DUNEDIN, Florida – On Tuesday afternoon, TSN.ca sat down with Blue Jays pitching coach Pete Walker for an exclusive 1-on-1 at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium. Last season, thanks to injuries and ineffectiveness, Torontos starting rotation posted a 4.81 ERA, second-worst in all of baseball. If the Jays are going to compete in the ultra-tough American League East, the staff will have to drastically improve that number. This discussion focuses on the makeup of the rotation, early favourites to earn a spot and whether Walker truly believes this club has enough major league-ready, quality arms to be playing meaningful games in August and September. To listen to the interview, click here. TSN.ca: Pete, weve got a lot to get to here so Im going to fire some bullets here and hope you dont dodge them. Here we go: Drew Hutchison, first and foremost, very, very impressive on Saturday in Sarasota with a fastball clocked in the mid-90s. Could you foresee him on the starting staff when we break camp on March 30, March 31? WALKER: You know, its definitely early in camp but watching him work, watching him go about his business and the way hes carrying himself right now and the way the ball is coming out of his hand, the command, the poise, the power, its a pretty good group of pitches there. Right now, hes just doing everything he needs to do to set himself apart from some of the other guys. Again, its his first outing. You dont want to put too much stock in it but the evidence points to him being on top of his game right now, feeling great coming back from the Tommy John surgery and, again, you cant say enough about the first impression in camp for Drew. The way its going for him, if he continues to pitch this way and continues to throw the ball the way hes throwing, hes certainly a strong candidate for that rotation. TSN.ca: Were looking at whats a pretty obvious top three here right now. R.A. (Dickey) is going to get the opening day start. Brandon Morrow will slot in behind and Mark Buehrle will slot in behind. Then there is that much, much larger grouping of which Hutchison is one, that includes J.A. Happ, Esmil Rogers, Todd Redmond, Kyle Drabek and the list goes on and on and on. In terms of how youre assessing the back end the rotation right now, is there one spot available or are there two spots available? WALKER: Were looking at it as one. Certainly, J.A. hasnt gotten off to a great start for him right now. We would love him to be in that rotation. Certainly, hes a guy whos pitched in the big leagues and had some success. We like where his slot is right now. Obviously, the last outing didnt go very well for him. We want to make sure hes feeling as good as he needs to be physically and were going to get him out there many more times this spring. Hes a guy we want in that rotation, theres no question about it but with that being said, theres a competition down here and the guys coming in that are performing well, obviously you dont want to put too much stock in spring training, but the guys that come in ready to go, its hard to deny the way theyre throwing the ball and if they continue to throw the ball that way on a positive note, they could definitely see themselves being mentioned in that fourth and fifth slot. TSN.ca: The business side at this time of year can be just as involved in decision-making as the performance side and Esmil Rogers and Todd Redmond are two guys who contributed to your starting rotation, really in a pinch, late last season and did reasonably well. Both are out of options, which for the uninitiated means they could not be sent to the minors without going through waivers and you run the risk of losing them. How much of a factor do options play in the ultimate decision-making process here? WALKER: Its a fine line. I mean, obviously, from a player development standpoint you want to make sure the guys who are young are ready to come up here and obviously, you dont want to lose good arms through the waiver process with guys that have had success in the big leagues like Redmond and Rogers. Those guys did a great job for us last year. Were looking forward to them being part of the staff but again, youve got to watch these younger guys, Hutchison, Stroman and watch the way they throw the ball this spring. If those are the guys that are going to give us the best chance to win in April, then you have to strongly consider it. You certainly, over the course of a long season, dont want to lose quality arms, thats for sure because at some point, youre going to need those guys. Rogers is potentially a number four or five starter in the big leagues, going out there every fifth day with the stuff that he throws out there. Certainly at times last year, he looked like it. Redmonds the same. I mean, he did a fantastic job for us late in the season. You cant just overlook those guys; they did do a nice job for us, they are candidates, viable candidates to fill those positions and guys were very confident in. But it is hard to deny that you see a guy like Hutchison and Stroman and see how poised they are and see how theyre doing over the course of spring training and the way they carry themselves that they act and look like big leaguers, theres no doubt about it. Itll be interesting to watch the rest of the spring because theres a lot of pitching left for these guys and certainly guys will have the ability to step up or take a step back. TSN.ca: Have there been any changes in the way that you guys want to approach hitters this season? WALKER: From a pitching philosophy standpoint? TSN.ca: Yes. WALKER: No doubt. Obviously last year didnt go well for a number of reasons. You always look back on the season and you find reasons why. You look to evaluate certain areas and you look to make adjustments I guess as a player, as a coach, its a constant changing so to speak so were always looking to improve. I think, this year, the one thing we do want to implement more is the off-speed pitch, you know, the changeup. We had guys with great stuff that got hurt sometimes because they didnt change speeds well enough, you know disrupt hitters timing. I think, this year, were looking to do that a little bit more. I think its very important from a pitching perspective, in those advanced meetings on the opposing side that they recognize we have good off-speed stuff as well as the power, just to disrupt their timing so thats something were definitely looking into. Aside from that, strike one more consistently and minimizing the walks. Our walks were too high last year. We want to attack the zone, again it was a philosophy last year it just didnt really follow through but were definitely emphasizing it more this spring, changing speeds and really going after the hitters early on. TSN.ca: I dont know if it shows much on TV but when you walk around and you look at Brandon Morrow, you definitely notice a different body type. Hes put on some muscle and he shared with us that he tipped the scales at 219 pounds. This time last year, he was 189 pounds on his way to 203 by opening day. Is he healthy? How is he feeling? How confident are you that he can be the guy to give you 180-200 innings and win you 15-18 games because looking at the rotation, that seems to be awfully important? WALKER: His track record isnt great, you cant deny that but he definitely came into camp ready to go. He looks strong, he feels strong, the balls coming out of his hand great. He said he feels great so we are counting on him to be a workhorse for us. We need him to be a workhorse for this staff and be a leader out there and take the ball every fifth day. Obviously, if that doesnt happen, thats going to be a big blow to this staff. We need him to be out there. I think he recognizes that and, like I said, hes come to camp in great shape. Hes stronger. To me, he looks more durable and, like I said, the ball is coming out nice for this time of the spring. Were counting on him heavily. He knows it and I feel like hes ready for the challenge. TSN.ca: Whats your relationship like with R.A. Dickey because, as a conventional pitcher, you were one of about 99 per cent of the pitchers all-time who were fastball and you work through your repertoire. Hes a knuckleballer and youve had him now for a year. How do you help him? What kind of tips do you give him? What does he ask of you because its obviously not a pitch youre familiar with? WALKER: Ive certainly learned a lot about the pitch, thats for sure, and the mechanics of the pitch. There are some traditional things that he does with his delivery that we look at, no question about it but Ive learned over the course of our side sessions and the terminology that hes used in the past, Ive learned certain things that were looking for in his delivery when they break down to let him know. He watches video. He prepares as well as anybody in the game, from a pitching standpoint, to recognize hitters weaknesses and what their strengths are. Its one of those things, over the course of the year, we learned a lot about each other. He is a determined worker. I know last year didnt go the way he expected or we expected initially. I do believe the WBC and the issues early on physically affected him. This year, he is more focused than I remember last year, thats for sure. His mind is in the right place, hes very determined and hes setting a great example for the younger guys. To me, he looks like hes on a mission to have a very successful season right from the get-go. The ball is coming out of his hand great right now, the movement on the ball, the velocity on the ball is better than last spring. Hes in a good place and, again, we need him to not only take the ball every fifth day but be a leader on this team and show the younger guys how its supposed to be done. TSN.ca: Two more for you, one is a look back and one is a look ahead. How long did you dwell on last season once you were able to get home and get away for a little bit? With some sober second thought, out of the heat of the battle, how did you assess what went on and some of the reasons why? WALKER: It was obviously a very difficult season for everybody involved. There were some sleepless nights. I felt like, at the end of the season, Id thrown 162 games and thats the way it should be as a pitching coach. You take it to heart. It definitely bothered me but going into the offseason, it was like starting with a clean slate, wanting to come into spring training with a fresh outlook and we certainly have. The guys are coming in, like I said were healthy, we need to be healthy, we need to stay healthy so were staying on top of those things. Were also coming in with a different frame of mind. I want these guys to believe in their stuff and take charge of their game. Last year, there were times when I think we just expected that we were going to do well and we were all guilty of it. But this year, I think theres a different look in these guys faces, the pitchers especially and I know theres been a couple of tough games these past two games but overall, the starters and the guys competing for spots are very focused and I like the way theyre going about their business and Im very pleased with where they are. TSN.ca: Pete, looking ahead, youll know this as much as anybody else, there is some concern amongst a large portion of the fan base up in Toronto that general manager Alex Anthopoulos did not add to the pitch staff externally this offseason, via free agency or via trade. So the question is, youve mentioned Hutchison, you did use Stromans name in an answer, Aaron Sanchez as well, how close are we to seeing Marcus Stroman, Aaron Sanchez and some of those guys not just come up and make their big league debuts but potentially contribute every fifth day to a successful team? WALKER: I think theyre real close, especially Drew Hutchison and Marcus Stroman. Whether that had something to do with Alexs decision or not this offseason, I know he was working very hard on a daily basis and we do have good options here. Obviously youre seeing it play out right in front of your eyes right here during spring training and I think you will for the rest of spring training. We certainly, in our pitchers meeting before spring training started, I definitely emphasized with these guys that we have enough in this room. I look at R.A. Dickey and Mark Buehrle and the other pitchers in that room and with that bullpen and with the young guys coming up, we certainly have enough pitching to be competitive and to win a lot of games and put us in a position for potential postseason play. But they have to believe it. I know, based on last year, the fan base and the media, its questionable in their minds but I know in that room, those guys are healthy, theyre determined, maybe they have a little chip on their shoulders but theyre definitely looking forward to the season and I definitely feel good about the group that we have. TSN.ca: We wish you guys well, Pete, thanks so much. WALKER: Thank you. Sam Mills Jersey . For one, he still gets to crank the intensity to the max. "I push pretty angry. I ran pretty angry too though, but I have fun doing it," Lumsden said. 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Quick to the puck and even quicker to the net, the Penguins top line overwhelmed the suddenly struggling Stars as Pittsburgh bounced back from a dismal weekend sweep at the hands of Philadelphia by jumping on Dallas early.After missing the playoffs for three straight seasons, the Colorado Avalanche stormed to the Central Division crown in 2013-2014, their 112 points the second most in franchise history. Off-Season Game Plan looks at an Avalanche team that has promising young talent, but also serious warning signs heading into next season. First, the talent. Not many teams would prefer their forward core to the Avalanche group of Matt Duchene, Gabriel Landeskog, Nathan MacKinnon and Ryan OReilly -- Duchene, at 23, is the senior member, so they could be together for a long time. Defencemen Erik Johnson, 26, and Tyson Barrie, 22, as well as 26-year-old goaltender Semyon Varlamov are other core players that figure to be big parts of the team for years to come. Varlamov had an outstanding year in 2013-2014 and hes a finalist for the Vezina Trophy as a result, but goaltenders that vastly exceed past performance are likely to experience regression. Of the 11 goaltenders to post a save percentage of .920 or better in 2013, Tuukka Rask was the only one whose save percentage didnt go down and, of the other 10, the decline in save percentage went from .924 to .914, collectively. Knock .10 off a starting goaltenders save percentage and, facing 2013 shots like Varlamov did last season would mean an extra 20 goals against. Further reason for concern is that the Avalanche cant simply count on reducing the shots against. They ranked 27th in Fenwick Close, and face the prospect of losing their best puck possession forward, Paul Stastny, as a free agent. Maybe the young core will be able to take steps forward and improve those numbers, but that requires some projection and projection brings risk. Essentially, this is a cautionary post. There is all kinds of optimism around a talented young Avalanche squad that enjoyed a breakthrough season, but they are a team whose statistical profile ought to temper expectations and that makes this summers stakes significant. The TSN.ca Rating is an efficiency rating based on per-game statistics including goals and assists -- weighted for strength (ie. power play, even, shorthanded) -- Corsi, adjusted for zone starts, quality of competition and quality of teammates, hits, blocked shots, penalty differential and faceoffs. Generally, a replacement-level player is around a 60, a top six forward and top four defenceman will be around 70, stars will be over 80 and MVP candidates could go over 90. Sidney Crosby finished at the top of the 2013-2014 regular season ratings at 87.12. Salary cap information all comes from the indispensable www.capgeek.com. CF% = Corsi percentage (ie. percentage of 5-on-5 shot attempts), via www.extraskater.com. GM/COACHGreg Sherman/Patrick Roy Returning Forwards Player Rating GP G A PTS CF% Cap Hit Matt Duchene 79.15 71 23 47 70 49.3% $6.0M Gabriel Landeskog 76.06 81 26 39 65 48.8% $5.571M Nathan MacKinnon 74.96 82 24 39 63 46.9% $925K Alex Tanguay 71.04 16 4 7 11 47.8% $3.5M PA Parenteau 69.40 55 14 19 33 49.8% $4.0M John Mitchell 64.71 75 11 21 32 45.9% $1.8M Maxime Talbot 62.25 81 8 19 27 44.6% $1.75M Cody McLeod 58.32 71 5 8 13 42.0% $1.55M Patrick Bordeleau 55.57 82 6 5 11 42.0% $1.0M Marc-Andre Cliche 54.29 76 1 6 7 41.1% $700K Free Agent Forwards Player Rating GP G A PTS CF% Class 13-14 Cap Hit Paul Stastny 79.03 71 25 35 60 50.2% UFA $6.6M Ryan OReilly 75.09 80 28 36 64 48.4% RFA $5.0M Jamie McGinn 67.01 79 19 19 38 47.0% RFA $1.75M Brad Malone 55.34 32 3 2 5 40.7% UFA $735K Over the past two seasons, Matt Duchene has tallied 113 points in 118 games, which ranks 16th in the league, and while his points tilt towards assists rather than goals, Duchene isnt riding coat tails. In the past two years, Sidney Crosby, Joe Thornton and Ryan Getzlaf are the only players with more primary assists per 60 minutes of 5-on-5 play. Thats a player generating opportunities and he used his speed to generate the best penalty differential in the league. There werent a lot of forwards who played the kind of tough minutes that Gabriel Landeskog did, while posting strong relative possession stats, and his 3.02 shots on goal per game through his first three seasons ranks 11th since 2005-2006 (post Lockout I). Like Duchene, Landeskog set a career-high in points in 2013-2014, despite playing fewer minutes per game than the year before. The first overall pick last summer, Nathan MacKinnon was eased into the lineup, playing 13:33 per game in October, but gradually took on more responsibility and was up to 19:48 per game in April (20:34 per game in the playoffs). His 63-point rookie season was impressive, and MacKinnon really took off in the second half of the year, putting up 39 points (14 G, 25 A) in his last 42 games, before adding 10 points in seven playoff games. While he was the beneficiary of fortunate percentages, MacKinnon has game-breaking speed that gives him a chance to be one of the games premier offensive threats. A knee injury limited Alex Tanguay to just 16 games last season, yet the 34-year-old remains productive. Hes a ridiculously accurate shooter and has handles increasingly difficult ice time as his career reaches its twilight. If Tanguay is fully recovered for next season, he can be a valuable contributor. With a decline in ice time, and his name in trade rumours last season, its possible that PA Parenteau could be plying his trade elsewhere next season. He has 196 points (70 G, 126 A) in 264 games over the past four seasons, and his 0.74 points per game ranks 56th in the league (minimum 200 GP), so even if he isnt ideal for the Avalanche coaching staff, there should be some appreciation for Parenteaus ability to produce offence. Checking centre John Mitchell rode some fortunate percentages on his way to a career-high 32 points, playing a bigger role than might have been expected given the Avalanches centre talent, but injuries and Ryan OReilly and Nathan MacKinnon spending time on the wings gave Mitchell lots of time in the top nine. Acquired from the Philadelphia Flyers, Maxime Talbot was given a big role with the Avalanche, playing a career-high 16:10 per game (16:19 per game with Colorado) and while Talbot has, at times, taken on tough assignments (based on defensive zone starts and quality of competition) it hasnt been enough to justify his poor possession numbers over the past couple years. Hes a solid and respected veteran, but probably doesnt need the kind of ice time hes been getting. Cody McLeod has fought 90 times over the past seven seasons, but his production has been limited and he had the worst puck possession numbers of his career last season. Part of the reason for those poor puck possession numbers is that McLeod spends much of his time skating on the fourth line with Patrick Bordeleau and Marc-Andre Cliche and that trio doesnt have the talent to keep pace. Bordeleau is a 6-foot-6 winger who can play the intimidator, but when he and McLeod are on the ice, they pack more punch than they do possess pucks. Throughout his career, Marc-Andre Cliche has been a defensively-responsible forward with no offensive upside. After six AHL seasons in the Kings organization, he earned a spot with the Avalanche last year and while he may have a defensiev conscience, Cliche was one of six forwards to play more than 800 minutes in an NHL season and register one goal or less. A tremendous young two-way player, Ryan OReilly had a career-best offensive season after moving to the wing to play with Duchene. He plays a well-rounded game, which earned him a career-high 19:49 time on ice per game last season, and figures to be a priority for the Avalanche to sign as a restricted free agent, though that comes with some complications because the offer sheet he signed last season with Calgary paid him $6.5-million in 2013-2014. Working off that base means a pricey ticket going forward, depending on how OReilly is prepared to structure his deal. Jamie McGinn is a solid physical winger who can contribute offensively, and had a career-high 38 points last season. Hes a nice complementary piece for the Avs, and has handled playing with skilled linemates, making him a good fit in the top nine. The Avalanche can still put together a legitimate top nine even if they lose Paul Stastny to free agency, but Stastnys departure would be huge -- he plays hard minutes and that helped free up Duchene for a more offensive role. Returning Defence Player Rating GP G A PTS CF% Cap Hit Nick Holden 72.26 54 10 15 25 48.0% $600K Erik Johnson 70.dddddddddddd.76 80 9 30 39 47.3% $3.75M Jan Hejda 61.98 78 6 11 17 44.6% $3.25M Ryan Wilson 60.92 28 0 6 6 44.1% $2.25M Nate Guenin 58.45 68 1 8 9 44.5% $800K Free Agent Defence Player Rating GP G A PTS CF% Class 13-14 Cap Hit Tyson Barrie 73.83 64 13 25 38 50.2% RFA $900K Andre Benoit 65.56 79 7 21 28 46.6% UFA $900K Cory Sarich 60.15 54 1 9 10 47.8% UFA $2.0M After five seasons in the AHL, during which he got into a grand total of seven NHL games, Nick Holden not only earned a regular spot on the Avalanche blueline, but he was playing more than 20 minutes per game by the time April rolled around. Surely, his finishing ability helped earn him playing time, but Holden also had adequate relative possession stats for a team that didnt have good puck control numbers. The first overall pick in 2006, Erik Johnson has gone through ups and downs to this point, but 2013-2014 may have been as good as any in his career, taking on the tough assignments and starting more shifts in the defensive zone on his way to tying a career high with 39 points. For all the questions on the Avalanche defence, Johnson appears to be one cornerstone around which they can build. Jan Hejda gets pressed into shutdown duty, facing the oppositions best forwards and starting shifts in the defensive zone, but hes among those defencemen who get destroyed under that workload. Hes a defensive defenceman, but one that tends to spend a lot of time in his own end and, no matter how good you are defensively, if you spend that much time in your own end, pucks tend to find the net. In 2010-2011, Ryan Wilson was playing nearly 20 minutes per game on the Avalanche defence, but hes been battling injuries and has fallen out of favour on the Colorado blueline, playing a career-low 14:40 per game last season while getting into only 28 games. Hes going into the final year of his contract and may not be more than a depth player for the Avs. As part of the Avalanche plan to turn over their blueline to AHLers, 31-year-old Nate Guenin got into 68 games, after playing 32 career NHL games previously. His possession stats do suggest that theres some reason that Guenin hadnt previously been an NHL regular. The Avalanche have been exceedingly patient with Tyson Barrie, perhaps too much so, but he finally secured his place in the lineup and contributed 35 points in his last 47 games last season. His playoff was cut short by a knee injury, suffered on a hit by Wild LW Matt Cooke, but Barrie is a dynamic puck mover who should be in line for a bigger role next season. It would be conceivable that the Avalanche could lose Stastny as a free agent, then turn around and spend their money on a free agent to bolster their blueline. They could try to keep Andre Benoit, and still seek out Tom Gilbert, Anton Stralman, Stephane Robidas or Mark Fayne as guys that could play in their top four. Returning Goaltenders Player Rating GP W L OTL GAA SV% Cap Hit Semyon Varlamov 79.70 63 41 14 6 2.41 .927 $5.9M Reto Berra 58.24 31 9 18 3 3.07 .893 $1.45M Free Agent Goaltender Player Rating GP W L OTL GAA SV% Class 13-14 Cap Hit Jean-Sebastien Giguere 68.70 22 11 6 1 2.62 .913 UFA $1.5M After posting a career-low .903 save percentage last season, Semyon Varlamov bounced back with a career-best .927 save percentage in a career season. Hes only 26-year-old, so there is reason to believe that Varlamov could be an above average goaltender going forward, but it would be more than a little surprising if he duplicated his career-best season in 2014-2015. That could be a legitimate issue if the Avalanche dont drastically improve their puck possession because a lot of their success last season was predicated on Varlamovs superior play. Looking ahead to next season, the Avalanche acquired Reto Berra from Calgary for a second-round pick and the Avs sure better have some scouting that they like on Berra, because he had an .893 save percentage in his first NHL season, ranking 37th out of 38 goaltenders to play at least 30 games. That was enough to earn a three-year contract extension. Top Prospects Player Pos. Team/League Stats Joey Hishon C Lake Erie (AHL) 10-14-24, -10, 50 GP Chris Bigras D Owen Sound (OHL) 4-22-26, -11, 55 GP Calvin Pickard G Lake Erie (AHL) 2.85 GAA, .906 SV%, 43 GP Duncan Siemens D Lake Erie (AHL) 1-3-4, -1, 46 GP Stefan Elliott D Lake Erie (AHL) 14-14-28, -16, 61 GP Sami Aittokallio G Lake Erie (AHL) 2.65 GAA, .909 SV%, 36 GP Troy Bourke C Prince George (WHL) 29-56-85, -4, 69 GP Colin Smith C Lake Erie (AHL) 8-26-34, -9, 76 GP Andrew Agozzino LW Lake Erie (AHL) 17-32-49, -12, 75 GP Mitchell Heard C Lake Erie (AHL) 4-8-12, +1, 63 GP Will Butcher D Denver (NCHC) 8-8-16, -3, 38 GP Its really a shame how injuries, including concussions, have side-tracked Joey Hishons career, because he was sizzling in his last year of junior. While 30 points in 59 AHL games since hardly assures that the 22-year-old is destined to make the NHL, the 17th pick in the 2010 Draft did get into three playoff games with minimal ice time. A smart young defenceman, Chris Bigras was Colorados second-round pick last summer and while he impressed in camp last season, the defensive blueliner could still play another year of junior before playing pro. A second-round pick in 2010, Calvin Pickards second pro season wasnt quite as strong as his first, but the 22-year-old remains a viable option for the future. The 11th overall pick in 2011, Duncan Siemens may not live up to his lofty draft status, but hes a tough defensive defenceman. After a mediocre rookie year, a strong sophomore season would put him in a better place as a prospect. Drafted in the second round in 2009, Stefan Elliott has 18 points with strong puck possession stats in 58 games with the Avalanche, but he hasnt been able to hold down a spot in Colorado. Drafted in the fourth round in 2010, Sami Aittokallio improved in his second pro season, and may eventually have a shot at the NHL, but he needs further development. Picked in the third round in 2012, Troy Bourke improved steadily throughout his junior career and, at the end of last season, chipped in seven points in 15 AHL games. With few premium forward prospects in the pipeline, Bourke has a chance to climb the ladder quickly. Taken in the seventh round in 2012, Colin Smith isnt big, but he was productive in junior and did enough in his first pro season, putting up 18 points in his last 25 games, to be encouraged that there is more to show. Undrafted second-year pro Andrew Agozzino has 101 points in two AHL campaigns. He may not have a high ceiling, but could have a chance to get called up if the Avalanche need forward depth. Mitchell Heard, a second-round pick in 2012, has 16 points and 239 penalty minutes in 86 AHL games. Hes tough, but will that be enough to make it to the next level? An undersized puck-moving defenceman, Will Butcher had a fine first collegiate season and the 2013 fifth-round pick should get more responsibility as he matures. Checking winger Garrett Meurs, big defenceman Mason Geertsen and Croatian winger Borna Rendulic are others to keep an eye on moving forward. Avalanche advanced stats and player usage chart from Extra Skater DRAFT23rd - Roland McKeown, Conner Bleackley, Travis Sanheim. FREE AGENCYAccording to www.capgeek.com, the Avalanche have approximately $45.1M committed to the 2014-2015 salary cap for 17 players. Check out my possible Avalanche lineup for next season on Cap Geek here. Needs: One top pair defenceman, depth forwards.What I said the Avalanche needed last year: One top pair defenceman, depth forwards, starting goaltender They added: Nathan MacKinnon, Alex Tanguay, Marc-Andre Cliche, Nick Holden, Andre Benoit, Cory Sarich, Nate Guenin. TRADE MARKETPA Parenteau, Jamie McGinn, Ryan Wilson. Scott Cullen can be reached at Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook. 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