I can see it, but I wouldn’t see it as dramatically better than last year’s 2nd line. Colton, if he’s the 2C, is a higher motor and higher floor Compher while being less skilled. That’s not a Cup level 2nd line IMO.
Rumor: 2023-24 Trade Rumors and Free Agency: Season Thread
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I wouldn't be saying that if it was a 2C we needed lol. A top six winger, or a 3C, or other depth positions sure..
Ryjo is a lynch pin for sure.
I just have a feeling Colton would do more offensively with Mikko on his wing than JT did. Just saying..
Colton would score more goals, but he’d be of a similar level. Either way he’d be overmatched as a 2C. If he’s the 2C, I’d say odds are very low of a cup.I wouldn't be saying that if it was a 2C we needed lol. A top six winger, or a 3C, or other depth positions sure..
Ryjo is a lynch pin for sure.
I just have a feeling Colton would do more offensively with Mikko on his wing than JT did. Just saying..
- Jul 25, 2006
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When Avs won the cup, MacK was on a 6 mill contract. He’s gonna be on 12 mill next season. That makes a difference what you can do in the offseason or deadline
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And Nichushkin to...... Malgin? (looking at the playoff roster)
Gonna be fun to see how Cmac waste another year of prime Mac and Mak.
When Nuke was on the ice, he actually played well. It’s weird to me how people think he was missing…
Hardly a legit comparison. Nichushkin was here for the entire regular season aside from injuries, and in the first two games of the playoffs where the Avs were 1-1 and even with him in the lineup they were still struggling pretty hard against the Seattle depth.
A more fair comparison is maybe a healthy Nichushkin vs. Playing through injury/injured Nichushkin. And hopefully a sober Nichushkin.
- Dec 4, 2002
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Sorry, Hench. That wasn't clear. I edited my post to include 'playoff roster'.
Yes, Nichushkin was on the team in the regular season, agreed.
And they finished first in the WC in the regular season.
Amen to your 2nd paragraph.
I just don't think he makes a difference in the playoffs tbh.
Like I said, he was in the lineup for games 1 and 2, and they went 1-1 in those games but got outplayed in both games. Even with him in the lineup the Seattle depth was causing major issues compared to our depth.
Obviously losing him impacted the depth even further, but I don't think him staying in the lineup would have been all that significant of a difference in the grand scheme of things. Maaaaaybe they squeak out a 7 game series win against Seattle but I don't think they would have actually had much of a chance against Dallas next still.
- Dec 4, 2002
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We don't agree there, but that's OK.
Avs lost 3 of the last 4 games of the series, each game by one goal. IMO, Nichushkin (the non-boozed/cocained version) could/would have certainly made a difference. Against both Seattle and Dallas (who were dogshit in the playoffs, IMO).
Would have been smoked by Vegas though.
While you are absolutely right... It also just reinforces what myself and a few others(Henchy in particular) have long reiterated around here over the years. We should have been going all in way more aggressively before, because things were only going to get tougher and it would only get harder to win once all the sweetheart contracts expired and guys started to get paid what they deserve. We're seeing the start of that reality this summer(Which in some ways we even got saved from the real tough crunch by having Landy on LTIR) and it will only continue to get tougher as Toews, Rantanen, Makar, and Byram all earn big raises as well in the next 2-3 years.
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They'll need to figure out starting goaltending in that timeframe as well. A likely large raise, or a new player.
Yep. Though I think they probably continue with the strategy they have used so far with a fair bit of success.
Not sure who that next goalie is but I'd bet they grab another Georgiev/Kuemper/Grubauer sort for ~$4-4.5M in a couple years. The question is going to be whether the team in front is actually good enough at that point to where average or slightly above average goaltending will actually be good enough.
- Jul 25, 2006
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I agree that they should have been more aggressive last year when MacK was still on a cheap deal, but I also think Landy situation handcuffed CMac because the word was Landy would come back before the playoffs.
I don't think Nuke would have made a difference in the series, but even if he did... Avs weren't getting past Dallas.
IMO the Avs did pretty much what they could this summer. You could debate another depth piece or two, but practically, that won't make a huge difference. I think there is room to believe the Avs did well this summer, but they carry a lot of risk where things just need to go right... and even then there are probably a couple things that needs tweaked still.
IMO the Avs did pretty much what they could this summer. You could debate another depth piece or two, but practically, that won't make a huge difference. I think there is room to believe the Avs did well this summer, but they carry a lot of risk where things just need to go right... and even then there are probably a couple things that needs tweaked still.
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Avs deciding to use their 2 first round picks this summer tells us that they have something in mind. I don't think they'll be all-in at the deadline.
We probably use our 1st next summer as well.
We probably use our 1st next summer as well.
ANewHope
Nuggets|Avs|Broncos
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This is what makes me less hopeful. I think the Avs will be fine in the regular season. I'd be shocked if they are fighting for a playoff spot even if some guys don't work out. I love the high risk/reward approach they took with Drouin/RyJo while adding Wood/Colton. Moves will need to be made no matter what happens. If the risks don't pan out than they'll need to make a significant move.
Watching them punt on last years deadline and keeping both 1st rounders this year just doesn't give me confidence they'll do it. Even if they just added a few depth pieces who knows what happens last year. Seattle took Dallas to 7 games. The NHL playoffs are wild. I'd much rather have another top 6 caliber player/really great bottom 6 player than two prospects who likely won't amount to anything given the Avs drafting ability. Even if they hit it'll be atleast 3 years from now before it matters.
ANewHope
Nuggets|Avs|Broncos
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Wasn't game 2 the game where the Avs actually looked really good? I seem to remember Nuke having a really good game and the Avs just peppering Seattle.
I think Nuke makes a difference. Either way outside of the 2C .. the Avs just lacked depth. Alot of the names that were mentioned prior to the deadline that people didn't like the idea of because we were all focused on a 2C would have had an impact. Someone like Max Domi would have been a big step up even with his flaws.
- Jul 25, 2006
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if not RyJo, what other 2C options would be out there? Lindholm, Scheifele? Those players aren’t available as far as we know. Maybe they become available mid season maybe not.
Who else? I can’t think of many names if any
Who else? I can’t think of many names if any
If they really were serious about solving the issue, PLD would have been a perfect fit. But admittedly we don't know if he would have signed that contract with us.
Otherwise yeah, Lindholm would have been a great fit and Backlund as well but maybe they aren't actually available. They could always circle back on those guys closer to the trade deadline but I am skeptical of them doing that sort of thing at this point.
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Nuke was certainly not 100% last playoffs. He was a lot slower most likely due to the pain and the pain killers he was on. A healthy Nuke would have certainly helped against Seattle and IMO also against Dallas. I doubt we would have beat Vegas though.
Another concern I have with Nuke is what if he gets hurt again? Does he go back on pain killers so he can play or does he stay out of the lineup longer because he stays away from the pills?
Another concern I have with Nuke is what if he gets hurt again? Does he go back on pain killers so he can play or does he stay out of the lineup longer because he stays away from the pills?
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Kuznetsov was supposedly the other guy they looked at, but because he’d been more expensive they shifted to RyJo.
I mean Nuke obviously would’ve helped. But it wouldn’t have changed much in the grand scheme of things. Even if we beat Seattle we weren’t beating Dallas, Nuke or no Nuke.
- Jul 25, 2006
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I really don’t see too much difference between RyJo and Kuznetsov going into next season as far as what they could produce as the Avs 2C
expatriatedtexan
Illegitimati non carborundum
- Aug 17, 2005
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I like to think Nuke would have made a difference vs Seattle. The last three games we lost were all 1 goal games. But as you said, ain't no way they were getting out of the second round.
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