The housecleaning is complete in Denver.After a horrific season that saw the Colorado Avalanche miss the playoffs for just the second time in 13 seasons since moving from Quebec, head coach Tony Granato has paid for this misdeed with his job. Granato, in his second tour of duty as the team's head coach, was fired Wednesday, along with five other members of the organization. TSN also reports that former assistant general manager Craig Sherman will take over as the club's new general manager.
The Denver Post's Adrian Dater confirmed the Sherman hiring, and also notes other front office changes.
TSN notes that all of this comes only after the Avalanche made a futile effort to hire Patrick Roy. The former Colorado goalie was thought to be a candidate for the coaching job, but was apparently offered full control of the organization.
With a new GM and front office staff in place, the Avalanche are clearly not looking for an alpha dog to run everything on his own. That was something Roy had a chance at, but no one else will. Instead, Sherman needs to find a coach. He'll probably be tempted by recycled types like Craig MacTavish, fired after the season by Northwest Division rival Edmonton, and Peter Laviolette, a former Stanley Cup winner in Carolina who is actively looking for work, or ex-Canadiens coach Guy Carbonneau.
The better bet for Sherman could be a lesser-known name. Getting a young assistant or AHL coach might not reap immediate dividends, but a fresh voice in a world of retreads could work wonders in the future for a franchise that desperately needs to rebuild.
