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

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Tatar right now is a healthy scratch for a team that can't score goals. He was also a healthy scratch in the playoffs for Vegas a few years ago. That's a bit disturbing.

That said, for his point production he should be dirt cheap in the next offseason. I'd not be against him as a last resort top 6er on a 2X4M sort of deal.

However, I do think that him and Bura on the same line would be too much softness, especially if we replace Kadri for someone like Reinhart.

I was about to post something along the line of the bold part. As a matter of fact, i can't put enought emphasis on the bold part.
 
No doubt they need to be better in a variety of aspects, but they usually defend by winning battles outside the slot and getting the puck out. I argue that they did a whole bunch of other things wrong long before the puck ended up in the slot area for a lot of those goals. Way too many board battles lost, especially by #s 24 and 27, not to mention some insanely dumb turnovers by a LOT of players, not just those two.

Yes, the slot-area defense needs to improve. My point is that is not the root issue.

I see what you're saying, but I think adding a defenseman that is good at defending the front of the net will help with some of these other areas as well, like winning boards battles, and hopefully less turnovers, because they're rooted in the same problems.

There isn't anything inherent about a team's system that makes them better or worse at defending the front of the net. Whether you're good at it or not is almost exclusively a personnel issue, because all teams more or less approach it the same way.

Vegas leaned on Pietrangelo and Martinez to deal with these situations. The Avs leaned on Graves and Nemeth. That's a big difference.

The Avs also had smaller guys like Girard and even Toews who are great at what they do, but can be exploited easier in front of the net. The Vegas defenseman are bigger than the Avs so they're better at defending the front of the net, but more susceptible to being exploited off the rush or cycle with the Avs speed.

But Vegas did a much better job mitigating their problem by clogging the neutral zone and winning battles to prevent the cycle, then the Avs did at mitigating their problem with their smaller defenseman defending the front of the net, or winning physical battles to prevent the Knights cycle from keeping sustained pressure in the zone, or capitalizing on their chances in front of the net.

Vegas can use their system to help with their problem, but the Avs can only do so much system wise to make up for smaller or worse defenseman having to cover the front of the net, because those net front situations are going to happen no matter what you do or what system you have.

The Avs don't need to change their system, or their style of play, and they don't necessarily need to give up smaller guys like Girard if they don't have to.

What they need to do is make sure their bigger defensemen are better defensively than someone like Graves or Nemeth, so they can play this role effectively, and if Graves/Nemeth are still here they can play a smaller role where their deficiencies aren't exposed as much.

It would be great if EJ could stay healthy enough to do this in a top 4 role next to Girard, but even I can see that it's too big a risk to rely on him for that because of his injury history. He can just be an added bonus if he's healthy.

So if they have a Cup favorite team with only a couple more years with a cheap MacKinnon, they need to make sure they address that weakness they have, because there's a pretty good chance they'll have to go through Vegas next year in the playoffs too. And maybe the next year after that.

I'm expecting Colorado-Vegas to be the next Colorado Detroit/Dallas. They'll have to go through each other to win the Cup more often than not the next few years or so.
 
I haven't been paying attention to who the leading candidates are for Eichel, but it just feels like Rob Blake is ready to make a big splash and LA will get him.
 
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VGK went and got Pietrangelo in an offseason where nobody thought it could be done due to the cap. It seems to have paid off in the postseason.

Sakic needs to play the same game. If he doesn't want to operate like TB and VGK and others willing to do whatever it takes, then he's not icing the best product and letting people down. I sure AF hope this was the head shake that he needs.
 
I don't think our salary cap structure can afford Eichel, even if he is retained for a couple million less than his contract. And this comes from someone who absolutely believes we can fit Jones in for more than we pay Girard.

Newhook wasn't dealt at the deadline the last two years, and it probably doesn't make sense to do it now. He is a future middle six centre on this team, maybe as early as next year, and his ELC will be invaluable - same with Byram.
 
Is it a foregone conclusion that Foligno will re-sign with Toronto?

Avs appeared close to bringing him in at the deadline and sometimes that ends up with them adding the player in UFA.
 
Is it a foregone conclusion that Foligno will re-sign with Toronto?

Avs appeared close to bringing him in at the deadline and sometimes that ends up with them adding the player in UFA.

Isn’t the forgone conclusion that he ends up with his brother on the Wild or back with CBJ? Either way, it doesn’t seem like the Avs will be the ones making that mistake in free agency.
 
Isn’t the forgone conclusion that he ends up with his brother on the Wild or back with CBJ? Either way, it doesn’t seem like the Avs will be the ones making that mistake in free agency.

Maybe but I think we heard they pursued him pretty heard at the deadline.

I think they wanted a Calvert replacement and that will probably be even more the case after they lost this year. Especially if Donskoi gets taken by Seattle too.

Like I said too, we've seen this more than a couple times where they get linked to a guy at the deadline, and then end up singing them in UFA.
 
Maybe but I think we heard they pursued him pretty heard at the deadline.

I think they wanted a Calvert replacement and that will probably be even more the case after they lost this year. Especially if Donskoi gets taken by Seattle too.

Like I said too, we've seen this more than a couple times where they get linked to a guy at the deadline, and then end up singing them in UFA.

I’d have to go back and look it up but I believe both Portzline and Russo have linked him to the Wild or returning to CBJ and those two would know better than any other reporter. Didn’t he also choose to go to the Leafs?
 
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I’d have to go back and look it up but I believe both Portzline and Russo have linked him to the Wild or returning to CBJ and those two would know better than any other reporter. Didn’t he also choose to go to the Leafs?
He did choose to go to the Leafs and said it was very difficult to leave Columbus. I have a hard time seeing him signing anywhere else besides Columbus.
 
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I didn't say it was likely which is why I was speculating, a team under pressure to compete sooner rather than later might consider it though considering this looks like a weak draft at the top. A top 6 center making only 4.9mil, who else is out there to compete with on the market?

Is Buffalo determined to get a top 10 pick in return for Eichel? If not an offer like Girard+Newhook+1st+prospect should be very competitive.
 
Eichel @ 8M + Byram is the same cap hit as Girard + Kadri
Eichel doesn’t cost 8M.
There are endless teams that would give a high end offer for Eichel at his full contract. Buffalo aren’t going to retain because Colorado offers something like Byram/Girard who just so happen to be LHD which is Buffalo’s biggest strength they’re already going to build around.

It’s just not happening.
 
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