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

[Colorado Avalanche]

This is what some people around the league who hear things have said fairly recently though. The Avs have been reluctant to go anywhere near the MacKinnon contract. What Rantanen camp is asking is not more than that, but somewhere around 11.75-12.5. This is why the agent has signalled that they believe they can get to 14M in the open market, 14x7=12.25x8

I still don't see the Rantanen contract playing out any time soon, because everything is up in the air with Landeskog.

Very interesting, so they are playing hardball because they believe he has a lot interest staying with the Avalanche. I agree he would easily get 14x7 UFA.

 

[dahrougem2]

Colton and Wood have to go next off-season.

Colton's clause turns into a M-NTC on July 1st. Not sure how many teams (RIP CapFriendly), but he no longer has total control. He's cooled off after the hot start (2G/0A in 10GP) and is back to his normal ~40pt pace, which isn't what a team with a limited budget needs to spend $4M on.

Wood is self-explanatory. He's got four years left, so it's a tough sell. But bad contracts get moved all the time, so it can be done. Barclay Goodrow is hooooooorible, yet SJ willingly took him on. Wood is at least a decent 4th liner.

If Landeskog truly is done, the Avs don't have to trade anybody.

If Rantanen signed for 12.5M, that would leave the Avs with just over 6.5M to sign two forwards and three defensemen to the NHL roster if we assume both Cal Ritchie and Ivan Ivan are on next year's roster.

That's 1.3M per player, which if you go cheaper on some allows you to seek out a couple of decent players.

All this again hinges on Gabe. If he truly is done, the Avs are not in cap hell.

Now, if you wanted to keep Drouin then yes, one of Wood/Colton likely goes.

 

[Colorado Avalanche]

It's not that I think the LOC deal is bad (I maintain that I don't think he'll regain his form until next year, if he doesn't, then I'll start getting concerned), I just don't think it's generally a good practice to sign 3rd/4th line guys to long-term deals. Certainly has been the case with Wood.

Yeah not as high price as those two.

 

[Ceremony]

It's not that I think the LOC deal is bad (I maintain that I don't think he'll regain his form until next year, if he doesn't, then I'll start getting concerned), I just don't think it's generally a good practice to sign 3rd/4th line guys to long-term deals. Certainly has been the case with Wood.

I know, I just mentioned that since O'Connor's production at the time was comparable to Kiviranta now.

 

[Vaslof]

No way he signs that cheap, if it's the same agent as Blackwood. Now I think the starting price for Mikko is 13,5 mil a season. Even 8 years.

Equivalent to 7x15.4M in UFA. Honestly if Rants tries to squeeze the team, then just let him walk. I think ultimately we want players who want to win the cup, not players who want to cash out.

 

[Richard88]

If Landeskog truly is done, the Avs don't have to trade anybody.

If Rantanen signed for 12.5M, that would leave the Avs with just over 6.5M to sign two forwards and three defensemen to the NHL roster if we assume both Cal Ritchie and Ivan Ivan are on next year's roster.

That's 1.3M per player, which if you go cheaper on some allows you to seek out a couple of decent players.

All this again hinges on Gabe. If he truly is done, the Avs are not in cap hell.

Now, if you wanted to keep Drouin then yes, one of Wood/Colton likely goes.

Curious how you guys see Malinski fitting into the picture beyond this season.

His ice-time is up to 16+ mins average, and he's been mostly solid even though the production hasn't quite been there. With Rantanen, Drouin, and Kiviranta also to re-sign, can the Avs realistically bring back Malinski? What do you think he's going to be asking for as an RFA?

 

[dahrougem2]

Curious how you guys see Malinski fitting into the picture beyond this season.

His ice-time is up to 16+ mins average, and he's been mostly solid even though the production hasn't quite been there. With Rantanen, Drouin, and Kiviranta also to re-sign, can the Avs realistically bring back Malinski? What do you think he's going to be asking for as an RFA?

I have long believed Malinski prices himself out of Colorado.

I can see some team communicating to the Avs that they're willing to give him something like 3x3 and trading for his rights.

 

[Richard88]

I have long believed Malinski prices himself out of Colorado.

I can see some team communicating to the Avs that they're willing to give him something like 3x3 and trading for his rights.

If that's the case it would be a similar scenario to Newhook effectively pricing himself out at a similar price range and not quite being a fit with how the roster is built. Hopefully in that scenario he'd return something decent like Newhook did.

 

[BobRossColton]

Yeah Malinski will be a cap conundrum

 

[Colorado Avalanche]

Equivalent to 7x15.4M in UFA. Honestly if Rants tries to squeeze the team, then just let him walk. I think ultimately we want players who want to win the cup, not players who want to cash out.

I agree. We need to have some pain point when we just have to let him go.

 

[Balthazar]

I wonder what it says about Rants that Blackwood just got here, has the same agent as him and signs pretty much instantly at realistic UFA value.

But then again, he missed training camp when it was time to sign his RFA contract because he'd not bend so we kinda knew what to expect. He's going to get as much money as he can.

There's a fairly big risk of injury to play this season with no contract next year and he decided that it was worth it. He's willing to take that risk for the difference between what the Avs are offering and how much he thinks he can get at the end of the year.

 

[Cypher]

2025/2026

Lehky - Mack - ???
RosCo - Mitts - Nuke
Ivan - ??? - LOC
Wood - Kelly - ???
???

Toews - Makar
G - Manson
??? - ???
???/???

BWood
WWood

That's 15 players at $72.145m.

With the cap somewhere between 92.5m and 97m, that's between 20.355m - 24.855m in cap space to fill in the gaps.

I would bring back Mikko at 1RW, Kivi at 4RW, and Malinski (RFA) at 3RD. Say that costs 16.355 m for the 3 of them. That leaves somewhere in the 4-8.5 million range for a 3C, 3LHD, and 2-3 nacho eaters. It's do-able. If Landeskog comes back though, better pray for the 97m cap.

 

[LOFIN]

I wonder what it says about Rants that Blackwood just got here, has the same agent as him and signs pretty much instantly at realistic UFA value.

But then again, he missed training camp when it was time to sign his RFA contract because he'd not bend so we kinda knew what to expect. He's going to get as much money as he can.

There's a fairly big risk of injury to play this season with no contract next year and he decided that it was worth it. He's willing to take that risk for the difference between what the Avs are offering and how much he thinks he can get at the end of the year.

Doesn't really say anything for me. The captain of this team went as close to UFA as you possibly could. Blackwood obviously took that deal, let's not pretend that it's some bargain contract right now given the parameters and show of work. I do believe it will end up being good though, but that was a nobrainer from his camp.

Rantanen on the other hand, has no reason to accept what the Avs have had on the table so far, because by all reports it's really under his market value. Like a lot. Who even knows, if the Avs are interested in actively pursuing the negotiations at this time with the uncertainty of Landeskog?

 

[Pokecheque]

Equivalent to 7x15.4M in UFA. Honestly if Rants tries to squeeze the team, then just let him walk. I think ultimately we want players who want to win the cup, not players who want to cash out.

I don't think there's anything wrong with Rants wanting to cash in. Most anyone in his position would.

 

[CobraAcesS]

Curious how you guys see Malinski fitting into the picture beyond this season.

His ice-time is up to 16+ mins average, and he's been mostly solid even though the production hasn't quite been there. With Rantanen, Drouin, and Kiviranta also to re-sign, can the Avs realistically bring back Malinski? What do you think he's going to be asking for as an RFA?

If Manson isn't traded, no way they can pay him. I do think it's realistic to pay Sam2 a little more to run the third pair if you also find Girard a steady partner, or Towes depending on who is with Makar.

I don't think they'll bet on Manson if he looks even remotely pedestrian in the playoffs.

I can see a world where all three of Colton, Wood, and Manson are moved. Wood would be the only difficult one, and not that difficult.

 

[Balthazar]

Doesn't really say anything for me. The captain of this team went as close to UFA as you possibly could. Blackwood obviously took that deal, let's not pretend that it's some bargain contract right now given the parameters and show of work. I do believe it will end up being good though, but that was a nobrainer from his camp.

Not a bargain at all, which is my point.

There's no doubt that Rantanen decided that it was worth it to wait despite the risk. If the Avs were offering, say 92M over 8 years and he said no to that, how much does he think he can get? Would somebody risk 92M to have a chance at 94M? Probably not.

So he thinks he can make significantly more than what the Avs are/were offering. That's just common sense.

Who even knows, if the Avs are interested in actively pursuing the negotiations at this time with the uncertainty of Landeskog?

These two things aren't related at all.

 

[Vaslof]

I don't think there's anything wrong with Rants wanting to cash in. Most anyone in his position would.

Nothing wrong with cashing in, we just need to be a team that stays away from those players.

 

[expatriatedtexan]

Wonder how much Landy's situation is playing into the delay in getting a deal done with Mikko? That's a ton of uncertainty for CMac.

 

[Hmmm]

If Mikko leaves who do we target to replace him?

 

[BobRossColton]

If Mikko leaves who do we target to replace him?

Probably someone through Mikko being traded..

 

[Balthazar]

Wonder how much Landy's situation is playing into the delay in getting a deal done with Mikko? That's a ton of uncertainty for CMac.

Either we sign Rants at full UFA value for 8 years or he walks. Zero chance that the decision to keep him or not would be based on how Landy feels.

 

[Cypher]

If Mikko leaves who do we target to replace him?

Marner, since he trains with Mack in the summer... or Boeser/Ehlers

 

[Richard88]

If Manson isn't traded, no way they can pay him. I do think it's realistic to pay Sam2 a little more to run the third pair if you also find Girard a steady partner, or Towes depending on who is with Makar.

I don't think they'll bet on Manson if he looks even remotely pedestrian in the playoffs.

I can see a world where all three of Colton, Wood, and Manson are moved. Wood would be the only difficult one, and not that difficult.

It would be a huge shift in how CMac operates for him to trade multiple guys under contract with term.

For reference below are the notable players the Avs front office have traded out in the last 6 years.

2024
Kovalenko - RFA at seasons end
Georgiev - UFA at seasons end
Ben Meyers - RFA at seasons end
Byram - less than 1.5 years to RFA, had apparently requested a trade
Johansen - less than 1.5 years to UFA, buyout candidate

2023
Newhook - RFA

2022
Jost - less than 1.5 years to RFA, had apparently requested a trade

2021
Ryan Graves - 2 years remaining, forced trade by Expansion Draft.

2020
Zadorov - RFA at seasons end

2019
Barrie - 1 year to UFA
Kerfoot - RFA


Notice that there isn't a single player other than Graves who was traded with more than 1.5 years on their contracts (and in his case it was a forced trade due to the expansion draft).

Clearly CMac likes to honour contracts as much as possible, so it seems pretty unrealistic to expect him to move multiple guys who he signed long-term deals with. At most he'd move one guy if he's really forced to, along with Malinski who is an RFA, but Wood, Colton, AND Manson,.. nah I don't see it.

 

[CobraAcesS]

It would be a huge shift in how CMac operates for him to trade multiple guys under contract with term.

For reference below are the notable players the Avs front office have traded out in the last 6 years.

2024
Kovalenko - RFA at seasons end
Georgiev - UFA at seasons end
Ben Meyers - RFA at seasons end
Byram - less than 1.5 years to RFA, had apparently requested a trade
Johansen - less than 1.5 years to UFA, buyout candidate

2023
Newhook - RFA

2022
Jost - less than 1.5 years to RFA, had apparently requested a trade

2021
Ryan Graves - 2 years remaining, forced trade by Expansion Draft.

2020
Zadorov - RFA at seasons end

2019
Barrie - 1 year to UFA
Kerfoot - RFA


Notice that there isn't a single player other than Graves who was traded with more than 1.5 years on their contracts (and in his case it was a forced trade due to the expansion draft).

Clearly CMac likes to honour contracts as much as possible, so it seems pretty unrealistic to expect him to move multiple guys who he signed long-term deals with. At most he'd move one guy if he's really forced to, along with Malinski who is an RFA, but Wood, Colton, AND Manson,.. nah I don't see it.

The cap is the cap, he won't have a choice.

Edit.. rumor is they already explored trading Colton.

 

[expatriatedtexan]

Either we sign Rants at full UFA value for 8 years or he walks. Zero chance that the decision to keep him or not would be based on how Landy feels.

I really hope that is not Mikko's stance. And it's not got anything to do with how Landy "feels". It has to do with the amount of cap space available if Landy says he's healthy. Landy is signed to a gauranteed 7M contract with a 12 team no-trade list. CMac would be signing his own resignation letter if he traded Landy.

There is only so much cap to go around and I feel CMac just shifted a large percentage of the pie to goaltending than he planned on spending next season as well.

I still imagine a deal will get done between 96-98M, but if he's dead stuck on 98+ at all costs, I'd still try like hell but I'd be looking for stuff like no restrictions on movement/trade in return. We've already got Landy, Wood, Manson, Girard, Toews, RosCo, Lehky, Nuke, and Nate all with some form of movement/trade protection. If he wants maximum bag, try the best to accomodate him, but I'd suspect he's going to give up a bit by having a shorter list of teams he's protected from trade against.

If Mikko leaves who do we target to replace him?

Taylor Hall of course! JD, Lehky, Nuke can all play RW.