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

[Foppa2118]

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.

I've been wondering if Malinski is trade bait at the deadline for a veteran defenseman.

All of this, from his improved play, to his increased ice time to showcase him, to him needing to be re-signed, would reinforce this as well. As would CMac being more aggressive with his all in moves in the last year or so. Moves for now, not the future in mind.

 

[CobraAcesS]

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.


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

I don't think Landy really effects it much. If committing long term to goaltending was easy, then I think they have a number they're willing to go up to, and don't plan to handcuf the team in order to fit him in.

As demonstrated there are other moves to be made even if Landeskog comes back and they cave to 12.5M for Mikko.

I have a feeling they belive paying Mikko more than 11.5 or something like that doesn't give them the best chance to build a winning team, and I agree *kind of.

They'll play chicken with Mikko if they played chicken with Landeskog.

I've been wondering if Malinski is trade bait at the deadline for a veteran defenseman.

All of this, from his improved play, to his increased ice time to showcase him, to him needing to be re-signed, would reinforce this as well. As would CMac being more aggressive with his all in moves in the last year or so. Moves for now, not the future in mind.

Except he's keeping and using his draft picks..

 

[Foppa2118]

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.

This is also just how the Avs negotiate. Lowball offers until the last second. Usually with some sort of artificial deadline bringing things to a head.

Landy was pretty frustrated with negotiations last time too. Then they signed a fair deal hours before he would become a UFA.

 

[Foppa2118]

Except he's keeping and using his draft picks..

Feels like that's changed.

Only one 2026 1st, and a 2025 2nd round pick (NYR's) in the top three rounds of the next two drafts, and I would bet a lot of money that other 1st is gone before the draft. Probably before the playoffs.

They may try to pick up a 2026 2nd somehow though. That's kinda their MO.

 

[CobraAcesS]

Feels like that's changed.

Only one 2026 1st, and a 2025 2nd round pick (NYR's) in the top three rounds of the next two drafts, and I would bet a lot of money that other 1st is gone before the draft. Probably before the playoffs.

They may try to pick up a 2026 2nd somehow though. That's kinda their MO.

Well he did the right thing as early as possible with the goalies.

No more lame duck deadlines, unless he fills those needs earlier. Which I think they're trying to do.

 

[BobRossColton]

I've been wondering if Malinski is trade bait at the deadline for a veteran defenseman.

All of this, from his improved play, to his increased ice time to showcase him, to him needing to be re-signed, would reinforce this as well. As would CMac being more aggressive with his all in moves in the last year or so. Moves for now, not the future in mind.

What would Malinski get us? Could he be added to Wood to open up cap for a 3c+D?

Who would you go for with Malinski?

 

[dahrougem2]

Whatever happens between now and TDL, the Avs need IMO two bottom six forwards and a third pairing defenseman who can kill penalties.

How they go about getting those pieces idgaf so long as it's not Ritchie/Gulyayev/Nabokov being offered.

 

[Foppa2118]

What would Malinski get us? Could he be added to Wood to open up cap for a 3c+D?

Who would you go for with Malinski?

Just my speculation, but I think they keep Wood. I think they may trade Malinski for a vet two way D. Perhaps in a package for Marcus Petterson.

I've actually been wondering if they trade for two defenseman before the playoffs. One vet #6 RD to replace Malinski, and a LD that can play in the top 4 or the bottom pair. I think they're all in again.

 

[expatriatedtexan]

Whatever happens between now and TDL, the Avs need IMO two bottom six forwards and a third pairing defenseman who can kill penalties.

How they go about getting those pieces idgaf so long as it's not Ritchie/Gulyayev/Nabokov being offered.

Any idea how he's doing/progressing/regressing this year? I've only stat watched and there's only so much to be gleened from 36GP, 3G-5A-8P, 0 PIMs, -4.

I'm not really sure where else to look other than eliteprospects.

 

[CobraAcesS]

Whatever happens between now and TDL, the Avs need IMO two bottom six forwards and a third pairing defenseman who can kill penalties.

How they go about getting those pieces idgaf so long as it's not Ritchie/Gulyayev/Nabokov being offered.

Gul yay ev

I may remember how to spell that now. We'll see..

 

[Foppa2118]

Any idea how he's doing/progressing/regressing this year? I've only stat watched and there's only so much to be gleened from 36GP, 3G-5A-8P, 0 PIMs, -4.

I'm not really sure where else to look other than eliteprospects.

That -4 means he sucks 4x as much as the average defenseman.

 

[dahrougem2]

Any idea how he's doing/progressing/regressing this year? I've only stat watched and there's only so much to be gleened from 36GP, 3G-5A-8P, 0 PIMs, -4.

I'm not really sure where else to look other than eliteprospects.

Evan says his ice time has been increasing all year and he recently manned the top PP unit. Not bad for a young kid in the KHL

 

[John Mandalorian]

I've been wondering if Malinski is trade bait at the deadline for a veteran defenseman.

All of this, from his improved play, to his increased ice time to showcase him, to him needing to be re-signed, would reinforce this as well. As would CMac being more aggressive with his all in moves in the last year or so. Moves for now, not the future in mind.

Alternate theory: paying more for Blackwood signals an intention to acquire a defensive oriented crease clearer on the left side to pair with Malinski. That becomes the 2nd line. Then perhaps trade Manson and/or Girard.

Before everyone weighs with truisms, they’ve considered trading Girard before.

 

[CobraAcesS]

Alternate theory: paying more for Blackwood signals an intention to acquire a defensive oriented crease clearer on the left side to pair with Malinski. That becomes the 2nd line. Then perhaps trade Manson and/or Girard.

Before everyone weighs with truisms, they’ve considered trading Girard before.

Or they're realizing the team can’t be top heavy, and have weak depth without legit goaltenders anymore.

 

[John Mandalorian]

Or they're realizing the team can’t be top heavy, and have weak depth without legit goaltenders anymore.

Top heavy in what way?

 

[RoyIsALegend]

Top heavy in what way?

Tig ol' biddies.

 

[Murzu]

14 x 7 = 98

98 / 8 = 12.25

It really is this simple. Might take 100/8 = 12,5 if Mikko doesn't want to do us too many favours, but shoudn't be more complicated than that.

 

[CobraAcesS]

Tig ol' biddies.

Someone started before 930 EST











God, I haven't seen that used in a minute.

 

[Pokecheque]

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

One could argue he’s the best winger this franchise has ever seen (though I still probably rank The Duke above him). I don’t think you can simply stay away from those players, not unless you draft well, which the Avs don’t.

 

[CobraAcesS]

Top heavy in what way?

Really? 25M on two items? I get RIAL's joke now better that I say that.

 

[John Mandalorian]

Really? 25M on two items? I get RIAL's joke now better that I say that.

OK just checking. There’s a duality here. If you subtract Rantanen and keep others, you still have Lehkonen, Drouin, Colton, Mittelstadt, and Nichuschkin(?). That doesn’t look like a horrible top 6. But it has a lot of assumptions. For example guys staying healthy. The first 1.5 months of the season several of these guys were injured. Go look at how many games Rantanen has missed in the last 3 years. And yes, I get the anxiety of signing Rantanen to a big deal and seeing his reliability change. But that reality doesn’t mitigate the dependence on the cast of others to also remain healthy.

 

[CobraAcesS]

OK just checking. There’s a duality here. If you subtract Rantanen and keep others, you still have Lehkonen, Drouin, Colton, Mittelstadt, and Nichuschkin(?). That doesn’t look like a horrible top 6. But it has a lot of assumptions. For example guys staying healthy. The first 1.5 months of the season several of these guys were injured. Go look at how many games Rantanen has missed in the last 3 years. And yes, I get the anxiety of signing Rantanen to a big deal and seeing his reliability change. But that reality doesn’t mitigate the dependence on the cast of others to also remain healthy.

It's not any easy choice. One thing is clear though. They can't protect mediocre goaltenders anymore.

Lots of different choices beyond that.

 

[John Mandalorian]

It's not any easy choice. One thing is clear though. They can't protect mediocre goaltenders anymore.

Lots of different choices beyond that.

I think an underestimated part of this signing is Blackwood winning over the room. MacFarland, lately, has been speaking in more definitive terms about supporting this core. So, this signing is about performance and rapport.

 

[Vaslof]

One could argue he’s the best winger this franchise has ever seen (though I still probably rank The Duke above him). I don’t think you can simply stay away from those players, not unless you draft well, which the Avs don’t.

Is it fair for every other player who took a reasonable deal? Some of whom will lose their place in the team to accommodate that one guy squeezing out every penny they could. Every single player we have took a reasonable deal. Those who wanted to cash in are gone. As it should be.

 

[CobraAcesS]

I think an underestimated part of this signing is Blackwood winning over the room. MacFarland, lately, has been speaking in more definitive terms about supporting this core. So, this signing is about performance and rapport.

They seem to appreciate it. So do I..

Wedgie is a beaut too, cliché but, night and day difference.