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

[Avaholic29]

How about Byram for Lundell?

No thaaaanks. Maybe Girard for lundell but Byram is too much.

 

[redacted]

Our resident insiderrrr @henchman24 said that Nichushkin had at least one 7x7 offer on the table from an east coast team.

The AAV number Nichushkin signed at is exactly a 7x7 deal but spread over 8 years, so it's pretty clear the Avs simply matched the total offer he had from someone else but kept the cap down a bit by going to 8 years.

Nichushkin also mentioned in that good interview posted recently that he gave a small discount, which is probably the dollar amount he'd be able to make in his 8th year as a 33 year old on top of the $49m if he had gone with 7x7 from someone else.

I'm still shocked nobody has narrowed down this team with the joke.

 

[Balthazar]

Hell no. But Byram for Connor

Which one? McDavid or Bedard?

 

[The Abusement Park]

Which one? McDavid or Bedard?

Sheary

 

[Bender]

After the Kessel signing, Friedman "wonders" if the Flames are now zeroing in on Evan Rodrigues.

How much depth do they need? Damn.

If the Flames do sign Rodrigues they'll be very deep upfront, on defense and have a good goalie.

I think they are looking at the "Nine 20 goal scorer/if only this hadn't happened then we would have easily won the Cup" model.

 

[Foppa2118]

Scheifele (the player) would be awesome as he's basically another 1C on a cheap cap hit for 2 seasons. He's actually an upgrade over Kadri.

The cost to acquire him would be astronomical though (at least as much as Duchene to Ottawa) and he'd walk in 2 years as we'd not want to trade him at the next deadline and we won't be able to afford to re-up his 31 yo ass.

PLD is the guy to target from Winnipeg. I'd give up Girard + Newhook + 1st for him (you talk to him first to make sure that he wants to stay long term).

His playing style is ideal for us and he has the perfect age.

Yeah PLD would be the perfect fit age wise and style wise.

I thought the Avs would dangle Girard for him, but it feels like we've heard too many times from different people that they're not going to move Girard right now. Maybe that changes next year, but maybe not.

I don't see how they can really trade for any good 2C without moving him. And I'm having a hard time finding other candidates that fit into what's obviously that $6M range they can afford for a 2C after next year.

I've always felt keeping Toews and moving G was the better move, because Toews is better, has great chemistry with their best player in Makar, and could still play well deep into his 30's with his wheels and smarts.

But lately I've been wondering if the plan is to let Toews walk, play Bo with Cale, and keep G as that #3 because he'll be cheaper than Toews.

I thought they'd maybe add a 2C around the deadline, but now I'm starting to wonder if they'll just go all in with Mikko at 2C for a year or two and see if he can do it full time. Then add another $5-6M RW which willl probably be easier and cheaper to acquire than a good $6M 2C.

I could see them targeting someone like Wheeler, if the Jets are out of the playoffs. I don't think he's been the best leader for the Jets, but he doesn't have to be that here, and he would fit in well with his speed and forechecking. He'll be 37 so it's possible he could be re-signed in the $6M range. Winnipeg may do him a favor too and let him pick which team to go Cup hunting with on his 5 team trade list too, so he may not cost an arm and a leg to acquire.

 

[Bill Peckerskull]

Yeah PLD would be the perfect fit age wise and style wise.

I thought the Avs would dangle Girard for him, but it feels like we've heard too many times from different people that they're not going to move Girard right now. Maybe that changes next year, but maybe not.

I don't see how they can really trade for any good 2C without moving him. And I'm having a hard time finding other candidates that fit into what's obviously that $6M range they can afford for a 2C after next year.

I've always felt keeping Toews and moving G was the better move, because Toews is better, has great chemistry with their best player in Makar, and could still play well deep into his 30's with his wheels and smarts.

But lately I've been wondering if the plan is to let Toews walk, play Bo with Cale, and keep G as that #3 because he'll be cheaper than Toews.

I thought they'd maybe add a 2C around the deadline, but now I'm starting to wonder if they'll just go all in with Mikko at 2C for a year or two and see if he can do it full time. Then add another $5-6M RW which willl probably be easier and cheaper to acquire than a good $6M 2C.

I could see them targeting someone like Wheeler, if the Jets are out of the playoffs. I don't think he's been the best leader for the Jets, but he doesn't have to be that here, and he would fit in well with his speed and forechecking. He'll be 37 so it's possible he could be re-signed in the $6M range. Winnipeg may do him a favor too and let him pick which team to go Cup hunting with on his 5 team trade list too, so he may not cost an arm and a leg to acquire.

I like Wheeler, but I think he's done.

Legit targets, IMO, are...

JTM, PLD, Scheifele, Dvorak, Schmaltz, P. Kane

 

[Foppa2118]

I like Wheeler, but I think he's done.

Legit targets, IMO, are...

JTM, PLD, Scheifele, Dvorak, Schmaltz, P. Kane

Wheeler had 60 points in 65 games last year. He's not what he was, but he can still play. And the decline in play makes him cheaper to acquire and re-sign. Which is what the Avs need.

They can't afford a top guy in his prime. Feels like they need to find a buy low candidate somehow like they've done in the past. Maybe a young RFA who hasn't broken out yet. Or maybe someone with untapped production playing on a bad team. Or maybe an older guy who can still play like Wheeler.

I would be surprised if they targeted a rental, and I think Scheifele and Kane are probably too expensive to re-sign. I think JTM would be a great fit, but he might be too expensive too. Especially if they trade for him at the deadline, instead of a trade and sign before his contract year.

 

[Metallo]

Every one here was assuming the cap increase would be 2025 and not 2024, which is starting to seem more likely. If the cap goes up 10 million in 2024 and 15ish million by 2025, as is being discussed, this focus on 12.5 million becomes a day old donut. And when you look at the contracts being handed out, it makes sense that teams are factoring this in. By 2024/2025, the sticker shock will long be an after thought.

Where do these cap hikes come from? The number I've seen is +1 in 23-24 and +1 in 24-25 and who knows after that. The economy is not that hot right now. What is known is "flat cap" this year and the next two. Contracts should reflect that flat cap status. We can't bank on the cap magically increasing.

Latest On Salary Cap Projections

It's been a foolish game to try and project future revenues over the last few years, with COVID-19 creating so …

www.prohockeyrumors.com

 

[shadow1]

I like Wheeler, but I think he's done.

Legit targets, IMO, are...

JTM, PLD, Scheifele, Dvorak, Schmaltz, P. Kane

I think the corpse of Jonathan Toews is a possibility too.

He's done in Chicago and agnostically Colorado makes the most sense; they're the team in the NHL, with a donut of a 2nd line.

Toews had a career worst year, but he was on an awful team, and at least most of his production came in the 2nd half. The dude seems a bit like a jerk too. But either way, I think the possibility is there.

I'm not vouching for him, for the record. Just throwing it out there.

 

[The Merchant]

What about Scheifele?

Abysmal defensively. Not the kind of guy that'll win you games in the playoffs and wouldn't come cheap

 

[Balthazar]

Abysmal defensively. Not the kind of guy that'll win you games in the playoffs and wouldn't come cheap

Scheifele between Nuke and Lehks would be spectacular IMO

I think the corpse of Jonathan Toews is a possibility too.

This

 

[Vaslof]

14.5M is low? At that point just yeet him to the sun haha

 

[JH21]

PLD? Do you not remember his days in Columbus? He was a horrible player and worse team-mate. The guy is as big of a diva as it gets. You never win with guys like that.

 

[Gumballhead]

On the main board, someone posted the cap could go up as much as 10 million in a couple of years.

Seems inevitable. Salaries are going up across the board.

 

[The Merchant]

Regarding Kane

 

[Northern Avs Fan]

Certainly not insignificant, but that will mean, at best, it hits MacK's 2nd year of his contract. Still have that first year crunch. If that happens, it will likely impact keeping Toews more than MacK.

That said, Daly is still saying more likely than not. Which is simply to say that 24 isn't guaranteed for the raise in cap, but it looks more likely than 25. If you go back and look pre-pandemic, the NHL and Daly have been a bit on the high side of these estimates of the cap and it usually ends up lower. Still 2024 would be a nice shot in the arm...

Now. saying all of that, the economy over the next 2 seasons will have a large impact. Pretty clear that economic activity has slowed and being a gate revenue league, any slowing there is likely to have an impact. Now how much it has slowed and for how long it will last are two questions that we simply don't know.


Nuke's contract is pretty rich IMO.

I dunno… the Nichushkin contract has grown on me.

It felt like they could’ve gotten better value because this was the 1st year Nichushkin broke out from a production standpoint, but $6.1M is solid value for a top line forward. And really Nichushkin was great last season too, he just didn’t get the minutes.

He’s established himself as one of the premier forechecking/defensive wings in the game. If he’s a 60+ point player in this contract, the Avs did just fine.

 

[Gumballhead]

Dvorak is polarizing as heck, but I've been thinking about something.

Burakovsky, Lehkonen, Nichushkin - absolutely not top-6 players before arriving in Denver. A cup and several 5+ year contracts later, that's obviously changed.

This requires a lot of speculation, but should the Avalanche add Dvorak, I think we should all be cautiously excited because he's more established offensively than any of those players were. Wouldn't complain if they managed to add Jake Evans to the trade, either.

I love getting cautiously excited with a bunch of strangers -- let's f-ing go!

 

[Mighty Makar]

Girard, JTC and a Kaut for Kane and Toews (50% retained).

Landeskog MacKinnon Rantanen
Nuke Toews Kane
Newhook Meyers Lehkonen
Cogliano Helm LOC

Toews Makar
Byram Manson
MacNorris Johnson

George

Make a trade for a depth forward and dman at the deadline and repeat.

 

[Gumballhead]

I think the corpse of Jonathan Toews is a possibility too.

He's done in Chicago and agnostically Colorado makes the most sense; they're the team in the NHL, with a donut of a 2nd line.

Toews had a career worst year, but he was on an awful team, and at least most of his production came in the 2nd half. The dude seems a bit like a jerk too. But either way, I think the possibility is there.

I'm not vouching for him, for the record. Just throwing it out there.

I live in the Chicago area and I don't know where all the negativity on Toews comes from. I don't pay close attention but if it were an issue the media here aren't shy. He seems like Nate in his focus and serious demeanor. I think even at this later stage in his career he'd kill it as an Av. He's a bulldog.

 

[Freaky Styley]

Girard, JTC and a Kaut for Kane and Toews (50% retained).

Landeskog MacKinnon Rantanen
Nuke Toews Kane
Newhook Meyers Lehkonen
Cogliano Helm LOC

Toews Makar
Byram Manson
MacNorris Johnson

George

Make a trade for a depth forward and dman at the deadline and repeat.

Drool. Definitely the type of trade we should be looking at. But instead of MacDonald on the 3rd pair we should go for someone like Valimaki or a different buy-low candidate.

 

[redacted]

I dunno… the Nichushkin contract has grown on me.

It felt like they could’ve gotten better value because this was the 1st year Nichushkin broke out from a production standpoint, but $6.1M is solid value for a top line forward. And really Nichushkin was great last season too, he just didn’t get the minutes.

He’s established himself as one of the premier forechecking/defensive wings in the game. If he’s a 60+ point player in this contract, the Avs did just fine.

It is still a pretty large if on him being a 60+ point player, but even if he does, he’s due to regress below that in the second half of the contract.

I also don’t think he’s a first line level player. High end 2nd liner maybe… but only one season of it. He can prove that wrong or right.

Nuke could have gotten a 7x7 deal and could have squeezed more. That doesn’t make it a good contract though. Not the worst, but not the best.

My issue with Nuke’s contract isn’t Nuke… it is a crap ton of money at wing with basically none and bottom 9 center. In a cap world, you have to pick and choose spots to spend money. 22+m on 3 wings isn’t really wise when you’re looking at Compher as the 2C. Still could have been solved by shooting EJ to the moon. Eventually the wing salaries are going to bite.

 

[Freaky Styley]

I live in the Chicago area and I don't know where all the negativity on Toews comes from. I don't pay close attention but if it were an issue the media here aren't shy. He seems like Nate in his focus and serious demeanor. I think even at this later stage in his career he'd kill it as an Av. He's a bulldog.

I've been advocating for Toews for a while now. Think he's made sense as a trade target earlier in the year, and even more so now.

 

[Gumballhead]

I've been advocating for Toews for a while now. Think he's made sense as a trade target earlier in the year, and even more so now.

Also, two Shattuck boys was part of the recipe last year for a Cup so...

 

[The Abusement Park]

Abysmal defensively. Not the kind of guy that'll win you games in the playoffs and wouldn't come cheap

I don't see how this team couldn't compete for a cup.

9296
Lehk-Scheifele-Nuke
Newhook-Meyers-JT(or replacement)
LOC-Helm-Cogs

Toews-Makar
Byram-Manson
Girard(replacement)-EJ

Georgiev