Theodore out, Raycroft in for Avalanche

Colorado adds Tucker, Ledin, loses Brunette

By Rick Sadowski, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Photo by Dave Sandford/Getty Images

Andrew Raycroft will compete with Peter Budaj to be the No. 1 goalie.

Photo by Dave Sandford/Getty Images

Darcy Tucker is a physical, veteran forward.

The Avalanche didn't land any marquee names Tuesday when the NHL's free-agent market opened for business, but general manager Francois Giguere brought in a new goalie and put some more spunk into the forward lines.

Giguere exchanged a one-time Hart and Vezina Trophy winner in Jose Theodore for former Calder Trophy recipient Andrew Raycroft while adding agitating wingers Darcy Tucker and Per Ledin.

Theodore, who bolted to sign a two-year, $9 million contract with the Washington Capitals, and Raycroft have gone through some rocky times.

But Theodore seemed to get his game back on track in 2007-08 and he turned down a reported two-year, $7 million offer to remain with the Avalanche.

So Giguere settled on Raycroft, 28, who was given the bargain-basement deal of $800,000 for one year and an opportunity to give Peter Budaj some competition.

"Andrew has played many seasons at the NHL level. His experience will be an asset to our organization," Giguere said in a statement.

Raycroft was the league's top rookie with the Boston Bruins in 2003-04 and he won 37 games with Toronto in 2006-07. But he slumped badly last season when he finished with a 2-9-5 record, 3.92 goals-against average and .876 saves percentage.

Perhaps Avalanche goalie coach Jeff Hackett can help turn around Raycroft's career the way he did with Theodore; Raycroft and Hackett were teammates in Boston for part of the 2002-03 season.

The Maple Leafs bought out the final year of Raycroft's contract and did the same with Tucker, 33, who received a two-year deal with the Avalanche that will pay him $2.2 million next season and $2.3 million in 2009-10.

A 12-year NHL veteran, Tucker had 18 goals, 16 assists and 100 penalty minutes in 74 games last season after collecting 24 goals, 19 assists and 81 penalty minutes in 56 games the season before.

"Darcy Tucker gives us scoring ability and a physical presence up front," Giguere said.

Ledin, 29, received a one-year, $600,000 contract. He had 16 goals, 17 assists and 137 penalty minutes in 52 games for HV 71 Jonkoping in the Swedish Elite League. Ledin added five assists in seven games in the World Championships.

The Avalanche lost three other free agents: forward Andrew Brunette and defensemen Jeff Finger and Kurt Sauer.

Brunette signed a three-year, $7 million contract with Minnesota; Finger a four-year, $14 million deal with Toronto; and Sauer a four-year, $7 million contract with Phoenix.

Brunette, who turns 35 in August, was the Avalanche's second-leading scorer last season with 59 points (19 goals, 40 assists) and is the league's current ironman, having played in 453 regular-season games in a row.

"I was disappointed with how it ended," said Brunette, who in three seasons with the Avalanche had 70 goals and 135 assists after leaving the Wild as a free agent. "I really enjoyed Colorado and I got to play with one of the greatest players ever with Joe (Sakic). I'm going to miss that."

But Brunette, who had shoulder surgery after the season, said he hadn't heard from the Avalanche recently other than for what he described as a late "courtesy call."

"I'm not sure why it happened like that, but I'm comfortable going back to Minnesota," he said. "We're going to have a good team."

Theodore, 31, posted a 28-21-3 record in a personal comeback season that included three shutouts, a 2.44 average and .910 saves percentage. He replaces Cristobal Huet, who signed with Chicago, as the Capitals' No. 1 goalie.

Finger, 28, had eight goals and 11 assists in 72 games. Sauer, 27, had one goal and five assists in 54 games. He missed 28 games because of a neck injury.

• July 1, 2008

  12:38 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  hockeyhockeyhockey writes:

  Last good Avalanche player out of town, please turn off the lights at Pepsi Center. So we re-sign slow, old Foote, and let Bruny get away? Brilliant.

  Order of finish in the Northwest next season:

  1. Calgary
  2. Minnesota
  3. Vancouver
  4. Edmonton
  5. Colorado

• July 1, 2008

  1:16 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  newshound writes:

  Brunette and Sauer are big losses, but I look for the Avs to sign a big free agent. They also have some talented 2nd year players that I look to step up the is year. You have it wrong, Colorado finishes 2nd.

• July 1, 2008

  1:28 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  BWilliams writes:

  Raycroft? Red Wings just signed Conklin for $50,000 less. Good grief.

• July 1, 2008

  1:50 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  Quagmate writes:

  Slow and old also describe Brunette. Stay at home defensmen are a good thing, but stay at home forwards aren't a hot commodity.

  As I have been saying all along, the grind it out style that Quineville employed was well suited to slow strong players on offense. Problem was, the Avalanche kept drafting quick, fast skaters and puck handlers.

  Salei was added so Sauer isn't going to be missed.

  Theodore is a head case and Coach Q was a butcher practicing surgery on him.

  The team is going to change the style of play, management and coach have both said this. I don't see doom and gloom, I see a more watcheable product. What is being done is also showing Sakic they are serious about becoming a skating team again.

• July 1, 2008

  2:11 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  dietpepsi writes:

  thankx Gott 'ol joeSive three-or-four got the boot. let the caps deal w/his poor confidence!
  and just what did brunette do for us recently?

  NOW: we need to import some REAL fans to the [diet]pepsi center. stop this confusing red wing attire - just who decided red&white were the avz colors? did anyone see the fans in Madrid wearing white and black??!!

• July 1, 2008

  2:59 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  benn writes:

  Bruno was great around the net, but otherwise worthless as he was old and slooooooow.

  Sauer... SAUER!! You guys are upset that perennial PYLON Kurt Sauer left?

  And of course Jose 'Swiss Cheese' Theodore.

  These aren't serious losses here folks. However, the addition of DARCY TUCKER doesn't really make any sense.

• July 1, 2008

  3:05 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  SE7EN writes:

  Goodbye Jo$e Three-or-Four. You won't be missed and neither will your cap-hogging contract.

• July 1, 2008

  3:11 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  goAvs writes:

  No love lost for Jose here. Tough to lose Bruno though. He is the kind of player we need more of here. Sauer really came on and played decent when we needed him, but the addition of Salei more than makes up for that. Really would have liked to see the Avs go after Huet, but I guess we are just going to have to live with Raycroft and Budaj.

• July 1, 2008

  3:14 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  BonBon writes:

  I liked Bruno too, but losing him will not cost us the division. Good grief! I want to see offense and puck possession from this team. The Avs used to be offense first and that's what made them a blast to watch. We now have 6 very good dmen in front of Budaj this year so Sauer will not be missed. Tucker was a surprise, but we now have a 3rd and 4th line that will drive the other teams nuts! With the additions of agitators Ledin and Tucker, along with Lappy, the Cody's and Parker, we will definitely see a team that will not be pushed around. Go Avs!

• July 1, 2008

  9:49 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  maithoughts writes:

  Thanks again Joey Sakic for taking one for the team. Without them knowing what your status was, the only thing we could pickup was a Tucker and a Raycroft. Thanks again Joe for the one handed checks against Detroit in the series it really slowed them down. Joe you stopped playing years ago now stop drawing the check. RETIRE. Let us remember the player you were not the one your becoming.

• July 1, 2008

  11:27 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  CAAvsfan writes:

  Goodbye Jose and good riddance. You were very good against
  Minnesota but really showed just how far you have to go to
  get better against the Wings. The Avs will definitely be
  a much more physical team now and that is a good thing.
  Joe Sakic has been an awesome player for many years so I
  don't know what you are smoking MAITHOUGHTS but you need
  to get a reality check. Joe Sakic is still playing better
  than most of his younger peers and can be a constant scoring
  threat when he has the puck. The Avs have done what they
  can do as far as free agency is concerned... they let go of
  excess baggage and have gotten better as well. Keep up the
  good work guys and lets get back to the playoffs next year.

• July 2, 2008

  7:21 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  tjason11 writes:

  Please someone tell me how they have gotten better? They have absolutely no goal tending now. Their defense is slow. Darcey Tucker is a flake and had only one good season with Toronto. He is nothing more than a hack, a diver, and a sub-par forward. What Sakic has done is bad for the team. A person of his stature should have made a decision by now. It's not like he was playing in the playoffs a long time this year, so he had plenty of time to make up his mind. Attendence was bad last year, just wait for this next season.

• July 2, 2008

  8:16 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  ClarenceDarrow writes:

  How can Joe Sakic NOT come back now? He's got a once-in-a-lifetime chance to play with Darcy Tucker!!