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

[Foppa2118]

UFA Dmen on non-playoff teams:

LHD
Provorov
Lindgren
Petterson
Martinez
Dumoulin
Cole
Maatta

RHD
Savard
Ceci
Rutta
Borgen


Dmen on non-playoff teams who hit UFA in 2026:

LHD
Ferraro
Oleksiak
Chiarot
Matheson
Walman

RHD
Murphy
Schenn
Gudas
TJ Brodie
Holl

Provorov-Savard seems like a very Avs 3rd pair.

Provorov can swap spots with Girard, and Savard with Manson if need be too.

Both pending UFA's, so perhaps not the typical CMac, give up assets for a guy you can keep move, but I feel like they changed philosophies last year, so maybe the new plan is to keep the current top four, and add entirely new 3rd pairs every year at the deadline with rentals. Maybe that's the overpay Lebrun was referring to?

I believe they've been linked to both before too. Savard I'm sure I remember, Provorov I'm less sure.

 

[Balthazar]

Romanov maybe? Would cost a lot though.

They paid the 13th OA pick for him and he's been top 4 material since. He's still relatively young and plays the kind of game that GM's like.

If he's on the market the team that will pay to get him will re-up him (and it can't be us).

Provorov-Savard seems like a very Avs 3rd pair.

Provorov can swap spots with Girard, and Savard with Manson if need be too.

Both pending UFA's, so perhaps not the typical CMac, give up assets for a guy you can keep move, but I feel like they changed philosophies last year, so maybe the new plan is to keep the current top four, and add entirely new 3rd pairs every year at the deadline with rentals. Maybe that's the overpay Lebrun was referring to?

I believe they've been linked to both before too. Savard I'm sure I remember, Provorov I'm less sure.

Savard is one of the best in the NHL at blocking shots and he's good on the PK. Other than that he'd be miserable in Bednar's system. He lost a step this year and he's slow. I don't really see a fit.

He's more of a Vegas/Dallas kind of deadline guy.

 

[Foppa2118]

Savard is one of the best in the NHL at blocking shots and he's good on the PK. Other than that he'd be miserable in Bednar's system. He lost a step this year and he's slow. I don't really see a fit.

He's more of a Vegas/Dallas kind of deadline guy.

I think that makes sense, but they've been linked to Savard before with Bednar as coach, and he brings that insurance for Manson they need. Maybe this is the year?

 

[CobraAcesS]

They paid the 13th OA pick for him and he's been top 4 material since. He's still relatively young and plays the kind of game that GM's like.

If he's on the market the team that will pay to get him will re-up him (and it can't be us).


Savard is one of the best in the NHL at blocking shots and he's good on the PK. Other than that he'd be miserable in Bednar's system. He lost a step this year and he's slow. I don't really see a fit.

He's more of a Vegas/Dallas kind of deadline guy.

Even if he replaces Manson's role?

 

[Richard88]

Yeah, and they're not paying Petterson to stay most likely. So they're not going to be competitive with other offers.

I really can see them doing more of a hockey trade for a younger 2nd pairing D, then moving Manson in the offseason.

Malinski + NYR 2025 2nd for Mario Ferraro ($3.25m, 1 more year)

Curran/Fisher/Humphreys/Zellers/other late pick(s) for Will Borgen ($2.7m pending UFA)

Toews - Makar
Girard - Manson
Ferraro - Borgen

In the off season if capspace is tight you trade Manson (1 year to UFA) and replace him with Borgen, and run a 2nd pairing of Ferraro-Girard and a 3rd pairing of Borgen and Behrens/vet UFA.

 

[Foppa2118]

Ideally they'd add another cheap depth forward too, like the Duhaime addition last year. Maybe use a 2024 drafted forward as ammo for that trade

Might not need another F after the Juuso trade, if Landy comes back, Colton moves to C, and Kivi doesn't see a big drop off in play.

I could see a playoff lineup like this.

Drouin - MacK - Val
Lehky - Mitts- Mikko
Wood - Colton - LOC
Landy - Juuso - Kivi

Toews - Makar
Girard - Manson
Provorov - Savard

Blackwood
Wedgewood

F - Kelly, Innala, Wagner
D - CDH, Kylington, Ludvig

 

[Balthazar]

Even if he replaces Manson's role?

He'd be like JJ last year with less offense and better defense. And he's a RD.

 

[CobraAcesS]

Malinski + NYR 2025 2nd for Mario Ferraro ($3.25m, 1 more year)

Curran/Fisher/Humphreys/Zellers/other late pick(s) for Will Borgen ($2.7m pending UFA)

Toews - Makar
Girard - Manson
Ferraro - Borgen

In the off season if capspace is tight you trade Manson (1 year to UFA) and replace him with Borgen, and run a 2nd pairing of Ferraro-Girard and a 3rd pairing of Borgen and Behrens/vet UFA.

I see something like this as most likely.

 

[Foppa2118]

He'd be like JJ last year with less offense and better defense. And he's a RD.

Sounds like something they'd do.

In the past, I've liked Malinski more than others, but I'm not sure they're content with him in the top 6 in the playoffs, and he's due a raise in the off season. I think they may target two D.

 

[dahrougem2]

I do wonder if the Avs are looking more RHD than LHD. Sam Malinski, despite his great pass to MacKinnon prior to Lehkonen's goal last night, only played 10 minutes. That's against Utah. I wonder if Bednar is losing trust.

 

[LTCPain75]

I doubt Behrens has much value UNTIL he's recovered from knee surgery and puts in a strong year in the AHL.

 

[Balthazar]

Ideally they'd add another cheap depth forward too, like the Duhaime addition last year. Maybe use a 2024 drafted forward as ammo for that trade

Since the Avs like Finns and Montreal and have been linked to him before I go with Joel Armia. He was a playoff beast when Montreal reached the cup finals and he's a Bednar kind of player.

Pure rental for the playoffs then you run away.

 

[CobraAcesS]

He'd be like JJ last year with less offense and better defense. And he's a RD.

They may have to restructure a bit. It's not going to be easy to get a 2nd pair RD.

LD you mean?

 

[Balthazar]

They may have to restructure a bit. It's not going to be easy to get a 2nd pair RD.

LD you mean?

No I mean Savard is a RD.

 

[GirardSpinorama]

Since the Avs like Finns and Montreal and have been linked to him before I go with Joel Armia. He was a playoff beast when Montreal reached the cup finals and he's a Bednar kind of player.

Pure rental for the playoffs then you run away.

Ive always thought him at his best is a poor man's nuke.

 

[CobraAcesS]

No I mean Savard is a RD.

Ahh, I thought you were talking about Romanov.

 

[Balthazar]

Ive always thought him at his best is a poor man's nuke.

He has HUGE motivation issues. When he's motivated he's a beast (like when they sent him to the AHL last year or when they got in the playoffs). When he doesn't see the point and he's on a losing team with nothing to win he's completely invisible.

 

[CobraAcesS]

I do wonder if the Avs are looking more RHD than LHD. Sam Malinski, despite his great pass to MacKinnon prior to Lehkonen's goal last night, only played 10 minutes. That's against Utah. I wonder if Bednar is losing trust.

A RD capable of pushing Manson to the 3rd pairing is a serious move.

 

[GirardSpinorama]

He has HUGE motivation issues. When he's motivated he's a beast (like when they sent him to the AHL last year or when they got in the playoffs). When he doesn't see the point and he's on a losing team with nothing to win he's completely invisible.

Perfect buy then. Will have his country men here and will be motivated on a playoff team.

 

[Richard88]

Might not need another F after the Juuso trade, if Landy comes back, Colton moves to C, and Kivi doesn't see a big drop off in play.

I could see a playoff lineup like this.

Drouin - MacK - Val
Lehky - Mitts- Mikko
Wood - Colton - LOC
Landy - Juuso - Kivi

Toews - Makar
Girard - Manson
Provorov - Savard

Blackwood
Wedgewood

F - Kelly, Innala, Wagner
D - CDH, Kylington, Ludvig

At this point I'm not sure which one is more unrealistic: Landeskog returning or that bottom pairing.

 

[CobraAcesS]

He has HUGE motivation issues. When he's motivated he's a beast (like when they sent him to the AHL last year or when they got in the playoffs). When he doesn't see the point and he's on a losing team with nothing to win he's completely invisible.

It would have to be cheap, another winger?

 

[Richard88]

I see something like this as most likely.

The difficulty with that approach I posted is the cap. Going from DeHaan/Malinski (sub-$2m) on the bottom pairing, to Ferraro ($3.25m x 2) and Borgen ($2.7m), a combined $5.95m, is an increase of more than $4m on the bottom pairing.

They'd almost certainly have to get some retention there, but SJ has no retention slots left. They'd need a 3rd team involved perhaps. Or just target a RHD with a lower caphit or get NYR/3rd team to retain on Borgen.

Using Malinski as a trade-chip makes sense in many ways, but replacing his $850k caphit on the 3rd pairing isn't straighforward.

Since the Avs like Finns and Montreal and have been linked to him before I go with Joel Armia. He was a playoff beast when Montreal reached the cup finals and he's a Bednar kind of player.

Pure rental for the playoffs then you run away.

Armia fits stylistically, but his caphit is too high and Montreal will use retention slots on Savard, Dvorak, and/or Evans first most likely.

 

[Gumballhead]

Ive always thought him at his best is a poor man's nuke.

Can only afford baby aspirin?

 

[dahrougem2]

I've always liked Armia and he ALWAYS shows up for playoff hockey. However, I'm not sure he's got the speed to play the way Bednar wants his bottom six to play. Bednar wants all out puck hounds who check the puck hard and skate even harder. That's why I mentioned Brandon Tanev a while back. That guy was born to play for Jared Bednar minus the physicality.

A RD capable of pushing Manson to the 3rd pairing is a serious move.

I know the coaching staff seems to, but I don't trust CDH. I wouldn't want a CDH - Manson third pairing. I'm much more comfortable with Malinski in the lineup than I am CDH.

 

[Balthazar]

The difficulty with that approach I posted is the cap. Going from DeHaan/Malinski (sub-$2m) on the bottom pairing, to Ferraro ($3.25m x 2) and Borgen ($2.7m), a combined $5.95m, is an increase of more than $4m on the bottom pairing.

They'd almost certainly have to get some retention there, but SJ has no retention slots left. They'd need a 3rd team involved perhaps. Or just target a RHD with a lower caphit or get NYR/3rd team to retain on Borgen.

Using Malinski as a trade-chip makes sense in many ways, but replacing his $850k caphit on the 3rd pairing isn't straighforward.


Armia fits stylistically, but his caphit is too high and Montreal will use retention slots on Savard, Dvorak, and/or Evans first most likely.

IMO Savard and Armia get the retention slots. Evans isn't traded or is traded at full cap hit (which is low anyway). Nobody wants Dvorak.