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Should The Colorado Avalanche Tank or Play?

By Jeremy Lambert

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The season isn’t quite over for the Colorado Avalanche, but the playoffs seem like a galaxy far away. The Avs aren’t going down easy, but time is not on their side. They’re 7-3-1 in the month of March but haven’t exactly gained ground on the competition as they currently sit 10 points out of the final wild card spot with eight games remaining.

My two colleagues, Austin and Nadia, have different takes on what the Avalanche should do when it comes to winning. Do they “learn to win” and hope to take that momentum into next season or do they “quietly tank” and increase their chances at landing Connor McDavid?

I can see both sides of the argument, but I’m leaning more towards agreeing with Nadia. Here’s why.

Learning To Win/Never Give Up

I don’t really like the term “learn to win” when it comes to this Avalanche team. They won the central division last season. They know how to win. I prefer “never give up.” Prove to yourself and the rest of the league that you’re not just going to roll over even though there isn’t anything to play for. It’s a mindset. If you give up now, what is stopping you from giving up in the offseason and next season? I’ve quit on things before and I have a tough time looking at myself in the mirror the next day. Maybe that’s easier to do when you have a million dollars.

Momentum

Even though the Avalanche won the division last year, they still lost in the first round to the Minnesota Wild despite holding a 3-2 series advantage. Game 7 was particularly heartbreaking at the team blew multiple leads before losing in overtime in the Pepsi Center. That negative momentum seemed to carry over into the pre-season and regular season as the Avs won just four times in their first 19 pre- and regular season games. I’m not saying a strong finish to this season will propel the Avs to the Stanley Cup next season, but if the Avs are going to finish the season early (and they are) then they may as well finish it strong.

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Improvement/Proving Yourself

If the Avs decided to “quietly tank” a month ago when they seemed more or less out of it, what would’ve become of Gabriel Landeskog? There are few players in the league playing as well as the Avs captain has been playing for these past couple of months. He’s not only showing the talent that made the Avs select him #2 overall, he’s showing strong leadership skills and proving that, while Joe Sacco didn’t do a lot right during his tenure as the Avalanche head coach, he was the correct choice to wear the “C”.

There’s also Ryan O’Reilly. The Avs forward has either dramatically improved his trade value this off-season or forced the Avs to pay him big money once again with his strong all-around play. The line of Landeskog, O’Reilly, and Alex Tanguay has become the top line for the Avs. Patrick Roy and Joe Sakic might have to re-evaluate what they want to do with O’Reilly as they risk breaking up that line heading into next season.

Reto Berra has been playing well and proving that he might be able to be the back-up that the Avs hoped for when they traded a second round pick for him and then signed him to a three-year deal.

Finally, Jarome Iginla and Tanguay are proving that, while they are the veteran forwards upfront, they are still two of the top players on the team. Iginla leads the team in goals and could score 30 goals for the 13th time in his career while Tanguay is third on the team in points and has been a consistent contributor all season. They’re also setting a good example for the rest of the team. If the two elder statesmen aren’t packing it in, why should the younger players do so?

Connor McDavid Sweepstakes

I would love to see McDavid in burgundy and blue next season, but just how feasible is it? Let’s say the Avs lose their final eight games. At best they would be the fifth worst team in the league to end the season and that’s assuming that the Carolina Hurricanes win their final nine games. As a Raleigh resident, I can tell you that that’s not happening. So the Avs would likely finish with the sixth worst point total in the league. That gives them a 7.50% chance at winning the draft lottery. Those odds are better than the 3-5% chance they’ll likely end up with, but is it worth it from a mental aspect? I don’t believe so.

Also, keep this in mind. Edmonton and Toronto are guaranteed to finish in the bottom five. I’m not saying Gary Bettman is going to rig the lottery so that a Canadian team ends up with McDavid, but I’m strongly implying it.

Next: Colorado Avalanche Got Good Prospects Without McDavid

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