Rumor: 2024-2025 Trade Rumors and Free Agency Talk | The Slow Crawl to the Season

[LOFIN]

Like the idea of teams themselves providing this info for their fans, if only it had been someone else first...

 

[Pokecheque]

Like the idea of teams themselves providing this info for their fans, if only it had been someone else first...

That's awesome. So much better than "As per team guidelines, contract terms were not disclosed."

 

[LOFIN]

That's awesome. So much better than "As per team guidelines, contract terms were not disclosed."

Even that's less insulting than teams going

"HEY! We re-signed player X! Go to ourteam.com for full details!"

And then you click on the link, and it's just a f***ing biography about the player without ANY actual contract details. Not even contract length, let alone the AAV. Especially the Rangers love to do this. Avs to an extent as well.

 

[henchman21]

EJ made it pretty clear he despised playing for Sacco. He said once he was trying to carry the puck up the ice in practice and Sacco told him no, you gotta dump it and hang back. That's absolutely NOT how you best use a guy like that. I will never for the life of me understand why Sacco became such a needlessly conservative coach, he didn't start out that way.

For some reason there were a lot of people who classified him as more of a stay-at-home type and I have no idea why. Dude thrived when he was free to skate the length of the ice and generate offense. He was never an elite skater and we all know he struggled to get his shot through traffic but he was very effective on end-to-end rushes when he could build speed. But after injuries set in and he kinda lost a couple steps, that's when his game more or less disappeared.

Also, Bednar had a hard time figuring out what to do with him. I'm still more than a bit irritated that he struggled for so long to figure out how to win in 3-on-3 OT when he had a player perfectly suited to that style of play. Instead Bednar kept going back to guys like MacKinnon who, at least early on, had NO clue what they were doing in the extra session.

I don't think Sacco helped at all... I'm just saying the 10-11 to 2013 seasons were messy for EJ. Certainly flashes existed, but EJ's inability to be a top pairing guy during that time played into how difficult those seasons were.

Like the idea of teams themselves providing this info for their fans, if only it had been someone else first...

It might be on us for having a team that actively hurts their fans' ability to connect.

But hey, they at least posted Jost and Byram thirst traps for the bunnies!

 

[Balthazar]

IMO the Avs missed a golden opportunity not pairing EJ and Barrie at even strength more often, those two worked great together. I realize it made for a shitty 2nd and 3rd pairing but they should've rotated them together more often than they did. And Barrie did just fine on the left side.

They were the only 2 RD on the team, I get why they weren't paired together

 

[dahrougem2]

They were the only 2 RD on the team, I get why they weren't paired together

Lol. How dare you allow your memory to forget The General

 

[the_fan]

I think it's pretty clear that the Avs are going to ignore the concept of depth and instead go all in on top tier talent. They'll be sending Nuke to Siberia, shipping out Wood and Colton and retiring Landeskog to sign Draisaitl in the off-season. The Avs will only be able to operate 2 lines, but they're going to put up insane stats (because they'll have to since the team won't have a goalie either).

Can’t we just put Cale in net?

 

[Pokecheque]

Can’t we just put Cale in net?

You'd be better off putting Manson in there.

 

[Balthazar]

NHL Network released this today:

https://x.com/i/web/status/1828957932995641552

But JFresh doesn't agree at all:

https://x.com/i/web/status/1828931061511758130

https://x.com/i/web/status/1828966852556697808

 

[The Abusement Park]

Hedman at 3, Fox at 8 and Bouchard at 9 is insanity. Hanifin at 18 is wild.... Even Toews at 10 is a bit of a joke.

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

Hedman at 3, Fox at 8 and Bouchard at 9 is insanity. Hanifin at 18 is wild.... Even Toews at 10 is a bit of a joke.

Is it though?

Keep in mind he isn't even known for his offense, its his defensive ability that really makes him so good... And yet:

In the last 3 years, he's got the best +/- of all Dmen in the league, he's 15th among all Dmen for total points, but most impressively of all stats for him IMO... He's 4th among all Dmen for Even Strength points over the last 3 years. Only Josi, EK65, and Cale have more points at Even strength.



I actually think Toews is extremely underrated still. Easily belongs in the Top 10.

 

[Hasbro]

That's awesome. So much better than "As per team guidelines, contract terms were not disclosed."

I'm not sure the Avalanche want to make the roster public.

 

[Ceremony]

EJ was a very good skater when he first got here, which is surprising given the knee injuries he'd had by that point. And considering he's as large as he is. Given the amount of injuries I've had I'm amazed he's still playing but it's not really surprising that someone so physically gifted regressed towards the end of his contract here.

I also agree he's going to get his number retired and I'm going to hate it.

 

[KingSizeKirby]

I hope they do retire EJ’s number.

 

[Hasbro]

Can they retire #18 for him?

 

[The Abusement Park]

Is it though?

Keep in mind he isn't even known for his offense, its his defensive ability that really makes him so good... And yet:

View attachment 903772

View attachment 903773

View attachment 903775



In the last 3 years, he's got the best +/- of all Dmen in the league, he's 15th among all Dmen for total points, but most impressively of all stats for him IMO... He's 4th among all Dmen for Even Strength points over the last 3 years. Only Josi, EK65, and Cale have more points at Even strength.



I actually think Toews is extremely underrated still. Easily belongs in the Top 10.

I love Toews but based off of last season he isn’t a top 10 dman. He was good defensively last year, but he took a noticeable step back last year. Was that because of Makars down year or just he himself? Either way I don’t think that that means he was top 10 last year.

 

[henchman21]

I love Toews but based off of last season he isn’t a top 10 dman. He was good defensively last year, but he took a noticeable step back last year. Was that because of Makars down year or just he himself? Either way I don’t think that that means he was top 10 last year.

I’d argue the last two seasons Toews has taken a step back defensively… and I think it begs the question, is he the primary reason Makar’s defense looks like it has taken a step back? Was he covering some flaws?

 

[Balthazar]

I’d argue the last two seasons Toews has taken a step back defensively… and I think it begs the question, is he the primary reason Makar’s defense looks like it has taken a step back? Was he covering some flaws?

Makar was injured and needed surgery

@dahrougem2

 

[Ararana]

Toews' decline over the last two seasons is a real problem and easily predictable. They really should have kept Byram over him. I understood the argument "win while you can" and Toews answered that question in the moment better than Byram did. But they haven't come close to winning shit and now the advantage of keeping the "better but declining" player is fading fast.

The worst part is you can take it to the bank that Toews will continue to get progressively worse each year now. The Avs are going to need a top pairing LHD before too long.

 

[Bill Peckerskull]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1829167169013526931

 

[Alienblood]

Toews' decline over the last two seasons is a real problem and easily predictable. They really should have kept Byram over him. I understood the argument "win while you can" and Toews answered that question in the moment better than Byram did. But they haven't come close to winning shit and now the advantage of keeping the "better but declining" player is fading fast.

The worst part is you can take it to the bank that Toews will continue to get progressively worse each year now. The Avs are going to need a top pairing LHD before too long.

yep dumb move

 

[RockLobster]

Toews' decline over the last two seasons is a real problem and easily predictable. They really should have kept Byram over him. I understood the argument "win while you can" and Toews answered that question in the moment better than Byram did. But they haven't come close to winning shit and now the advantage of keeping the "better but declining" player is fading fast.

The worst part is you can take it to the bank that Toews will continue to get progressively worse each year now. The Avs are going to need a top pairing LHD before too long.

Byram has yet to take a legitimate step forward as a Defensive anchor in the NHL, at least in my opinion.

I know that the pushback on this will be the 2022 Cup Run, and he did look, largely, very good; but since then he's been a VERY mixed bag at best, and pretty bad at worse.

 

[henchman21]

Toews' decline over the last two seasons is a real problem and easily predictable. They really should have kept Byram over him. I understood the argument "win while you can" and Toews answered that question in the moment better than Byram did. But they haven't come close to winning shit and now the advantage of keeping the "better but declining" player is fading fast.

The worst part is you can take it to the bank that Toews will continue to get progressively worse each year now. The Avs are going to need a top pairing LHD before too long.

Byram is an inconsistent, yet flashy 4/5 right now. Keeping him over Toews would have this team closer to being a wild card team than people want to admit. Byram is one of the most overrated young players here in a while. There is very clear talent, but there are very, very clear drawbacks too.

Makar was injured and needed surgery

@dahrougem2

Makar hadn’t looked right… and there has to be an explanation for him to drop off that much on the defensive side of the puck that early. IMO it is entirely plausible that Makar just was never that good defensively and Toews propped him up. Also plausible that Makar has some sort of lingering issue that isn’t getting better. Given what we know and the lack of surgery… I’m more inclined to believe Toews covered at this point.

 

[Balthazar]

Makar hadn’t looked right… and there has to be an explanation for him to drop off that much on the defensive side of the puck that early. IMO it is entirely plausible that Makar just was never that good defensively and Toews propped him up. Also plausible that Makar has some sort of lingering issue that isn’t getting better. Given what we know and the lack of surgery… I’m more inclined to believe Toews covered at this point.

Makar was at his best for the first month of the season and was good/great up until the ASG. After that it feels like all the extra minutes got to him and he was saving energy.

The mistakes I've seen from him defensively had nothing to do with Toews and more to do with Makar not going the extra mile to make the right play. Hence the tiredness theory.

Rants does the same thing all the time and probably for the same reasons.

In the end, Cale's gotta stay away from the PK

 

[dahrougem2]

Makar was injured and needed surgery

@dahrougem2

He still probably is until he gets surgery on whatever causes him pain.

Imagine watching a player wincing and grimacing in pain almost nightly when he makes certain movements all season and not believing he has some issues.