Speculation: 2025 Off-season Thread

[AvsWraith]

We don’t really know for sure what went on during those negotiations, all I know is that you just can’t keep letting your top players go and expect to win. It doesn’t work that way. I mean show me a recent winning team that let couple of their key and top players go and still won. I can’t think of one

Show me an Avs team that has gone past the 2nd round without:

Kadri as the 2C
Bura - still underrated, that shot was lethal.
MacK, on a sweetheart deal
Cale, on his rookie deal
Nuke on cocaine

 

[the_fan]

Show me an Avs team that has gone past the 2nd round without:

Kadri as the 2C
Bura - still underrated, that shot was lethal.
MacK, on a sweetheart deal
Cale, on his rookie deal
Nuke on cocaine

That’s why we needed to have a smarter front office.

 

[the_fan]

Guys like Butakovsky, Newhook, JTC, are much easier to replace than players like Kadri and Mikko.

Smarter management would make the following players untouchable and work around the others by replacing them with cheaper contracts if needed…

MacK
Cale
Mikko
Lehky
Nuke
Kadri
Landy
Toews
LOC: even if he’s not as big of a name on this list, he’s very valuable for what he makes and provides for the team

Those should be the untouchables. Or I should say should have been untouchable because 2 of them are gone and are very hard to replace

 

[Ararana]

Part of why they ended up trading Mikko is because they know they're going to have to back up the GD Brinks truck to Makar's home.

Which would be ironcially hilarious when Makar walks because the Avs suck ass and have no assets.

 

[The Pwnerer]

No more playing by the rules next year. Landy needs to take a 2nd half "injury break" so we can take advantage of the cap again. Sick and tired of always being the gentleman's team. Starts with the coach who will flat out not call out shitty officiating. Rubs off to the players who have no spine to play dirty or embellish a bit. Way too classy of a team. Does Mackinoon really enjoying Hintz crosschecks to the head that much? I mean are they watching Florida lately?

 

[dmac7719]

we're in that weird Pittsburgh territory after Crosby's first cup in '09 aka 'when is (if at all) is the next cup coming for our franchise players....

Crosby's 2nd cup didn't come till like 8 years later then it was back to back.

we'll see how it goes for us.

that first cup was in crosby's 4th season in the league, at age 21. next 2 came 7 and 8 years later at age 28 and 29

Mack's first was at age 26. same time line would be when he would be 34 and 35

completely different situations

 

[dahrougem2]

Makar should take a discount after that disaster of a playoff showing. Yes, I'm still pissed at him.

 

[The Abusement Park]

Show me an Avs team that has gone past the 2nd round without:

Kadri as the 2C
Bura - still underrated, that shot was lethal.
MacK, on a sweetheart deal
Cale, on his rookie deal
Nuke on cocaine

Yeah Bura is still pretty underrated in his impact here. Obviously not a key/core piece but I do think not getting a legit replacement for him has hurt more than anyone’s willing to admit.

 

[AvsMakar08]

Do you guys think that Kadri will come back to play for Avs as a 2nd line center any time soon? Maybe Calgary will be jealous enough and not trade him back to Colorado.

 

[expatriatedtexan]

Do you guys think that Kadri will come back to play for Avs as a 2nd line center any time soon?

I have to imagine Kadri retires before he pulls our sweater over his head again.

His "keep the dawgs" post seems to be clear indication that he still habors some misgivings towards our front office.

I wonder if we could work a deal with NJD for a center. They supposedly like Ross Colton so maybe we could add Miles Wood to him and get Shane Bowers back?

 

[AvsMakar08]

I have to imagine Kadri retires before he pulls our sweater over his head again.

His "keep the dawgs" post seems to be clear indication that he still habors some misgivings towards our front office.

I wonder if we could work a deal with NJD for a center. They supposedly like Ross Colton so maybe we could add Miles Wood to him and get Shane Bowers back?

If Devils have a 2nd line center available then we can make a deal with them. What else is there to loose? We are all in anyways for the next 5 years.

 

[Balthazar]

Makar should take a discount after that disaster of a playoff showing. Yes, I'm still pissed at him.

You were pissed at him last year too but you thought he was tired and needed surgery.

 

[expatriatedtexan]

If Devils have a 2nd line center available then we can make a deal with them. What else is there to loose? We are all in anyways for the next 5 years.

Do you think that would be enough for Bowers? Not sure we've got a lot of picks we could add.

 

[ABasin]

That's not where I am as a fan of the Avalanche. Some years, getting in the playoffs and doing some damage is a success. This was not one of those years.

Colorado reached the apex in 2022. MacFarland has had three years to get back to that level. He's traded practically every future asset, along with a franchise icon, and the club has one series win to its name. That's not acceptable.

I guess what I’m saying is that over the past three years, if the Avs had been bounced in the 2nd round three times - in a competitive 2nd round series each time - I would be OK with it. They did not have to “get back to that level” for me. Top 6ish in the league is a damn good season. I’d prefer Cups, naturally. But those are really hard to come by. A lot has to line up properly to win one of those.

In the end, I want to enjoy my team and my sport. I think I’d find it hard to do that if the only single thing that brought me satisfaction is a Stanley Cup championship.

 

[expatriatedtexan]

I guess what I’m saying is that over the past three years, if the Avs had been bounced in the 2nd round three times - in a competitive 2nd round series each time - I would be OK with it. They did not have to “get back to that level” for me. Top 6ish in yhe league is a damn good season. I’d prefer Cups, naturally. But those are really hard to come by. A lot has to line up properly to win one of those.

In the end, I want to enjoy my team and my sport. I think I’d find it hard to do that if the only thing that brought me satisfaction, is a Stanley Cup championship.

Honestly, when you first posted your comment, I was fearing folks were going to accuse you of enjoying watching the Avs get their shit pushed in.

I got you loud and clear though my friend. I know I am very negative on some things (Bednar) but as far as the Avs and I go... We're cool and will be for a long time. I also can find enjoyment in a season like this. Although to be honest, it would have been more enjoyable if at any point outside of maybe 3 or 5 games I felt like I was watching a damn champion, but it was still enjoyable. Nothing seemed to click, but nobody was sand-bagging out there after the deadline.

 

[AvsMakar08]

Do you think that would be enough for Bowers? Not sure we've got a lot of picks we could add.

Maybe a deal around Colton / Wood for Bowers and something else.

 

[ABasin]

Honestly, when you first posted your comment, I was fearing folks were going to accuse you of enjoying watching the Avs get their shit pushed in.

I got you loud and clear though my friend. I know I am very negative on some things (Bednar) but as far as the Avs and I go... We're cool and will be for a long time. I also can find enjoyment in a season like this. Although to be honest, it would have been more enjoyable if at any point outside of maybe 3 or 5 games I felt like I was watching a damn champion, but it was still enjoyable. Nothing seemed to click, but nobody was sand-bagging out there after the deadline.

Oh, I wouldn’t take any joy in Colorado losing. I hope my message didn’t come across like that.

I’m just saying I’m not a “Cup or bust” fan. At least not now that I’m an old fart.

I agree with Shadow, in that two of the last three years have been a little disappointing. First round bounces feel like they’ve fallen a bit short.

But to me, it’s only one competitive series short of a solid season, all things considered.

 

[expatriatedtexan]

Maybe a deal around Colton / Wood for Bowers and something else.

At this point, I'd take just the cap space.

You do realize the Shane Bowers I've been talking about is the same one who we rode out of town a couple of years ago because everytime we tried to give him a look-see, he got a boo-boo mere seconds after looking like chipped beef and toast.

 

[dahrougem2]

You were pissed at him last year too but you thought he was tired and needed surgery.

This year was worse.

 

[Metallo]

This is the worse offseason in a while. In the darks days before the rebuilt we were "not winning" but this year we "lost". Lost a chance at a cup, lost to our nemesis that we gifted our own star player, lost so many assets spent by CMac like a drunk sailor in a brothel.

 

[expatriatedtexan]

This is the worse offseason in a while. In the darks days before the rebuilt we were "not winning" but this year we "lost". Lost a chance at a cup, lost to our nemesis that we gifted our own star player, lost so many assets spent by CMac like a drunk sailor in a brothel.

Man, I know the optics is bad. But we are three years removed from winning the Stanley Cup. A thing that 31 teams fail to do every single f***ing year.

At some point, I feel we need to give the team a break.

Although, to be honest, I feel we should only give them a break on the things I feel they should be given a break on and they should be hung from the highest tree for the rest.

 

[the_fan]

Wrong thread

 

[shadow1]

I guess what I’m saying is that over the past three years, if the Avs had been bounced in the 2nd round three times - in a competitive 2nd round series each time - I would be OK with it. They did not have to “get back to that level” for me. Top 6ish in the league is a damn good season. I’d prefer Cups, naturally. But those are really hard to come by. A lot has to line up properly to win one of those.

In the end, I want to enjoy my team and my sport. I think I’d find it hard to do that if the only single thing that brought me satisfaction is a Stanley Cup championship.

Back in the golden era, Colorado made the WFC practically every season for a stretch. That sounds similar to what you're describing. They aren't going to win it every season, but at least be a threat to win it. That would be my ideal. Right now, I'd say they're flirting with pretender status, especially if they lose in the first round agaon next year. (If that happens, I'm pretty sure we'll have new management and coaching, though).

 

[Colorado Avalanche]

Back in the golden era, Colorado made the WFC practically every season for a stretch. That sounds similar to what you're describing. They aren't going to win it every season, but at least be a threat to win it. That would be my ideal. Right now, I'd say they're flirting with pretender status, especially if they lose in the first round agaon next year. (If that happens, I'm pretty sure we'll have new management and coaching, though).

Exactly. The expectations are higher than what we are seeing from the team, so it's disappointing even if you win a cup.

 

[CobraAcesS]

Exactly. The expectations are higher than what we are seeing from the team, so it's disappointing even if you win a cup.

It will probably take us a while to fully appreciate that run. Not abnormal though. Post 2001 was a bitch of a Rollercoaster ride.