Been thinking about it for a few weeks and if I was in charge of the Avs, this would be my plan :
1)
Trade Georgiev
He wasn't necessarily the problem during the playoffs and aside from Game #1 vs the Jets, he was fine and at times pretty good. I don't think he stole any games though and at some point, you need your starter to be the main reason you won the game... I don't think that happened. The reason I would trade him is because of all the stuff we heard about him not getting along with some of the other guys on the team. Overall, I think the Avs need to change the mix and when you consider that there are a bunch of teams out there like the Devils and the Leafs who want to land a starter with experience, I think the Avs could do well with moving him out and going with someone else.
2)
Trade FOR UPL
From what I heard during the season, the Sabres very much believe that Devon Levi is their future #1 guy and UPL is an upcoming RFA with arbitration rights. It's very possible that they want to keep him but at the same time, maybe they wouldn't mind moving on. For the Avs - this is the way they like to operate and it's fits their MO to a tee. UPL is 25 years old and not fully established as a starter but had a very good season - great season when you consider the way donnie-granatool was coaching that team. Grubauer and Georgiev were about the same age and maybe even a little more proven than UPL at that point. It's risky but you get goalie with good potential to pair with Annunen.
3)
Trade Rantanen for B. Tkachuk (in before
@henchman21 says the Sens aren't trading him)
I know a lot of people wouldn't want to do this but I would do it in a nanosecond. The fear that Rants gets a raise after putting in the season he did - making it thereby 'acceptable' is enough for me to want to move on from him instead of giving him a massive extension that could end up handcuffing this team in the future. I don't want to re-hash all that went wrong with the season #96 had but
fans who put in the time to watch every game -
know what's up as opposed to the boxscore watchers who are all like
he had 104 points !!!
Besides, it's not like Brady Tkachuk is
@Ceremony chopped liver... he's a pretty damn good and tough power forward. You can bet that that sack of shit jamie benn would have eaten a couple of fists after that hit on Toews if Tkachuk was on this team - doesn't mean he would have won but he would have been in there for sure. Tkachuk is younger and for the next 4 years would save us a decent amount on the cap if Rantanen was going to sign for somewhere around $11M per.
Honestly, the stage is set for CMac to trade Rantanen with all the uncertainty with the cap this summer. He could easily lock up Mitts, sign Drouin and then use the Nichushkin/Landeskog uncertainty
as well as the fact that Makar is up in three years to justify moving Rantanen.
Probably won't happen but I really think that it should.
4)
Re-sign Mitts & Drouin
I think both of these guys need to get signed over the next couple of weeks before free agency.
5)
Sign UFAs -> Blueger, Lomberg and Hakanpaa
These are just guys I like but it could be any variety of depth players to fill out the roster. Ideally, you get a godam #4C THAT CAN WIN A f***ING FACEOFF!!!!
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***This is under the premise that I believe that Nuke is going to get himself into Stage #4 sooner rather than later and his cap hit won't count for 2024/2025***
washington capitals - everyone hates you now because you're taking away our Cap Friendly !!!!!!!
