Rumor: 2023-2024 Trade Rumors and Free Agency: Offseason Edition

[Pierce Hawthorne]

So assuming that we actually do let the depth walk, who do you guys like as realistic options. For the bargain bin and why not 2C, too. And how much do you think we'll pay for Drouin when he signs?

I like Parise, Motte, Acciari, Monahan, Foligno, Dadonov, Kiviranta.

 

[Hasbro]

I'd let all of our UFAs go except for maybe Eller, Rodrigues, and Compher if they can be had for the right price. I would keep all of our RFAs except for Newhook. Trade him for anything at all really.

Compher getting a raise is the wrong price.

I'd rather take his slot and use it on a guy like Kampf.

 

[John Mandalorian]

What would it take to get Lindholm and Hartman?

 

[henchman21]

So assuming that we actually do let the depth walk, who do you guys like as realistic options. For the bargain bin and why not 2C, too. And how much do you think we'll pay for Drouin when he signs?

There should be plenty of names out there for 2C, but a bit under the radar one I want the Avs to take a run on is Mittelstadt. It kinda clicked with him roughly 18 months to 2 years ago, but he could never stay healthy. This year he stayed healthy... and he was on the 3rd line for the majority of the season. As injuries hit, he ended up as a top 6 center for the last ~12 games or so. He was phenomenal to end the season. He's on a 2.5m contract next year and is a RFA. There is risk here, but I really think there is a good chance he takes a large step forward next season again. As a 2C here, he might flirt with 65-70 points. His low salary for a year would really help the Avs tread water through the MacK increase.

Plus getting him out of Buffalo might not be all that hard. They are locked into their centers for a long time. They have plenty of wing talent. They need some offensive pop on the back end and are not afraid of smaller defensemen. Work in a deal around G for Mitts... probably add Newhook on the Avs' side and Bryson on the Sabres' side.

 

[BaconNater]

Yes good everyone please submit their creative and good ideas to improve the Avs that way we know exactly will not happen this off-season!

 

[RampoSanta]

In addition to 2C, is it too much to ask for a little grit in the bottom 6? Calvert intensity + Perry nuisance would be a nice presence. LOC is the only player in this mold we sort of have.

 

[JLo217]

Notable Pending UFAs:

Compher - let him go
Rodrigues - let him go if he wants more than he's paid
Helm - let him go
Cogliano - bring him back for 1M or less
Eller - I'm good with him on the 4th line for 1M or less
Nieto - I'm good with him on the 4th line for 1M or less
Erik Johnson - Let him go
Jack Johnson - let him go
Galchenyuk - BYEEEEE
Hudon - who?

Avs Notable RFAs:

Byram - bring him back, possible discount?
Newhook - Trade him
Meyers - bring him back cheap
Malgin - Tough call, 2 way contract or cheap
Ranta - no opinion
Maltsev - byeeee
Merkley - AHL deal
Clurman - Why?
Annunen - 2 way?

 

[Hasbro]

What would it take to get Lindholm and Hartman?

Now that Sutter's gone I doubt there's much movement out of Calgary.

 

[henchman21]

If Malgin isn't re-signed prior to the qualifying offer deadline, I don't think he stays. The arbitration risk is too great. Newhook, you pull the strongarm on or just trade him. Meyers you bring back at his QO or a cheaper 1 way deal. The AHL names, they don't really matter, but let Maltsev go home, package up Ranta, keep the rest.

Bryam hasn't earned a bigger deal yet and I doubt the Avs are all that willing to go long-term. So this probably ends up a 2-3 year bridge deal. In that case, he slots in the 4-5m range. Byram will think he's more McAvoy and Werenski... where the Avs go more Dobson. To me 2 years in the 4.25-4.5m range is roughly where I expect it to land. Anything below and the Avs did well.

 

[Muffin]

Well that goes our Lindholm hope

 

[dahrougem2]

Let’s stop signing 35+ year olds. In this case, a 38 year old. IMO, that’s not the way.

What are the alternatives? We're going to be bargain bin shopping regardless. If Parise is willing to come here for 850K as a bottom six forward, the Avs could do much, much worse than that.

There should be plenty of names out there for 2C, but a bit under the radar one I want the Avs to take a run on is Mittelstadt. It kinda clicked with him roughly 18 months to 2 years ago, but he could never stay healthy. This year he stayed healthy... and he was on the 3rd line for the majority of the season. As injuries hit, he ended up as a top 6 center for the last ~12 games or so. He was phenomenal to end the season. He's on a 2.5m contract next year and is a RFA. There is risk here, but I really think there is a good chance he takes a large step forward next season again. As a 2C here, he might flirt with 65-70 points. His low salary for a year would really help the Avs tread water through the MacK increase.

Plus getting him out of Buffalo might not be all that hard. They are locked into their centers for a long time. They have plenty of wing talent. They need some offensive pop on the back end and are not afraid of smaller defensemen. Work in a deal around G for Mitts... probably add Newhook on the Avs' side and Bryson on the Sabres' side.

Wow, I didn't realize he put up 59 points this season. I thought he had way less.

My concern is his skating but the guy is clearly VERY talented. I wouldn't be opposed to taking that kind of risk for the 2C slot.

Unfortunately I don't think the Avs value the 2C slot as highly as the rest of us do. They might believe wings are strong enough to compensate.

 

[henchman21]

What are the alternatives? We're going to be bargain bin shopping regardless. If Parise is willing to come here for 850K as a bottom six forward, the Avs could do much, much worse than that.


Wow, I didn't realize he put up 59 points this season. I thought he had way less.

My concern is his skating but the guy is clearly VERY talented. I wouldn't be opposed to taking that kind of risk for the 2C slot.

Unfortunately I don't think the Avs value the 2C slot as highly as the rest of us do. They might believe wings are strong enough to compensate.

Mitts' skating has come around. It isn't perfect and you'd like it to be better, but it is good enough to work. He quietly had a very good season. He wa phenomenal the last ~15 games and very good in the 2nd half overall. He may fail and this could prove to be his best season... but he's the right combo of skilled, young, and cheap that you take a chance on. I'd personally much rather take a chance like this than some others, even if it doesn't work.

I'd agree the Avs don't really value the 2C spot... they see it at just another forward spot. Hopefully that changed this year.

 

[dahrougem2]

Mitts' skating has come around. It isn't perfect and you'd like it to be better, but it is good enough to work. He quietly had a very good season. He wa phenomenal the last ~15 games and very good in the 2nd half overall. He may fail and this could prove to be his best season... but he's the right combo of skilled, young, and cheap that you take a chance on. I'd personally much rather take a chance like this than some others, even if it doesn't work.

I'd agree the Avs don't really value the 2C spot... they see it at just another forward spot. Hopefully that changed this year.

In the event the Avs can make a Girard for Mittelstadt swap, it'd leave them with just over 15M after bonuses are factored in to find a 3rd line, 4LW, sign Byram and a 3LHD.

Landeskog - MacKinnon - Nichushkin
Lehkonen - Mittelstadt - Rantanen
XXX - XXX - XXX
XXX - Foudy - O'Connor

Toews - Makar
XXX - Manson
XXX - Malinski

Georgiev
Francouz

Byram could take 4M, leave us 11M to field a 3rd line and 4LW. Not the worst thing in the world...

 

[Muffin]

Mitts' skating has come around. It isn't perfect and you'd like it to be better, but it is good enough to work. He quietly had a very good season. He wa phenomenal the last ~15 games and very good in the 2nd half overall. He may fail and this could prove to be his best season... but he's the right combo of skilled, young, and cheap that you take a chance on. I'd personally much rather take a chance like this than some others, even if it doesn't work.

I'd agree the Avs don't really value the 2C spot... they see it at just another forward spot. Hopefully that changed this year.

Not sure I agree that they don't value the 2C spot, they did go out and get Kadri. Centres are worth gold in this league and it's not easy to get one.

ROR would've been a great get at the deadline but he wanted to go to Toronto and St Louis granted his wish, 7 points in 6 games and a big reason why they beat Tampa. Might be worth visiting on July 1st.

 

[henchman21]

In the event the Avs can make a Girard for Mittelstadt swap, it'd leave them with just over 15M after bonuses are factored in to find a 3rd line, 4LW, sign Byram and a 3LHD.

Landeskog - MacKinnon - Nichushkin
Lehkonen - Mittelstadt - Rantanen
XXX - XXX - XXX
XXX - Foudy - O'Connor

Toews - Makar
XXX - Manson
XXX - Malinski

Georgiev
Francouz

Byram could take 4M, leave us 11M to field a 3rd line and 4LW. Not the worst thing in the world...

If you got Buffalo to toss in a Bryson or Stillman in the deal for the bottom pairing. You'd be able to grab 2 solid 3rd liners and a tweener with the money left over. It would likely be a another one year gap, but it buys you a year.

Not sure I agree that they don't value the 2C spot, they did go out and get Kadri. Centres are worth gold in this league and it's not easy to get one.

They grabbed Kadri after a similar failure prior. It was kind of a forced hand situation. But really, we just don't see them put massive resources to center. They could have easily dedicated space and/or assets to the the position this year... they didn't. Prior to Kadri, they could have done the same.

On the not easy to get one piece... we see a few top 6 centers move every year. They are available and you can get them. #1s... they are pretty rare, but the Avs don't need that.

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

I'm down with Mittelstadt or Hayton... Both are young enough to be decent solutions for a number of years instead of just 1 or 2 years.


There's also risk with both, I think personally I like Hayton as a better fit a little better but both would be fine targets IMO.

 

[dahrougem2]

If you got Buffalo to toss in a Bryson or Stillman in the deal for the bottom pairing. You'd be able to grab 2 solid 3rd liners and a tweener with the money left over. It would likely be a another one year gap, but it buys you a year.

Definitely something I hope they'd consider. I would hope Buffalo would value a swap like this, but I can't see them making a trade for Girard.

 

[Brett44]

I have a real hard time disagreeing with this. Toews was great in the playoffs, and moving him will make this team a lot worse on the backend.

What to do with G is going to be really tough. Every NHL GM sees what is happening with him each and every playoffs. His value can't be all that high compared to what the Avs need. But you also need to get a guy like Manson in his prime (not today's Manson) to cover for him. Rock and a hard place there.

The Byram situation will likely dictate the whole summer. We all know the kid has talent and tons of self confidence... where does that mesh with what the Avs can spend and what he has actually shown on the ice? The Avs just don't have a ton of cap to take large risks on.

This year Girard play very well vs Seatle. He proove he can be a good top 4 . But i think we should trade him for Washington Kuznetsov at 50% and Fehervary for Girard ,Newhook and +

 

[Alex Jones]

I'm down with Mittelstadt or Hayton... Both are young enough to be decent solutions for a number of years instead of just 1 or 2 years.


There's also risk with both, I think personally I like Hayton as a better fit a little better but both would be fine targets IMO.

Suspect Hayton would cost a fortune in assets. I know it's Arizona but that's an abysmally bad look to move on from a 22 year old top five pick that appears to be breaking out into a long term #2C. Not against doing it, but Avs management isn't the type to pay a massive ransom.

 

[Avs_19]

What are the alternatives? We're going to be bargain bin shopping regardless. If Parise is willing to come here for 850K as a bottom six forward, the Avs could do much, much worse than that.

I haven't looked at the FA list yet. I just don't want old guys again. Parise just said it's either NYI or nowhere so that's a moot point but in general, I wouldn't sign anyone in their mid to late 30's.

 

[dahrougem2]

I haven't looked at the FA list yet. I just don't want old guys again. Parise just said it's either NYI or nowhere so that's a moot point but in general, I wouldn't sign anyone in their mid to late 30's.

I understand the sentiment, but this team needs to find bargain bins wherever they can. If that player is old but signed to a one year contract and will be better than the absolute scrubs we've been icing like Newhook, Meyers, Malgin, Nieto, etc I'm all for it.

 

[henchman21]

Definitely something I hope they'd consider. I would hope Buffalo would value a swap like this, but I can't see them making a trade for Girard.

I can see it... Buffalo doesn't really care about smaller guys on defense and one of their biggest weaknesses is offense from the backend. They have Dahlin and Power as their top guys and will get the lion's share of offense, but they need another guy behind them to add some punch. It gets very dry, very quickly there. G with ~35 points and some power play ability (but not totally needed for his offense) fits. Now whether that adds up to Mitts or not is a bigger question.

This year Girard play very well vs Seatle. He proove he can be a good top 4 . But i think we should trade him for Washington Kuznetsov at 50% and Fehervary for Girard ,Newhook and +

I wouldn't say G played very well. He had one good game, one meh game, and a bunch of bad. G's role skews this, but he was worse than EJ this series and significantly behind Toews, Byram, and Makar.

 

[Brett44]

I can see it... Buffalo doesn't really care about smaller guys on defense and one of their biggest weaknesses is offense from the backend. They have Dahlin and Power as their top guys and will get the lion's share of offense, but they need another guy behind them to add some punch. It gets very dry, very quickly there. G with ~35 points and some power play ability (but not totally needed for his offense) fits. Now whether that adds up to Mitts or not is a bigger question.



I wouldn't say G played very well. He had one good game, one meh game, and a bunch of bad. G's role skews this, but he was worse than EJ this series and significantly behind Toews, Byram, and Makar.

Disagree 100% EJ is the reason why Seatle make à good forecheking he is too slow for NHL. Girard has been better than Byram .

 

[henchman21]

Disagree 100% EJ is the reason why Seatle make à good forecheking he is too slow for NHL. Girard has been better than Byram .

EJ had very little to do with how effective Seattle was. That's more of a factor of playing 11-12 minutes a game though. G just wasn't very good. I don't think Byram was a world beater in this series either, but he was better than G.

 

[jaisen73]

I wouldn't put Byram on the trade block per se but I would also listen to any offer that came in. Teams like Buffalo or Ottawa that who have young forwards to spare but could use some D might come at McFarland with something he can't pass up. It would need to be as close to a can't miss as possible though. A Shane Pinto player for player or Byram and pieces for Middlestat and pieces. Not holding my breath on such a deal but I think you at least listen or consider it.