Rumor: 2023-2024 Trade Rumors and Free Agency: Off-season is in full swing

[Balthazar]

I don't feel like stocking up on Habs rejects is a blue print for success, one is more than enough.

I'm afraid rejects is all we can afford

 

[Avaholic29]

Drouin does not

His most productive stretch last season was in the middle. His faceoffs are probably putrid though, can’t really speak on that as I don’t know the %.

 

[AvsMakar08]

I mean we could focus on Drouin and RyJo possibly not working out, Colton not being a perfect 200 foot player, Bo and Cale being concussion prone, Girard being at risk of breaking his sternum on every hit, Manson having another year of high ankle sprains, Malinski not panning out, Georgie getting lit up because he's only proven himself as a starter for one year, Gabe never coming back, Mikko reverting back to bambi legs, Lehky missing the season with 1st degree burns from a Sauna mishap, Nuke going AWOL on the SoCal road trip to watch the donkey show in Tijuana, or MacKinnon getting suspended for life because he beat Bednar with a stick after he had a carb deficient hallucination that he told him to do his job again.

......or we could just look at the roster and see that it's WAY improved from the roster they started the season with last year, they can still make more moves during the season, they could possibly add Gabe for the playoffs, and then just enjoy the rest of our summer.

We will be just fine. We are listed as being contenders according to most insiders. You are talking like we are in a plane crash or something.

 

[Bill Peckerskull]

 

[the_fan]

Carolina getting Karlsson will be the dumbest thing that organization can do. Burns and Karlsson played together before and had zero chemistry which was pretty bad for both of them and the team.

Go for it Canes!!!!

 

[Balthazar]

Carolina getting Karlsson will be the dumbest thing that organization can do.

Yet Pittsburgh getting him is so much worse.

 

[the_fan]

Yet Pittsburgh getting him is so much worse.

Pens core is getting older so I kinda get it they’re desperately trying to do anything they can to make another run, which I don’t think will happen with Karlsson but still…

Canes on the other hand still have a young team that needs to take that next step and they want to bring in Karlsson? That’s like the worst fit I can think of

 

[Avsboy]

delete

 

[dahrougem2]

Yet Pittsburgh getting him is so much worse.

Not really. Pittsburgh is going to suck the second Crosby is retired. That team needs to put all their chips into competing so long as Sid is still playing like an elite 1C.

Obviously, the prudent thing to do from an organizational standpoint would have been to trade all of Crosby, Malkin, and Letang for as large of hauls as you could acquire when they were soon-to-be UFAs. That didn't happen, so here we are.

I actually think Pittsburgh makes a ton of sense. They don't need SJ to retain at all because they can include Petry and Granlund, who both have 2 years left vs Karlsson's 4. It's a 250K difference.

Now, where Pittsburgh may be hesitant is adding picks/prospects to satisfy SJ.

No doubt about it though, adding Karlsson while subtracting both Petry and Granlund would make the Penguins a MUCH better team.

His most productive stretch last season was in the middle. His faceoffs are probably putrid though, can’t really speak on that as I don’t know the %.

Drouin is not a centre. It has been tried and tried. He is a winger. Always has been, always will be.

 

[chet1926]

I don't understand the sense of urgency that some have to push all your chips in the middle right now...
- There is uncertainty with Drouin and RyJo, therefore you have to add a player NOW
- There is uncertainty about the depth players therefore you have to add a player NOW
- Trade G NOW to get cap room to add these players

How about lets see how they do, lets see who gets injured or not, lets see how the prospects fare, lets see what's available on the waiver wire, and THEN lets play our chips in the manner that makes the most sense for the playoffs.

Wait and see worked so well last year.... do you honestly believe CMac is capable of early to mid season adjustments after watching last year's complete shit show collection of castaways and wire pickups that did nothing of value.

Also don't understand the mentality of not at least attempting to create a strong base from the get go. This isn't pushing all your chips in, just giving yourself a strong starting point so big changes aren't needed.

I'm not asking for a roster blowup just some minor upgrades over Meyers and Olaffson in the bottom 6. With guys that have proven track records of NHL success. So there are less holes. Plus these bottom 6ers aren't getting huge deals, which means there isn't any risk. They suck you bury them and move on next year.

 

[Foppa2118]

We will be just fine. We are listed as being contenders according to most insiders. You are talking like we are in a plane crash or something.

I think you might have meant to quote another post. I feel the same as you.

 

[chet1926]

Chet how would you have done it, while not a perfect roster I can’t hate much.money being right and landeskog a future uncertain it might not be much different next year if Landry comes back

I think the additions have been fine.

The problem is the bottom 6 is missing two NHLers, 3W and 4C.

3W, I'd be fine if they are thinking of giving Foudy every shot to earn that position. But let's be honest Foudy isn't going to get that shot, because it's the Avs and they never do that shit. So that's a big need from either a remaining ufa or a trade. Heinen is a ufa that I wouldn't hate to take a 1yr flyer on. Better option than what we've got right now either LOC or Cogs.

4C Meyers will not cut it, he sucks, not an NHLer. Have to find someone better than him. Pauly Walnuts is still out there and would be a significant upgrade over Meyers.

 

[Foppa2118]

Wait and see worked so well last year.... do you honestly believe CMac is capable of early to mid season adjustments after watching last year's complete shit show collection of castaways and wire pickups that did nothing of value.

Also don't understand the mentality of not at least attempting to create a strong base from the get go. This isn't pushing all your chips in, just giving yourself a strong starting point so big changes aren't needed.

I'm not asking for a roster blowup just some minor upgrades over Meyers and Olaffson in the bottom 6. With guys that have proven track records of NHL success. So there are less holes. Plus these bottom 6ers aren't getting huge deals, which means there isn't any risk. They suck you bury them and move on next year.

CMac has created a strong base to start the season though. Much stronger than last year.

They've brought in a 2C replacement in Johansen that should be an upgrade on Compher and a good bet IMO to produce the same 60 pointsor so (possibly more) Kadri usually does.

They've brought in a potential Burakovsky replacement for the top 6 in Drouin.

They've brought in a 3C replacment in Colton who should be an upgrade on both Newhook and Compher.

They also brought in some size and grit in the top 9 with Wood, Colton, and RyJo, which was a big part of why they didn't advance in the playoffs without Landy, Nuke, and a compromised Lehky.

They've assembled a very similar team to their Cup winning roster. Nobody knew if Burky or Naz would work well on the team when they were brought in either.

I think they could use some size on defense before the playoffs, but for the regular season it should be fine. I have high hopes the well seasoned Malinski could have a solid season. We know how good the Avs are at identifying defenseman like him and he's right in the middle of his athletic prime.

All they're really missing is a 3rd line RW and maybe a 3rd pair RD if Malinski doesn't look ready. Not that big a deal. They've got options for 4C, and even if they don't work, this is one of the easiest and cheapest roles to fill by trade/waivers.

If they bring in another good winger this will be one of, if not the most dominant teams on paper in the NHL. Especially if they can add Gabe for the playoffs.

If they did that they could possibly have a 3rd line in the playoffs of Landy - Colton - Lehky, which would be a very good 2nd line, let alone 3rd line.

That would be great but that shouldn't be the expectation. We can't be that upset that CMac didn't assemble the perfect team with no possible weaknesses in the offseason. That's not the bar for anyone else.

 

[Muffin]

Minus Kadri’s outlier year RyJo has had a better track record than him.

 

[Foppa2118]

Minus Kadri’s outlier year RyJo has had a better track record than him.

Exactly. The low end of expectations should be that Johansen could produce just like Kadri. Which should be meaningful for everyone upset they didn't re-sign Naz.

But he's got room for growth in his game to have a big season the way Naz did with the Avs too. In general he's got more skill than Naz, better vision, he's better defensively, and has a bigger body that he throws around from time to time.

And as you mention he's consistently produced at a slightly higher clip than Naz. For a Preds team that had a crappy culture IMO which couldn't get him to play hard consistently. The Avs culture is much different.

These are all things that should make us feel optimistic rather than pessimistic.

It's a very similar circumstance to when they brought in Naz too. The Avs are great at identifying buy low candidates that come cheap in trade, and have a chip on their shoulder thinking their last team didn't appreciate them. They're also usually a year or two away from UFA. This makes them good bets to have big seasons.

Plus the Avs with their high skilled blueline and rush attack game tend to get the absolutely most out of every skilled forward that comes to the team. Even a guy like Malgin they got the most out of.

 

[JH21]

Screw it. Bring in bff's Jonathan Toews (1m) and Patty Kane (2.5m) after camp and still have 1 mil left

Drouin - Mackinnon - Kane
Lehkonen - Johansen - Rantanen
Wood - Colton - Nichushkin
O'Connor - Toews - Cogliano

Toews - Makar
Byram - Girard
JJ - Manson

Go 82-0 and win the Cup

 

[expatriatedtexan]

The thing I like about RyJo is that I believe he'll make better use of his linemates than Kadri did.

 

[nammerus]

Minus Kadri’s outlier year RyJo has had a better track record than him.

Minus Ryan Johansen's outlier season in 2022 (where he shot 22%, which is close to twice his career average), he’s barely averaging 40 points as season over the last 4 seasons. Take away Kadri’s outlier season (which is worlds better then any season Ryjo has ever even dreamt of), he’s still averaging 50-55 points over that same span.

Ryjo has been an absolute dog shit top 6 C for the last 4 years. It’s a huge disservice to Kadri to be compared to Ryjo.

There’s nothing to suggest over the last 4 years that Ryjo is anymore than a below average #2 pivot.

 

[Grigowski]

Screw it. Bring in bff's Jonathan Toews (1m) and Patty Kane (2.5m) after camp and still have 1 mil left

Thank You - CapFriendly - NHL Salary Caps

Thank you for the amazing 9 years

www.capfriendly.com

 

[chet1926]

Minus Ryan Johansen's outlier season in 2022 (where he shot 22%, which is close to twice his career average), he’s barely averaging 40 points as season over the last 4 seasons. Take away Kadri’s outlier season (which is worlds better then any season Ryjo has ever even dreamt of), he’s still averaging 50-55 points over that same span.

Ryjo has been an absolute dog shit top 6 C for the last 4 years. It’s a huge disservice to Kadri to be compared to Ryjo.

There’s nothing to suggest over the last 4 years that Ryjo is anymore than a below average #2 pivot.

Kadri is much better than RyJo, anyone saying otherwise is out to lunch, and purely hoping that RyJo will be back to his form of 5 years ago. As you mentioned his last 4 years have been bad outside his outlier year.

 

[chet1926]

CMac has created a strong base to start the season though. Much stronger than last year.

They've brought in a 2C replacement in Johansen that should be an upgrade on Compher and a good bet IMO to produce the same 60 pointsor so (possibly more) Kadri usually does.

They've brought in a potential Burakovsky replacement for the top 6 in Drouin.

They've brought in a 3C replacment in Colton who should be an upgrade on both Newhook and Compher.

They also brought in some size and grit in the top 9 with Wood, Colton, and RyJo, which was a big part of why they didn't advance in the playoffs without Landy, Nuke, and a compromised Lehky.

They've assembled a very similar team to their Cup winning roster. Nobody knew if Burky or Naz would work well on the team when they were brought in either.

I think they could use some size on defense before the playoffs, but for the regular season it should be fine. I have high hopes the well seasoned Malinski could have a solid season. We know how good the Avs are at identifying defenseman like him and he's right in the middle of his athletic prime.

All they're really missing is a 3rd line RW and maybe a 3rd pair RD if Malinski doesn't look ready. Not that big a deal. They've got options for 4C, and even if they don't work, this is one of the easiest and cheapest roles to fill by trade/waivers.

If they bring in another good winger this will be one of, if not the most dominant teams on paper in the NHL. Especially if they can add Gabe for the playoffs.

If they did that they could possibly have a 3rd line in the playoffs of Landy - Colton - Lehky, which would be a very good 2nd line, let alone 3rd line.

That would be great but that shouldn't be the expectation. We can't be that upset that CMac didn't assemble the perfect team with no possible weaknesses in the offseason. That's not the bar for anyone else.

Who is filling the biggest hole, in your fantasy? Who is the Landy replacement? The year we won the Cup Landy dropped 30 goals and basically 60 pts. Where's that coming from this year?

Drouin is not Bura, not even close. Guy had 2 lousy goals last year and has never broken 20 in a season.

RyJo had a major injury last year, who knows how he'll play. On paper better than Compher, but will he give us more than 52 pts that JTC produced last season?

Wood and Colton are nice adds, but overall the bottom 6 is weak. Easily bottom 10 in the league. LOC is ok in a 4th line role, Cogs is old and coming off a broken neck, Meyers and Olaffson suck.

Defense and goaltending is fine. Hoping Malinski can run with an opportunity.

 

[Gumballhead]

Who is filling the biggest hole, in your fantasy?

Dude.

 

[chet1926]

Dude.

Lol didn't even realize it until you pointed it out, hilarious.

 

[NateTheGreat]

There was zero chance CMac was going to fill out every need on this roster with a 100% guarantee of success. This is the NHL, you are competing with 31 other franchises for the services of a player. If there was an option out there that came with no risk and guaranteed to fill a position, don’t you think everyone in the league would be after that? GM’s take chances on players, sometimes they work out, sometimes they don’t.

The hardest part of being a contenter is getting the high end talent in which we already have. There was no other way of filling out this roster other than taking chances on reclamation projects, bounce backs, etc. To think a GM can just go into an off-season and fill his teams every need to a tee with no risk would be a foolish endeavour.

On top of all this, you need a few bounces to go your way in order to win the Cup. Most every team that wins it has a moment in the playoffs where if things had gone just a little differently, the end result wouldn’t be the same. Helm’s goal against the Blues for example, if he doesn’t score that, who knows how that series plays out.

 

[SoundwaveIsCharisma]

There was zero chance CMac was going to fill out every need on this roster with a 100% guarantee of success. This is the NHL, you are competing with 31 other franchises for the services of a player. If there was an option out there that came with no risk and guaranteed to fill a position, don’t you think everyone in the league would be after that? GM’s take chances on players, sometimes they work out, sometimes they don’t.

The hardest part of being a contenter is getting the high end talent in which we already have. There was no other way of filling out this roster other than taking chances on reclamation projects, bounce backs, etc. To think a GM can just go into an off-season and fill his teams every need to a tee with no risk would be a foolish endeavour.

On top of all this, you need a few bounces to go your way in order to win the Cup. Most every team that wins it has a moment in the playoffs where if things had gone just a little differently, the end result wouldn’t be the same. Helm’s goal against the Blues for example, if he doesn’t score that, who knows how that series plays out.

Yea, this isn't NHL23 where you can just scam other GMs with bad trades repeatedly until you get the roster you want. Players that we really, really want are also valued very, very highly.