from Terry Frei of the Denver Post,

Trading Stastny at the deadline in a remarkable season would have been ripped as sending the "wrong" message. But I doubt Sakic and Roy will worry about that again.

Colorado is nudging up toward the NHL salary cap, which was inevitable when the extensions kicked in. But with attendance down, this team also has been operating on a "budget" the past few seasons. Ownership has accepted the increasing payroll, especially since the playoff flameout can't obscure the progress in the past year.

So, again, the issue here isn't just money. Sakic and Roy, among the best in the game as players, worked the system themselves. But they believe they are building something, including a culture that involves an acceptance of a generous but "fair" salary hierarchy within the cap system. In that sense, "structure" is synonymous with "culture."

Thanks to the Stastny Lesson, I'm convinced that from now on, it's going to be ...

You'll prove that you're with us.

Or we'll see that you're not.

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