Did Colorado trade Downie because of Landeskog incident?

[hf101]

In an interview with Sportsnet’s FAN 960 Calgary, CBC’s Elliotte Friedman reports that Colorado might’ve dumped Downie because of a preseason incident with team captain Gabriel Landeskog.

“Obviously, people thought it was a weird trade,” Friedman explained. “You rarely see a first-rounder get traded for a guy who — while a useful player — is now pretty much a fourth-liner.

“During training camp, Downie got angry at Landeskog for a trip during a scrimmage, and he drilled [Landeskog]. I was just told that from that day, considering Downie was a bit unrepentant about it, I just heard the Avalanche decided they were going to make the change at that time.

“Basically the Avalanche decided that when that happened, and Downie was unapologetic about it, the time was going to come when he was going to get dealt.”

 

As for the Downie-Landeskog incident in question, it was reported in the Denver Post on Sept. 14:

While there have been no fights so far, there was some bad blood today between Gabe Landeskog and Steve Downie at least. I didn’t see the whole thing, but Landy took major exception to a hit Downie gave him during scrimmages today and tried to go after him along the bench. But Downie, whose helmet flew off on his hit, was bending down to pick it up and couldn’t engage much.

So later, Landy got Downie in the corner and flat-out pitch-forked his feet from under him with his stick, sending Downie down on the ice. When Downie got up, he skated gingerly back to the bench, looking to have a leg that was not feeling too hot. He sat out a couple of shifts, but when he returned for a faceoff, with Landy lined up outside on the circle, he skated like the wind to get next to Landy just in time for the drop of the puck and there was a little more pushing and shoving from there.

The Post’s Adrian Dater also posted an interview with Landeskog following the incident:

Landeskog, 20, is the NHL’s youngest captain and it’s possible — assuming the Friedman anecdote is accurate — the decision to move Downie could’ve been related to stabilizing Landeskog’s leadership role on the team.

 

 

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[flyerrod]

Beautiful...now Landeskog will have a rep, earned or not, that he is a "Crosby".....That is a pretty bold assumption by Friedman that will probably haunt Landeskog for years to come. The next thing we will hear is Steve Downie was sleeping with his girlfriend/mother/aunt.......

[murraycraven]

Interesting article on the possibility of why Downie was traded... the last line is pretty funny:

 

 

 

Hockey Night in Canada's Elliotte Friedman reported a preseason incident with Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog may have caused the trade that sent Steve Downie to the Flyers.

Friedman on the radio today via Pro Hockey Talk: “Obviously, people thought it was a weird trade. You rarely see a first-rounder get traded for a guy who — while a useful player — is now pretty much a fourth-liner.

“During training camp, Downie got angry at Landeskog for a trip during a scrimmage, and he drilled [Landeskog]. I was just told that from that day, considering Downie was a bit unrepentant about it, I just heard the Avalanche decided they were going to make the change at that time.

“Basically the Avalanche decided that when that happened, and Downie was unapologetic about it, the time was going to come when he was going to get dealt.”

 

How the incident went down from the Denver Post:

While there have been no fights so far, there was some bad blood today between Gabe Landeskog and Steve Downie at least. I didn’t see the whole thing, but Landy took major exception to a hit Downie gave him during scrimmages today and tried to go after him along the bench. But Downie, whose helmet flew off on his hit, was bending down to pick it up and couldn’t engage much.

So later, Landy got Downie in the corner and flat-out pitch-forked his feet from under him with his stick, sending Downie down on the ice. When Downie got up, he skated gingerly back to the bench, looking to have a leg that was not feeling too hot. He sat out a couple of shifts, but when he returned for a faceoff, with Landy lined up outside on the circle, he skated like the wind to get next to Landy just in time for the drop of the puck and there was a little more pushing and shoving from there.

 

Downie is still out indefinitely with a concussion per the Flyers.

That explains why the trade seemed so lopsided and no, Downie did not bang Varlamov's wife.

[PHI Flyers10]

That's a pretty dick move from Landeskog to trip him if that's true. 

[SwedeFly]

Varlamov is not married...it was his girlfriend.

I heard that rumor too, but realized thats all it was. Still, it reminded me of the Jeff Carter / Hartnell wife scenario...that's how it's playing out among some people in Denver.

[yave1964]

That is why hockey will not have a Incognito moment, guys like Paddy Roy will police it and get read of the jerks like Downie before he destroys his team. I thought the deal was one sided at the time in favor of the Flyers but now I see why the deal was made, Roy got a team player in Talbot who wont challenge his kid captain on a regular basis.

  Is it wrong of me that I am glad Downie got his face broke? Karma and all that.

[mojo1917]

I'm confused by the timeline.

Downie hit GL in practice, after the hit GL tripped Downie...

How's that make Downie the "bad" guy? Why wouldn't the captain address the issue, immediately, or in private after practice... Why pull the bantam crap?

Having a hard time feeling like Downie was the dick in this situation based upon those excerpts.

[doom88]

I'm confused by the timeline.

Downie hit GL in practice, after the hit GL tripped Downie...

How's that make Downie the "bad" guy? Why wouldn't the captain address the issue, immediately, or in private after practice... Why pull the bantam crap?

Having a hard time feeling like Downie was the dick in this situation based upon those excerpts.

You and me both. Although, I bet we aren't factoring in his "reputation".

It sounds to me like Landeskog was acting childish from that.

[hf101]

Travis Hughes from BSH, makes a good point also, stating that:

 

I believe Philly was specifically targeted because they knew that Philly would probably have interest, knowing the guy. And the other thing too is that one of Patrick Roy's best friends and coaching buddies is a guy by the name Benoit Groulx. Benoit Groulx and Max Talbot went to the Memorial Cup Finals together and I think Roy had some advice that he was the kind of guy he wanted, and Colorado specifically targeted that deal.

 

[flyercanuck]

So during training camp this incident occurs and the team decides Downie has to go. But first they play him for 11 games on the top line where the Avs jump out to 6-0 record tying Patrick Roy for best start ever by a rookie coach. They proceed to go 10-1 WITH Downie to put them atop the NHL standings after drafting first overall last year. Clearly the guy is disrupting the chemistry on the team and Landeskog is definately the type of player who would mope after such an incident.

[flyercanuck]

Travis Hughes from BSH, makes a good point also, stating that:

 

 

 Ya, because Patrick Roy would have never heard of Max Talbot if not for his buddy who played junior with him. :blink:

[iban3z]

Eh, Someone should ask Downie about it. He would know. I'm always skeptical because certain sports personalities are always out for drama.

[brelic]

The part about this that is the most worrisome for me is that this is another case where Homer brings in a "bad" or at least "questionable" teammate. Bryzgalov had the same aura about him, and Homer brought him to disastrous results.

[flyercanuck]

@brelic

 

 The HUGE difference being Downies contract expires at the end of this seaso, he's actually a decent player and as much of a headcase as he is, he's nowhere near as strange as Bryzgalov.

[brelic]

@brelic

 

 The HUGE difference being Downies contract expires at the end of this seaso, he's actually a decent player and as much of a headcase as he is, he's nowhere near as strange as Bryzgalov.

 

You're absolutely right... an expiring contract makes a humongous (hehe) difference. And I didn't mean to really draw parallels between them other than the "bad" teammate aspect. If your behaviour gets you traded away from a team, that's a decent sign that you weren't a good teammate. Doesn't mean he won't be here, but I just find it strange that you would willingly bring in a player like that. 

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Just getting around to this thread..thought I would offer my thirty nine cents....

 

It's all a very interesting, even entertaining read the media have out about why Downie was traded..would certainly make for a good episode of 24-7 or something like that...

 

However, has it occurred to anyone that this was simply a hockey move?

First off, things like players getting into scrums in practice are not all that uncommon, if I understand those things right.  Most just never get out to the public and any big issues are handled in-house with no cameras or reporters around.

In fact, I remember reading something some years ago that many coaches LIKE intensity in the practices, as it tends to carry over into games. Obviously, coaches don't want players beating the hell out of each other and injuring each other, but a little bit of snarl is a good thing.

 

Second, it's Steve Freakin Downie. While he is no where near the undisciplined animal he was when Philly first brought him up and early on in his TB days, he still has that as part of his personality. To his credit, he has become a good player. He has played on lines with Steve Stamkos, Marty St. Louis, and Vinnie Lecavalier in Tampa and has been able to skate and make plays with them very well.

 

Perhaps a coach like Patrick Roy, knowing full well his Avalanche are still a very young bunch, decided it was better to have a veteran like Talbot on the team, and Downie would have been seen as expendable, simply because Colorado has PLENTY of good young forwards...not a knock on Downie's play, but rather because the forward ranks in Colorado are just loaded.

 

Downie was hurt at the time, the Flyers were struggling for offense (Downie when healthy should have been a better offensive option than Talbot), plus Downie fits right in with the Flyers offensive minded, aggressive type forwards, while Talbot, still being a good player, was expendable there because the Flyers needed offense more than they needed a veteran grinder.

 

So maybe the incident during practice did have something to do with him being traded...but probably not. I would think the Avalanche wouldn't be the A+ organization it is if it let emotions rule their decision making process.

Now, if there was something else going on that ran much deeper than a simple "you tripped me you bastard, now Imma gonna drill ya into the boards" type thing, then yes, it would have made business sense to move one player.

 

Landeskog IS the team captain, the face of the Avalanche if you will, so if one or the other had to go, it certainly wouldn't be Landeskog.

 

Still though, just sounds to me like the media making a bigger deal about this trade in regards to bad blood than really there is. They need to write up exciting stuff after all.......... 

[brelic]

Landeskog IS the team captain, the face of the Avalanche if you will, so if one or the other had to go, it certainly wouldn't be Landeskog

Homer would just send his captain packing

[flyercanuck]

@TropicalFruitGirl26

 

 Nice post TFG. I agree with you all the way. Players don't always get along and plenty of bad happens in practices. And part of the reason Landeskog is captain is that he thrives on physical play, so I don't think Downie is going to bother him.