GDT: 2020 Free Agency Part II: Embrace the Grind

[Cousin Eddie]

Shit. That would’ve been a disastrous deal. Flames would’ve been set though.

Avs likely would have taken Nurse. I don’t love Nurse, but he would have been better than Compher, Zadorov, Grigorenko and Greer.

 

[henchman21]

Avs likely would have taken Nurse. I don’t love Nurse, but he would have been better than Compher, Zadorov, Grigorenko and Greer.

Yup... I think they would have taken the top defensemen on their board after taking MacK. Probably debatable on if they would have thought that was Risto or Nurse. Either way better than the setup they eventually got from Buffalo.

 

[Ceremony]

I needed another source. So I texted someone I knew at the NHL. My exact, verbatim text was: “[Person’s name], I have heard from the other side that a deal has been agreed to in principle. If so, would you give me the honor of a yes?” After 15 long minutes, when I was almost ready to give up, the text came back: “Yes.”

This was a golden source, so I was ready to go with it. As fast as my fingers would go, I typed the news on Twitter. The lockout was over, per the Denver Post. I must have gotten about 3,000 retweets and as many or more new followers. (Did I get any extra thanks, or anything else tangible from the Denver Post as a result of this? Ha ha, lol, no. I got zero commendations from anyone in management at the paper, not even from my own sports editor, Scott Monserud, which goes to show you just how much he cared about hockey and just how dissatisfied I had become working for him and at the paper as a whole by then. Here was a reporter going above the call of duty to land a national scoop on a major sport, and to this day I’m not sure anyone in management even noticed).

Adrian sounding very Alan Partridge here.

 

[Postanin CB Ting]

Would it be worth it to maybe see what Chara is sayin? 1 year for another cup?Especially if Timmins isn't feeling great.

Toews - Makar
Girard - EJ
Graves / Byram - Chara

Cole


RD, PK'er, cup winner, and seeing Girard Chara on the ice together are all decent pros.

 

[Pokecheque]

Adrian sounding very Alan Partridge here.

DAN!!! DAN!!!

 

[MaKarter]

Would it be worth it to maybe see what Chara is sayin? 1 year for another cup?Especially if Timmins isn't feeling great.

Toews - Makar
Girard - EJ
Graves / Byram - Chara

Cole


RD, PK'er, cup winner, and seeing Girard Chara on the ice together are all decent pros.

It probably could work if Chara wanted to be a 7 D and Sakic wanted him.

But I do not think Chara wants to come to Colorado without any playing time assurance or Sakic wanting anything that looks like a Chara.

 

[McMetal]

I think the only tangible benefit of Chara on this D corps is increasing the average height.

 

[Avsboy]

Avs D is set for at least four years. With Girard, Makar, Toews, Byram, Timmins, and what's left of EJ....there's no concern on the backend. No need for Chara. The biggest concern is how to replace Saad.

But then there's Newhook. *curls up into a ball with happy laughter*

 

[Balthazar]

Avs D is set for at least four years. With Girard, Makar, Toews, Byram, Timmins, and what's left of EJ....there's no concern on the backend. No need for Chara. The biggest concern is how to replace Saad.

But then there's Newhook. *curls up into a ball with happy laughter*

Newhook needs to replace Saad on the wing and then Kadri at center the year after.

 

[Cousin Eddie]

There’s something big to consider with Colorado’s projected lineup this year that’s been completely overlooked. With NCAA hockey about to get underway, with college semesters not really being affected and with the NHL likely going into the summer, there’s a strong possibility that Alex Newhook is playing for the Avalanche in the regular season. We often see Jost/Makar situations where players join at the end of the regular season/playoffs, but the graduating NCAA crop this year may be joining their teams earlier than we’ve ever seen.

 

[Gatorbait19]

*Me popping outta the woodwork*

Someone say Chara??

 

[henchman21]

There’s something big to consider with Colorado’s projected lineup this year that’s been completely overlooked. With NCAA hockey about to get underway, with college semesters not really being affected and with the NHL likely going into the summer, there’s a strong possibility that Alex Newhook is playing for the Avalanche in the regular season. We often see Jost/Makar situations where players join at the end of the regular season/playoffs, but the graduating NCAA crop this year may be joining their teams earlier than we’ve ever seen.

We're going to see it with Euros and Junior kids too. The Q is likely to mostly wrap up by April and there is a chance the season could get call earlier there in Feb/March. The OHL and Dub are likely to take a stab and try to push through April. I think we are likely to see some condensing in Europe too where they are done by mid-March. If the NHL is playing regular season games in May, which is looking likely to me, we are going to see a lot of teams have their young players around the big club and potentially playing.

If the season looks to be heading that way and the NHL is going to extend in the summer... it gives the Avs the perfect out on they Byram situation. He can go to the WJC, then Avs camp, to WHL for ~3 months, then NHL for 2-3 months.

 

[Hasbro]

I think the only tangible benefit of Chara on this D corps is increasing the average height.

SOLD!

 

[Northern Avs Fan]

There’s something big to consider with Colorado’s projected lineup this year that’s been completely overlooked. With NCAA hockey about to get underway, with college semesters not really being affected and with the NHL likely going into the summer, there’s a strong possibility that Alex Newhook is playing for the Avalanche in the regular season. We often see Jost/Makar situations where players join at the end of the regular season/playoffs, but the graduating NCAA crop this year may be joining their teams earlier than we’ve ever seen.

I’ll take this forward group going into the playoffs.

Landeskog - MacK - Burakovsky
Saad - Kadri - Rantanen
Nichushkin - Newhook - Compher
Calvert - Bellemare - Donskoi

 

[Richard88]

I’ll take this forward group going into the playoffs.

Landeskog - MacK - Burakovsky
Saad - Kadri - Rantanen
Nichushkin - Newhook - Compher
Calvert - Bellemare - Donskoi

Separating Rantanen and Mackinnon is a nicht-nicht

I do like the look of that bottom 6 though with the addition of a competent 3C (whether that is Newhook or a deadline rental).

 

[UncleRisto]

*Me popping outta the woodwork*

Someone say Chara??

Hope not.

 

[Northern Avs Fan]

Separating Rantanen and Mackinnon is a nicht-nicht

I do like the look of that bottom 6 though with the addition of a competent 3C (whether that is Newhook or a deadline rental).

I’d be curious to see how that top-6 plays, because that second line would be one of the best second lines in the league. Largely I do like keeping MacK and Rants together though, because of their excellent chemistry.

 

[Pokecheque]

Separating Rantanen and Mackinnon is a nicht-nicht

No it's not, if anything last year proved that Nate can produce with a lot of different guys. And the few times Mikko was paired with Naz, it tended to work since #96 is a playmaking winger and #91 is a shoot-first center. I'd prefer Rantanen and MacKinnon stay together but it's not sacrilege to suggest breaking them up.

 

[The Kingslayer]

No it's not, if anything last year proved that Nate can produce with a lot of different guys. And the few times Mikko was paired with Naz, it tended to work since #96 is a playmaking winger and #91 is a shoot-first center. I'd prefer Rantanen and MacKinnon stay together but it's not sacrilege to suggest breaking them up.

I dont mind it at all either. Alot of times last year I was advocating for it. Nathan is at the point now where you can play him with just about any of the forwards and hes still going to produce.

 

[Northern Avs Fan]

No it's not, if anything last year proved that Nate can produce with a lot of different guys. And the few times Mikko was paired with Naz, it tended to work since #96 is a playmaking winger and #91 is a shoot-first center. I'd prefer Rantanen and MacKinnon stay together but it's not sacrilege to suggest breaking them up.

I think it’s more of a possibility now that they have Saad, because they have 6 legitimate top-6 forwards.

I’ve always like 29 and 96 together, but I’d experiment with the top-6 if that top line isn’t absolutely dominating. At least now when you take Mikko off MacKinnon’s wing you can still put two very capable players with MacK.

 

[Avs9296]

If Mikko can pull his head out of his rear end next season, it won't matter where you put him, he'll produce. If he plays like he did this year, he'll have us pulling our hair out again.

I expect big things from him though. He's the guy that can take us from being a very good team to a Stanley Cup Finals calibre team easily. When he's on he's almost as good as Nathan. We need him to play like 2 years ago Mikko.

 

[5280]

If Mikko can pull his head out of his rear end next season, it won't matter where you put him, he'll produce. If he plays like he did this year, he'll have us pulling our hair out again.

I expect big things from him though. He's the guy that can take us from being a very good team to a Stanley Cup Finals calibre team easily. When he's on he's almost as good as Nathan. We need him to play like 2 years ago Mikko.

Yeah Mikko sucked last year by his standards. I hope he regains form, too.

 

[Balthazar]

If Mikko can pull his head out of his rear end next season, it won't matter where you put him, he'll produce. If he plays like he did this year, he'll have us pulling our hair out again.

Mikko produces even when he sucks. Best example is the last 2 playoff runs.

 

[Cypher]

Saad interview

""We haven't had any discussions, I think it's a bit early, especially with not really knowing what's going on with the season, but for me, thinking about it, Colorado has always been in my top because I want to win again," Saad said on the latest episode of the NHL @TheRink podcast. "So to be in a great spot like that, on a great team, and then you hear wonders about the city, really, it seems like a great place that I want to play a long time. I think it's just a feeling-out process, making sure I'm in love with it, and obviously they have to want me for a long period of time. But that's definitely somewhere I could see myself playing out my career."

Unless he takes a big pay cut, I don't see it.

 

[Belgican]

Still, it’s so sweet to hear, makes you want to find a way to keep him, at a reasonable price