Avalanche president reaffirms faith in Sakic despite woeful season
The Colorado Avalanche put together the worst season of the salary-cap era in 2016-17, but team president Josh Kroenke says general manager Joe Sakic isn't going anywhere.
"Joe's leash hasn't changed at all," Kroenke said Wednesday when asked if Sakic's leash has been shortened, according to Terry Frei of the Denver Post. "Nobody wants to get the Avalanche back to where they were, where we all expect them to be, more than Joe Sakic.
"We're going to continue to give him every resource at his disposal. ... At the end of the day, Joe wants what's best for the Colorado Avalanche. Whether that's him in his current role or something else, it doesn't matter."
Sakic captained the Avalanche to two Stanley Cups during his playing days and is the most decorated player in the franchise's history.
He has been in charge of the team's personnel decisions since May 2013. Since then, the once-promising team has taken a nosedive, finally hitting rock bottom this season.
| Year | Points |
|---|---|
| 2013-14 | 112 |
| 2014-15 | 90 |
| 2015-16 | 82 |
| 2016-17 | 48 |
Though this year's Avs were right up against the salary cap, they managed just 48 points. The 2013-14 and the 2014-15 Buffalo Sabres, who were in clear "tank mode," managed to earn 52 and 54 points, respectively.
Kroenke called Colorado's 2016-17 campaign "unacceptable." However, taking into account factors including head coach Patrick Roy's abrupt August resignation and injury-riddled seasons from defenseman Erik Johnson and goaltender Semyon Varlamov, he said Sakic "deserves the benefit of the doubt" based on what he's done for the organization as both a player and an executive.
"I want to be sure that this staff, based on being in the tough position that they were, has a chance to get it right," said Kroenke.