Avs' Budaj Needs to be Taken Seriously

Peter Budaj proved last season that he was one of the best young goaltenders in the league. He didn't get the Avs into the playoffs, but his 31-16-6 record shows that he can win games. He won the starting position over Jose Theodore, who continues his fall from stardom. Budaj is far from perfect though. He has below-average rebound control, and must continue to work at getting stronger. Avs fans should see Budaj improve these next few seasons behind an improved D-core, and improved team itself. Jose Theodore on the other hand looks as if he's not able to be fixed. Theodore is making a hefty $6 Million , and is clearly not earning that with his play. Avs fans can only run down the clock until his contract expires, or pray to the Hockey Gods for a miracle.


The two starters for Colorado's new AHL affiliate Lake Erie will likely be Mike Wall who saw some time with the Ducks this season, and Tyler Weiman who was the starter in Albany last season. Both are relatively young, and either could fill in admirably if needed for a call-up. Wall would likely be the first to be called up, mainly because he has NHL experience. The Avalanche's main prospect is an Oakville, Ontario native by the name of Trevor Cann. He is somewhat small at 5'10, 199, but was a workhorse for Peterborough of the OHL, playing 62 games, all as a 17-year-old. He is a typical butterfly goalie, and the future only looks bright for this young stud. With the improvements the Avs have made this offseason, the tandem of an improving Peter Budaj and a puzzling Jose Theodore should be enough to get them into the post-season.