Rumor: 2020-21 Trade Rumours and FA Part VIII: Intra-Playoff Edition?

[Gatorbait19]

Did they really though? The only time they actually “mortgaged the future” was when they decided to go for broke a couple years ago and basically torpedoed one draft. What have they really done since then? I don’t think they’ve done much before either—they were continually one of the youngest teams in the league.

Done this dance with Henchy a bunch, but this is the cliff ive been predicting. They didn’t mortgage their future in the sense that they traded out all their prospects/picks, but instead refused to accept who they were and what stage they were at as an organization. They haven’t wanted to admit they’re in a rebuild.

You ask what they’ve done since then and that’s kinda the point - nothing. They’ve acted/believed/behaved like they are that same team that beat Tampa 3 years ago. Their big moves since then were trading josh Anderson for Max Domi and Dubois for Laine. Both of those were awful moves to begin with, but definitely not the moves of a retooling/rebuilding team.

Now youve got the Jones situation. If they’re smart they’ll trade him before he leaves but they probably won’t get full value on him.

 

[Freudian]

Columbus have been burned in the past with players not wanting to be there. Can they really gamble on Marner being happy with being traded there?

If they feel Werenski is a goner as well, wouldn't they be better of to

 

[Zandar]

What motivation does Jones have to extended to facilitate a deal to Toronto? I can’t see him wanting to sign in Toronto even if this was the summer of 2022 and he was free to sign with anyone.

 

[redacted]

Done this dance with Henchy a bunch, but this is the cliff ive been predicting. They didn’t mortgage their future in the sense that they traded out all their prospects/picks, but instead refused to accept who they were and what stage they were at as an organization. They haven’t wanted to admit they’re in a rebuild.

You ask what they’ve done since then and that’s kinda the point - nothing. They’ve acted/believed/behaved like they are that same team that beat Tampa 3 years ago. Their big moves since then were trading josh Anderson for Max Domi and Dubois for Laine. Both of those were awful moves to begin with, but definitely not the moves of a retooling/rebuilding team.

Now youve got the Jones situation. If they’re smart they’ll trade him before he leaves but they probably won’t get full value on him.

This is the crux of the issue... and I think you are refusing to accept the idea that it isn't Cup or bust for Columbus. They need to build around being a respectable team first and foremost for the fans and business side. If a window presents, be willing to spend for a a shot. The push a couple years ago was based on that being their only shot at a Cup with the core. They should have done it a year earlier to give two shots instead of one... but that was their only semi realistic Cup shot. So they spent there. Beyond that, their goal is to maintain respectability and push for the playoffs consistently.

They were a tire fire prior to Davidson and Jarmo... the attendance was bad, the team was a bottom 5 org, they had no real pipeline of players, no plan, they had been to the playoffs a total of once in the org history... just a huge mess and in a constant state of rebuilding without ever being good. Bringing the team to respectability and gaining a reputation as a good hockey club is more important than building a contender right now. It keeps the business part of the org afloat. Now they have a team and fanbase that expect to make the playoffs yearly, and not making the playoffs has consequences. That is a huge step forward as a franchise. Their success in previous years, had built enough respect for the org and brought in enough fans that they can start building to the next step as an org. I still think that will be below consistent Cup contender, but they will look to go the way of a 1-3 year blip to have a decade run as a good team. Which might give a window. Unlikely, but could happen. If another window happens, they will need to stock up to catch the few (if any) chances they will get.

 

[Pokecheque]

This is the crux of the issue... and I think you are refusing to accept the idea that it isn't Cup or bust for Columbus. They need to build around being a respectable team first and foremost for the fans and business side. If a window presents, be willing to spend for a a shot. The push a couple years ago was based on that being their only shot at a Cup with the core. They should have done it a year earlier to give two shots instead of one... but that was their only semi realistic Cup shot. So they spent there. Beyond that, their goal is to maintain respectability and push for the playoffs consistently.

They were a tire fire prior to Davidson and Jarmo... the attendance was bad, the team was a bottom 5 org, they had no real pipeline of players, no plan, they had been to the playoffs a total of once in the org history... just a huge mess and in a constant state of rebuilding without ever being good. Bringing the team to respectability and gaining a reputation as a good hockey club is more important than building a contender right now. It keeps the business part of the org afloat. Now they have a team and fanbase that expect to make the playoffs yearly, and not making the playoffs has consequences. That is a huge step forward as a franchise. Their success in previous years, had built enough respect for the org and brought in enough fans that they can start building to the next step as an org. I still think that will be below consistent Cup contender, but they will look to go the way of a 1-3 year blip to have a decade run as a good team. Which might give a window. Unlikely, but could happen. If another window happens, they will need to stock up to catch the few (if any) chances they will get.

This. Exactly. People need to quit with this black-and-white mentality that you're either a contender or you're blowing it up and starting from scratch. There's plenty in between. Everyone says "CUP OR BUST" but it's more nuanced than that, whether you want to admit it or not.

Done this dance with Henchy a bunch, but this is the cliff ive been predicting. They didn’t mortgage their future in the sense that they traded out all their prospects/picks, but instead refused to accept who they were and what stage they were at as an organization. They haven’t wanted to admit they’re in a rebuild.

You ask what they’ve done since then and that’s kinda the point - nothing. They’ve acted/believed/behaved like they are that same team that beat Tampa 3 years ago. Their big moves since then were trading josh Anderson for Max Domi and Dubois for Laine. Both of those were awful moves to begin with, but definitely not the moves of a retooling/rebuilding team.

Now youve got the Jones situation. If they’re smart they’ll trade him before he leaves but they probably won’t get full value on him.

You act as if they didn't see this cliff, they most certainly did. They were hoping to avoid it but they knew it was a possibility. Torts very obviously saw the writing on the wall and wanted out a year earlier, but a lunch with Foligno convinced him to finish what they started. And they did...unfortunately it was an abject disaster. And I'm not sure this would've been avoided even if Torts was allowed to opt out of the final year of his deal. If Jarmo had panicked and traded futures to try and save the season then yes, he would be worthy of scorn, but he did the opposite.

Jarmo was hoping to bounce back from losing two franchise players and counted on a couple key prospects to lead the way along with some veterans, and it didn't happen. But it ain't like there wasn't a Plan B. They've got extra picks this year and they're in good lottery position--this was a tank year, and once it was clear the season was going sideways they made proper arrangements and traded away expiring deals, and got two extra first rounders.

 

[Pokecheque]

BTW, let me tell you the story of a team that, back in 2016, had a talented team that was competitive, but by no means a contender. They traded away futures for a playoff run that never happened. The following year, the coach wanted out and the team plummeted down the standings, though they had not intended to tank it. The GM made some modest signings to plug some holes (none of which worked BTW...NONE) and braced for whatever might come. He used that failure to draft a franchise defenseman and they bounced back to make the playoffs the next four seasons, and eventually won the President's Trophy as the league's best team.

I'm not talking about the Blue Jackets. I'm talking about the Avalanche. BTW, Jarmo has done a better job of stockpiling picks and futures than Sakic did in his tank year. Not saying Jarmo is a better GM than Joe, but all y'alls saying he was an idiot for going big just one season sure seem to have selective memory.

 

[Northern Avs Fan]

I don’t want to sewer the Grubauer Vezina nomination thread with talk about his contract, so I’ll put it here.

I don’t feel comfortable giving out a long term, big dollar contract to pretty much any goaltender. I would try to resign Grubi, but would try to keep the term at 2-3 years. If EJ’s contract is off the books you could actually overpay Grubauer on a 2-year deal because that’s the timeline before the MacKinnon extension. Maybe 2 X $7.5M.

I would walk away from something like 6 X $6.5M and look at the trade market for a replacement.

 

[Gatorbait19]

This is the crux of the issue... and I think you are refusing to accept the idea that it isn't Cup or bust for Columbus. They need to build around being a respectable team first and foremost for the fans and business side. If a window presents, be willing to spend for a a shot. The push a couple years ago was based on that being their only shot at a Cup with the core. They should have done it a year earlier to give two shots instead of one... but that was their only semi realistic Cup shot. So they spent there. Beyond that, their goal is to maintain respectability and push for the playoffs consistently.

They were a tire fire prior to Davidson and Jarmo... the attendance was bad, the team was a bottom 5 org, they had no real pipeline of players, no plan, they had been to the playoffs a total of once in the org history... just a huge mess and in a constant state of rebuilding without ever being good. Bringing the team to respectability and gaining a reputation as a good hockey club is more important than building a contender right now. It keeps the business part of the org afloat. Now they have a team and fanbase that expect to make the playoffs yearly, and not making the playoffs has consequences. That is a huge step forward as a franchise. Their success in previous years, had built enough respect for the org and brought in enough fans that they can start building to the next step as an org. I still think that will be below consistent Cup contender, but they will look to go the way of a 1-3 year blip to have a decade run as a good team. Which might give a window. Unlikely, but could happen. If another window happens, they will need to stock up to catch the few (if any) chances they will get.

I’ve lived in south Florida my whole life so I’ve watched the panthers closely. I can appreciate the need for an organization that’s never had success to have some modicum of respect. I’ve even said the issue wasn’t the pushing for the playoffs and not selling off Panarin/Bob etc.

The issue has been the response since - the Domi and Laine deals etc - and it seems like the organization is heading in the wrong direction now. Maybe they’re back on track after a decent deadline, but I’m skeptical with the Laine and Jones situations coming to a head in the near future.

I am in no way saying that they have to be or should be a contender right now. But those trades/situations have been poorly handled, and that makes you lose the credibility that was built up.

I will give credit where credit is due and say yes Jarmo has had more success than what the franchise experienced previously. But that fact alone does not make him beyond reproach.

 

[Pokecheque]

Columbus have been burned in the past with players not wanting to be there. Can they really gamble on Marner being happy with being traded there?

If they feel Werenski is a goner as well, wouldn't they be better of to

I don't think they're trading for Marner (nor should they).

They talked about the problem in Lumbus on one of the more recent 31 Thoughts podcasts, and they referenced some of the stuff that surfaced in that recent Portzline article about how Jarmo and the Jackets are real hardasses with restricted free agents. That appears to have alienated more than one player. That should be mitigated a fair bit with Davidson back in the fold--he might have a more deft touch in those negotiations that Jarmo seems to lack. I think they could make it work, but no matter what they do, Lumbus is not an ideal hockey market to attract top-end talent, so that'll always be a challenge.

 

[Gatorbait19]

This. Exactly. People need to quit with this black-and-white mentality that you're either a contender or you're blowing it up and starting from scratch. There's plenty in between. Everyone says "CUP OR BUST" but it's more nuanced than that, whether you want to admit it or not.



You act as if they didn't see this cliff, they most certainly did. They were hoping to avoid it but they knew it was a possibility. Torts very obviously saw the writing on the wall and wanted out a year earlier, but a lunch with Foligno convinced him to finish what they started. And they did...unfortunately it was an abject disaster. And I'm not sure this would've been avoided even if Torts was allowed to opt out of the final year of his deal. If Jarmo had panicked and traded futures to try and save the season then yes, he would be worthy of scorn, but he did the opposite.

Jarmo was hoping to bounce back from losing two franchise players and counted on a couple key prospects to lead the way along with some veterans, and it didn't happen. But it ain't like there wasn't a Plan B. They've got extra picks this year and they're in good lottery position--this was a tank year, and once it was clear the season was going sideways they made proper arrangements and traded away expiring deals, and got two extra first rounders.

Yes I believe the point of the game is to win a cup and that you should be building your team towards that. Of course there’s other factors to to account. My undergrad degree is a business with a specialization in sports management, so I’m not blind to those factors.

I have nothing against CBJ and want them succeed and contend for cups. We clearly disagree on the strategy on how to get as, and possibly what the definition of success is in this circumstance.

While I think adjustments always need to be made as things unfold, It doesn’t look good when you and everyone else in the world but the team knew it was a tank year. The BJs were “fighting for a spot” - that everyone knew they wouldn’t get - until close to the deadline. By then it was too late to trade Jenner since he was already hurt, but lucked out and fell ass backwards into a few solid picks.

And for argument sake I’ll even give Jarmo credit for those picks, but it doesn’t make the Domi or Laine deals any better.

 

[Hasbro]

A Marner for Jones trade sounds a lot like the PLD for Laine trade, which hasn’t been working out great.

 

[Richard88]

If Sakic can get Seattle to take Compher, and Johnson stays on LTIR, then Sakic should be able to keep the team together this offseason.

 

[redacted]

I’ve lived in south Florida my whole life so I’ve watched the panthers closely. I can appreciate the need for an organization that’s never had success to have some modicum of respect. I’ve even said the issue wasn’t the pushing for the playoffs and not selling off Panarin/Bob etc.

The issue has been the response since - the Domi and Laine deals etc - and it seems like the organization is heading in the wrong direction now. Maybe they’re back on track after a decent deadline, but I’m skeptical with the Laine and Jones situations coming to a head in the near future.

I am in no way saying that they have to be or should be a contender right now. But those trades/situations have been poorly handled, and that makes you lose the credibility that was built up.

I will give credit where credit is due and say yes Jarmo has had more success than what the franchise experienced previously. But that fact alone does not make him beyond reproach.

The Domi deal was hockey trade that was a fresh start for each. All parties in that deal needed fresh starts after how things had gone. I think that is the single worst deal they have made in a while. Not because of Anderson, but I just don't understand how anybody sees anything in Domi as a hockey player. He sucks. That said, Anderson has not been as great as Habs fans would have you believe. He's been the same as he always has been... amazing when on, but barely a NHL player when off. He had 3 goals and 1 assist in his last 20 games. Was goalless in the last 6 games of the Toronto series. The underrated part of that deal will be the 3rd and Columbus picking up Knazko. I think he's got a shot at being a middle pairing guy with some offensive pop. This was a bad deal on the surface, that I don't think will end well for Domi or Anderson... Knazko it probably will.

The issue I see with the Laine deal isn't the value or the trade itself, it is that Columbus is without a 1C to build around and one will have to be found again. Pure value.. I think Columbus did well. Roslovic looks like a middle 6 center with a realistic shot at being a 2. Laine, when he cares, is an elite goal scorer. PLD is a solid 2 way 1C, but not a high end one. Say Columbus picks Beniers, I think they'll have as good of 1C to build around as PLD was. Separate deals, but the overall whole would be better than PLD and say Johnson (even though I'm a rare guy who likes Johnson more). Laine being Laine is a problem, but if he wants to have a NA career, he'll have to get going in Columbus next year. Either his value recovers, or he ends up in Europe full time by 26. Columbus is taking a shot on Laine being their game breaker that all teams need to win. I think positionally they are a large step back, but that can be fixed in the draft.

The deals outside of those have been moving parts around to start their re-tool. They've gathered picks galore over the past year, and swapped some pieces. The underrated move I liked for Florida and hated for Columbus was Nutivarra. He's a useful defensemen that was a cap dump.

I don't see the big issues with what Columbus did this year. The PLD situation sucked and they did the best they could with a bad hand. I think you could argue Jarmo screwed up the contract situations that caused these things, and I think that would be valid. The moves themselves are a mixture of grey and meh.

 

[Pokecheque]

Yes I believe the point of the game is to win a cup and that you should be building your team towards that. Of course there’s other factors to to account. My undergrad degree is a business with a specialization in sports management, so I’m not blind to those factors.

I have nothing against CBJ and want them succeed and contend for cups. We clearly disagree on the strategy on how to get as, and possibly what the definition of success is in this circumstance.

While I think adjustments always need to be made as things unfold, It doesn’t look good when you and everyone else in the world but the team knew it was a tank year. The BJs were “fighting for a spot” - that everyone knew they wouldn’t get - until close to the deadline. By then it was too late to trade Jenner since he was already hurt, but lucked out and fell ass backwards into a few solid picks.

And for argument sake I’ll even give Jarmo credit for those picks, but it doesn’t make the Domi or Laine deals any better.

Agreed--the Domi trade was a failure, and I think most people knew it would be. Jarmo has taken quite a few gambles during his time in Lumbus and since he's never been given much of a cushion from the start, when they don't work, the consequences are pretty dire.

As I said before, the Avalanche went into 2016-17 hopeful they'd be a bubble team and it completely blew up in their face. But they didn't panic, they turned that failure into future success. Jarmo and the Jackets (and Torts) went into this season knowing full well this was probably the last chance for this core and this coach to do something. It didn't work, but they knew it was a possibility that it wouldn't.

I'm not here to say that I'd do things exactly as Jarmo has done--he ain't perfect by any means. But I understand the reasoning behind their approach. People really need to realize just how awful things were before Davidson and Jarmo took over. The work they've done since then has been remarkable. Not perfect by any means, but still very admirable. Whether they can get this team to the next level remains to be seen, but even if he gets fired tomorrow, the league's first-ever European General Manager has left this franchise in far, far better shape than he came into it.

 

[Foppa2118]

I will give credit where credit is due and say yes Jarmo has had more success than what the franchise experienced previously. But that fact alone does not make him beyond reproach.

Columbus only made the playoffs 1 time out of their first 12 seasons, and they got swept in the first round.

Jarmo shouldn't get credit for being slightly better than abysmal. His record hasn't been much better.

Since Jarmo took over, they've made the playoffs 5 out of 8 seasons, barely sneaking in as the Wild Card team in 4 of the 5 (if you count their 9th place finish last year as the Wild Card) and they've only made it past the first round once in is tenure, losing in the second round.

 

[redacted]

If Sakic can get Seattle to take Compher, and Johnson stays on LTIR, then Sakic should be able to keep the team together this offseason.

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With EJ skating and even in slight participation, I think we should all be taking the EJ to LITRetirement off the table. He's too young and prideful to give up that easily.

Agreed--the Domi trade was a failure, and I think most people knew it would be. Jarmo has taken quite a few gambles during his time in Lumbus and since he's never been given much of a cushion from the start, when they don't work, the consequences are pretty dire.

As I said before, the Avalanche went into 2016-17 hopeful they'd be a bubble team and it completely blew up in their face. But they didn't panic, they turned that failure into future success. Jarmo and the Jackets (and Torts) went into this season knowing full well this was probably the last chance for this core and this coach to do something. It didn't work, but they knew it was a possibility that it wouldn't.

I'm not here to say that I'd do things exactly as Jarmo has done--he ain't perfect by any means. But I understand the reasoning behind their approach. People really need to realize just how awful things were before Davidson and Jarmo took over. The work they've done since then has been remarkable. Not perfect by any means, but still very admirable. Whether they can get this team to the next level remains to be seen, but even if he gets fired tomorrow, the league's first-ever European General Manager has left this franchise in far, far better shape than he came into it.

I certainly wouldn't, but as you said... from where they came, he's done a phenomenal job. That was an impossible situation that they have made a respectable team out of. They can re-tool if things go near perfectly in the next two drafts and seasons. Jones for a haul or high end hockey trade. Draft at least one great defensive and center prospect this summer, develop their young forwards, bring over the Russian trio, and get Gallant... and they'll be right back in the mix of the playoffs in 22-23.

 

[The Abusement Park]

Since Jarmo took over, they've made the playoffs 5 out of 8 seasons, barely sneaking in as the Wild Card team in 4 of the 5 (if you count their 9th place finish last year as the Wild Card) and they've only made it past the first round once in is tenure, losing in the second round.

Yeah that’s a huge success compared to where they were.

 

[Foppa2118]

Yeah that’s a huge success compared to where they were.

That's like saying the guy who made you a 6 month old rancid baloney sandwich should get a Michelin star because you've been eating shit sandwiches for the last 12 years.

Either way the sandwich sucks and you should find a new chef.

 

[Pokecheque]

Columbus only made the playoffs 1 time out of their first 12 seasons, and they got swept in the first round.

Jarmo shouldn't get credit for being slightly better than abysmal. His record hasn't been much better.

Since Jarmo took over, they've made the playoffs 5 out of 8 seasons, barely sneaking in as the Wild Card team in 4 of the 5 (if you count their 9th place finish last year as the Wild Card) and they've only made it past the first round once in is tenure, losing in the second round.

Making the playoffs 5 out of 8 times when previously they made it 1 out of the previous 12, as you say here, is a huge improvement. Also, the prospect base was completely and totally dry when he took over, and he's rebuilt it without the benefit of lottery picks (except one). That's not "slightly better than abysmal."

Also, you speak of culture, and it couldn't have been much worse when Howson got the boot. Say what you will about the guy--and I find Torts to be tiresome at times--but there's a coach who built a culture from the ground up. The next guy, whoever he is, will have an easier time of it.

That's like saying the guy who made you a 6 month old rancid baloney sandwich should get a Michelin star because you've been eating shit sandwiches for the last 12 years.

Either way the sandwich sucks and you should find a new chef.

Hard to make shit sandwiches into anything better when you really aren't given the chance to build from the ground up. Jarmo never got that chance--he knew going in that the Jackets were stuck in a perpetual rebuild mode and whatever the hell Howson tried failed miserably, so he tried to build on the fly and they at least achieved what is, at this point, the greatest achievement in franchise history--upsetting the top seed in the playoffs. Now he gets the chance to really put his stamp on it. If indeed he doesn't take this opportunity to truly strip it down then maybe we can revisit Jarmo as a GM, but I think this is the true starting point for his tenure.

That said...we'll see if ownership actually gives him the green light. They should, but I don't quite know what they really want. With both Davidson and Jarmo running the show, I'm expecting a full rebuild.

 

[Foppa2118]

Making the playoffs 5 out of 8 times when previously they made it 1 out of the previous 12, as you say here, is a huge improvement. Also, the prospect base was completely and totally dry when he took over, and he's rebuilt it without the benefit of lottery picks (except one). That's not "slightly better than abysmal."

Also, you speak of culture, and it couldn't have been much worse when Howson got the boot. Say what you will about the guy--and I find Torts to be tiresome at times--but there's a coach who built a culture from the ground up. The next guy, whoever he is, will have an easier time of it.

Hard to make shit sandwiches into anything better when you really aren't given the chance to build from the ground up. Jarmo never got that chance--he knew going in that the Jackets were stuck in a perpetual rebuild mode and whatever the hell Howson tried failed miserably, so he tried to build on the fly and they at least achieved what is, at this point, the greatest achievement in franchise history--upsetting the top seed in the playoffs. Now he gets the chance to really put his stamp on it. If indeed he doesn't take this opportunity to truly strip it down then maybe we can revisit Jarmo as a GM, but I think this is the true starting point for his tenure.

That said...we'll see if ownership actually gives him the green light. They should, but I don't quite know what they really want. With both Davidson and Jarmo running the show, I'm expecting a full rebuild.

I don't think we're ever going to see eye to eye on Jarmo. Which is fine obviously.

But I just don't agree Jarmo didn't have enough to work with or he didn't get a chance to really build the right team. I think he built the team he wanted.

Like I mentioned the other day, he could have drafted an elite talent in Mikko, but went with Werenski. Not a bad pick but it shows he wasn't that motivated to bring in a skilled forward. Same with picking PLD over Matthew Tkachuk. Same with Sonny Milano over Alex Tuch. Same with Kirby Reichel over Burakovsky.

All of these decisions show his mindset is defense/grit > skill. He could have added the game breaking talent they need in the draft, but that's not his philosophy. His philosophy appears to be to build a team like the old Finnish teams that relied on grit and defense for their success.

And if it's a situation where he just let his scouts make the pick and stayed out of it, that's also on him, because many GM's like Sakic will be heavily involved in the process for the 1st rounders, and then let their scouts make the other picks.

He also could have realized that he didn't quite have the team to go all in with, and avoided giving up two 1st rounders. That's on him.

That lighting in a bottle season (pardon the pun) when they beat Tampa in the playoffs gave a distored view of how good that team was. The same way the flukey 2013-14 Avs season with great goaltending fooled Sakic and Roy (as well as many of us fans) into thinking that team was better than it was, when there were actually quite a few holes in the team that needed to be addressed before they could truly compete.

Making the playoffs 5 out of 8 seasons to me is only slightly better than abysmal, when you realize that 4 of the 5 seasons they made the playoffs, they barely made it as the Wild Card team, and last year they might not have made it at all if not for the shortened season. They finished in 9th place. Who else gets re-hired with that track record?

We'll see if him and Davidson can turn things around, I just think that's a dumb gamble by their owner given they both had plenty of time to make it work but haven't so far. Just feels like it's doubling down on failure, the same way Jarmo doubled down on Torts.

 

[The Kingslayer]

I don’t want to sewer the Grubauer Vezina nomination thread with talk about his contract, so I’ll put it here.

I don’t feel comfortable giving out a long term, big dollar contract to pretty much any goaltender. I would try to resign Grubi, but would try to keep the term at 2-3 years. If EJ’s contract is off the books you could actually overpay Grubauer on a 2-year deal because that’s the timeline before the MacKinnon extension. Maybe 2 X $7.5M.

I would walk away from something like 6 X $6.5M and look at the trade market for a replacement.

Whats the alternative if the Avs let Grubauer walk. Im with you on the term but thats just not going be realistic. Hes going to want atleast 6 I would think. Someone is giving it to him but then who do the Avs go out and get thats on Gru level or better?

 

[Richard88]

Whats the alternative if the Avs let Grubauer walk. Im with you on the term but thats just not going be realistic. Hes going to want atleast 6 I would think. Someone is giving it to him but then who do the Avs go out and get thats on Gru level or better?

If Grubauer prices himself out then I could see Sakic trying to get Merzlikins. Failing that he'd probably do a somewhat short-term deal with Ullmark or Driedger and betting on a cheaper goalie finding success behind a great defense similarly to Grubauer.

 

[The Kingslayer]

If Grubauer prices himself out then I could see Sakic trying to get Merzlikins. Failing that he'd probably do a somewhat short-term deal with Ullmark or Driedger and betting on a cheaper goalie finding success behind a great defense similarly to Grubauer.

Risky risky.

 

[Northern Avs Fan]

Whats the alternative if the Avs let Grubauer walk. Im with you on the term but thats just not going be realistic. Hes going to want atleast 6 I would think. Someone is giving it to him but then who do the Avs go out and get thats on Gru level or better?

There’s always alternatives. The goaltending position is becoming more and more like the running back position in the NFL. Goalies emerge and fall by the way-side pretty quickly.

Realistically you’re probably getting some kind of drop off if you replace Grubauer, but I also think the Avs defence/team structure make it easier for goalies to have success.

 

[dahrougem2]

Whats the alternative if the Avs let Grubauer walk. Im with you on the term but thats just not going be realistic. Hes going to want atleast 6 I would think. Someone is giving it to him but then who do the Avs go out and get thats on Gru level or better?

I'm telling you from now Ken Holland is going to zero in on Grubauer, buy out Neal and pay a team to take Koskinen. He's going to overpay for Grubauer, too. He was ready to do it last summer with Markstrom.