Avalanche stick with plan of relying on youth

Hockey Betting Lines

07/02/2010 -

DENVER (AP) -The Colorado Avalanche won't stray from their strategy by taking a shortcut in free agency.

The plan is to build a contender from within the organization, an approach that Avalanche general manager Greg Sherman steadfastly believes in and backs.

No quick fixes.

The Avalanche were rather quiet on the opening day of free agency Thursday, electing to allow veterans Darcy Tucker, Brett Clark, Ruslan Salei, Stephane Yelle and Marek Svatos to become unrestricted free agents.

The stage is being set for the youngsters.

``I remain focused on that plan,'' Sherman said of the youth movement. ``You see what we have put together here with a young group of enthusiastic, energetic, exciting players we have on our own club. I feel very strongly about the group of players we have.''

The Avalanche hit the jackpot in the 2009 draft by taking Matt Duchene with the third overall pick and Ryan O'Reilly early in the second round. The talented duo helped the Avalanche surge back into the playoffs in 2009-10 after finishing last in the Western Conference the year before.

While that success may have been unexpected around the league, the Avalanche fully envisioned the resurgence. This is an organization with lofty standards, having won the Stanley Cup titles in 1996 and 2001.

And this was just the first step in restoring respectability.

``We felt very confident in the group of players that were assembled,'' Sherman said.

That's why Colorado doesn't figure to wade too deep into free agency this summer.

Instead, the team will concentrate on getting deals done for some of its upstarts, players such as Chris Stewart, Brandon Yip, Kyle Quincey, Peter Mueller and Daniel Winnik, who was acquired Monday in a deal with Phoenix.

They all were tendered a qualifying offer, meaning Colorado has the right to match any deal or will be given draft-choice compensation should a player bolt.

Sherman wouldn't elaborate on how close he was to any potential deal with any of the players, saying ``those conversations are ongoing.''

``These are the type of players, the young group, that we are building within and building around,'' Sherman said.

With Clark and Salei hitting the free agent market, the Avalanche appear to be in need of a few more defensemen to join captain Adam Foote, Scott Hannan and John-Michael Liles in the back.

However, Sherman maintained the solution at defense could already be in the minor-league system, possibly a player such as Kevin Shattenkirk, the 14th overall pick in the 2007 draft.

``We certainly believe that our depth on the blue line is very strong,'' Sherman said. ``As we look toward the future, we feel very confident about the young group we have, that we're going to build around.''

NOTES: There have been overtures that former Avalanche great Joe Sakic wouldn't mind joining the organization in some capacity. Sherman said the team was open to the possibility.

``I think Joe was very clear a couple of weeks ago - he's in no rush,'' Sherman said. ``At the appropriate time, Joe will reach out and indicate what he's looking to do with the franchise. ... When Joe's ready, those discussions will be had.''Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.

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American Idol Betting Season 6 Strategies  

It's that time of year folks.  Betting on American Idol Season 9.  And we have plenty of American Idol Season 6 strategies appearing below.  With the Top 24 finalists revealed, online gambling sites will be offering betting odds on each of them, including MySportsbook.com.

No other “event” has been growing as fast as wagering on American Idol. It has turned into a huge betting event with reasonably high limits and all sorts of profit-making potential for sharp bettors. Last year, MySportsbook.com experienced unprecedented traffic as a result of the American Idol betting craze.

Every week there will be odds to win American Idol, various elimination props and contestant versus contestant match-ups at the MySportsbook.com website.

Whether a fan of America’s top-rated show or watching only because of a wife or girlfriend, here are some of basic strategies to use when betting American Idol.

Odds to Win

There are a few things to consider when looking for the right win bet. First off, remember that this bet is for the long haul. Many people make the mistake of picking the performer who sang the best the previous week. This strategy leads to an underlay situation – betting a price, which is less than what it should be.

All Idol contestants struggle at some point in the competition, so you should always look for value. In last year’s competition alone, two performers who had some of the best performances early in the series were subsequently bet down to low prices - Lisa Tucker and Ace Young. After just a few weeks, Tucker had already been eliminated, while Young quickly became a huge long shot to win America’s largest talent search.

A better strategy is to look for performers who don’t necessarily get the praise from the judges, but show flashes of the talent necessary to go the distance.

Another important thing to remember when betting any contestant to win is the demographic breakdown of the voters, the viewing public and potential future CD purchasers. Unlike sporting events, American Idol is not decided on the field of play – it’s decided by the American public under the guiding influence of the shows producers.

Understand that the great state of Alabama has a mighty edge when it comes to American Idol. 

Therefore, to be successful betting on American Idol, put any personal opinions or prejudices aside and think like the majority of the voting public. Remember that the typical voter is young, female and quite often, Southern.

If a contestant cannot appeal to this demographic, no matter how much talent he or she possesses, they’ll struggle for votes. Looks, demeanor and charisma are extremely important. And it’s no coincidence that every Idol winner so far has hailed from a Southern state.

Elimination Props

Every week MySportsbook.com anticipates offering a prop on who’ll be eliminated from the show each Wednesday night. A suggestion to handicap this is to gauge an overall feel for who’s the least popular contestant left in the competition. Generally the least popular performers have recently appeared in the bottom three and will have been the target of repeated criticism from the judges.

Last year, resources included dialidol.com and votefortheworst.com. Dialidol.com measures the volume of each contestant’s voting line. While by no means a perfect science, it does give a good indication of who is generating votes and who isn’t. Meanwhile, votefortheworst.com is a site that attempts to build support for the worst competitor to keep them in the competition for ‘entertainment’ value. The site has a proven track record of keeping performers around who most feel should have been voted off a long time ago.

Contestant vs. Contestant Match-ups

The best strategy for doing well on match-ups is to assess how close either of the contestants is to being eliminated. If neither is expected to be voted off of the show in the coming weeks, the value is almost always on the underdog. If both are expecting an imminent exit in the near future, the favorite in the match-up might offer value.

Watch for American Idol betting odds on each of the contestants shortly and good luck with these American Idol betting strategies.

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.