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

[Pokecheque]

I do not hate Mikko. That said, he contributes little other than the snipe from the right circle, and the neat little shovel play in the crease ( which is mostly Nate, Drouin or Makar doing the heavy lifting with a great pass.) Mikko is simply too expensive.

You don't hate him but the mental gymnastics required to whittle down a guy who put up 301 points the last three seasons as someone who only scores from two different areas of the ice and rides the coattails of his linemates would suggest otherwise.

Some of y'alls really don't realize just how bad this team would be without Rants.

 

[cinchronicity]

I think the idea of trading Mikko is valid (or rather was, can't see it happening now), and people can make very good arguments for it.

But please. Quotes like above, once again, show how underrated this guy is. And unlike in most cases where a player is underrated by the league around him, in his case it's by the teams own fanbase.

I will listen on the chatter for trading Mikko, like I said there could've been some interesting scenarios and maybe even ways of improving this team (which is not usually the case when trading away a superstar). What I will not have, is this slandering on him. The guy is a 50G/100 point player, top-10 playoff PPG ALL TIME. TSN had him at #10 in their top-50 list of players coming into this season. There's a good reason for that, not just "he's good at sniping from the right circle and making nice shovel plays while piggybacking from Nate and Cale".

I typically don't get into arguments on here, and I don't plan on continuing this topic. But be honest: what else DOES Mikko do? I never said he sucked. I never said he was not a legit scorer. That said, if a player wants to set a new salary standard for a wing - and remember, we are talking about a cap-constrained world - that player needs to be more than a 'hired gun'. You'll never find a post from me saying that Mikko is lazy or dogging it. Or selfish (he opted to pass to a teammate 3 empty net chances last year that I recall.) Or a bad teammate. What I DID say is that a very significant part of the point production that you mentioned is from those two very specific places. And on both of those types of goals, Mikko is one-timing it. That requires a perfect pass right in the proverbial breadbasket.

To close, note that I mentioned the status of Landy - and for that matter Nuke as well. Eliminate one or both permanently, and there is both a huge need and cap space for Mikko as a 'hired gun' putting up 100 pts a season ( which, btw, is easier than it has been in 2 decades. 9 guys did it last year, and Kaprizov likely would have if he played 82 games. (96 pts in 75 games)

NHL Skating Stat Leaders, 2023-24 Regular Season - ESPN

 

[cinchronicity]

You don't hate him but the mental gymnastics required to whittle down a guy who put up 301 points the last three seasons as someone who only scores from two different areas of the ice and rides the coattails of his linemates would suggest otherwise.

Some of y'alls really don't realize just how bad this team would be without Rants.

I never mentioned coattails. Mikko is a legit scorer. What I DID say is that his two main goal-producing shots are from 2 very specific places - places that require a very precise pass, because he needs to one-time both of those - very effective - shots.

To this day, Mike Bossy is likely the best 'pure sniper' of all time. But Trottier was the better all-around player. Saying that is not saying Bossy sucked. Mikko surely is in the conversation for best current 'pure sniper.' But if - and granted these are HUGE ifs - the Avs can run:

Drouin - Mac - Nuke
Lehky - Mitts - Landy ( even at 80% of old Landy)
Roaring 20's line

Then Swayman at $8M x 8 is a better cap situation than Mikko at $12+M. That is money to keep Drouin and Mitts around for a while, because virtually all the increases in cap are going to have to be reserved for Makar's next deal.

 

[Pokecheque]

You'll never find a post from me saying that Mikko is lazy or dogging it.

Here's the thing--why would you be defending yourself against accusations directed at Mikko of laziness and dogging it on shifts? That's actually the most legit criticism of Mikko.

It's the rest of your narrative that I'm taking issue with.

 

[Pokecheque]

I never mentioned coattails. Mikko is a legit scorer. What I DID say is that his two main goal-producing shots are from 2 very specific places - places that require a very precise pass, because he needs to one-time both of those - very effective - shots.

To this day, Mike Bossy is likely the best 'pure sniper' of all time. But Trottier was the better all-around player. Saying that is not saying Bossy sucked. Mikko surely is in the conversation for best current 'pure sniper.' But if - and granted these are HUGE ifs - the Avs can run:

Drouin - Mac - Nuke
Lehky - Mitts - Landy ( even at 80% of old Landy)
Roaring 20's line

Then Swayman at $8M x 8 is a better cap situation than Mikko at $12+M. That is money to keep Drouin and Mitts around for a while, because virtually all the increases in cap are going to have to be reserved for Makar's next deal.

Look if there was a way to swing some sort of Mikko/Swayman deal I'd probably do it. Not 100% for sure would do it, but I'd be very heavily leaning toward yes. But it ain't happening.

I don't really have any issue with Rants having two primary types of goals he scores. You could argue MacKinnon and Makar have only one place they like to score goals. Makar shoots through traffic from the top of the point, MacKinnon likes firing one-timers from his "office". And for any sort of frustration that emerges from Rants needing the "perfect" pass to fire off that shot of his, he's also quite effective at setting up others for good shots. How many of those aforementioned power play snipes by 29 or 8 came off 96's stick? I'd argue quite a few.

I'm not sure how they're gonna do this cap dance but I'd argue that massive number for Rants is still a better investment than Drouin at a discounted price.

 

[cinchronicity]

Here's the thing--why would you be defending yourself against accusations directed at Mikko of laziness and dogging it on shifts? That's actually the most legit criticism of Mikko.

It's the rest of your narrative that I'm taking issue with.

Well, I do agree with your first sentence, and to an extent those bad habits are implied in questioning what else does Mikko do. My point is - and has always been - that as good as Mikko is at point production, putting him at $12M x 8 seriously hurts depth and forces CMac into finding reclamation goalies for $4M or less.

The only reason I even bought this up was the possible acquisition of Swayman. I would not want to trade Mikko and get all prospects and picks ( though some would be necessary for the Swayman payment.) But Swayman would address a HUGE need. We are talking about a starting goalie, not a 3RW or 5D or kids who won't contribute for 3 years. I was in favor of moving Mikko this time last year, but couldn't really find any trade which worked for all parties. I seriously doubt Boston would entertain any trade - Mikko, Nuke, (Landy?) - for Swayman. But they seem to have poisoned the relationship, and could be 'forced' to 'trade' Swayman for a 1st, 2nd and 3rd.

BTW, I suspect there is absolutely zero chance that CMac does this. I'm just trying to add to a legitimate dialogue.

 

[The Merchant]

Mikko would be universally beloved if his effort even remotely matched his skill

 

[henchman21]

Mikko would be universally beloved if his effort even remotely matched his skill

He'd also be putting up 55+ goals and 125+ points a season.

 

[cinchronicity]

In general, I wish the NHL had some version of Larry Bird Rights. Teams ought to be able to keep their home-grown players. Maybe something like 20% more than the average pay of the top 5 salaries of the same position ( Center, Wing, DMan, Goalie.) That would put a player like Mikko at $10M against the cap, but $12M in the bank.

 

[GoNordiquesGo]

There's a reason approximately 31.5 NHL franchises out of 32 don't trade these type of players unless forced to ...

 

[The Merchant]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1841941745430360252

Atta boy

 

[expatriatedtexan]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1841941745430360252

Atta boy

That'll buy a lot of ice-cream won't it?

 

[henchman21]

That'll buy a lot of ice-cream won't it?

Just enough for that tubby.