Cory Sarich is excited for a fresh start this season patrolling the blue-line for the Colorado Avalanche, but knows he’s in a battle with some young guys to earn a spot on the team.
“I can bring some grit and some consistency to their defence,” said Sarich, 35. “Just from being an opponent last year (and) playing against them, they definitely have some guys who can put the puck in the net and as far as defencemen they have a lot of guys who are geared to get up the ice and provide offence along with the forwards. I think they’ll probably need somebody to stay at home and that is something that my game is geared towards.”
The Calgary Flames traded the 6’4″ 207 lb defenceman and forward Alex Tanguay to the Avalanche June 27 for David Jones and Shane O’Brien. Sarich has one year left on a two-year $4 million contract he signed with the Flames on June 29, 2012.
“This move will either extend my career or it could potentially be the end of things (if it) doesn’t go as planned, as far as the NHL is concerned anyways,” said the veteran rearguard who entered the league as a 1996 second-round draft pick of the Buffalo Sabres. “It is something that I need to do. I feel I have something to prove. I did prove that over the course of the last two years to my coaches and to people that were doubting me in Calgary. I would play really well when they finally decided to play me and then the next season would start and they would give up on me.
“I finished the season strong again last year and was doing exactly what I needed to be doing, but I didn’t want to go in and have everything back to square one and (have) to try out again to fill the team. If I’m going to do that I’d rather do it somewhere else where I might get a better shot.”
Sarich suited up for only 28 games with the Flames last season in a condensed 48-game schedule. He had two assists, was a minus-eight and tallied 16 penalty minutes while averaging 14:51 of ice time.
The Bladworth native said he has been asking the Flames for a move at certain points over the past few years due to frustration with his situation on the team, so he appreciates general manager Jay Feaster giving him a chance to go somewhere else this year.
“It stared off great (in Calgary),” said Sarich, signed as an unrestricted free agent by the Flames in the summer of 2007. “We made the playoffs a couple years in a row and we were on the cusp, but (then) we had a change in coaching. I’m not blaming anybody there. We had a lot of personnel change over the last few years too and it couldn’t seem to click. You go three or four years without making the playoffs, that gets tiresome too.
“Maybe we were to blame as players, you could point a finger at coaching, (but) it’s usually a collection of both. We just weren’t getting the job done. I’m not sure what exactly our problem was in Calgary, but it was just time for a change for a lot of people.”
Sarich said he can provide leadership and “some age” in the Avalanche dressing room, which the young team may need making it to the next level. Colorado finished nine games under .500 and in last place in the Western Conference last year with a total of 39 points, but he said if the team gets set in the right direction and off to a hot start this season they could make a run for a playoff spot.
To read more please see the Sept. 9 print edition of The Davidson Leader.