Rumor: 2024-2025 Trade Rumors and Free Agency - Offseason Edition

[BaconNater]

I still can't believe it's been 2 years since we've seen Gabe. Hard to wrap the mind around it when you step back and think about!

 

[Lonewolfe2015]

Their GM wouldn't do that though. That's a crazy return.

At some point Anaheim needs to make a swing to step up. Not saying Rantanen is that swing, he isn't the winning mentality/leader I'd want in that locker room. But Anaheim is primed to do a '3-4 assets' for a star. It's an inevitable chapter in every rebuilding team's book, like Meier to NJD or ROR to BUF.

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

Rantanen
Girard
AVS 1st 2024

VS

San Jose 1st(Celibrini)
Barabanov
Ferraro
Musty ou Edstrom
Eklund

Why would San Jose  ever do this... Literally the dumbest think they could possibly do right now.

 

[Balthazar]

Mikko is a proven 100+pt player though. Of course return is crazy.

He can sign Reinhart and keep the 3rd OA and McTavish. Or trade for Marner for much cheaper.

It makes no sense to trade that much for Rantanen.

 

[lionsDen]

Shannon weighs in on the Avalanche, post-playoffs. Good perspective from an admitted Dallas fan.

I think it’d be easier to name teams he doesn’t root for(knowing that he has all the jerseys)

 

[Alienblood]

No we didn’t.

I thought we did. Never established themselves

 

[Alienblood]

More than what he's doing right now...he's a PMD with PP2 time on the team that scores the most goals in the league. He's also making 5M/year.

His stats over the years:

2021: 0.67 PPG
2022: 0.41 PPG
2023: 0.49 PPG
2024: 0.30 PPG

That's a huge drop.

Pratt coaches offense out of them

 

[Alienblood]

I don't think we will or should trade him. But the narrative surrounding Colton here is... interesting. As if he'd have no value or something.

let's hope he has some

 

[LOFIN]

Mikko is a proven 100+pt player though. Of course return is crazy.

Rantanen is entering his final year before UFA. In order for the return for Rantanen deal to be crazy, it would have to be a sign and trade (or the team trading for him has the framework of an extension worked out with Rantanen).

 

[LOFIN]

Nothing that interesting in 32 thoughts about the Avs. No indication from Friedge that the Avs would be contemplating trading Rants, Elliotte was just talking how that contract has to be priority #1 for CMac. Thinks Drouin will get signed, he has found his happy place with the Avs. Also that we will probably roll with Georgiev again, unless there is something obvious available and doable. He played well in the playoffs. Regarding Nuke, thinks there might be a settlement eventually between the Avs, Nuke and the league if the locker room doesn't want him back. But no grounds for terminating the deal, and can't trade him now either. So nothing happening in that front for a while.

 

[chet1926]

Nothing that interesting in 32 thoughts about the Avs. No indication from Friedge that the Avs would be contemplating trading Rants, Elliotte was just talking how that contract has to be priority #1 for CMac. Thinks Drouin will get signed, he has found his happy place with the Avs. Also that we will probably roll with Georgiev again, unless there is something obvious available and doable. He played well in the playoffs. Regarding Nuke, thinks there might be a settlement eventually between the Avs, Nuke and the league if the locker room doesn't want him back. But no grounds for terminating the deal, and can't trade him now either. So nothing happening in that front for a while.

Nothing mind blowing on Nuke. Not sure what they'll end up doing. Kind of between a rock and a hard place. Anyone hoping for a contract termination was out to lunch, there was nothing there that could lead to that.

I mean the only real option is buyout/settlement. I just don't see any way he can come back. He's burned every possible bridge in that locker room, the guys can't possibly want him back and can't even be considering it.

As for the other stuff not mind blowing. Of course they want Drouin back, but that will be tough. Moving on from George is unlikely, we need better but don't have a ton of options. Not like good options are just readily available.

Surprised there was nothing about Landy. It's been 2 full years, he either can play or he can't. And I'd be leaning heavily towards can't. It's just not likely at this point that he'll come back and even remotely be a NHL player. You can't just take multiple years off, and expect anything. They need to put a hard deadline of June 20th on him if he can't guarantee he'll be ready but camp other options regarding him and his contract need to be explored so we can maybe assemble a team over the summer.

 

[SirLoinOfCloth]

It's been 2 full years, he either can play or he can't.

I don't get this narrative that's floating around.

It's not like he's been trying to come back for 2 years. He only had surgery about a year ago, he's still in the recovery/rehab phase. Everything that happened prior to that surgery is irrelevant for his timeline to return. He's now on the 12-18 month recovery time stated when he had the surgery. Ball is aiming to make a return when the NBA season resumes, Landy will likely be the same. It was fun to think he'd be back in the playoffs, and maybe if we made the final he would have been, but I don't think stating things as binary right now makes sense. Let his rehab finish at least.

 

[RockLobster]

Nothing mind blowing on Nuke. Not sure what they'll end up doing. Kind of between a rock and a hard place. Anyone hoping for a contract termination was out to lunch, there was nothing there that could lead to that.

This isn't directed at you Chet, but more of a general question and I'm only quoting you since you provided this about Nichushkin on the 32 Thoughts pod:

If not this specific situation with Nichushkin, with everything we know that is public (and what the Avs have most definitely kept out of the public eye), why is it that they have "no grounds for termination"? What exactly would constitute grounds for termination? This guy has refused help at every step of the way, and was dumb enough to get caught using his "party drug" 2 straight postseasons. Like...could he not find a way to abstain until the off-season, when you're pretty much free to do whatever you want, knowing you just have to be clean when you show up for training camp?

Again, not directed at you, but there is a part of me that doesn't understand the logic around that.

 

[LOFIN]

This isn't directed at you Chet, but more of a general question and I'm only quoting you since you provided this about Nichushkin on the 32 Thoughts pod:

If not this specific situation with Nichushkin, with everything we know that is public (and what the Avs have most definitely kept out of the public eye), why is it that they have "no grounds for termination"? What exactly would constitute grounds for termination? This guy has refused help at every step of the way, and was dumb enough to get caught using his "party drug" 2 straight postseasons. Like...could he not find a way to abstain until the off-season, when you're pretty much free to do whatever you want, knowing you just have to be clean when you show up for training camp?

Again, not directed at you, but there is a part of me that doesn't understand the logic around that.

Pretty sure that if you are the NHL/NHLPA program, you can't be terminated because you are getting help. Now, if he would completely abandon the program, that's another story.

 

[RockLobster]

Pretty sure that if you are the NHL/NHLPA program, you can't be terminated because you are getting help. Now, if he would completely abandon the program, that's another story.

Gotta see if I can find out more info, but someone who I know doesn't traffic in weird rumors had indicated to me, privately (and a few others) that Nichushkin has already gone back to Russia. Again, need to see/hear where he got that from so I can determine for myself what type of validity to assign to it.

But if it's true--and AGAIN, I have idea if it is and this is not meant to be speculative--then...well, hard to say that he hasn't abandoned the program lol

 

[Vaslof]

This isn't directed at you Chet, but more of a general question and I'm only quoting you since you provided this about Nichushkin on the 32 Thoughts pod:

If not this specific situation with Nichushkin, with everything we know that is public (and what the Avs have most definitely kept out of the public eye), why is it that they have "no grounds for termination"? What exactly would constitute grounds for termination? This guy has refused help at every step of the way, and was dumb enough to get caught using his "party drug" 2 straight postseasons. Like...could he not find a way to abstain until the off-season, when you're pretty much free to do whatever you want, knowing you just have to be clean when you show up for training camp?

Again, not directed at you, but there is a part of me that doesn't understand the logic around that.

I believe the idea is that the players would not approve that their already signed deals could be undone like this. They will be represented by the NHLPA who will always defend whats best for the players. That is why it can never be a clear cut case. Negotiation will be involved.

 

[RockLobster]

I believe the idea is that the players would not approve that their already signed deals could be undone like this. They will be represented by the NHLPA who will always defend whats best for the players. That is why it can never be a clear cut case. Negotiation will be involved.

See this I totally get. I am a pro-Union guy, so I WELCOME the union challenging it.

I just think the Avs have a case to win if they wanted to go that route. After all, Daly apparently told Friedman back in 2015 that if LA had decided to pursue binding arbitration on their termination w/ Richards "they had a good case and a decent shot at winning"....and Richards was only in stage 2 (albeit, his situation was attempting to transport over international borders).

I'm just a little confused as to why it's apparently so clear cut that they have "no grounds". It would seem logical to me that they WOULD have grounds, but a Union (doing it's job) is obviously going to fight for it.

As far as players not agreeing to it...how many of them are in the same boat that Nichushkin is in?

 

[AllAboutAvs]

One thing I am confused about.

He has been suspended for at least 6 months but is he in a program facility for the entire 6 months or is he in a facility until he is drug-cleared and then on his own at home for the remainder of the 6 months?

His next season is his highest as far as salary is concerned at 8M but is Nuke the type of person to be willing to last even only 6 months to get his money? I have a hard time seeing that.

 

[LOFIN]

One thing I am confused about.

He has been suspended for at least 6 months but is he in a program facility for the entire 6 months or is he in a facility until he is drug-cleared and then on his own at home for the remainder of the 6 months?

The details of the NHL/NHLPA assistance program have not been made public. So who knows.

 

[henchman21]

Nuke is going to end in a termination and settlement. The Avs will threaten pure termination and deal with the union grievance (regardless of if it would hold up). Nuke will say that he has to be bought out and will fight anything. All parties (including NHLPA and NHL) will come together to make it work. Nuke will get something, but it won't be the $25m he'd get out of a buyout. Where it exactly lands between 0-25m is anybody's guess (my personal thought is ~12m).

I'd bet we have an answer on this prior to the draft, but at least July 1. If we get past July 1, we will see how the Avs are planning by the cap space they leave open.

 

[AllAboutAvs]

Nuke is going to end in a termination and settlement. The Avs will threaten pure termination and deal with the union grievance (regardless of if it would hold up). Nuke will say that he has to be bought out and will fight anything. All parties (including NHLPA and NHL) will come together to make it work. Nuke will get something, but it won't be the $25m he'd get out of a buyout. Where it exactly lands between 0-25m is anybody's guess (my personal thought is ~12m).

I'd bet we have an answer on this prior to the draft, but at least July 1. If we get past July 1, we will see how the Avs are planning by the cap space they leave open.

So you think 2M/yr on the cap for the next 6 years?

 

[henchman21]

So you think 2M/yr on the cap for the next 6 years?

It doesn't have to be spread over the current contract term (see Richards), but somewhere between 6-12 years is my guess. It won't be crippling, but it won't be insignificant either.

 

[chet1926]

I don't get this narrative that's floating around.

It's not like he's been trying to come back for 2 years. He only had surgery about a year ago, he's still in the recovery/rehab phase. Everything that happened prior to that surgery is irrelevant for his timeline to return. He's now on the 12-18 month recovery time stated when he had the surgery. Ball is aiming to make a return when the NBA season resumes, Landy will likely be the same. It was fun to think he'd be back in the playoffs, and maybe if we made the final he would have been, but I don't think stating things as binary right now makes sense. Let his rehab finish at least.

How is this narrative, he physically hasn't played a hockey game either of the last 2 season.

I think everyone understands he's trying, but we can't continue to wait on trying. And honestly expecting anything of value from a guy who hasn't played a second of hockey in 2 years is a fools errand.

He needs to either get in the lineup and start to play again or the Avs need to consider options on his contract. It's simply not fair to the guys who are out there competing to have a guy that isn't helping the team in any manner on the ice.

We can't keep playing the guessing game it's not helpful to the team.

 

[LOFIN]

How is this narrative, he physically hasn't played a hockey game either of the last 2 season.

I think everyone understands he's trying, but we can't continue to wait on trying. And honestly expecting anything of value from a guy who hasn't played a second of hockey in 2 years is a fools errand.

He needs to either get in the lineup and start to play again or the Avs need to consider options on his contract. It's simply not fair to the guys who are out there competing to have a guy that isn't helping the team in any manner on the ice.

We can't keep playing the guessing game it's not helpful to the team.

What do you suggest they do about it then? He's not going to just retire. He has a full NMC, and I don't think they are going to ask the captain to waive that. You can't force him to LTIR before he tries to play, if he feels like he is going to be able to play.

There's nothing that can be done about it, but hope that he can play.

 

[SirLoinOfCloth]

How is this narrative, he physically hasn't played a hockey game either of the last 2 season.

I think everyone understands he's trying, but we can't continue to wait on trying. And honestly expecting anything of value from a guy who hasn't played a second of hockey in 2 years is a fools errand.

He needs to either get in the lineup and start to play again or the Avs need to consider options on his contract. It's simply not fair to the guys who are out there competing to have a guy that isn't helping the team in any manner on the ice.

We can't keep playing the guessing game it's not helpful to the team.

I get that it has been 2 years since he has last played, but a bunch has happened in those years and he is still in rehab of surgery. It's not been 2 years of nothing. We will wait until his rehab is complete and he'll be at training camp.