JONATHAN DROUIN DOESN’T MESS WITH HAPPY | Guerilla Hockey – Colorado | 7/12/24

JONATHAN DROUIN DOESN’T MESS WITH HAPPY | Guerilla Hockey – Colorado | 7/12/24

[Music] hello hello hello Friday afternoon Jesse Mont Doo here Guerilla Sports it’s my favorite time of day we get to talk about hockey we could talk about the ABS and uh look if youve followed my work for the last couple of years thank you first of all second you know that like this this is this time of year just kills me uh I was actually on the phone with someone the other day and we were talking about how it makes zero sense that the NHL does everything at the end of the season within like 10 days the Stanley Cup Final ends you have the draft you have free agency everything all happens in like a 10day stretch and then it’s nothing like take take some cues from some of the other leagues around spread that out a bit give us some stuff to talk about throughout the summer but hey look you know it is what it is we are uh we’re humming along here at at gorilla Sports and uh the ABS aren’t completely leaving us out to dry some newsworthy stuff coming through this week uh we are going to of course talk about paavo franos Andrew cogliano getting official titles themselves this week we’re going to talk about Cal Richie maybe where he could fit with this ABS roster should he make it out of camp but I do want to start with the interview that Allan Walsh did on his podcast talking about the Jonathan Drew and extension here in Colorado I think this is not only the best contract that was signed in the NHL this summer uh best value deal signed in the league uh so far this year but I think it’s also maybe one of the most important deals definitely the most important deal for the ABS to get done and maybe one of the most key component deals in the NHL so far this season so I want to talk about it because basically what Alan Walsh said this morning the the podcast released this morning it was recorded over the weekend what said basically follows the exact storyline that we all kind of thought that this was a situation that they recognized was a good fit uh the ABS recognized was a good fit and they all wanted to find a way to get it over the finish line so Allan Walsh look we talked a lot about Allan Walsh and the leadup to this deal getting done and we were all a little bit concerned that this is a tough negotiator this is an agent who always makes sure he gets the most for his client does right by his client as all agents should but Allan Walsh isn’t a guy that’s known for giving a lot of Hometown discounts or you know throwing teams a bone because they’re up against it he understands the value of his work what his clients are able to do uh and and he’s pretty notorious for making sure that those players are being correctly compensated so we were all saying gosh if the ABS can negotiate Jonathan drwan and Allen Walsh down below five million you’re feeling really good about this that where that money comes in so when it came in at a one-year $2.5 million deal one I was floored and two but it was it gave the perception immediately of there’s probably something else going on here there’s probably more layers to this there’s probably more conversation that is being had so when Alan Walsh talked about the Jonathan drwan negotiation on his podcast this week some of that stuff was brought to light a little bit and he did outright say and it’s really it was honestly my favorite part of what he said about this Allen Walsh said that he’s got a philosophy that he tries to pass on to his players you know his clients um and just really that that he said he tries to apply it in life and excuse my language here he said the philosophy is don’t with happy when you find a situation that makes sense is good for you is good for your mental health is good for your family the team wants you there and he did he mentioned multiple times the very well documented relationship between Jonathan drwan and Nathan McKinnon and he described that relationship and that friendship as special on his show and Allan Walsh before he got into any of like the details and the numbers they landed at in the one year and things like that he really drove home that this was maybe a bit of a unique situation in that you do not often find player team fits this cohesive and it’s rare to find that type of relationship between you know two players that are that close of friends grew up together who who have had great success playing together in the past and Alan Walsh basically said like we talked and we wanted to stick to philosophy don’t with happy this is too good of a situation to just walk away from now obviously they they did go out and they were able to test the market and see what the the value was out there for Jonathan drwan and he doesn’t get into obviously any of what any of the other offers were again there were reports of New York Rangers Boston Bruin St Louis Blues were all in on Jonathan druin but really the point that he kept driving home again before he got into the one-year stuff and we’re going to talk about that he really wanted to make sure that that the point was being driven home that this was just a marriage that that made way too much sense and again I I think that was something that we were all saying man if you’re the ABS you’re really hoping that that’s how they’re going to feel that they’re going to feel that this was just too right of a fit for Jonathan drun to go play anywhere else so check we we got that we know it’s a great fit and Alan Walsh also mentioned beyond the relationship with Nathan McKinnon he said that the relationship that Jonathan drwan was able to build in that Avalanche locker room this year he said everybody loved Jonathan drwan and Jonathan drwan loved being in that room loved being a part of the culture and the coaching staff it was just something that when the deal was signed I think we all when the deal was signed last summer to bring Jonathan JW 2 Colorado I think we all knew that culturally it was going to be a good fit I think we were all just saying like gosh can he can he find that you know the play can the can it translate to Quality play on the ice well it ended up translating to Jonathan dru’s best year ever in the NHL and so I I think the culture fit the on Ice results came and it just made too much sense now the one part of this that I think was maybe the most surprising for most was got something in my eye there the term on this deal one year 2.5 was already shocking enough then you add on the fact that it was a one-year extension and a lot of us started immediately speculating that this is probably tied to the uncertainty with Val nushin and Gabe landeskog and talking about the fact that this is likely a hey let’s you know contracts in the drawer wink wink nudge nudge let’s revisit this uh down the road Alan brought that up right away he said look it’s very well documented very public situation with Val nushin a lot of uncertainty there also uncertainty around Gabe Landis skog’s Health as he’s trying to come back after not playing for the last two years when is he going to be able to come back how healthy is he going to be and and how is that going to affect the salary cap in addition to those two things Alan Walsh also mentioned that we have to wait we know some rough projections for what that salary cap is going to be next year but it’s not totally clear where exactly it’s going to fall he Alan Walsh mentioned we want to wait to see where that salary cap is going to land next year are we going to get the little bit um above projection boost like the NHL is seeing this year and then Allen Walsh came right out and said we all thought this year this one year 2. $5 million deal made sense and we’re going to revisit in January to see about getting that long-term deal done I just I just keep goinging back to you this is an unbelievable bit of business not only for Chris mcfar and the Avalanche I think on all sides I think this is a classic example of an agent doing right by his player and his client doing right by an organization that that has met them halfway right and and everybody’s happy everybody comes out of this feeling good about where they are at w you know with the team where it’s going in the future etc etc I honestly really lik hearing Alan Walsh’s side because there’s a part of you that had to wonder when this deal got done okay is this G to lead to some ill will hey I took a team discount and you guys are you know this this sounds like everyone’s on the same page everyone understands this is too good of a fit for both sides we needed the ABS we if if you’re the ABS you’re saying to alen Walsh and Jonathan jwan camp we need the year or at least a few months to get a little bit more clarity on what’s Happening next but we want him here long term help us do that to keep him here long term uh it’s a deal that made sense for everybody we were speculating on that before but now hearing it from Alan W fal’s side after hearing from Chris McFarland last week it just drives it home this is something that everyone wanted to get done and that’s why even after Jonathan Duwan had an opportunity to test the market they still found a way to get this over the Finish Line uh I think it’s a great feel-good story for this year I would have loved to see um Jonathan drwan be a finalist for the bill masterton uh award for it’s essentially comeback Player of the Year in the NHL uh I thought he had a fantastic year and uh given everything that he’s been able to overcome the last couple Seasons after having to step away from the game to seek help uh with his with his mental health uh I’m happy to be able to cover this guy every single day Jonathan drwan has been an absolute treat every time we’ve gone into the locker room uh to talk with him so happy he’s sticking around and it was great to hear Alan Walsh’s perspective on how the negotiations went so it’s the feel-good story we all hoped it would be now you just got to if the Avalanche hope that Jonathan drwan continues that progress from last year and takes his play up even another level uh now having a full year with this organization under his belt I mentioned off the top part of the reason why it was so important for Jonathan dru’s deal to get done is because the abs are looking for Solutions at forward being a little bit cap strapped and one of those Solutions they’re hoping this year is going to be forward rookie forward Cal Richie who did sign his ELC last year three-year deal your standard ELC deal and this is the question that we’re getting a lot right here what do you ultimately see happening the upcoming season there it is what do you ultimately see happening this upcoming season with Cal Richie do you think Ross Colton gets moved so here’s GNA be my my copout Ross Colton answer before we get into all the Cal Richie stuff I do think Ross Colton gets moved one way or the other whether be moved to another team or moved to a different line I think that’s where this season is going to start and I I I actually think the two names that Brandon brought up there in that comment Cal Richie and Ross Colton those are the two that that we’re going to be looking at a lot in this conversation here so Cal Richie gets his ELC and that’s going to give him an opportunity to make this roster now if you guys remember earlier in the week we talked about the fact that because of the CHL agreement with the NHL a player like Cal Richie because of his age can only play in the CHL or in the NHL with the Colorado Avalanche he cannot play in the American Hockey League with the Colorado Eagles he cannot play in the ECHL with the Utah Grizzlies so I think this is a bad rule because it’s Cal Richie where he’s at in his development he dominated the OHL last year he dominated folks he has nothing left to gain by going back for his last year of major Junior eligibility there’s nothing for him to gain you want to see him start to step up against the level of competition that he’s playing against and to me the the perfect fit for that is starting him in the American Hockey League with the Eagles but again you can’t do that because of an agreement with the CHL and the NHL so what that means is that I’m looking at this and the the fact the ABS are willing to give him an ELC as they want to see if he can be an impact player in the NHL this year we talk about it so much you need EC elc’s excuse me entry-level contracts entering your lineup to stay competitive as a contender you need cheap contracts for impactful players to be in your lineup and that’s what I think the ABS are hoping to maybe get out of Cal Richie this year now they see him as a center he is a center they see him as a center in the NHL Chris McFarland even told us last two weeks ago in vas that they even potentially see Cal Richie as the future to see which is where Casey midat plays right now so to me if you’re trying to get Cal Richie into the lineup this year you want him playing at Center you probably also don’t really want him playing on the fourth line limited minutes those are more kind of your shutdown players penalty Killers things like that you probably want him playing with a little bit of skill or at least some players that are going to help him generate some offense and play a little bit north you’re not going to immediately drop him in the lineup over Casey middle stat at 2C who you just locked up for multiple years and traded bow and Byrum to acquire so to me the natural fit would be the third line Center where Ross Colton is currently slated to start next season when I was answering Brandon’s question here in the chat about do we think Ross Colton gets moved and I said yes one way or the other I think the ABS are either going to move on from Ross Colton via trade to open up a little bit more flexibility for them on the cap and then plug Cal Richie in right there or what I actually think is more likely right now is they move move Ross Colton to the wing either on that second or third line and then you put Cal Richie in the middle on your third line as a true Center keep in mind Ross Colton is a center has played center in the past and played a lot of center for the ABS last year but that was not the primary position that he played when he arrived in Colorado they brought him in because they said this is a guy that we can make into a center because he’s got experience doing and I thought he was fine but I know I’ve talked to several people that said they liked him better on the wing okay so if you put Cal Richie if you give him a shot at 3C well you’re not just putting him in a grinding roll on the fourth line you could keep I don’t know you go like Logan OK Conor and Ross Colton with him do you move Ross Colton up to the second line and go miles wood Loc I think it’s going to open up some options for you not to mention if Gabe landeskog is able to come back in any reasonable amount of time well then there’s an extra Winger that you could maybe put next to Cal Richie on that third line shelter Gabe Landis skog’s minute a little minutes a little bit as he rehabs and and works his way back into that lineup and works his way back up to NHL speed after two years or you’re putting you know you’re bum a guy back down like Ross Colton then let’s really get fun with the hypotheticals if Val nushin and Gabe landeskog both come back one they have going to need to do some money gymnastics but but point being you are now talking about having one of Val nushin Artu lean or Gabe landeskog guaranteed on that wing with Cal Richie plus maybe a guy like Ross Colton if if you find a way to make all the money work suddenly that’s a pretty good third line and you’re looking at your Center depth of Nathan McKinnon Casey middl stat Cal Richie what I just laid out to you one of those scenarios whether it be Ross Colton playing on his wing Gabe landeskog playing on his wing whatever I think we see one of those play out for at least nine games they gave Cal Richie an ELC there I think unless he comes out and clearly shows in Camp he can’t hang clearly shows he can’t handle it I think they’re going to give him nine games I think the Avalanche organization in their amateur scouting department and their coaching staff and probably management is looking at what Cal Richie did in the OHL last year and saying yeah we’re good we don’t need to see him do that again this year we want to see if he can play pro he looked a clear Step Ahead clearly more polished than anyone else on the ice last week at development camp like I I I I think it’s the right move to give him a look I think it’s a player who’s important to your organization and given where the ABS are at getting Cal Richie to jump into the NHL and let’s say give 30 to 40 points I don’t don’t think he’s asking for a lot that would be like an outstanding rookie year for Cal Richie if he can find a way to be five to 10 goals 20 let’s say anywhere from five to 15 goals which I think would be outstanding on the high end and then anywhere from 18 to 25 assists playing in a sheltered minutes role I think you’re feeling really good about that and then suddenly going into next year you’ve got a kid who is has a year of NHL experience under his belt and now you’re looking for him to be more of a you know not a 20 30 35o guy but more of a 45 50 55o guy I think the ABS would would be doing themselves a favor to give Cal Richie at least a niname trial in the NHL and if he clearly can’t handle it send him back to the ol to play for the Osa generals and go put up 200 points that’s fine I think he needs to get a look I think the ABS agree with that and I think they understand not only do we need him as you know Cal Richie the player and Cal Richie the hopeful future to see we need some cheap contracts for impactful players I’m G to be anxious to see how Kar Richi looks at training camp to me this barring barring Gabe scog suddenly showing up and getting on the ice for training camp something like that happening this is going to be my number one story line to follow at Camp which I know feels a long ways away we’re about eight weeks that’s not bad so this will be a fun one to follow uh Cal Richie I’m sure is taking his training to the next level right now in his summer program we’ll keep an eye on what happens with Cal Richie last thing I wanted to talk about here guys uh it’s the thing I mentioned first and this is more of just some quick updates because we did touch on it earlier in the week paabo franos and Andrew cogliano we knew that they were joining the organization in what was at at the time when we were talking about it undefined roles and we were even told by Chris McFarland um that they were they were trying to get a sense of what it was exactly that that they wanted Andrew cogliano to do they gave him kind of a lot of different uh hats that that he could wear and it felt like a little bit of a um let’s find what works for us here well they settled on it Andrew cogliano named the Special Assistant to the general manager following in the footsteps of Jason speta in Pittsburgh and paab franos has officially been named a goal tending Scout he did tell members of the media last week that while he wasn’t officially an amateur Scout he helped the ABS goal tending Department all last year with some of their European scouting uh said that he knows cluch one of their their uh goenda picks from this year maybe better than his own family so uh it’s nice to see those two get officially designated roles I saw them both at development Camp last week was able to talk with cogs uh out out at the draft I know he’s super excited to be you know sticking around the game sticking with the organization and I think it’s great that Andrew calano and the culture fit that he can bring um not not necessar even the culture but the the culture that he helped cultivate here in Colorado keeping him around to help I think kind of keep that alive uh will be a great thing and having him being involved with what Chris McFarland is doing and you know potentially even working him into a larger role with that in the future I mentioned it once on this show before I went around and did a a poll of players two seasons ago in the ABS locker room of which of your teammates do you think is the most likely to end up a Coach Andrew cogliano was the most popular answer there and then Pavo franos this to me feels like he’s wanting to stay uh over overseas in CIA for right now where he’s from which I totally understand but having him on as a goal tending Scout having him involved in development Camp feels to me a little bit like they are it’s going to be a slow process but they’re building towards Pao franos potentially being more involved with the organization potentially even here in Colorado now look I’m um purely speculating on that but I I do think that that that’s that’s the vibe I get from this hire a little bit making him a goal tending Scout he’ll spend I’m sure the majority of the season over in Europe but my guess is the ABS are going to be trying their hardest to lure him over to Colorado uh as much as they possibly can and um you guys know me I’ve talked about it before Pablo franos is my I I think my favorite player that I’ve covered so far uh so any more FaceTime that we can get with Pablo franos I am all in favor of um I just saw one last thing that I didn’t prep Jay for that I wanted to just mention oh de Beauty league is going on in Minnesota right now and Sam molinsky scored the first goal of the season for people that don’t know debuty league is um it’s it’s an adult league that takes place in the summers in Minnesota but it’s reserved for high-end players NHL AHL uh division one college and I think you even have a few major Junior kids that get sprinkled in there uh or if you play you know overseas in the KHL but you’re American you’re Canadian you come back to North America uh in the summer I do also believe uh there’s a large contingent of uh pwl players uh players playing this year as well so um if you guys are looking for highlights of some high-end hockey and stuff like that you can check it out but Sam molinsky scored a pretty sweet goal uh Avalanche defenseman kicked off the scoring for the beauty league in Minnesota this past week that’s it J that’s it for this week we’re going to we’re going to pack it up uh we’ll be back on Monday we’ll start the day off with the Daily Show and then we’ll kick right over to this we got one more comment that came in here we’ll get to uh real fast love the cogs and Frankie hire great locker room guys cogy helped build the winning culture and Frankie is a great guy to have in the org as well what Andrew cogliano did for the organization culture-wise I don’t know if we have fully talked about yet and maybe we’ll do a little bit of a deep dive into that next week of of just the impact that that Andrew cogliano truly had on this organization despite coming in as a trade deadline acquisition and I completely agree with the comment there I think keeping him around is going to be massively beneficial for this organization and Frankie is just a great guy that’s gonna do it guys Jay’s running the board as always doing just an unbelievable job absolutely crushed this week uh he was on a lot of shows and and suffered a heartbreaking loss himself in the Euro Cup so he fought through it he’s a batt this week he’s staring at me for even bringing it up I could I shouldn’t have done that that was my fault I shouldn’t have done that thanks so much for hanging out guys I’m Jesse Mont this is guerilla Sports we’ll talk to you on Monday have a good one

Jesse Montano is back to put a bow on the week for the Colorado Avalanche, as they made a couple official hires, signed their star prospect to an ELC, and found a way to keep a good thing going with Jonathan Drouin.