Rumor: 2022-2023 Trade Rumors and Free Agency (Mod Warning in OP)

[JH21]

Go get David Pastrnak at the deadline if the Bruins are out of the race. He has told team officials he won't re-sign long term.

Load up on the wings.

Landeskog- Mackinnon- Nichushkin
Lehkonen- Newhook- Rantanen
Compher- Meyers- Pastrnak
Cogliano- Helm- O'Connor

 

[The Merchant]

He'd easily be our 2nd best C (which is more a reflection of our C depth):

View attachment 579166

Good metrics, and he had no issues keeping up with Ehlers/Scheif/Copp last year.

 

[Hasbro]

 

[HockeyFan100]

I think it’s hilarious people still wanted Stastny back. Dudes done. Watching him skate in quicksand next to our wingers and be offside half the time would be brutal.

Anyone calling him a low end 2C is bonkers. He’s more of a low end 3C or good 4C…if you’re a slow as molasses team. He’d be perfect in Dallas with the rest of the has-beens. Weird move for Carolina.

 

[Metallo]

Paul Stastny Estimated Career Earnings

: $83,443,414

That's before next season so basically he will make 85M throughout his career. That's a lot of money for a player like him.

He managed to always get great contracts. It started with his large contract with the Avs that were desperated to lock-up their "star". He didn't live up to that contract but leveraged it in subsequent contracts.

 

[Hennessy]

Well that puts to rest any Stastny talk.
I dunno. I always liked him. Being Peter's kid helped. And he had a lot of tools in his shed.
Not sure what the feelings were when he left for UFA. A lot of people were proven right when he signed with the Blues. I get the Avs not moving him at the deadline, but I don't know what the expectations were for him. So maybe the org never wanted him back. Heck, maybe there was some bad blood between him and the new generation back in the day.
Regardless, he's no longer an option.

 

[Richard88]

The Avs really need to start converting some prospects into NHL role players, and perhaps giving guys opportunities to sink-or-swim for a few games each in the first couple of months wouldn't be such a bad idea.

Most of the Avs prospects in the AHL are forwards, and Kaut, Bowers, and Maltsev's waiver exemptions are also over, so it's possible that the Avs want to keep a bottom 6 wing spot open to give some guys opportunities to stake a claim for a job at the start of the season.

There are also a few guys who are new to the organisation (eg. Sedlak and Blidh) who might pop off with Bednar in a bigger capacity than expected. We've already seen how the Avs system has allowed forwards to flourish beyond their previous levels, certainly in the case of Burakovsky, Nichushkin, Donskoi and most recently NAK as a waiver claim.

 

[Cousin Eddie]

I wonder if we at least sign a PTO this year? Seems like a good idea. Maybe even two?

 

[Raucherhusten]

I wonder if we at least sign a PTO this year? Seems like a good idea. Maybe even two?

PK or bust. Just for the fun of it ...

 

[John Mandalorian]

The Avs really need to start converting some prospects into NHL role players, and perhaps giving guys opportunities to sink-or-swim for a few games each in the first couple of months wouldn't be such a bad idea.

Most of the Avs prospects in the AHL are forwards, and Kaut, Bowers, and Maltsev's waiver exemptions are also over, so it's possible that the Avs want to keep a bottom 6 wing spot open to give some guys opportunities to stake a claim for a job at the start of the season.

There are also a few guys who are new to the organisation (eg. Sedlak and Blidh) who might pop off with Bednar in a bigger capacity than expected. We've already seen how the Avs system has allowed forwards to flourish beyond their previous levels, certainly in the case of Burakovsky, Nichushkin, Donskoi and most recently NAK as a waiver claim.

I could be delusional but I've semi-wondered if this was the plan all along. They didn't want to rely on too much youth during MacKinnon's contract but by kicking the can down the road, they risked over-relying on a lot of these guys all at the same time. I also think delaying their opportunities uncomplicated things regarding MacKinnon's and Byram's new deals by minimizing their leverage.

 

[obZen]

Lukewarm take: Lehkonen outscores Burakovsky this year.

 

[Ararana]

Lukewarm take: Lehkonen outscores Burakovsky this year.

Given the teams they're on, I'm not sure that take is even warm.

 

[chet1926]

What in the f**k makes you think Sam Steel is even an NHLer at this point?

Also lol @ the "Stastny is waiting on the Avs/Kadri" narratives. I think it's *crystal* clear by now: Paul Stastny has zero interest in ever returning to this organization.

Not sure it's Statsny that doesn't want to return. Pretty sure organization wants nothing to do with him.

Pretty sure burned every bridge here. At the time that was a crushing blow to see him walk the way he did.

That being said he was one of the last remaining viable options to help our center issue, so I understand the "rumors" even if they weren't valid.

 

[chet1926]

Lukewarm take: Lehkonen outscores Burakovsky this year.

I'm not even sure that's a crazy lukewarm take.

Lehk will probably get PP1 time in the Kadri position with guys like Makar and MacK giving him passes.

If healthy I'd be surprised if he didn't hit 50pts.

Bura, and his streaky play with a weaker team around him could very well be less than 50 pts. Especially if he has extended cold streak at any point. I mean even on this team last year he had like a streak of 20 games+ with like 1 goal.

 

[UnkleKraker]

Remember when Arnason was 1C for a bit? It’s almost that bad lol

Yes. This is my wallpaper. Those cold dead eyes.

 

[UnkleKraker]

Lukewarm take: Lehkonen outscores Burakovsky this year.

I shouldn't sh*t on my town's new team but I can see this happening. A very questionable coach + questionable on ice leadership + a known streaky player might not work out too well.

 

[Ararana]

Remember when Rangers fans were telling us Makar couldn't PK?

 

[Richard88]

I shouldn't sh*t on my town's new team but I can see this happening. A very questionable coach + questionable on ice leadership + a known streaky player might not work out too well.

There's also precedent with a streaky Colorado forward going to Seattle and seeing his production completely fall off a cliff in Donskoi.

 

[Hasbro]

Lukewarm take: Lehkonen outscores Burakovsky this year.

An upgrade over Bura in my book.

 

[Pokecheque]

I shouldn't sh*t on my town's new team but I can see this happening. A very questionable coach + questionable on ice leadership + a known streaky player might not work out too well.

Yeah I just don't see an old-school guy like Hakstol (whom I also believe is "questionable" at best) figuring out how to use Burakovsky like Bednar did. That, and the fact that their blueline is as big, slow, and talentless as they come, I don't see a complementary talent like him doing particularly well. I hope he does, but I don't see it. Maybe with some really good linemates like Bjorkstrand and Beniers he might do something, but I still think he'll just land in the doghouse and won't be able to get out.

 

[redacted]

Seattle's success will squarely be on how Wright and Beniers transition to the NHL. Beniers looked great to end the season for them... if he can come close to that level of play with Gourde playing like he did and Wright is passible in the top 9, they could have a very dangerous forward group. They were outright anemic last year, but might be adding 2 40-50 point centers and 2 25 goal guys to that group.

IMO a Bjork-Beniers-Burkie line is an incredibly dangerous line if they gel... especially since they'll likely be rotated as a 2nd line. Where McCann and and Eberle surround Gourde and Tanev and Donato or Dong surround Wright. That has the makings of a very solid group.

 

[Avs_19]

I could be delusional but I've semi-wondered if this was the plan all along. They didn't want to rely on too much youth during MacKinnon's contract but by kicking the can down the road, they risked over-relying on a lot of these guys all at the same time. I also think delaying their opportunities uncomplicated things regarding MacKinnon's and Byram's new deals by minimizing their leverage.

Maybe but the more likely reason is that those guys just aren't good and/or a fit in this system. Probably the former if we're being honest.

Except Maltsev. He can play. Bednar just needs to give him a chance to show it.

 

[John Mandalorian]

Maybe but the more likely reason is that those guys just aren't good and/or a fit in this system. Probably the former if we're being honest.

Except Maltsev. He can play. Bednar just needs to give him a chance to show it.

I don't dismiss that. It's the most obvious possibility.

 

[Vaslof]

So assuming that we aren't getting a C from UFA because of how long it has been, do you guys have any trade targets in mind for who it would make sense to acquire Girard?

 

[Pokecheque]

He managed to always get great contracts. It started with his large contract with the Avs that were desperated to lock-up their "star". He didn't live up to that contract but leveraged it in subsequent contracts.

That contract started in 2009-10 where he posted 79 points, then even with injuries still managed 57 the following season. Final year of that deal he posted 60 and centered (arguably) the team's most consistent line with Landeskog and MacKinnon on his wings. I don't see how he didn't live up to it. Injuries and I believe a hernia sidelined him for a couple years there, but if that's the reason he "didn't live up to that contract," then I guess Peter Forsberg didn't live up to his contracts either.

It seems to always be forgotten that the Avs largely wasted his prime years because they weren't even trying. It was supposedly a "rebuild" but really, we now know they weren't doing much building. In hindsight I kinda wonder why they were so intent on locking him up long-term when all they were doing is waiting out the CBA.