Over the offseason, the Colorado Avalanche kicked Patrick Roy to the curb and hired Jared Bednar to replace him. The Avalanche hadn’t been very good last year, but they had been a playoff team in Roy’s first year at the helm. There were injuries, roster changes, Semyon Varlamov’s legal issues and the evolution of other teams within his conference, but the primary solution for most franchises when they reach a slow spot is to change the head coach. The Avs did. They are still bad.
Getting rid of Roy was both an easy and a difficult decision for Colorado. It was easy because there was an argument to be made that his aggressive style was wearing thin on his players, and he simply wasn’t resonating. His young stars weren’t developing, and his veterans weren’t contributing enough. It would have been difficult because he was one of the triumvirate of legends that established the Avalanche as a force to be reckoned with in the 2000’s, along with Joe Sakic and Peter Forsberg. The decision was made that Roy’s deleterious qualities outweighed his status within the organization, and he was let go.
Bednar hasn’t met any success either. Colorado is currently dead, stinkin’ last in the league in points, thanks primarily to their inability to score goals, a stat where they are tied for last place. Would Roy have helped if he was still in charge? Perhaps not, but if nothing else, the Avalanche must now recognize that he wasn’t the problem. Hopefully for the organization, the fans are able to forgive the team for dismissing a legend.
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