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

[RoyIsALegend]

Yeah give me Skinner at like $2.5M over Drouin all day.


You can stick Skinner on a line with Mitts and Lehky. And then put 9296 back together again!

They are not the same player.

Skinner a better goal scorer, Drouin a better playmaker. Equally good skaters.

Where there's a massive difference is the play away from the puck. Skinner is one of the biggest floaters in the league and genuinely doesn't give a shit about his own zone or when his team doesn't have the puck. Drouin was a puck hound all season long for us, and let's be honest, an ELITE two-way player.

 

[RockLobster]

They are not the same player.

Skinner a better goal scorer, Drouin a better playmaker. Equally good skaters.

Where there's a massive difference is the play away from the puck. Skinner is one of the biggest floaters in the league and genuinely doesn't give a shit about his own zone or when his team doesn't have the puck. Drouin was a puck hound all season long for us, and let's be honest, an ELITE two-way player.

Devil's advocate here, and really this is just to spark discussion, but Drouin hadn't ever really displayed last season's two-way effort level in his career before, at least not as sustained as it was after his somewhat rocky start. An argument could be made that he knew he was "playing for his life" in the NHL, and thus he bought in.

Who's to say that effort level remains if he gets some decent term & money?

 

[RoyIsALegend]

Anyways, LOL at thinking Jeff Skinner, the Toronto native who's spent his entire career in the Eastern Conference, entertains paddling on down the Colorado River.

We always do this. Every summer, every TDL. Think we are a desirable destination only to be hurt when the player inevitably goes elsewhere.

Unless you have ties to the players or the organization, nobody... wants... to... play... in... Denver.

 

[hockeyfish]

Anyways, LOL at thinking Jeff Skinner, the Toronto native who's spent his entire career in the Eastern Conference, entertains paddling on down the Colorado River.

We always do this. Every summer, every TDL. Think we are a desirable destination only to be hurt when the player inevitably goes elsewhere.

Unless you have ties to the players or the organization, nobody... wants... to... play... in... Denver.

Can't we just have a day, hell, a single morning, where we can be hopeful.

 

[LOFIN]

Anyways, LOL at thinking Jeff Skinner, the Toronto native who's spent his entire career in the Eastern Conference, entertains paddling on down the Colorado River.

We always do this. Every summer, every TDL. Think we are a desirable destination only to be hurt when the player inevitably goes elsewhere.

Unless you have ties to the players or the organization, nobody... wants... to... play... in... Denver.

Except in Skinners case, we are talking about a player who has played 14 years and 1000 games in the NHL. And has never even made the playoffs. Odds are, we are going to have a better chance at the Cup than Toronto.

Now are we better than some other teams beside Toronto? Maybe not...

 

[Alienblood]

Buddy, free agency hasn't even started yet

Supposed to be a done deal, who knows

 

[henchman21]

Anyways, LOL at thinking Jeff Skinner, the Toronto native who's spent his entire career in the Eastern Conference, entertains paddling on down the Colorado River.

We always do this. Every summer, every TDL. Think we are a desirable destination only to be hurt when the player inevitably goes elsewhere.

Unless you have ties to the players or the organization, nobody... wants... to... play... in... Denver.

In this case, we do. We have Landy as his junior teammate, roommate, and friend. Well known friendship and chemistry with Mittelstadt (who he'd likely play with again).

 

[LOFIN]

 

[RoyIsALegend]

In this case, we do. We have Landy as his junior teammate, roommate, and friend. Well known friendship and chemistry with Mittelstadt (who he'd likely play with again).

Keep getting everybody’s hopes up.

He will sign with the Rangers or something like that. Mark my words now.

 

[chet1926]

Anyways, LOL at thinking Jeff Skinner, the Toronto native who's spent his entire career in the Eastern Conference, entertains paddling on down the Colorado River.

We always do this. Every summer, every TDL. Think we are a desirable destination only to be hurt when the player inevitably goes elsewhere.

Unless you have ties to the players or the organization, nobody... wants... to... play... in... Denver.

Yeah every year it's the same crap around here, completely unrealistic wants and then huge blowups when player X doesn't sign or get traded to Colorado.

Realistically all I'm expecting is Drouin re-signing, but also wouldn't be shocked if he didn't re-sign. Maybe a Colton trade, if Drouin comes back. Then a bunch of low level moves, of which we probably won't like most.

We're completely handcuffed this year, don't know why people seem to keep glossing over the $13-14M problem. This is going to make it virtually impossible to do really much of anything.

 

[henchman21]

Keep getting everybody’s hopes up.

He will sign with the Rangers or something like that. Mark my words now.

I think the odds are high that he'll end up in Toronto... but this is not dissimilar from Drouin/MacK. Except we have Landy and Mitts with Mitts and Skinner having proven NHL chemistry. If Skinner wants to play in the playoffs, rebound his value, and go to a place where he knows he'll fit in the locker room and culture.. the Avs will be high on that list.

Additionally MacK and Skinner were on the same line in the 2017 Worlds where they got a silver.

 

[LOFIN]

Keep getting everybody’s hopes up.

He will sign with the Rangers or something like that. Mark my words now.

Brooksie just doubled down on the fact that the Rangers are after Kane. They are probably after 1 top-6 winger, but their more pressing issue is fixing the defence. So I doubt they are after Skinner.

 

[RoyIsALegend]

Brooksie just doubled down on the fact that the Rangers are after Kane. They are probably after 1 top-6 winger, but their more pressing issue is fixing the defence. So I doubt they are after Skinner.

Okay, I randomly picked the Rangers as an Eastern Conference “contender.”

You win.

He’s coming to Denver. Plan the parade.

 

[missionAvs]

Keep getting everybody’s hopes up.

He will sign with the Rangers or something like that. Mark my words now.

He's going to sign in Utah because he likes that portion of the Colorado River better.

 

[Ararana]

Drouin - MacKinnon - Rantanen
Lehkonen/Landy - Mitts - Skinner

Probably have to buy out Nuke to make it work but do it. All the centers get to be happy.

 

[Pokecheque]

If you can get Skinner for $2m, there's a chance that nobody has to be traded and both Nuke and Landy fit. Drouin clearly has to walk in that case, but possible.

Oh, if they get him for $2 million then yes, get him!

I was going off an old article, so if his even strength numbers are better than that suggested then I'm all for bringing him in.

 

[LOFIN]

Probably have to buy out Nuke to make it work but do it. All the centers get to be happy.

The buyout for Nuke is awful. Just AWFUL. Not going to happen.

 

[Pokecheque]

The buyout for Nuke is awful. Just AWFUL. Not going to happen.
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Yeah it won't be a buyout, it'll be more along the lines of a suspension/settlement, which will still carry a cap hit in terms of dead money but not nearly as exorbitant.

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

I'm not expecting Skinner. My bet is he goes to Florida or Tampa Bay. Most likely Florida to replace Tarasenko.

 

[Balthazar]

Oh, if they get him for $2 million then yes, get him!

I was going off an old article, so if his even strength numbers are better than that suggested then I'm all for bringing him in.

They aren't buying him out because he's good, they don't even need the cap space.

BTW Sabres would be on the hook for 6 years for Skinner and this buyout would cost them nearly 20M.

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

The buyout for Nuke is awful. Just AWFUL. Not going to happen.
View attachment 887606

That isn't awful at all... Only 2 years that would be especially rough.

And btw, if we terminate we are very likely getting hit with a penalty that ends up being very similar long term.

A buyout would easily be the best course of action if the Avs feel like they have a 2-3 year window left with this core(Which IMO the Mittelstadt deal at least hints at management thinking this way).

 

[Mighty Makar]

I’m thinking Leafs or us for Skinner.

 

[The Abusement Park]

Arvidsson would be the guy I look at to bring in for a cheap 1 year deal.

 

[henchman21]

The buyout for Nuke is awful. Just AWFUL. Not going to happen.
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When the cap is ~100m, 3m is manageable with a buyout. The two 5m seasons are the rough ones. If Nuke is 'bought out' thought I'd expect a termination and settlement where the Avs get a 1.5-2m hit for the remaining term.

They aren't buying him out because he's good, they don't even need the cap space.

BTW Sabres would be on the hook for 6 years for Skinner and this buyout would cost them nearly 20M.

That's the cap hit, the cost is a touch under 15m.

 

[Ararana]

The buyout for Nuke is awful. Just AWFUL. Not going to happen.
View attachment 887606

Cap is going up, plus the Avs are going to be dog shit by the time 2028 rolls around.

Now that Mitts is only signed for three years, it's time to roll hard on this next season before Mikko kills them.

FTR, I don't think there's a chance in hell the Avs buyout Nuke. But I would, if I couldn't offload his contract somehow.