The Koci Debate Heats Up

In a previous post, I asked if the Avs really need a goon like Koci on the roster.  After the latest Koci antics, I have to believe that the question is going to start to turn more into a plea for him to be permanently removed from the starting roster.  In case you did not see it (YouTube Link),  with Tuesday night’s game already out of hand (5-0) late in the 2nd period, David Koci took a run at Capitals player Mike Green, and plastered his face against the glass.  The hit injured Green, who did not return for the rest of the game, and it got Koci ejected for the remainder of the contest.

There is a lot of debate in the blog world over whether or not the hit was dirty.  I, for one, think that the hit was completely unnecessary and dirty, but that is not the main point in my opinion.  My main contention with the situation is that the supposed fire and intensity Koci was showing when the game was 5-0, was nowhere to be found by him or the rest of the team during the 35 minutes of hockey before this incident.  The phrase, “Oh, now you decide to play” comes to mind.

Whether you think that this particular hit was dirty or not, there is no question to me that David Koci is a complete waste of a roster spot on this team.  I will once again contend that there is no room in this league anymore for a 1/2 dimensional guy like Koci.  I say 1/2 because he isn’t even any good at the “Enforcer” job that he is supposedly on the team for.  Teams may need tough & grinding players, but they also need to be able to carry their weight in the puck handling, passing, cycling, and occasional scoring departments as well.  David Koci has none of that.  In the end, he is just a big dude that can stand up on skates.  I do not see one redeeming quality about him.

I am also sick of this whole enforcer tradition.  Back in the day when Marty McSorley was tasked with protecting Wayne Gretzky, he would often skate on the same line as Wayne (or at least on the next shift) in order to make sure that there were not any liberties taken against Wayne.  That “Bodyguard” mentality has somehow morphed into NHL teams just having giant 4th liners on their team that only fight each other.  Supposed enforcers on teams are rarely on the ice to stick up for the star player at the moment that the enforcement needs to happen.  That enforcement generally just comes from one of the player’s other teammates on the ice and on the same shift as a perceived infraction.  To that end, Cody Mcleod and Adam Foote are more of the real enforcers on the Colorado Avalanche than David Koci is.

If you would like to try to argue that the Avs need Koci, please think about this first…he is by far the Avalanche player with the least amount of ice time this season, averaging 3:07  & 5.2 shifts per game.  He was on the ice for only 1 shift & 2 seconds in the win over Calgary last Sunday.  Just how much enforcement is he really doing on this team?

The Avalanche try to put the bad Capitals loss behind them on Saturday when they face the Columbus Blue Jackets at the Pepsi Center.  The game will start shortly after 7pm mtn.

Also, please check out the Avs Hockey Podcast.  Jay Vean is doing doing a great job of breaking down the games.  You can now also find the podcast on iTunes.