout his career, missing
eight games in the past two seasons following five straight seasons without
missing a game. But, once more than 1300 NHL games are on the odometer, its
difficult to maintain production and its already begun with Iginla, who has
averaged under 0.80 points per game in each of the past two years for the first
time since 1998-1999. Its evident how this career arc is playing out. With 560
career goals, Iginla ranks second among active skaters, behind only Jaromir Jagr
now that Teemu Selanne has retired. But, for all the great goal-scorers that
have played at age 37 and beyond, its rare to keep scoring 30 goals per season.
Since 2000, there have been five forwards, aged 37 or older, to score 30 goals
in a season. Theyre Hall of Fame calibre players, like Iginla, so maybe he can
get there at least once during the life of this contract, but the odds are that
Iginla is going to start falling between 20 and 30 goals because as players get
older, even for the great ones, its not as easy to get to the net. Without much
room to maneuver under the salary cap, the Bruins may have to look internally to
fill the void created by Iginlas departure. Loui Eriksson could move up to join
David Krejci and Milan Lucic on the top line and prospects Ryan Spooner and
Alexander Khokhlachev are likely to have opportunities to make the team next
year. As long as he doesnt drop too precipitously, Iginla can still provide
value on the three-year, $16-million contract he received from Colorado, but its
likely to be in more of a supporting role because while every career isnt the
same, all athletes eventually diminish with age and the Avalanche are looking at
those years with Iginla. Scott Cullen can be reached at
Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at
http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook.
Wholesale
Jerseys . Canucks head coach John Tortorella announced Tuesday that
both Henrik Sedin and Alex Burrows are listed as day-to-day and will not travel
with the team to play the Minnesota Wild and Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday and
Thursday night.
Cheap NBA Jerseys . Pau Gasol had 23 points
and 17 rebounds, and injury-riddled Los Angeles used its sixth different
starting point guard of the season in a 110-99 victory over the Utah Jazz on
Friday night. KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- Halfway through his six spring training
appearances, R.A. Dickey feels like an old pitcher with a new beginning. "Its
like getting to start over and do it the right way. You feel like youre getting
a chance to reboot," Dickey said Sunday after pitching five shutout innings for
the Toronto Blue Jays in a 4-3 exhibition loss to the Houston Astros. "It makes
you somewhat regret not being able to invest the time that was really needed
last year." Dickeys first spring with the Blue Jays was interrupted by the World
Baseball Classic. A year after winning the NL Cy Young Award with the New York
Mets in 2012, he went 4-7 through May with a 5.18 ERA. "You dont know that in
the moment, and youre getting to do a really fantastic honour," he recalled,
"but having spent a lot of time with my guys on the team and getting to prepare
my body, (this spring) just feels normal." Dickey threw 82 pitches in five
innings in his third spring start, giving up four hits and a walk while striking
out four. He plans to get up to 95-100 pitches in his next two starts, then
perhaps dial it back for his final spring outing before pitching in the
season-opening series at Tampa Bay. "Being older, I know what I need to do to
prepare, and this is one of the things that helps me feel confident when I take
the mound, knowing that Ive gone deep in games in the spring," he said. "That
way when it happens during the season Im able to do it right from the get-go and
not have to build into it. It works for me. Everybodys different." Marwin
Gonzalez and Carlos Perez drove in runs for the Astros in the eighth inning off
losing pitcher Jereemy Jeffress.
NBA Jerseys From China. Jason Castro hit a
two-run homer for the Astros in the sixth. The Blue Jays took a 3-2 lead in the
eighth on a play in which the Astros lost a replay challenge for the second
straight day. Steve Tolleson beat a close play at the plate, scoring on a double
by Erik Kratz. "If its that close, then its definitely worth challenging because
theres no telling what angle they may end up getting that can actually overturn
it," Houston manager Bo Porter said. STARTING TIME BLUE JAYS: Asked about the
diminished expectations for the Blue Jays this season, Dickey deadpanned: "I
think were terrible, and I dont want anybody to take us seriously. I think
because of last year, were probably going to get walked all over every game."
ASTROS: Rudy Owens, a 26-year-old left-hander who has yet to pitch in the major
leagues, matched zeroes with Dickey for three innings, giving up one hit. "I
never faced that calibre of hitters, but its something Ive dealt with and Ive
been doing for my entire career," he said. "Its time for me to step up and I
did." TRAINERS ROOM Toronto manager John Gibbons on the post-Tommy John surgery
outlook of pitcher Drew Huthison: "You dont even think of Tommy John; modern
medicine is so good. Its almost like when you draft these guys and sign em, do
Tommy John right away because sometimes they end up better than they were to
begin with." NICE IMPRESSION Kratz drove in two runs with a single and a double
while catching Dickeys knuckleball for five innings. "Calling knuckleballs is an
anxious proposition so hes got to navigate that some. He did a good job," Dickey
said.
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