Goodbye, Idiot

I'm sure many of you have been wondering why it's taken me so long to weigh in on the Quenneville departure. I've been his most outspoken critic for a long time, as I realized he was a mistake shortly after his signing. Well, I was away on business, and I didn't get the gumption to post on it until now.

This was obviously a great move, and the fact that the Avs have gotten so much criticism for it does nothing but show how little those people know about the Avs, Quenneville and coaching in general. The funny thing is that I have actually seen several Avs fans who were upset that he was let go, and that's just another reason why the rest of the league thinks our fans are stupid.

That all said, while this was definitely the right thing to do for the franchise in both the short as well as long term, I am still very nervous about the whole thing because we haven't inked a new coach, and some of the names being thrown around are rather sickening.

Pat Burns is obviously the best option. If he'd be willing to coach the Avs, the Avs need to give him whatever he wants. He's got fire, he's got the ability to adapt to his personnel, he's got the ability to implement a rock-solid team defensive system while simultaneously getting the most out of the Avs' incredible firepower. Not only that, but he's got an undeniable pedigree, with three Jack Adams awards with three different teams as well as a Cup with a fourth.

If Burns won't sign with us, then the Avs need to take a long look at Johnny Flatbread, recently of the Bolts. Tortorella was given a bum rap in Tampa, and whether he ends up in Colorado or not, I'm happy for him that he gets to leave that situation. That franchise simply doesn't know what it's doing. Tortorella has fire, and he's a good all-around coach with the ability to implement the firewagon offense the Avs are looking for.

Both of those are good options, but the Avs are apparently looking at guys like "Tin Dome" Tony Granato, Cleveland Steamers head coach Joe Sacco and Patrick Roy. *sigh*

Tin Dome was a complete abortion the first time, and the fact that he was in charge of the anemic Avs PP in 07-08 should be argument enough that he needs to be fired completely (the Avs are keeping Granato and Cloutier under contract for 08-09 as of right now), not (re)promoted. If you had the greatest collection of talent in recent NHL history (the 03-04 Avs) and weren't even able to make it out of the first round, then got canned, then CAME BACK WITH A DEMOTION, you're a loser. You don't belong behind the bench. You're a loser. I want a guy with the pride not to accept a demotion. Fire me, fine. Offer me a demotion? For Tin Dome to have done anything other than punch Lacroix in the mouth would make him a complete pansy. Who's going to listen to someone who doesn't even have the nuts to go find other work after he was fired? I sure wouldn't.

Steamers coach Joe (not Sakic) Sacco... You've got to be fucking kidding me. The Steamers were a stunningly accurate AHL portrayal of their NHL counterpart. Loads of offensive talent, solid defense, solid goaltending, and absolutely NOTHING on-ice. Sacco should be fired for the travesty that was the 07-08 Cleveland Steamers season, not promoted.

And Patrick Roy. Okay, let's clear the air here. Patrick Roy is the greatest goalie ever to play the game. He made me nervous as hell, and I wanted him to retire for no other reason than to spare my nerves, as he had a tendency to come out completely flat at key times. Sometimes, he'd be the balls in a Game 7. Sometimes, he was an embarrassment, and you never knew what you were going to get.

He's also a complete headcase, and I like that. He's arrogant, loud, abrasive, and he commands respect and effort from his players just like he did his teammates. He coaches the up-tempo offensive style that the Avs are looking for. So why not Roy?

First, the QMJHL is not the NHL. True, there are lots of coaches out there in the juniors and minors who have the ability to coach teams to Cups if they were only given the opportunity. And it's sickening that re-treads get those jobs instead. But there's a big step between the Q and the NHL, and you have to prove yourself immediately to hold the room. Being Roy will help him, but only for so long.

Also, he's a star player who has never really shown the ability to relate to players who aren't as talented as he was. True superstars are rarely able to transition to coaching because of this. Worse, he has never been interested in teaching the young goalies he's been paired with. That could be different now, but he definitely benefited more from Craig Billington than Billington got from him. From everything I have heard, he never taught Theodore, Denis or Aebischer a damn thing because he wasn't interested in talking to any of them. That could be different as a head coach, but you never know.

Most importantly though, hiring Roy would show that the Avs are more interested in selling tickets on nostalgia than in winning. You want the guy who gives your team the best chance of winning, not the guy who is going to sell tickets and give the fans a trip down memory lane.

I honestly think that Patrick Roy is going to be a very good NHL coach one day, and I would love to see him given an assistant coaching job with the Avs this year. But he's not ready for the head job yet.

So, FG, you made a really great move in getting rid of Idiot. Now close the deal and get us Pat Burns, and I promise I will lay off you for a year.