If CMac has a decent offseason and gets a few decent depth pieces (i.e. most of the 3rd/4th lines sorted out) and they're willing to shell out at the TDL/use LTIR the team can look really good in the playoffs.
Our 2023 1st should still have decent value, we have the 2024 + 2025 1st rounds, and some minor pieces in Behrens/Foudy/Olausson/etc. that should be enough to get a rental like Dubois or Scheifele + whatever bottom 6 holes at the TDL.
As bad as our cap situation is, it's honestly on par with some other teams as all of them have horrible contracts. i.e. Dallas with Benn/Seguin/Suter, Edmonton with Campbell/Yamamoto and buyouts on Neal, etc.
It definitely remains to be seen what happens. IMO it takes a lot more than a decent offseason. It will have to be a great offseason to make things work.
Certainly the Avs have the assets to grab an impact rental. A standard, run of the mill top 6 guy is roughly a 1st + prospect such as those. The Avs do have to show they are willing to go there. Which right now is a bit of a question.
Edmonton is sitting at ~79.8m next season with 21 players signed. This is actually an inflated number with how many players they have called up. You can knock about $4m off that number and 5 players. With about $8m of space they have to re-sign McLeod and Bouchard... then 3, maybe 4 depth players. That's not nearly as bad as the Avs.
Dallas has about 7.8m in space. Their defense and net is set for next year. That 7.8m in space is going their final 4 forward spots. Dellandrea gets bridged in the 2s. Leaving $5+m for the other 3 spots. 2 of those spots will go to a combo of Stankoven, Blumel, and Bourque. Which should leave around 3-3.5m to get one signing. Again also not as bad.
Both of those teams are looking at a few ~1m guys to find or ELCs to contribute. The Avs are looking at 7 or 8. Instead of it being on the fringes of the roster, it becomes 35% of the roster and impactful roles. That's not to say it is impossible, I can point to a team still in the playoffs and one of the favorites that has had to go this path... Toronto. It is just a different build and the depth suffers unless you pay through the nose for excess value contracts. The Hagel and Jeannot type of trades might have to be in the Avs' future.
And that's fine, it's a luxury having Girard/Toews/Byram on the left side. My point is we have the hardest pieces to acquire. Toronto rebuilt their team at the TDL, getting 3 middle 6 players and 2 defensemen playing in their top 4. Alternatively, Nyquist/MoJo/etc. were available for peanuts that would've been a substantial upgrade to out bottom 9.
My point is the core is here with some of the best playoff performers in the game. CMac needs to have the balls to throw everything on the table for another run.
I strongly disagree with this statement.
Hardest to get:
Elite 1D - Check.
Elite 1C - Check.
Capable Goalie(since 80% of goalies suck today) - Check.
You really think acquiring a 2C and some bottom 6 forwards are the hardest pieces to acquire? Now, 2Cs don't grow on trees, but surely easier to attain than the key pieces we already have.
That's the frustrating part for me. We HAVE the hardest pieces to acquire. Any GM would love to get a team with the hardest pieces already solved. CMac simply needed to give this team a chance at the TDL, and he did nothing of the sort.
Agree with the sentiment here. CMac needs to step up and have a very good offseason, and he needs to be more aggressive. Hopefully this year ends up that wake up call like JBB getting swept by the Jackets was. You have two clear seasons before age becomes a major issue. Make the most of them.... assets be damned.
