Sakic Expected to Announce Retirement this Thursday

[geschrocks33]

The Avalanche won't be the same without Sakic

Time for the youth to step up and be leaders

[patrickadams26]

Another Amazing player that will be in the Hall on his first chance. The Avs will be hurting. Who Thinks he will be on Team Canada? I know he has been invited to the camp. I think he will make the team and play.

[cnshockey]

The Avalanche won't be the same without Sakic

Time for the youth to step up and be leaders

Scouts have said Duchene is captain material. I forsee a career for him similar to Joe's. Stays with the avs his whole career, puts up big numbers, tons of all star games, and the captain, heart and sould of the team. just watch and see

[geschrocks33]

Yeah but Duchene isn't ready to lead that team right now

Quite frankly, no one on that team is ready to be the captain, they are lacking great leadership without Sakic

[flemingc04]

It will be interesting to see who becomes the next captain. In a way I think Foote and Hejduk have a shot, but their contracts expire after this coming season and I definately can't picture Foote being around much longer. With that said, they might groom Stastny into a captain since he is young and could be a franchise player and is signed until the end of 2013/14.

[SK74]

I just can't picture an Avs player on the ice without wearing #19.

QFT.


Thanks for the memories Joe.

[geschrocks33]

I think their only real leaders currently are Foote and Hejduk

Next year maybe will look something like this

Foote - C
Hejduk - A
Stastny - A

Eventually Stastny turning into their franchise player and captain?

(Not saying this just because he's my PC guy, I'm saying it since the Avs don't have many other options)

[flemingc04]

Next year maybe will look something like this

Foote - C
Hejduk - A
Stastny - A

This is exactly what i'm thinking. It lets Stastny slowly move into the position by being "A" for a year and if Foote leaves or retires at the end of the end of the season, it leaves the spot open for Stastny. Colorado won't have Sakic as the face of the team anymore, so IMO the next face should be somebody who is still relatively young, will stick around for a while, and has already proven themself.

I got thinking, with Sakic's retirement there sure aren't many players left that I grew up watching when I was a kid. Pretty much everybody who played in the 80's are gone and now the guys who started in the early 90's are retiring.