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

[Ararana]

They're too busy trying to get defensemen. For once I actually agree with a Leafs move.

 

[redacted]

Totally true. We can't waste another year of this team's prime, because we didn't have a proper #2 center. Johansen needs to show his worth before the trade deadline OR we need to get a new one.

We don't have time to waste. The time is now.

This is how I feel, but I also feel the Avs are backed a bit into a corner with RyJo (and the others). Not a ton of assets and not any room (plus the extra seasons).

As has been stated a million times, the Avs went risk/reward in the offseason. If the risks all pan out, it'll be a great team. If some don't work out, depending on who it is, it will make contending tough. The Avs schedule is pretty easy through the year, so they have time to work on things and for the guys to get comfortable. We will see stretches of good and bad play... times of it working or not. None of it really matters until the playoffs though... either way. The Avs could be a 120 point team and look amazing in vacuums... but still get bumped in the first round when teams gameplan and attack over a series. That would be a huge failure in my mind despite a great regular season.

 

[The Abusement Park]

Did he get benched? Ice time seemed pretty evenly distributed last night.

I assumed he did as he got removed from both PP’s. But could be wrong.

 

[Cousin Eddie]

I assumed he did as he got removed from both PP’s. But could be wrong.

Yeah he was replaced by Drouin on the top PP and then he didn’t even get a shift with the second unit.

Never really noticed 5v5

 

[Balthazar]

The RyJo experiment has to work. I can't see the Avs replacing him.

 

[redacted]

Here is the shift chart

Time On Ice Report Home Team

RyJo wasn't on the PP, but got more shifts in the 3rd than any other period and played >5 minutes.

The RyJo experiment has to work. I can't see the Avs replacing him.

During this season I personally don't see a change. Two main reasons... not the assets or room to make a big change. Secondarily, the Avs know that RyJo has different gears and the one that he's in today isn't the one he will be in during the playoffs. Will it be enough to make a difference? Who knows. But they'll likely let that play out.

Now next summer... if he fails, I could see a change. Either paying someone to take the contract or biting the bullet and buying him out.

 

[NorthernAvsFan]

The RyJo experiment has to work. I can't see the Avs replacing him.

They gave up nothing for him. Who couldn’t they pivot?

 

[UncleRisto]

They gave up nothing for him. Who couldn’t they pivot?

PIVOOOOTTTT

 

[MacKaRtin]

Someone had to do it.

Yeah, I hear you. @The Kingslayer too busy these days worshipping the ice that Quinn Hughes skates on to bother with the reverse jinxes

 

[Nihiliste]

I just hope CMac has started to work on a contingency plan for RyJo. I wanted it to work, and I still want to give it time because we don't really have a choice. It was a good bet, but clearly we have to get ready to do something if this ship doesn't turn.

Given how they’ve handled every year but the cup year, I doubt it. We’re probably stuck with him unfortunately

 

[John Mandalorian]

Here is the shift chart

Time On Ice Report Home Team

RyJo wasn't on the PP, but got more shifts in the 3rd than any other period and played >5 minutes.


During this season I personally don't see a change. Two main reasons... not the assets or room to make a big change. Secondarily, the Avs know that RyJo has different gears and the one that he's in today isn't the one he will be in during the playoffs. Will it be enough to make a difference? Who knows. But they'll likely let that play out.

Now next summer... if he fails, I could see a change. Either paying someone to take the contract or biting the bullet and buying him out.

Risky after what happened last season.

 

[Colorado Avalanche]

The RyJo experiment has to work. I can't see the Avs replacing him.

Unless he flops hard

 

[niwotsblessing]

Did he get benched? Ice time seemed pretty evenly distributed last night.

He did not play on a couple of PP's in the 3rd, which is what Ryker noted during the broadcast.

I am glad Bednar is sending him a clear message early in the season. And we should note that both MacK and Rants had bad games last night and the 1st unit PP looked like trash at times.

RyJo had as many points as Moose last night.

 

[redacted]

Risky after what happened last season.

That's the thing with this year. High risk/high reward. All of the offseason guys were high risk/high reward. Not necessarily in contract amounts... but Drouin either works as a top 6 wing, or he's useless. RyJo works as a 2C or you're trying to dump his 2nd year. Colton either works at 3C and is underpaid... or he's an overpaid winger. Wood either works as a 3rd liner or you've saddled yourself with a 100% overpaid 4th liner. Olofsson was never a guy to play 4C, can he sustain that role. etc. etc. All the major roster decisions are lined up on the risky side. If it works, they'll look like geniuses... if it doesn't, they'll have wasted a year.

I said it in the summer and I still feel it today. Even if it doesn't work, going this risky path was better than sitting on their hands and bringing back the same guys. They may not end up better, but they at least tried something and tried it with projectable guys. This isn't trying to make JTC a 2C despite years of failure... this is trying to get a former 1C to find some youth or find some coke so he can fill in as a 2C. This is taking natural centers who haven't played there in the NHL due their former teams' makeups and pushing them to the middle.

FTR I don't think all the risks need to pan out. If Drouin and Tatar don't... it isn't a big deal. If RyJo or Colton don't, it is a very big deal.

 

[LOFIN]

That's the thing with this year. High risk/high reward. All of the offseason guys were high risk/high reward. Not necessarily in contract amounts... but Drouin either works as a top 6 wing, or he's useless. RyJo works as a 2C or you're trying to dump his 2nd year. Colton either works at 3C and is underpaid... or he's an overpaid winger. Wood either works as a 3rd liner or you've saddled yourself with a 100% overpaid 4th liner. Olofsson was never a guy to play 4C, can he sustain that role. etc. etc. All the major roster decisions are lined up on the risky side. If it works, they'll look like geniuses... if it doesn't, they'll have wasted a year.

I said it in the summer and I still feel it today. Even if it doesn't work, going this risky path was better than sitting on their hands and bringing back the same guys. They may not end up better, but they at least tried something and tried it with projectable guys. This isn't trying to make JTC a 2C despite years of failure... this is trying to get a former 1C to find some youth or find some coke so he can fill in as a 2C. This is taking natural centers who haven't played there in the NHL due their former teams' makeups and pushing them to the middle.

FTR I don't think all the risks need to pan out. If Drouin and Tatar don't... it isn't a big deal. If RyJo or Colton don't, it is a very big deal.

Well said. In retrospect, maybe they could've traded out Girard and used the cap space and assets from him to acquire a legit #2C option a la Lindholm or Scheifele, if those guys were available. That said, I think the key to our success has been our D-corps and I thought the idea of keeping that intact and going for these bets on offence was the better option.

We'll see how it unfolds. Plenty of time left untill TDL.

 

[Balthazar]

Unless he flops hard

I'm certain that the Avs would rather roll the dices with RyJo than paying through the nose to unload him and then pay through the nose again to replace him with another 2C. The cost would be astronomical with no guaranteed success.

Besides, we've just seen it with JTC.

 

[John Mandalorian]

That's the thing with this year. High risk/high reward. All of the offseason guys were high risk/high reward. Not necessarily in contract amounts... but Drouin either works as a top 6 wing, or he's useless. RyJo works as a 2C or you're trying to dump his 2nd year. Colton either works at 3C and is underpaid... or he's an overpaid winger. Wood either works as a 3rd liner or you've saddled yourself with a 100% overpaid 4th liner. Olofsson was never a guy to play 4C, can he sustain that role. etc. etc. All the major roster decisions are lined up on the risky side. If it works, they'll look like geniuses... if it doesn't, they'll have wasted a year.

I said it in the summer and I still feel it today. Even if it doesn't work, going this risky path was better than sitting on their hands and bringing back the same guys. They may not end up better, but they at least tried something and tried it with projectable guys. This isn't trying to make JTC a 2C despite years of failure... this is trying to get a former 1C to find some youth or find some coke so he can fill in as a 2C. This is taking natural centers who haven't played there in the NHL due their former teams' makeups and pushing them to the middle.

FTR I don't think all the risks need to pan out. If Drouin and Tatar don't... it isn't a big deal. If RyJo or Colton don't, it is a very big deal.

They'll love explaining why they came up short for the same reason.

 

[Valushkin]

This team has potential to be stupid deep in the playoffs if Landy comes back and with Kovy on board

Lehky-MacK-Mikko
Landy-RyJo-Nuke
Wood-Colton-Kovalenko
LOC-Olofsson-Tatar/Drouin/Cogs
Kiviranta

I mean even if RyJo doesn’t produce at 2C level, that’s insane forward depth to make it work

 

[AllAboutAvs]

This team has potential to be stupid deep in the playoffs if Landy comes back and with Kovy on board

Lehky-MacK-Mikko
Landy-RyJo-Nuke
Wood-Colton-Kovalenko
LOC-Olofsson-Tatar/Drouin/Cogs
Kiviranta

I mean even if RyJo doesn’t produce at 2C level, that’s insane forward depth to make it work

Yes even Landy at 80% would be much better than Drouin and I'm just talking about on the ice. Add to this his presence in the locker room and it is a much much better team than what we have right now. With that said will Landy be able to come back for the playoffs? I'm hoping. Time will tell.

 

[Valushkin]

Yes even Landy at 80% would be much better than Drouin and I'm just talking about on the ice. Add to this his presence in the locker room and it is a much much better team than what we have right now. With that said will Landy be able to come back for the playoffs? I'm hoping. Time will tell.

I guess if anyone can do it, it will be Landy. So far the word is that things are going well so I think there is a good chance he will be back

 

[nammerus]

Here is the shift chart

Time On Ice Report Home Team

RyJo wasn't on the PP, but got more shifts in the 3rd than any other period and played >5 minutes.


During this season I personally don't see a change. Two main reasons... not the assets or room to make a big change. Secondarily, the Avs know that RyJo has different gears and the one that he's in today isn't the one he will be in during the playoffs. Will it be enough to make a difference? Who knows. But they'll likely let that play out.

Now next summer... if he fails, I could see a change. Either paying someone to take the contract or biting the bullet and buying him out.

He’s pacing for 30-35 pts for the season, and less than 10 of those at 5v5. If management is dumb enough to think that a magical switch in the playoffs will be our savior for the #2C position, they’re dumber than I thought…and given the incompetence CMac has shown over the last 2 season, I have no doubt this is the course they’ll take. Unbelievable way to waste another year of contention.

 

[Valushkin]

He’s pacing for 30-35 pts for the season, and less than 10 of those at 5v5. If management is dumb enough to think that a magical switch in the playoffs will be our savior for the #2C position, they’re dumber than I thought…and given the incompetence CMac has shown over the last 2 season, I have no doubt this is the course they’ll take. Unbelievable way to waste another year of contention.

It’s not a tall task to turn that 30-35 point pace to at least 50. For example if in the next game RyJo gets 3 points, that will bump up his pace to 45 or so, and that’s how small the margin is. 50 points will be an ok 2C production. I don’t think he’s gonna get to 70 or 80 points but 50 is not out of the question. He just needs couple of multi point games to get to 50 point pace

 

[GeoRox89]

Canucks lost Soucy for 6-8 weeks. Time to convince them they want Girard

 

[NateTheGreat]

Canucks lost Soucy for 6-8 weeks. Time to convince them they want Girard

Why would a team with the best D-man in the world want Girard on it?

 

[GeoRox89]

Why would a team with the best D-man in the world want Girard on it?

A question we’ve been asking ourselves for years

Seriously though have you seen their bottom 4D? Hughes-Hronek is amazing but the rest of the D is rough