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

[Richard88]

@Richard88 ?? Did I accidentally have you on ignore for the past year and a half ??

Yes mate, I've been making hundreds of quality posts on here this year but it seems no one has noticed



/s

 

[Tommy Shelby]

The Kings have Andreas Englund, Kevin Connauton and Tobias Bjornfot competing for the bottom pairing. We have better winger depth as well as goaltending by a mile.

I do really like Kopi and Danault down the middle though.

 

[thedoctor]

The Kings have Andreas Englund, Kevin Connauton and Tobias Bjornfot competing for the bottom pairing. We have better winger depth as well as goaltending by a mile.

I do really like Kopi and Danault down the middle though.

I would take Englund back. Although I saw some rumors he was a room problem here.

 

[Balthazar]

If Landeskog returns it may still be feasible to keep the team intact next summer simply by moving Manson.

The cap is projected to rise to $87.5m in 2024, so there's an additional $4m which basically covers Toews' raise. It might be on the low side but in the AGM below I used $7.5m X 8 years (the 8th year being what keeps the AAV down a bit), and that allows just enough capspace to fill out a 22 man roster by simply moving Manson off the roster (his NTC becomes a limited NTC so it is possible and may even actually be the plan by CMac).

The 4th liners, 5/6D, and backup G would all need to be $1m but that shouldn't be an issue if the Avs can continue to be an attractive destination for players (as we've already seen with ERod, Tatar, Drouin, Cogliano, Jack Johnson, and college free agents Meyers, Pavel, Malinski, etc).

Thank You - CapFriendly - NHL Salary Caps

Thank you for the amazing 9 years

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Who’s playing 2nd pairing on the right side and how much does he cost?

 

[Richard88]

Who’s playing 2nd pairing on the right side and how much does he cost?

Toews - Makar
Byram - Girard
JJ - Malinski
7D

Obviously the plan would need to be to acquire a RHS PKer by the deadline which is always doable.



Edit: and forwards are:

Landeskog - MacKinnon - Nichushkin
Lehkonen - RyJo- Rantanen
Wood - Colton - Kovalenko
Meyers - Pavel - LOC
Foudy

You can insert any ~$1m guys on the 4th line if Meyers or Pavel don't click this year. Kovalenko as a 3rd liner is clearly the biggest question mark here.

In goal you'd also need a $1m backup. Not ideal but also not impossible as many teams do it.

 

[The Abusement Park]

[MOD]Our forward group is equally as good as Toronto's and NJ. I'd argue our star power is better than theirs as well.

Toronto has a 3rd line of Knies-Kampff-Jarnkrok. TJ Brodie is a their #2 dman. Klingberg and McCabe are 3 and 4. Our 3rd line and Dmen blow that group away.

NJ has a 3rd line of Palat-Haula-Holtz. Is that better than Wood-Colton-Tatar? I don't see it. Our top 4 is also much better than Siegenthaler, Hamilton, Hughes and Marino.

What separates us is our D. There isn't one team you mentioned who has a group of Makar, Toews, Byram, Manson and Girard. I'm hard on Girard but he would be at least a #3, maybe even a top pair Dman on each of those teams. Here, he is a #5.

Not one team can match our elite top end talent. The key is to stay healthy.

NJ’s forward core is better than ours quite easily. Mack is obviously the best player of the two teams, but Hughes is right behind him. Rantanen is the 3rd best player of the two teams, but after that Jerseys depth is better than ours at the more important positions.

1st lines:
Mack>Hughes
Mikko>Bratt
Toffoli>>Drouin

2nd Lines:
Hischier>>>RyJo
Meier>Nuke
Mercer=Lehky(for now)

3rd Lines:
Haula>Colton(higher upside for colton though)
Palat>>Wood
Tatar>Holtz(higher upside for Holtz)

4th lines:
Mcleod>>Meyers
Cogs=Nosek
Bastian=LOC

 

[ABasin]

I would take Englund back. Although I saw some rumors he was a room problem here.

Really? Interesting. Never heard that.

 

[NateTheGreat]

Regarding best rosters in the league:

NJ has the best forward group in the league, but we have better D and goaltending(although not 100% sold on Georgie yet).

Toronto’s top six is unmatched, but their forward depth and d-core is shaky at best. I do like their tandem in net with Sammy and Woll so I’d say we are about even with the Leafs.

Vegas is solid everywhere, they are our biggest threat in the West imo. I’d put them as the only lock with a top 3 roster.

Edmonton has the best center duo in the league(with the best player by a decent margin) and really bolstered their D with the addition of Ekholm. Goaltending will always be an issue there.

Dallas, enough has been said about them here, but you can’t argue they don’t have solid top 6, a solid top 4 D and potentially a top 5 goalie. That alone puts you near the top.

Imo, our roster can go toe to toe with any of these teams in a playoff series. Of course, it will depend upon how the new additions pan out, but if most of them play up to their capabilities we’ve seen in the past, along with Makar, Mack and Mikko humming, we have a top 5 roster without a doubt.

*if Landeskog comes back for the playoff run, we’d be top 2 and not 2.

 

[Bender]

I would take Englund back. Although I saw some rumors he was a room problem here.

Andreas Englund (looking at Makar) -> "Who the f#%^ do you think you are???"

 

[MacKaRant]

I would take Englund back. Although I saw some rumors he was a room problem here.

So...he was the one who corrupted Nuke then?

 

[Chiarelli]

How could you possibly think they're not?


They're ridiculously deep down the middle and have a strong Defense. Only weakness is Goaltending but I expect them to solve that by the deadline.

Their top end players are old af. The young top picks have not panned out. Goaltending is trash

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

Their top end players are old af. The young top picks have not panned out. Goaltending is trash

Not true unless you still think Kopitar is a top player for them, which he is not.

PLD is 25, Fiala 27, Kempe 27, Gavrikov 27, Danault just turned 30, Anderson 24... Doughty is aging at 33 for sure, but he's basically the only one.

I'd say it is also way, way to early to suggest the top picks haven't panned out. Clarke is only entering his rookie year and only 20 years old. Byfield is only 21 and big Centers are notorious for being slower developers. I'd still put money on him being a top line guy within a couple years.

The goaltending concerns are legit. That's the only area where they're particularly weak. Otherwise they are extremely deep at forward particularly down the middle, and strong on Defense so long as Doughty doesn't break down.

 

[Avs9296]

Not true unless you still think Kopitar is a top player for them, which he is not.

PLD is 25, Fiala 27, Kempe 27, Gavrikov 27, Danault just turned 30, Anderson 24... Doughty is aging at 33 for sure, but he's basically the only one.

I'd say it is also way, way to early to suggest the top picks haven't panned out. Clarke is only entering his rookie year and only 20 years old. Byfield is only 21 and big Centers are notorious for being slower developers. I'd still put money on him being a top line guy within a couple years.

The goaltending concerns are legit. That's the only area where they're particularly weak. Otherwise they are extremely deep at forward particularly down the middle, and strong on Defense so long as Doughty doesn't break down.

Kopitar isn't a top player for them?! Hahahaha you mean their 1C who led their team in points last year with 78 points?

Sometimes I feel like you just have to be a contrarian even if what your saying makes no sense at all.

 

[henchman21]

Three things really interest me with LA.

The center situation is incredibly interesting. Kopi and Danault are on the back side of their careers. Moving them to the 2nd and 3rd line should help ease the drop offs.. .but if they hold for another year, it gives them great depth. Then which PLD are they getitng? Are you getting the full effort guy who when he is on is a great 2 way 1 C? Or are you giving the idgaf RyJo clone? If all 3 are on and father time is set back a year... that a 1-2-3 rotation the might be the best defensively in the whole league and one of the best 2 way. That alone can carry a team a long ways. Especially with Danault and Kopi being elite defenseively.

The young kids... Clarke, Byfield, Bjornfot, Kaliyev, Spence All guys who could take a step or two and be bigger impact players and nobody would be all that shocked. All could stall too.

Lastly... Is Gavrikov as good as he showed after the deadline? I've been a fan of his for years and a believer in his game. If he's the guy that ended the season there... that's huge for their defense.

Also LA is old, but the Avs aren't?!

Avs are .8 of a year older than LA. Skater wise, only 3 guys are 31 or older. Kopitar, Doughty and Lewis. Avs have RyJo, Tatar, Cogliano, Manson, and JMFJ. Kopi and Doughty are certainly more important to the success of the Kings... but RyJo and Manson are also heavily relied upon. If you scale to 30, Kings add two guys (Danault and Arvidsson). Avs don't add anyone. You scale to 29, Kings don't add anybody, Avs add two (Toews and Dermy). The differences in age is the Avs are pretty much all 27-31. Kings are mostly 23-28 with two older guys from a previous core and then a few guys under 22.

Personally, I'd say the success of RyJo at least as important as the success of Kopi, if not more. LA went out and got a top line center and Danault has shown he's got 2C chops. They have top 6 backup if Kopi falls off a cliff and then they have a guy who played all year as the 3C that'll be on their 4th line or shifted to wing that could step in. Plus Byfield could finally take a step. The Avs' back up to RyJo is Colton. After Colton is Meyers. After Meyers is a shotgun in the mouth.

 

[ANewHope]

Not true unless you still think Kopitar is a top player for them, which he is not.

This is a pretty hot take. Especially for someone who values the C position like you do and thinks wingers aren’t really important.

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

Kopitar isn't a top player for them?! Hahahaha you mean their 1C who led their team in points last year with 78 points?

Sometimes I feel like you just have to be a contrarian even if what your saying makes no sense at all.

He isn't the 1C for them this year, that's PLD. Danault is more important to them at Center as well, he's the matchup guy. That makes Koptiar the 3rd most important Center, so no. Not a top player for them at this stage.

 

[JH21]

He isn't the 1C for them this year, that's PLD. Danault is more important to them at Center as well, he's the matchup guy. That makes Koptiar the 3rd most important Center, so no. Not a top player for them at this stage.

Add another hot take to your list of absurd hot takes.

Kopitar is far and away better than Dubois and is a better defensive center than Danault.

Kopitar is the guy there. And that won't change anytime soon.

 

[JH21]

Here's a hot take for you:

The Kings would have been better and deeper with Vilardi and Iafallo instead of PLD.

They actually lost scoring with the trade and gave up two futures in a 2nd round pick and former 1st round pick center Kupari who is a talented player.

Vilardi/Iafallo/Kupari- 40 goals/52 assists/92 points

Dubois- 27 goals/36 assists/63 points

 

[Bill Peckerskull]

All your PTO are belong to us

 

[Tommy Shelby]

All your PTO are belong to us

There's like 2 guys on that list who are recognizable names

 

[Chiarelli]

Three things really interest me with LA.

The center situation is incredibly interesting. Kopi and Danault are on the back side of their careers. Moving them to the 2nd and 3rd line should help ease the drop offs.. .but if they hold for another year, it gives them great depth. Then which PLD are they getitng? Are you getting the full effort guy who when he is on is a great 2 way 1 C? Or are you giving the idgaf RyJo clone? If all 3 are on and father time is set back a year... that a 1-2-3 rotation the might be the best defensively in the whole league and one of the best 2 way. That alone can carry a team a long ways. Especially with Danault and Kopi being elite defenseively.

The young kids... Clarke, Byfield, Bjornfot, Kaliyev, Spence All guys who could take a step or two and be bigger impact players and nobody would be all that shocked. All could stall too.

Lastly... Is Gavrikov as good as he showed after the deadline? I've been a fan of his for years and a believer in his game. If he's the guy that ended the season there... that's huge for their defense.

Also LA is old, but the Avs aren't?!

Avs are .8 of a year older than LA. Skater wise, only 3 guys are 31 or older. Kopitar, Doughty and Lewis. Avs have RyJo, Tatar, Cogliano, Manson, and JMFJ. Kopi and Doughty are certainly more important to the success of the Kings... but RyJo and Manson are also heavily relied upon. If you scale to 30, Kings add two guys (Danault and Arvidsson). Avs don't add anyone. You scale to 29, Kings don't add anybody, Avs add two (Toews and Dermy). The differences in age is the Avs are pretty much all 27-31. Kings are mostly 23-28 with two older guys from a previous core and then a few guys under 22.

Personally, I'd say the success of RyJo at least as important as the success of Kopi, if not more. LA went out and got a top line center and Danault has shown he's got 2C chops. They have top 6 backup if Kopi falls off a cliff and then they have a guy who played all year as the 3C that'll be on their 4th line or shifted to wing that could step in. Plus Byfield could finally take a step. The Avs' back up to RyJo is Colton. After Colton is Meyers. After Meyers is a shotgun in the mouth.

I said the top end guys (doughty, kopitar, danault I was referring to) are old. None of the Avs core are as old as any of these dudes. Average age of a team isn't a good stat. Who does the heavy lifting for a team it's usually a handful of players.

This is all a moot point anyways as LA is incapable of beating McDavid in the playoffs.

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

This is a pretty hot take. Especially for someone who values the C position like you do and thinks wingers aren’t really important.

He'll be the 3rd most important Center for them next year. It isn't a hot take, PLD will be the number 1 guy and Danault will be the matchup guy once again. Part of the reason why LA will be so much better this year is precisely because they no longer need to rely on Kopitar to be a Top guy for them.

He's still part of what makes them so good, being able to deploy PLD/Danault/Kopitar down the middle is a ridiculous strength. They beat Edmonton last year with average goaltending(Which continues to be a major concern for them right now fwiw) and now they've added another top end two-way Center to that group.


In terms if importance to the team, I'd say Kopitar as the 3C in that group is the 6th or 7th most important guy now with PLD added. Compared to being the most important guy last year as the 1C.

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

Vilardi/Iafallo/Kupari- 40 goals/52 assists/92 points

Dubois- 27 goals/36 assists/63 points

I always get a laugh out of people who make evaluations like this...

Ignoring the incredible flaws of this kind of evaluation, Yes congrats, they traded 3 players who combined for 90 points, an average of 30 points each, for one Top 6 Center who scored almost 65 points by himself.


Seems like an awfully great trade for LA.

 

[JLo217]

All your PTO are belong to us

How is AZ an NHL organization at this point?

 

[henchman21]

I said the top end guys (doughty, kopitar, danault I was referring to) are old. None of the Avs core are as old as any of these dudes. Average age of a team isn't a good stat. Who does the heavy lifting for a team it's usually a handful of players.

This is all a moot point anyways as LA is incapable of beating McDavid in the playoffs.

Danault is a 93 and is younger than RyJo. Danualt is likely a line lower to start than RyJo. I stated the differences in my post. Kopi and Doughty are certainly older. They are left over core. LA is younger as a whole really focused in that 23-28 range. Avs are 27-31. LA has younger guys carrying the load and guys coming up who should shoulder more. It is dishonest to categorize them as old when it is primarily 2-4 players depending on how you look at it, while ignoring the 6 guys 25 and under expected to shoulder a lot too. LA's core overall is a couple years younger than the Avs.

Strictly IMO, both teams are verging on the old side overall. Both are over 28. Both have guys in their cores that are hitting the significant regression ages (27/28). Avs have a higher overall regression risk in their core. Kings have a little more cliff risk in their core. IIRC Avs are the 5th oldest team and LA is 10th. Both are up there. More or less if you think LA is old, the Avs are old too.