Rumor: 2023-24 Trade Rumors and Free Agency: Season Thread

[PAZ]

I think people underestimate just how big a leash Drouin will have on this team.

We know Bednar has zero tolerance for laziness/soft play but this is different. MacKinnon personally requested this guy on the team AND Drouin took a super low money deal to be here.

He is going to be given so many opportunities to figure it out with 29. They will swap out Nichushkin/Rantanen/Lehkonen/etc on the line with those two before moving Drouin.

I think there's an astericks to that.

As long as he's putting in effort in the eyes of Mack + Bednar, he'll have a long leash.

 

[Balthazar]

I think people underestimate just how big a leash Drouin will have on this team.

We know Bednar has zero tolerance for laziness/soft play but this is different.

Nah, it's RyJo who's going to get the long leash. Same one as JTC.

Drouin could be demoted from the 1st line by november...and once he's no longer playing with Mack he becomes just another player in the eyes of the coach.

 

[Foppa2118]

This whole Drouin conversation is lacking perspective.

Let's say the cap crunched Avs don't sign Drouin and sign somebody else with that $825k. What kind of player are they getting for that salary in UFA?

Now let's say the Avs sign a typical 4th liner for $825k, and this board that complained about depth scoring all of last year watches Drouin sign with Dallas for that amount. What's the reaction here?

Instead of worrying about Wood playing on the 2nd line if Drouin doesn't work, now Wood IS on the 2nd line, because you spent that $825k on a 4th liner, since you almost never get a player with any sort of top 6 potential for that amount outside an ELC.

Drouin being an injury risk at that salary is not that important. Sign a 4th liner for that amount and they'll likely be an injury risk too, because most are due to playing style, but you wouldn't want them playing higher than the 4th or at most 3rd line in a pinch.

What's important is they got a guy with top six potential, who has a history of great chemistry with MacKinnon, and scored at a 41-54 point pace recently with much worse forwards in Montreal, for $825k when they're strapped for cash. Only this board can find the negativity in that.

 

[NOTENOUGHRYANTHINGS]

He just hasn't been addicted to chickpeas and Nate's other secret ingredients.

Yeah we all like to talk about how fast or what pace this team plays at but its vastly overrated. They have some fast players who use their speed on occasion to get chances on the rush. But do the math, if you aren't MacK quick you still get down the ice maybe 3 feet behind him unless your anticipation and play reading is terrible.

The forwards don't need to be fast in this system but they do need to think fast. Drouin should be able to at least do that.

 

[MacKaRtin]

Oh it's just a joke I make these days because there are people who's job it is to tell big companies things like that, and they definitely have made shit annoying as hell, and worse trying to cater to and trick target audiences, as well as shave every damn dime off the back end of whatever product makes money.

It's called consumer psychology in advertising.

I think my joke was too subtle, I was trying to imply that due to my own smartphone-induced ADD, I couldn't make it to the end of your post.

 

[Foppa2118]

I don't disagree on Lehky playing there, but Drouin can move the puck up the ice with a pass in ways few guys can, and those two can skate.

I bet he could hit them behind the defense enough, or take a pass off the wall and move it through traffic often enough it would be worth it.

In my defense I was spot on when it came to Nuke helping Kadri's & Bura's lazy asses lol. This is just the reverse.

The Avs never have a traditional checking 3rd line. Just look at who they've used in that role over the years.

Kerfoot, Compher, Meyers, Malgin, ERod, Newhook, Donskoi, Andrighetto, Kamenev, Yakupov, Brassard, Colborne, Grigorenko, PAP, Briere, Hensick, Arnason....

Those guys aren't hard checkers. They're mostly softer, somewhat one dimensional offensive players, sometimes on the smaller side.

Even Colton somewhat fits that mold as more of an offensive than defensive player. And as you mention, if Drouin ends up there, the hard forechecking motors of Colton and Wood, who also play a shoot first style, might actually fit well with the more cerebral passer in Drouin.

The Avs have always used the 3rd line like a poor man's 2nd line for depth scoring, not a traditional gritty defensive line. That's the 4th line.

 

[SoundwaveIsCharisma]

I almost feel like an aggressive forechecking, offensive third line works better than a traditional checking line for this version of the Avs

 

[LOFIN]

 

[Balthazar]

Making room for EJ on the right side

 

[Avsboy]

I almost feel like an aggressive forechecking, offensive third line works better than a traditional checking line for this version of the Avs

Gonna give energy to the team. Now just place a painting of Landy in the lockeroom, and scatter voodoo dolls all around

 

[niwotsblessing]

Would be the most HFAvs thing ever, if this forum went from talking endless shit about Drouin sucking, to bitching and moaning about CMac not re-signing him.

After getting his name carved into Lord Stanley's Cup, and especially because of his crucial role in MacK's career year and Conn Smythe Trophy, we'll ALL want him to sign up for more.

PS- @Sea Eagles - Am doing this right?

 

[dahrougem2]

Nah, it's RyJo who's going to get the long leash. Same one as JTC.

Drouin could be demoted from the 1st line by november...and once he's no longer playing with Mack he becomes just another player in the eyes of the coach.

Johansen already has a reputation of being insanely lazy during the regular season. Bednar isn't going to demote him.

When it comes to Drouin, the Avs are gambling on a cheap contract giving them cap relief in the top six. He's going to be given every last opportunity to make it work at 5v5 with MacKinnon.

 

[GoNordiquesGo]

I'm surprised no one is talking about the fact that Drouin walked away from the game because of mental health issues in 2021. Other than his writst injury, a lot of his struggles were related to that. Being away from the intense scrutiny of the Montreal media community for a francophone player will do him good.

 

[Bill Peckerskull]

Oh god. The hot takes in here are golden.

Not a hot take when it's true.

Of the guys they are replacing (JTC, Rodriques, Newhook) only JTC averages more than .3 penalties a game (.35) during his career.

RyJo averages .61 penalties a game.
Wood, 1.05 per game.
Colton, .47 per game.

I don't think it's a stretch to say the Avs will be on the PK a couple more times per game, and If they're taking more penalties each game, it's a pretty safe bet they will be on the PP less.

I guess we'll find out. I sure hope that isn't the case, but I doubt Bednar is gonna be able to coach those three to take significantly less penalties than they normally have.

 

[CobraAcesS]

The Avs never have a traditional checking 3rd line. Just look at who they've used in that role over the years.

Kerfoot, Compher, Meyers, Malgin, ERod, Newhook, Donskoi, Andrighetto, Kamenev, Yakupov, Brassard, Colborne, Grigorenko, PAP, Briere, Hensick, Arnason....

Those guys aren't hard checkers. They're mostly softer, somewhat one dimensional offensive players, sometimes on the smaller side.

Even Colton somewhat fits that mold as more of an offensive than defensive player. And as you mention, if Drouin ends up there, the hard forechecking motors of Colton and Wood, who also play a shoot first style, might actually fit well with the more cerebral passer in Drouin.

The Avs have always used the 3rd line like a poor man's 2nd line for depth scoring, not a traditional gritty defensive line. That's the 4th line.

Yeah, I've learned also that literally everything is probably going to be tried.

Just an idea on a night where it's time to try something different.

I'll say something else crazy, I'd try it with Drouin at center.

 

[CobraAcesS]

Would be the most HFAvs thing ever, if this forum went from talking endless shit about Drouin sucking, to bitching and moaning about CMac not re-signing him.

Didn't we go through this Nuke?

no.

Landy is also a freak, and if he's actually making meaningful progress, and if he's skating, he'll play even if it's early and with pain.

Writing him in isn't a good bet, but neither is writing him off.

 

[CobraAcesS]

I think there's an astericks to that.

As long as he's putting in effort in the eyes of Mack + Bednar, he'll have a long leash.

Honestly if he is, he's probably working in the spot, and should have as long a leash as any top six player should get.

 

[CobraAcesS]

This whole Drouin conversation is lacking perspective.

Let's say the cap crunched Avs don't sign Drouin and sign somebody else with that $825k. What kind of player are they getting for that salary in UFA?

Now let's say the Avs sign a typical 4th liner for $825k, and this board that complained about depth scoring all of last year watches Drouin sign with Dallas for that amount. What's the reaction here?

Instead of worrying about Wood playing on the 2nd line if Drouin doesn't work, now Wood IS on the 2nd line, because you spent that $825k on a 4th liner, since you almost never get a player with any sort of top 6 potential for that amount outside an ELC.

Drouin being an injury risk at that salary is not that important. Sign a 4th liner for that amount and they'll likely be an injury risk too, because most are due to playing style, but you wouldn't want them playing higher than the 4th or at most 3rd line in a pinch.

What's important is they got a guy with top six potential, who has a history of great chemistry with MacKinnon, and scored at a 41-54 point pace recently with much worse forwards in Montreal, for $825k when they're strapped for cash. Only this board can find the negativity in that.

I'll just think, you type

I don't want to dismiss the obvious risks, but yeah there is very little risk and a ton of upside. I think it gets completely glossed over what he actually did to be here.

I wonder how many people here would walk away from a million dollars just to win.

That's literally what Drouin did, and he still just gets shit on constantly by this board. I have no problems calling that out.

After getting his name carved into Lord Stanley's Cup, and especially because of his crucial role in MacK's career year and Conn Smythe Trophy, we'll ALL want him to sign up for more.

PS- @Sea Eagles - Am doing this right?

Yes

 

[Tommy Shelby]

Wood is either going to tone down on the dumb penalties and play in the top-6 (because injuries) or he's gonna be in Bedsy's doghouse and play on a hated "3rd" line with some combination of Drouin/Meyers/whatever AHL misfit gets dredged up from the mire of mediocrity.

There is no in-between

 

[CobraAcesS]

The issue with Drouin isn't that he isn't a good gamble, he's an excellent, no risk high reward gamble.

The thing is it seems like a lot of people (including management?) forget that he is a gamble and pencil him on the top line like he's sure to play well and stay healthy. He hasn't played well or stayed healthy in 4+ years.

If he can't make the top 6 then who's going to replace him in the top 6? Colton?

If Colton isn't playing on the 3rd line that means that our bottom 6 is utter garbage again.

Well, then we'll actually have to spend the assets to fix the issue that we would of had to spend anyway. I didn't see anything in UFA that makes me wish they didn't take that gamble so if it works, and there is another issue we have the space and the assets to address it.

I may not be completely satisfied with this roster, but it's setup for flexibility and ideally not having to deal with addressing a damn top six center.

3C, T6W, #4D are all fixable. I just hope we don't need two of those. That's where my fingers are crossed.

 

[MacKaRtin]

RyJo averages .61 penalties a game.
Wood, 1.05 per game.
Colton, .47 per game.

I think you've momentarily overlooked how penalty statistics are recorded (in minutes). First of all, at a bare minimum, you would need to divide each of the numbers above by half (2 minutes per minor penalty). Also, you would want to subtract offsetting fighting majors (5 minutes each), 10 minute misconduct calls, and offsetting minors for roughing and the like.

If you use your formula, then Marty McSorley took 4 penalties per game in 1992-1993 with the Kings. But actually the vast majority of those minutes were related to punching other people in ritual violence ceremonies.

 

[MacKaRtin]

RyJo averages .61 penalties a game.
Wood, 1.05 per game.
Colton, .47 per game.

To get a better sense of minor penalties taken vs minor penalties drawn, we can use JFresh's percentile data:

Colton: 86% (draws much more than he takes)
Wood: 41% (involved in a lot of incidents but more or less evens out)
Johansen: 1% (ooof, this is the one I worry about, suggests there are a ton of lazy penalties in his game)

 

[Ceremony]

I'm enjoying the Drouin discourse. My favourite part is MacKinnon running the team in the background like a psychopathic mafia don.

 

[AvsMakar08]

I'm surprised no one is talking about the fact that Drouin walked away from the game because of mental health issues in 2021. Other than his writst injury, a lot of his struggles were related to that. Being away from the intense scrutiny of the Montreal media community for a francophone player will do him good.

After he divorced MacKinnon then all the symptoms had started to occur.

 

[Muffin]

I don’t think we have to worry about Drouin producing. He was still on a 40 point pace on a dumpstar fire team. Next to MacKinnon he’s getting at least 60.