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

[redacted]

We honestly don't need them to be "looking over their shoulder". Get the puck from them, make them tired. The Avs showed that they could hang with Vegas, but they also allowed their worst players to standout. We need more consistency from the forward group, and to get rid of the anchors on defense.

The Avs have this weird hesitance to commit to the image that they want. They've been talking about being this quick, mobile team built on puck possession, but continue to play guys that can't do that. I would've preferred to have lost going down swinging with Byram and MacNorris than watch Graves' head down shooting into shinpads and Nemo's unforced turnovers because he's too slow to do anything else.

I agree. They have built this identity, and it is different. But it is their strength and they should play to their strengths. To me, this isn't a situation to throw the baby out with the bathwater... this is a change the bathwater. It is riskier to double down, but I think it has the most reward.

 

[SoundwaveIsCharisma]

100% agreed. Bednar should’ve had the balls to try that combo. I was never really on the fire bednar train but maybe a coach with a more clear and established system could work wonders for this team.

I almost feel like we need an assistant coach that is more aggressive. It seems the entirety of the coaching staff is on Xanax when you see them on the bench.

I do think that Bednar's style can win, but they need to be willing to commit to that. They need to upgrade the special teams guys though. The PP and PK aren't as consistently dangerous as we need them to be, and doesn't make use of a lot of the teams abilities. There's just way too much standing around and waiting. Overall, that's my biggest gripe with the Avs, there's a lot of standing and waiting with the skating ability and talent on this team.

 

[myperbixhurts]

I'd do this in a heartbeat assuming they could get Jones on a contract they could afford.

But 2C is our biggest need right now IMO. Does anyone know which 2Cs will be on the market this offseason?

Kadri has one more year on his contract, I'm thinking they'll keep Kadri and hope he doesn't do stupid stuff again. I'd like a different 2 C but I'm not sure if Sakic does

 

[dahrougem2]

Burakovsky isn’t going anywhere. He’s a notorious playoff performer. I realize he wasn’t this year but it’s the first time for him to go this way and realize the centre options he got to play with were Jost and Compher. This isn’t a Sam Girard situation where he becomes terrible every year in the playoffs. It’s a one off. If you start trading away players who let you down for the first time you’re going to have to turnover the entire team.

I said it before the playoffs started to anyone that would listen: Burakovsky was going to be ice cold to start. That's just how streaky 2nd liners operate. He finished the season on an 8 game point streak, it was never going to happen for him until at the earliest late in the Vegas series. Lo and behold, he scored in game 6 and his advanced metrics showed him as a play driver this series.

Is he a guy I'd give Saad's money to? Probably, but Saad is UFA and Burakovsky is here so I'll keep him on the 2nd line.

 

[JH21]

Eichel should be the primary target. Finally another superstar to add elite secondary scoring.

Nah. We don't need to be like Toronto. One more scorer won't do anything for this team.

We need depth. We need to put players where they can succeed.

Jost- O'Conner - Nichushkin would be one of the better 4th lines in hockey but they shouldn't be getting alot of ice. They are a relentless checking line.

Landeskog - Mackinnon - Rantanen is the best line in hockey and need to be kept together but the only way we can make that happen is is we have a cost controlled #2 C. Sam Reinhart is perfect.

Reinhart for Girard works on all levels and is a good hockey trade for both teams. Sign Jamie Oleksiak to replace Girard and bring in some much needed size. Sign Derek Forbort as a bottom pair heavy Dman.

Kadri has a no-trade clause so expose him to Seattle.

Graves will be easy to trade. Some team will take him that needs defensive depth. Maybe a trade of Graves for Christian Dvorak will work.

Compher and Donskoi need to go. They get paid way too much for what they bring. Add physical players to replace them.

I hope we do what it takes to resign Saad. You win with guys like him.

Let Grubauer leave and sign Linnus Ulmark. Use that cap savings to sign Blake Coleman.

Landeskog- Mackinnon- Rantanen
Newhook- Reinhart- Burakovsky
Saad- Dvorak- Coleman
O'Connor- Jost- Nichushkin

Toews - Makar
Oleksiak - Byram
Forbort - Timmins

Ulmark
Johansson
Francouz

 

[Ararana]

Kadri has one more year on his contract, I'm thinking they'll keep Kadri and hope he doesn't do stupid stuff again. I'd like a different 2 C but I'm not sure if Sakic does

Unfortunately, I agree that's probably what they do.

 

[dahrougem2]

The Avs have this weird hesitance to commit to the image that they want. They've been talking about being this quick, mobile team built on puck possession, but continue to play guys that can't do that. I would've preferred to have lost going down swinging with Byram and MacNorris than watch Graves' head down shooting into shinpads and Nemo's unforced turnovers because he's too slow to do anything else.

I wish reporters would question Bednar the way the media here in Edmonton questions head coaches. Someone should have stepped up and criticized him, not even a nice question but outright ask him to defend himself and his decisions. "Hey Jared we saw how poorly Ryan Graves and Patrik Nemeth played starting in game 3. Why did you keep going back to them when you had other options readily available in Bowen Byram and Jacob MacDonald that clearly fit this team's identity better than Graves and Nemeth?"

Like the guy just kept doubling down and doubling down on Nemeth and Graves. I don't understand it at all. And he kept throwing Graves out there in key moments, too. We've clearly found Bednar's crutch on the roster. All coaches have 1-2 of those players, Babcock used to have a weird Martin Marincin fetish in Toronto. Bednar clearly loves him some Ryan Graves.

 

[SoundwaveIsCharisma]

I wish reporters would question Bednar the way the media here in Edmonton questions head coaches. Someone should have stepped up and criticized him, not even a nice question but outright ask him to defend himself and his decisions. "Hey Jared we saw how poorly Ryan Graves and Patrik Nemeth played starting in game 3. Why did you keep going back to them when you had other options readily available in Bowen Byram and Jacob McDonald that clearly fit this team's identity better than Graves and Nemeth?"

Like the guy just kept doubling down and doubling down on Nemeth and Graves. I don't understand it at all. And he kept throwing Graves out there in key moments, too. We've clearly found Bednar's crutch on the roster. All coaches have 1-2 of those players, Babcock used to have a weird Martin Marincin fetish in Toronto. Bednar clearly loves him some Ryan Graves.

I think Bednar believes that you need a big body for the PK. Toews was a significantly better PKer than Graves or Nemo because he understood positioning and was able to get the puck out more frequently than Graves or Nemo. That's why I think you need Graves to be off this team, and you need to find some defensively responsible players with almost no offensive ability outside of just making that first pass out of the zone. Just a third pairing of solid, unspectacular and even boring defenders.

 

[Northern Avs Fan]

Here are the positions I’d like to fill in the off-season.

Second line Centre, second pairing RHD, and Goaltender.

Outside of that I’d add a big bodied 4th line winger, but that’s just something you can get in free agency.

Landeskog - MacKinnon - Rantanen
Saad - XXX - Burakovsky
Newhook - Jost - Nichushkin
XXX - XXX - Kaut/Ranta

Toews - Makar
Byram - XXX
XXX - Timmins

XXX
Francouz

You only need the top-4 RHD if you move Girard to fill the 2C spot. The Avs can use their 1st round pick and prospects to get the defenceman and goaltender. You can keep Compher at 4th line wing if the cap allows it, but I’ve moved on from him Graves, Donskoi, Kadri, and EJ in this scenario for cap purposes.

I also don’t think the second pair RHD has to be an incredible defenceman. I mean Jones would be a dream, but just a steady defenceman is fine in that spot because I think Bo Byram is making a good jump next year.

 

[Avs_19]

Who is Girard being traded for in these proposals for a 2C? That better be one hell of a player if you're trading a 23 year old top four D signed to a great contract, who people were just talking about being in the Norris and Canadian Olympic team conversation.

 

[redacted]

Who is Girard being traded for in these proposals for a 2C? That better be one hell of a player if you're trading a 23 year old top four D signed to a great contract, who people were just talking about being in the Norris and Canadian Olympic team conversation.

Should be a 1C level that is 2C here that is young. Trading Girard directly for somebody like Horvat (and I love Horvat) would be a disaster IMO.

 

[JH21]

Who is Girard being traded for in these proposals for a 2C? That better be one hell of a player if you're trading a 23 year old top four D signed to a great contract, who people were just talking about being in the Norris and Canadian Olympic team conversation.

Regular season beast. Playoff princess. I.could care less what he is signed for if he can't produce in the playoffs

This isn't a one off. It's been 4 years in a row now.

If this team wants to take the next step we need to gst playoff performers or at least guys who can hold up for a 7 game series. Girard is not that guy.

 

[Northern Avs Fan]

Should be a 1C level that is 2C here that is young. Trading Girard directly for somebody like Horvat (and I love Horvat) would be a disaster IMO.

That’s the hard part about this kind of deal. Who is going to trade a young 1C? I don’t know why anybody would.

You almost have to look at guys that are bit older like Hertl, or a young guy like Vilardi would might break out.

 

[Colorado Avalanche]

That’s the hard part about this kind of deal. Who is going to trade a young 1C? I don’t know why anybody would.

You almost have to look at guys that are bit older like Hertl, or a young guy like Vilardi would might break out.

Yeah, these make no sense for Avs though.

 

[Hasbro]

, or a young guy like Vilardi would might break out.

If only the Avlanche could get someone like that...

 

[redacted]

That’s the hard part about this kind of deal. Who is going to trade a young 1C? I don’t know why anybody would.

You almost have to look at guys that are bit older like Hertl, or a young guy like Vilardi would might break out.

I think it is a very difficult deal to pull off. I'd personally go a different direction.

God no to Vilardi here. He's a solid young player, but his pace and skating would be exposed badly here.

 

[Northern Avs Fan]

Yeah, these make no sense for Avs though.

Hertl with an extension I would do.

Vilardi in a straight one-for-one trade would be a no for me. I’m just tossing out some names, because I don’t think teams are giving away young 1C’s.

 

[redacted]

Hertl with an extension I would do.

Vilardi would probably be a no for me. I’m just tossing out some names, because I don’t think teams are giving away young 1C’s.

This is a crux of an issue, sometimes you have to convince teams.

 

[dahrougem2]

Should be a 1C level that is 2C here that is young. Trading Girard directly for somebody like Horvat (and I love Horvat) would be a disaster IMO.

That's why you build the Jack Eichel mega package around Samuel Girard and Alex Newhook. I like Newhook as a prospect, but tell me Buffalo is going to get a better package elsewhere than Girard/Newhook/1st? Make it work salary wise by including a serviceable player like Donskoi/Compher/Graves and the increased cap hit ends up less than 2M. Make it work somehow.

I would KILL for Sakic to go big game hunting like that. MacKinnon/Eichel down the middle is drool worthy and Crosby/Malkin-esque.

 

[redacted]

That's why you build the Jack Eichel mega package around Samuel Girard and Alex Newhook. I like Newhook as a prospect, but tell me Buffalo is going to get a better package elsewhere than Girard/Newhook/1st? Make it work salary wise by including a serviceable player like Donskoi/Compher/Graves and the increased cap hit ends up less than 2M. Make it work somehow.

I would KILL for Sakic to go big game hunting like that. MacKinnon/Eichel down the middle is drool worthy and Crosby/Malkin-esque.

Really depend on what Buffalo wants to target. Do they want another D since they are likely to grab Power at #1? I think Vegas offering Tuch/Krebs/1st is just a matter of preference.

Eichel though is a guy Sakic should be willing to cash in some bigger chips on. I'm not sure Girard is the right one, but if it was Girard, you're still getting a core level/franchise player back.

 

[Hasbro]

That's why you build the Jack Eichel mega package around Samuel Girard and Alex Newhook. I like Newhook as a prospect, but tell me Buffalo is going to get a better package elsewhere than Girard/Newhook/1st? Make it work salary wise by including a serviceable player like Donskoi/Compher/Graves and the increased cap hit ends up less than 2M. Make it work somehow.

Making it work in two years is the bitch.

 

[Avaholic29]

Eichel? Sure thatd be cool but did we not just watch our defense get insanely exposed? Scoring isn’t the issue lol.

 

[dahrougem2]

Really depend on what Buffalo wants to target. Do they want another D since they are likely to grab Power at #1? I think Vegas offering Tuch/Krebs/1st is just a matter of preference.

Eichel though is a guy Sakic should be willing to cash in some bigger chips on. I'm not sure Girard is the right one, but if it was Girard, you're still getting a core level/franchise player back.

I think it is definitely a matter of preference, and maybe this is the homer in me talking but the Girard package is IMO better than the Tuch package.

Making it work in two years is the bitch.

Win a Stanley Cup in one of those two years and IDGAF about two years from now.

 

[dahrougem2]

Eichel? Sure thatd be cool but did we not just watch our defense get insanely exposed? Scoring isn’t the issue lol.

Scoring is absolutely an issue. We just saw when Nazem Kadri of all people got suspended how much the centres behind him struggled. J.T. Compher isn't a centre and was playing 2C. Tyson Jost got caved in damn near every game at 3C, and Bellemare is finished as 4C. Alex Newhook is too young to be relied upon as 2C.

That area needs to be fixed.

 

[The Abusement Park]

Eichel? Sure thatd be cool but did we not just watch our defense get insanely exposed? Scoring isn’t the issue lol.

The C depth problem goes hand in hand.