Rumor: 2022-2023 Trade Rumors and Free Agency: The Search for a 2C

[UncleRisto]

Streamed Duchene for two goals in two games there. Easiest stream of all time. Contributes nothing to peripherals, of course.

 

[AvsFan29]

Not signing Kadri was the correct choice at the time, and it's looking more and more like that choice was the correct one to make.

He's going to end up back as a 40-50 point player (he's almost there already), and the Avs don't need to waste money for the next 7 years on him.

I'm sure Sakic and Mac will make 1-2 moves at the deadline that will help the team.

I'm hoping for Kane, Horvat, or Toews...but we'll see

 

[xbestboybandever]

There would've been no need for that tradeoff if the Avs had pushed harder to dump EJ's deal (and yes, it would have been possible) and/or not re-signed Manson.

So, in this scenario… who plays the right side after Makar?

 

[Metallo]

That broke my brain for a second.

This is proof the NHL standing system is messed up.

 

[John Mandalorian]

As time moves on, at what point does Rantanen buy into being a C? Last year and now this year. He's an elite player who can drive his own line. Why all the talking around in circles over giving up assets for a 2C when a superior 2C is already on the roster?

 

[Linds]

Not signing Kadri was the correct choice at the time, and it's looking more and more like that choice was the correct one to make.

He's going to end up back as a 40-50 point player (he's almost there already), and the Avs don't need to waste money for the next 7 years on him.

I'm sure Sakic and Mac will make 1-2 moves at the deadline that will help the team.

I'm hoping for Kane, Horvat, or Toews...but we'll see

Evander would be a nice add

 

[Pokecheque]

So, in this scenario… who plays the right side after Makar?

There were options. Flipping a low draft pick to Carolina for Ethan Bear was one of them. Bottom pairing doesn’t matter too much.

 

[The Abusement Park]

As time moves on, at what point does Rantanen buy into being a C? Last year and now this year. He's an elite player who can drive his own line. Why all the talking around in circles over giving up assets for a 2C when a superior 2C is already on the roster?

I just don’t think he or Bednar want him at C. He was solid at C but he’s much more noticeable on the wing. I’d like it to work at C, but I don’t think it’s something the team is interested in.

 

[Balthazar]

As time moves on, at what point does Rantanen buy into being a C?

He's not even playing C right now and there's no top 6 C on the team. Answer is no, never.

 

[Hasbro]

Duchene has played 12 games against the Avs since being traded, scoring 11 goals and 1 assist in those games. Safe to say that's his top scoring rate against any team in his career. The vendetta is strong

What does he have to be upset about? He asked out?

And if living well is the best revenge, his former employer has the decided advantage there.

 

[Azrael89]

I don't understand why everyone is so desperate to force Rantanen to Center. He's an elite RW. Leave him there and find a capable NHL center elsewhere. The team knew center would be a weakness as soon as Kadri left, I'm sure the plan was always to hope for the best until the deadline.

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

I don't understand why everyone is so desperate to force Rantanen to Center. He's an elite RW. Leave him there and find a capable NHL center elsewhere. The team knew center would be a weakness as soon as Kadri left, I'm sure the plan was always to hope for the best until the deadline.

Because they can't really afford a good 2nd line center when they're paying over $25M for our 4 Top 6 wingers.

If Rantanen can work out as 2C, it solves literally all problems this team has.


Edit: Literally I do not think one other team in the league is spending $25M on its 4 Top 6 wingers. I might have missed a team but from what I could tell the most expensive Top 6 wingers in the league were Tampa(Stamkos, Kucherov, Hagel, and Killorn making a combined $24M) and Winnipeg(Wheeler, Connor, Ehlers, and Perfetting making a combined $22.25M).


Then you have Colorado. With Rantanen, Landeskog, Nichushkin, and Lehkonen combining for $26.9M. And starting next year our #1C is making almost half that total just by himself.


This is why we can't afford a 2C because we are spending so much money on a vastly inferior position on the ice. But if you could transition Mikko into a Center full time... Problem solved instantly. Avs could easily afford a $4M 2nd line winger next summer and not sacrifice all of the forward depth or defensive depth.

 

[Balthazar]

Because they can't really afford a good 2nd line center when they're paying over $25M for our 4 Top 6 wingers.

If Rantanen can work out as 2C, it solves literally all problems this team has.


Edit: Literally I do not think one other team in the league is spending $25M on its 4 Top 6 wingers. I might have missed a team but from what I could tell the most expensive Top 6 wingers in the league were Tampa(Stamkos, Kucherov, Hagel, and Killorn making a combined $24M) and Winnipeg(Wheeler, Connor, Ehlers, and Perfetting making a combined $22.25M).


Then you have Colorado. With Rantanen, Landeskog, Nichushkin, and Lehkonen combining for $26.9M. And starting next year our #1C is making almost half that total just by himself.


This is why we can't afford a 2C because we are spending so much money on a vastly inferior position on the ice. But if you could transition Mikko into a Center full time... Problem solved instantly. Avs could easily afford a $4M 2nd line winger next summer and not sacrifice all of the forward depth or defensive depth.

At one point you have to understand that if he's not playing center right now, when there's no top 6 C, he's never going to play center.

It's totally pointless to keep bringing this up.

 

[EdAVSfan]

At one point you have to understand that if he's not playing center right now, when there's no top 6 C, he's never going to play center.

It's totally pointless to keep bringing this up.

To be fair, he’s not the one bringing it up.

Someone else asked why fans on this board keeping asking for it.

And simply, to Pierce’s point, we keep asking for it, because, barring a trade, it is easily the most viable solution we have. It also makes the most sense.

Our options right now, if we exclude Horvat due to price, are: get a 2C in the calibre of a Toews/Henrique/etc, or, stick Rantanen there, and aim for a winger thats higher calibre than the Center options.

But I get what you’re saying. He’s not even playing Center now when we’re quite desperate so it’s likely not gonna happen. It’s a shame though. Because I don’t give a crap how he LOOKS when he’s playing there. I care how effective he is. Considering all the injuries and lack of depth, not to mention lack of experience in the position, I thought he did a formidable job.

Imagine how much better he could look with Mackinnon as the second option, and fully stocked wingers by his side.

On a complete side note, Have we considered what the Avs will do if Kane comes out and says he wants to play here?

Do we still force ERod or JTC into a 2C role and drop Lehkonen to a third line?

 

[Balthazar]

On a complete side note, Have we considered what the Avs will do if Kane comes out and says he wants to play here?

We need to spend the assets and cap space on a center.

Here's one real thing to worry about: We stopped accruing cap space a long time ago because of LTIR and we won't have cap space at the deadline as of now.

What do we do?

 

[Hasbro]

We need to spend the assets and cap space on a center.

Here's one real thing to worry about: We stopped accruing cap space a long time ago because of LTIR and we won't have cap space at the deadline as of now.

What do we do?

Remind yourself that a fan base like Vancouver would all give their left nut for ONE Cup and the Avs can take another shot next year.

 

[The Merchant]

We need to spend the assets and cap space on a center.

Here's one real thing to worry about: We stopped accruing cap space a long time ago because of LTIR and we won't have cap space at the deadline as of now.

What do we do?

Sell G now that he's a bona-fide goal scorer

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

The cap situation could indeed prohibit the Avs from doing much of anything at the deadline.


Unless it comes out between now and March that Landy or Nuke are gonna miss the rest of the regular season. If that doesn't happen they're going to be very limited in terms of what they can add...


All the more reason to put Mikko at 2C. There's a lot more options in terms of a cheap middle 6 winger that we could actually afford from a cap perspective, compared to 2nd line Centers.



Mind you Horvat getting 50% retained twice continues to probably be the most enticing option. Pay a team a 4th round pick to pick up another 50% on a Horvat deal and you'd get him for under $1.5M, then all you'd need to do is send out Newhook for it to work cap wise.

 

[Balthazar]

Sell G now that he's a bona-fide goal scorer

In all seriousness, EJ's gotta go at the deadline. It's the only logical choice at this point. JTC isn't going anywhere before the playoffs and Girard is an offseason move at best.

We should consider giving EJ for free to a team that will flip him to a playoff team at 50% at the deadline (there will be takers for EJ at 50% for a playoff run). Those 2 teams have to be on EJ's trade list though. Not easy.

MacFarland should start working on it right now if he didn't already.

Trading EJ is probably our only realistic way out (unless Girard is part of a trade that'd bring in a 2C with term but we never see that kind of stuff at trade deadlines).

 

[Azrael89]

In all seriousness, EJ's gotta go at the deadline. It's the only logical choice at this point. JTC isn't going anywhere before the playoffs and Girard is an offseason move at best.

We should consider giving EJ for free to a team that will flip him to a playoff team at 50% at the deadline (there will be takers for EJ at 50% for a playoff run). Those 2 teams have to be on EJ's trade list though. Not easy.

MacFarland should start working on it right now if he didn't already.

Trading EJ is probably our only realistic way out (unless Girard is part of a trade that'd bring in a 2C with term).

I'm fairly certain it won't be EJ. It'll be Girard first, but the point is that we need to allocate some of the Cap from defense to offense.

 

[Balthazar]

I'm fairly certain it won't be EJ. It'll be Girard first, but the point is that we need to allocate some of the Cap from defense to offense.

If it's Girard moving it has to be in the upcoming weeks. These aren't traditional deadline trades.

EJ could be a deadline move: Send him to Anaheim for future considerations, Anaheim flips him to NJ at 50% for a 2nd.

Sign EJ 1yr 800k next summer to make him happy.

 

[sethro109]

You guys are crazy if you think Joe is gonna trade EJ or Girard.

 

[Azrael89]

You guys are crazy if you think Joe is gonna trade EJ or Girard.

You're probably right. Are we just rolling with the Center group we have for this season then?

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

You guys are crazy if you think Joe is gonna trade EJ or Girard.

I dont think anybody expects them to be traded in season, that would be silly.

They missed the window to trade EJ last summer realistically. The fact they didn't trade him this past summer makes it pretty clear they aren't going to move him. He'll retire as an Av either this year or possibly even next year.


Girard is a summer time trade, but I would say there's a small chance he gets moved at the deadline if the Avs really can't figure anything else out.


I suspect the Avs will probably go the double 50% retention route at the deadline. That would get Toews down to $2.625M, Horvat down to $1.375M, O'Reilly down to $1.875M, Monahan down to $1.65M. And the Avs would have the space to fit any of those numbers in, outside of maybe Toews where it would be close.

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

I also wonder if the Avs don't move MacDermid at the deadline. Would free up some cap space, his ice time makes it pretty clear Bednar has absolutely no trust in him. And honestly we don't need the super tough guy on the roster anymore. Manson is a solid enough fighter who will go up against anybody while also playing every night. Englund isn't afraid fo throw hands either and can replace MacDermid on nacho duty in the playoffs(He's also a better Dman who Bednar trusts ever so slightly more)


MacDermid didn't see a single game in the playoffs last year.


Feels like s good trade candidate to get some space and recoup a mid round pick as well.

One of those spots where 250k overpaid can add up sort of things. We can't really afford to pay our 8th Dman $1M.