Rumor: 2026 Trade Rumors and Free Agency: Offseason Edition

[PAZ]

Not sure what the eff Buffalo is doing, just to move up seven spots. Was it for cap space?

Kesselring only played 13 minutes a night during the regular season and was healthy scratched in the postseason.

He wants to be a two-way top 4 guy, whereas Buffalo wanted him to be a bottom pairing shutdown defender. Easier to just move him for the highest bidder now that the rest of the defense is seemingly set.

 

[Frenchy]

Remember the infamous Carl Soderberg 14 points in 80 games graphic. That was darkness

probably on his left side.

 

[Balthazar]

 

[MacKaRtin]

Kesselring is very good and they decided to keep Logan Stanley.

Had a super rough year in Buffalo. Was surplus to requirements

 

[RoyIsALegend]

Wouldn't even answer the phone unless the offer starts with 9th + Lundell.

Cool, enjoy your best player being pissed off and mentally checked out. That’s also your goalie, so that could go really badly.

 

[S E P H]

Kesselring only played 13 minutes a night during the regular season and was healthy scratched in the postseason.

He wants to be a two-way top 4 guy, whereas Buffalo wanted him to be a bottom pairing shutdown defender. Easier to just move him for the highest bidder now that the rest of the defense is seemingly set.

I mean, he is a mid-pairing defenceman. I will chalk this up to not working in Ruff's system/aura/etc.

 

[Balthazar]

 

[RoyIsALegend]

@The AntiBob time for you to get us M.Pettersson

 

[Foppa2118]

I'd like to bring Kulak back to play with Malinski on the 3rd pair, but I'm having a hard time seeing how they can afford a legit #3 LHD type to play on the second pair, if they do that.

Maybe if they move both Val and Nelson, and replace them with cheaper players. Doesn't feel like they'll move Nelson though.

Otherwise, I worry that the Avs still haven't learned their lesson, and may try to get by with another cheap half measure to fix the D core, by playing Kulak on the 2nd pair with Malinski, when IMO we saw that both shouldn't be playing higher than the 3rd pair in the playoffs on a contender.

They need to commit to bringing in a legitimate #3D to play with Manson on the 2nd pair, the way they committed to finding a 2C.

 

[RoyIsALegend]

I'd like to bring Kulak back to play with Malinski on the 3rd pair, but I'm having a hard time seeing how they can afford a legit #3 LHD type to play on the second pair, if they do that.

Do you believe Manson to be the second pairing RD?

I think Malinski is firmly ahead of him on the depth chart.

IMO:

Toews - Makar
??? - Malinski
??? - Manson

 

[Balthazar]

Swap Nuke for Rielly with 1M retained. Sign Kulak 5 X 4M

Toews - Makar
Rielly - Manson
Kulak - Malinski

Done

 

[ABasin]

Come on man, hearing that a hockey player likes a bit of the snow when he’s not on the ice is like hearing that a Millennial has a hankering for Dunkaroos.

OK, the old man probably shouldn't post this, but.....

WTF are Dunkaroos?

 

[Foppa2118]

Do you believe Manson to be the second pairing RD?

I think Malinski is firmly ahead of him on the depth chart.

IMO:

Toews - Makar
??? - Malinski
??? - Manson

In the playoffs, I play Manson ahead of Malinski every time.

Manson is built for the playoffs. Malinski's game hasn't shown that.

Regular season, Malinski can play higher in the depth chart if they want, but he needs to be sheltered more in the playoffs, so he doesn't get bad matchups.

They don't really need to do that with Manson, especially if he has a good partner. Manson's only issue is staying healthy.

On a contender, I want my entire top 4, including the 2nd pair, to be solid defensively.

They've tried the other route before pairing Girard with Manson, or Malsinski with Kulak, and it doesn't work, because with Girard and Malinski facing better players on the 2nd pair, they find ways to out muscle them, or exploit their flaws defensively, and their partner can't cover for them all the time.

I want this. They can swap Kulak for Gagne if they can't afford him, and then re-evaluate at the deadline.

Toews - Makar
XX - Manson
Kulak - Malinski

 

[hockeyfish]

Cool, enjoy your best player being pissed off and mentally checked out. That’s also your goalie, so that could go really badly.

Splitting the difference, 9th OV + Samoskevich?

 

[RoyIsALegend]

Swap Nuke for Rielly with 1M retained. Sign Kulak 5 X 4M

Toews - Makar
Rielly - Manson
Kulak - Malinski

Done

Show me this roster on PuckPedia with 1 or 2 healthy scratches.

 

[dahrougem2]

Show me this roster on PuckPedia with 1 or 2 healthy scratches.

Or don't because f*** Morgan Rielly lol

 

[The AntiBob]

For @RoyIsALegend

 

[Lawrence Oates]

OK, the old man probably shouldn't post this, but.....

WTF are Dunkaroos?

 

[EdAVSfan]

Swap Nuke for Rielly with 1M retained. Sign Kulak 5 X 4M

Toews - Makar
Rielly - Manson
Kulak - Malinski

Done

Over the cap by 1M with only a 21 man roster.

 

[Balthazar]

Show me this roster on PuckPedia with 1 or 2 healthy scratches.

Colton cap hit to Kulak, Nuke cap hit to Rielly. You're pretty much already there.

Or don't because f*** Morgan Rielly lol

Would be a mistake to believe that you can't be a great #3 because you're not an good #1.

 

[Colorado Avalanche]

Detroit remains the most interested... they've liked him for a while. Checked in last summer, made a concrete offer before the TDL this year, have continued interest now in the offseason.

I've heard of 3 or 4 other teams.

Hoping to have my calls with sources this weekend or early next week to know where we stand heading into draft + free agency like last year.

Not afraid to send him to Detroit. Do it.

 

[NOTENOUGHRYJOTHINGS]

Colton cap hit to Kulak, Nuke cap hit to Rielly. You're pretty much already there.


Would be a mistake to believe that you can't be a great #3 because you're not an good #1.

Rielly has a ntc. Would be a mistake to believe he'd waive for a team where there is a risk of playing hockey past the end of April.

 

[Colorado Avalanche]

I didn't even hate the roster we had, we had everything to win the cup. Bednar should've been gone 2 weeks ago.

The truth hurts the most. Bednar blew it, not just this season, but the previous season too. Broken down Dallas and we still couldn't beat them. Shame.

 

[Colorado Avalanche]

I think this place just severely underrates Nichushkin at this point.

If he does get traded (And I'd bet money he does not), I think everyone here is gonna be really surprised at the value he carries.

You ignore the downfalls of him. Yes as a player he is valuable, but he did fail us few times.

 

[dahrougem2]

Colton cap hit to Kulak, Nuke cap hit to Rielly. You're pretty much already there.


Would be a mistake to believe that you can't be a great #3 because you're not an good #1.

I don't believe he's the kind of player this team needs.