Rumor: 2022-2023 Trade Rumors and Free Agency: Let’s Run it Back!

[shadow1]

I don't know how Colorado fits Manson in money wise. He's a nice player but spending $4M+ on a 4/5 type defenseman is what gets teams in trouble. He averaged 18:31 in the first two rounds but that dipped to 15:51 in the WCF + SCF.

To me you let him walk and maybe trade for Manson 2.0 next deadline.

 

[LOFIN]

From an actual dollars standpoint, there is significant risk for the Avs. Insuring that contract, given Byram's concussion history, will not be cheap at all.

I seriously doubt that's an actual issue for anyone in this league (aside from Ottawa), much less the Avs and them just winning the cup. The cap is an issue, not actual money spent.

 

[Hasbro]

So who are the Bottom 6 forwards and bottom pair UFA defensemen they will offer 1x$1M and the chance to win a cup?

 

[The Abusement Park]

I don't get the obsession with Gibson really. Yeah he was something great years ago, but to borrow the comments of others about Darcy he doesn't inspire confidence now. Three straight years his save percentage has been around .900 and he's been negative in goals saved compared to xG. Maybe he bounces back a little with a better team and D, but seems his days of being a top 10 goalie in the league are gone forever.

Because he solves the position for the mid term. I mean worst case he’s the same level goalie as Darcy and that’s all we need to win. I mean who else are we gonna sign? MAF? He’s done. Campbell? He’s not good enough. Husso? There’s some risk there.

They all have risk and you’d have to pay to get him. But he also presents far and away the highest upside.

 

[WhatsInAName]

Landeskog (7), MacKinnon (6.3), Rantanen (9.25)
Lehkonen (4), Kadri (7.5), Nichushkin (6)
Newhook (908K), Meyers (912 (k), X
Cogliano (1), Helm (1), O'Connor (1.05)

Toews (4.1), Makar (9)
Byram (894K), EJ (6)
JJ (800 K), Manson (3.75)
McDermid (987K)

X
Francouz (2)

This leaves us with 10.2 million in cap room to find a goalie and 3rd line winger plus assets acquired from trading Girard and Compher. Could easily fit Gibson, Varlamov, Kuemper. Perhaps trade Girard for Hellebuyck if Winnipeg is afraid of losing him in 2 years as a UFA or try to get a good young goalie.

Have several options for the third line winger
1） could go cheap with the third line winger so as not to bind ouselves to any long term deals with the intention of using that cap space and the EJ expiring to cover the costs for MacKinnon and Byram's extension next year. Fill it for the time being with Aube-Kubel/Kaut/Olausson/Maltsev and acquire a third line winger at the trade deadline if none of them pan out.
2）Instead of trading Girard for a goalie, sign Kuemper, use Girard to acquire a promising right winger on a cheap contract: Dach? Holtz? Puljujarvi+Holloway? Necas+?

 

[Steerpike]

From an actual dollars standpoint, there is significant risk for the Avs. Insuring that contract, given Byram's concussion history, will not be cheap at all.

I seriously doubt that's an actual issue for anyone in this league (aside from Ottawa), much less the Avs and them just winning the cup. The cap is an issue, not actual money spent.

I think it would clearly be a shrewd move from both sides. There was a point this season where Byram didn't know if he was going to play hockey again.....

I feel guilty for even wanting him to play.

The worst case scenario goes from "hardly making any money" to either "slightly less of a multi-millionare" or "had to stop playing at a young age, but at least he's set up himself and his family for life."

 

[shadow1]

So who are the Bottom 6 forwards and bottom pair UFA defensemen they will offer 1x$1M and the chance to win a cup?

Justin Braun

 

[Steerpike]

Landeskog (7), MacKinnon (6.3), Rantanen (9.25)
Lehkonen (4), Kadri (7.5), Nichushkin (6)
Newhook (908K), Meyers (912 (k), X
Cogliano (1), Helm (1), O'Connor (1.05)

Toews (4.1), Makar (9)
Byram (894K), EJ (6)
JJ (800 K), Manson (3.75)
McDermid (987K)

X
Francouz (2)

This leaves us with 10.2 million in cap room to find a goalie and 3rd line winger plus assets acquired from trading Girard and Compher. Could easily fit Gibson, Varlamov, Kuemper. Perhaps trade Girard for Hellebuyck if Winnipeg is afraid of losing him in 2 years as a UFA or try to get a good young goalie.

Have several options for the third line winger
1） could go cheap with the third line winger so as not to bind ouselves to any long term deals with the intention of using that cap space and the EJ expiring to cover the costs for MacKinnon and Byram's extension next year. Fill it for the time being with Aube-Kubel/Kaut/Olausson/Maltsev and acquire a third line winger at the trade deadline if none of them pan out.
2）Instead of trading Girard for a goalie, sign Kuemper, use Girard to acquire a promising right winger on a cheap contract: Dach? Holtz? Puljujarvi+Holloway? Necas+?

Get the f*** out of here with JJ in your starting top 6 Jesus Christ.

 

[Steerpike]

I think people need to always remember that the NHL is always 2 seasons, despite us not really caring about the first one so much anymore.

One of the reasons the Avs were able to win this year was because of the incredible depth they were able to run in the regular season. It allowed the Avs to clinch the west super early, and rest tons of players, Landeskog surgery, etc.

The regular season is still there. And it’s still a marathon. And like it or not, the team is going to try to get to the top of it again. That means not burning out all your players. Moving guys like Girard isn’t the best idea unless you have major holes somewhere.

You need two teams to win cups. Team that’s good for the regular season and teams good in the playoffs. Important to apply importance to both.

No we'll just play Makar Toews 40 minutes a night for 100 games. It'll be fine.

 

[niwotsblessing]

I don't ever want to see JTC in an Avs uniform again. Sure, he scores a couple of playoff goals and people think he's resurrected his "career." BS! At $2- mil a season he'd be OK, not for what he's making. Give his money to Nuke, and sign Nuke for 7 years. Done.

 

[Richard88]

I really can't see him getting over 7.5M regardless. 32 year old coming off a career high when his previous high was 61 points? Eh.

There are always teams willing to overpay for centers, probably moreso this year when the center market is so limited.

 

[Andrew Wiggin]

Great season, I hope they do everything they can to keep much of the structure intact.

Some notes:

1. It doesn't seem to be Sakic's style to jettison a vet on the last year of their contract, I fully expect Compher and Johnson to be here next year barring a surprise retirement.

2. The Byram/Girard situation is an interesting one as Sakic has been known to trade someone when they don't have as much of a role on the team anymore. Sakic brought in Manson to specifically shelter Girard last year so I doubt the plan is to let Manson walk and play Girard at 2RD, I don't think they are demoting Byram to the 3rd pair at this point, and I am pretty sure that they don't want to pay their 3rd pair LD $5M a year. I think those that have said his value is only going to drop the longer we hang in to him are right. Something has to give here and it seems likely that Girard is the odd man out.

3. I think Newhook might be in a similar spot where he's not exactly good enough for the top six yet and hasn't really shined at C which means he would be pegged for the 3rd line wing which isn't ideal for what was envisioned for his role on this team. Its not to say give up on him but rather sell at the right time. He is on his last year of ELC and if it doesn't seem like he will be ready for the second line next year it might be the best time to move him as he will start to get more expensive. He doesn't have the same hype after this year but had a respectable rookie season so I still think he has a lot of value but could end up like another Jost if we wait too long.

4. Echoing what some have said is it too big a stretch for them to go with Francouz as the starter while giving Annunen time to develop as the backup? I know goalie development sometimes takes a lot longer than other positions but the signed Francouz pretty quick once it looked like he was healthy and rumor was Annunen was untouchable, food for thought.

5. I think most are in agreement that Nuke is the priority FA but I think Sakic does his best to keep Nuke, Kadri and Manson. If he gets Manson to stay I think that drives the decision on Girard which would free up money for Kadri. He probably also throws Kuemper a similar offer to what he was going to give Grub.

6. I would love to have Cogs and Helm back too but would also like to give some hungry young guys a shot at the 4th line too.

 

[Richard88]

I like Girard as well, but where do we slot him in that lineup? Is he a good partner for Byram in the 2nd pairing? Not sure about that. Should either him or B play in the third pairing? No. You would either try to force Byram and Girard, or break up Makar and Toews.

I'm not saying I want to get rid of Sammy G, but I think he's expendable. And he's basically our most usable asset this off season for making a trade. And I think we do need to move him to be able to re-tool this squad for next season.

Byram - Makar
Toews - Girard
xxxxx - EJ
JJ?
MacDermid

Byram-Makar is the long-term top pairing, seeing as they're 21 and 23 respectively, so might as well start playing them together more frequently - in fact Bednar already did just that in the SCF.

Girard isn't a perfect partner for Byram, but he's always done really well next to Toews, so that would be an excellent 2nd pairing.

EJ at 3RHD can easily be worked into a rotation with any of Byram/Girard/Toews, or just partnered with a bottom pair LHD full time.

I'd roll it back with JJ as 6/7D and ideally also add another (cheap) Murray or DeHaan type who can slot in as the 6D. MacDermid as the 8D. At the deadline you can reassess and see if you can add another Manson-style guy, but with the additions above I think the D group would be looking pretty decent (and adding a Manson again at the TDL would cost assets we don't have...).

Curious whether they want to give Zhuravlyov a look in the NHL as well, though I suspect that he'll be more of an AHL callup at best.

 

[Richard88]

So who are the Bottom 6 forwards and bottom pair UFA defensemen they will offer 1x$1M and the chance to win a cup?

Does Anton Strålmam have anything left in the tank? I know he was traded to Arizona last year but that was motivated in part by his $5.5m caphit. Can he do a Manson-esque job on the bottom pairing at a cheap ~$1m deal, or is he done?

 

[Balthazar]

Lehkonen under 4M AAV is absolute nonsense. He has arbitration rights.

 

[AvsWraith]

1st thing I would do is set up a meeting with MacK and his agent, and see what they are looking for. That would allow you to see how much money you really have to work with.

 

[Ncit3]

I've always liked the way he plays and think he'd fit well with our style, but is there any path to getting Kevin Fiala on the Avalanche? Would take dealing with the enemy again. Feel like his current money and ability to produce would really be a nice replacement for Bura. While Burakovsky is looking for about 6.5-7M, I think Fiala would be looking for around 5-5.5M.

Maybe I'm overselling it though. Think he might want similar amounts of money to Burakovsky. But I like his style a lot.

 

[Richard88]

Great season, I hope they do everything they can to keep much of the structure intact.

Some notes:

1. It doesn't seem to be Sakic's style to jettison a vet on the last year of their contract, I fully expect Compher and Johnson to be here next year barring a surprise retirement.

2. The Byram/Girard situation is an interesting one as Sakic has been known to trade someone when they don't have as much of a role on the team anymore. Sakic brought in Manson to specifically shelter Girard last year so I doubt the plan is to let Manson walk and play Girard at 2RD, I don't think they are demoting Byram to the 3rd pair at this point, and I am pretty sure that they don't want to pay their 3rd pair LD $5M a year. I think those that have said his value is only going to drop the longer we hang in to him are right. Something has to give here and it seems likely that Girard is the odd man out.

3. I think Newhook might be in a similar spot where he's not exactly good enough for the top six yet and hasn't really shined at C which means he would be pegged for the 3rd line wing which isn't ideal for what was envisioned for his role on this team. Its not to say give up on him but rather sell at the right time. He is on his last year of ELC and if it doesn't seem like he will be ready for the second line next year it might be the best time to move him as he will start to get more expensive. He doesn't have the same hype after this year but had a respectable rookie season so I still think he has a lot of value but could end up like another Jost if we wait too long.

4. Echoing what some have said is it too big a stretch for them to go with Francouz as the starter while giving Annunen time to develop as the backup? I know goalie development sometimes takes a lot longer than other positions but the signed Francouz pretty quick once it looked like he was healthy and rumor was Annunen was untouchable, food for thought.

5. I think most are in agreement that Nuke is the priority FA but I think Sakic does his best to keep Nuke, Kadri and Manson. If he gets Manson to stay I think that drives the decision on Girard which would free up money for Kadri. He probably also throws Kuemper a similar offer to what he was going to give Grub.

6. I would love to have Cogs and Helm back too but would also like to give some hungry young guys a shot at the 4th line too.

Regarding jettisoning vets in their last year, Sakic traded Barrie with one year to UFA, and also dumped Cole. He doesn't do it often but he can be ruthless when needed. Compher is popular in the room, but so was Barrie as MacKinnon's best friend, so personal feelings won't get in the way if the cap becomes a reason to move Compher. I think they'll want to keep him if they can though.

As for your last point, I'd rather the 4th line have proven veterans and then let young guys earn opportunities in callups when injuries occur. Opportunities always open up, just look at NAK claiming a 3rd line role as a waiver pickup; that easily could have been Kaut if he had done enough in his callups.

 

[Balthazar]

Girard isn't a perfect partner for Byram, but he's always done really well next to Toews, so that would be an excellent 2nd pairing.

I don't like it.

 

[Colorado Avalanche]

Yeah, looking at those rosters people make here, one defenseman has to go, otherwise we are too thin offensively OR keep sick defense and sign offense help at trade deadline.

Don't love the second option because you never know who is available and how much it will cost.

Can you imagine defense of Girard, Makar, Byram, Toews, Manson and EJ for example? It's pretty unbelievable.

The most important thingy:

Find a better goaltender and that will help a lot with defense.

 

[John Mandalorian]

I know it defies explanation to some that he would leave 6 million on the table but this is from last March:

Erik Johnson, former No. 1 overall draft pick, embraces diminished role with Avalanche

Defenseman Erik Johnson remembers the wise words of Dan Hinote.

www.denverpost.com

Johnson wants to say goodbye as a champion.

 

[dahrougem2]

You can't play Bo Byram 3rd pairing minutes, you can't play Samuel Girard 3rd pairing minutes, and you can't play either of them on the right side.

One of them has to go and it's clear as day Byram > Girard not only now but moving forward.

You can make the argument that Toews gets traded over Girard but again, Toews > Girard now and probably the next few years. That's no slight against Sammy G. He just isn't at either of those guys' levels.

 

[Richard88]

The market for wingers is much better than centers, so if Kadri walks maybe the best thing to do would be to move Rantanen to 2C and sign a cheap Burakovsky replacement. Someone like Kubalik for example. Then you'd probably have enough cap left over to bring Manson back, and at the deadline you rent a 2C to move Rantanen back to RW and Kubalik down to the 3rd line.

Landeskog - MacKinnon - Nichuskin
Lehkonen - Rantanen - Kubalik
Newhook - Meyers - Compher
Cogliano - Helm - O'Connor

Toews - Makar
Byram - EJ
Girard - Manson

 

[Colorado Avalanche]

I know it defies explanation to some that he would leave 6 million on the table but this is from last March:

Erik Johnson, former No. 1 overall draft pick, embraces diminished role with Avalanche

Defenseman Erik Johnson remembers the wise words of Dan Hinote.

www.denverpost.com

He doesn't have to retire and leave money though. He has billion injuries and team can LTIR him. No point for him to just walk away and leave six million.

I am sure Avs would be happy to pay him six million for the cap space anyway.

Either way I am happy. EJ has earned the right to either keep playing or retire. Up to him imo.

 

[NOTENOUGHJTCGOALS]

Regarding jettisoning vets in their last year, Sakic traded Barrie with one year to UFA, and also dumped Cole. He doesn't do it often but he can be ruthless when needed. Compher is popular in the room, but so was Barrie as MacKinnon's best friend, so personal feelings won't get in the way if the cap becomes a reason to move Compher. I think they'll want to keep him if they can though.

As for your last point, I'd rather the 4th line have proven veterans and then let young guys earn opportunities in callups when injuries occur. Opportunities always open up, just look at NAK claiming a 3rd line role as a waiver pickup; that easily could have been Kaut if he had done enough in his callups.

Whatever happened to Kaut and Bowers and those guys? Getting just one useful middle six player out of the Eagles would do a lot for next season.

I think Helm and Cogliano may have emptied the tank this year. Would still take them back as fourth liners but be prepared to replace them in season and don't expect such great contributions next season. If there's some guys coming in who can help out with the fourth line depth that would let the vets rest.