Rumor: 23-24 Trade Rumors and Free Agency Part Trois: The Road to the Deadline

[AllAboutAvs]

Have oilers, canes, kings, rangers, panthers, bruins, wings made any moves yet?? The whole “I hate this management so much” crowd is comical, you’re a bunch of babies lol.

A lot of GMs still sleeping.

 

[Pokecheque]

Seems like a lot of trades aren't happening because of cold feet on the part of the teams who have the assets. Now the Flyers are trying like hell to keep Sean Walker, and Flames ownership won't let go of Markstrom no matter how pissed off he is.

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

Ya speculate away... would suck to lose him but of any of our other wingers (outside Kiviranta) he makes the most sense to lose at wing. I figured he might be untouchable because of his deal next year but we will be unable to re-sign him anyway so might be smart to sell high. Will always love LOC regardless.

Yep, would hate to lose him but I think he would hold a lot of value to a team like Buffalo that could desperately use a guy like that in their bottom 6 and could probably afford to re-sign him after next year as well.


You almost even wonder if the Parise signing didn't partially foreshadow that kind of move.

 

[Balthazar]

Seems like a lot of trades aren't happening because of cold feet on the part of the teams who have the assets. Now the Flyers are trying like hell to keep Sean Walker, and Flames ownership won't let go of Markstrom no matter how pissed off he is.

In the last 3-4 years most of the trades happened within a couple of weeks of the deadline and there was almost nothing left for deadline day.

This year outside of Monahan, Tanev and Lindholm nothing is happening.

The bad thing is the rental market is really, really bad this year. The offer sucks.

 

[the_fan]

Yeah but... you... said...

 

[Foppa2118]

RyJo needs to go, he's a boat anchor who cannot add to the team from any line. Replacing him with Henrique would be a nice step forward, along with Nuke and Kovalenko joining the lineup.

For me a big issue is making sure Moose gets his wake-up call soon, because he's sleepwalking through games and that won't cut it in the playoffs.

I disagree. We're talking about the 4C role, which isn't a very big role, and the way he's been playing lately, he'd be just fine in that role.

Big body, playing somewhat physical, winning some battles to maintain possession in the O zone, contributing some offense, clicking well with Parise, and winning faceoffs.

That's a fine 4C contribution if he can keep that up, or even play better in the playoffs, like he has before.

I like Wagner a lot, but RJ has the ability to be an X factor in the playoffs that Wagner doesn't really have. With RJ's offensive pedigree and IQ, he's a better fit with offensive 4th liners like Parise and Landy, or even Kovalenko.

They don't need to move RJ. It's better to keep him for depth unless they need the cap space. They can move him in the off season if need be.

 

[hockeyfish]

 

[LOFIN]

 

[Freaky Styley]

I disagree. We're talking about the 4C role, which isn't a very big role, and the way he's been playing lately, he'd be just fine in that role.

Big body, playing somewhat physical, winning some battles to maintain possession in the O zone, contributing some offense, clicking well with Parise, and winning faceoffs.

That's a fine 4C contribution if he can keep that up, or even play better in the playoffs, like he has before.

I like Wagner a lot, but RJ has the ability to be an X factor in the playoffs that Wagner doesn't really have. With RJ's offensive pedigree and IQ, he's a better fit with offensive 4th liners like Parise and Landy, or even Kovalenko.

They don't need to move RJ. It's better to keep him for depth unless they need the cap space. They can move him in the off season if need be.

I agree with this. Unless a guy like Thompson or Cozens is coming in, I don't really see an available option that necessitates moving RyJo's cap.

And it makes much more sense to keep him in a limited 4C role than it does to pay to move him at this point. That can be re-evaluated in the summer

 

[Foppa2118]

I don't know why people say with so much confidence that he won't play.

He might not, but that's certainly not the picture Gabe and the team has been painting all year, and they know a lot more than us on his chances.

Including recently when they said Gabe's chomping at the bit and has to be told to slow down. We're still almost two months away from Round 1 let alone Round 2 which is within his expected timeline to return, and he's been skating for two months already.

 

[Pokecheque]

Keeping Johansen as a 4C would be a mistake IMO. The few times Bednar has put him there he's gone from disinterested to invisible. And when he plays like THAT, it's not only bad for the lack of offense, but for the pillow-soft defense as well. At least one major chance against happens when he's on the ice, even in an extremely limited role like that.

Besides, in the playoffs you need contributions from your 4th line, even if it's nothing more than giving the team a bit of a spark and jump. That's kinda why I always hated Jost in a 4th line role. His play tended to suck the life out of the room.

I would imagine if the Avs are going big at the deadline, Johansen has to be moved in some capacity.

 

[Bill Peckerskull]

 

[hockeyfish]

Pretty good chance they already tried to get rid of Johansen, if you believe the Tanev rumors.

 

[Foppa2118]

Keeping Johansen as a 4C would be a mistake IMO. The few times Bednar has put him there he's gone from disinterested to invisible. And when he plays like THAT, it's not only bad for the lack of offense, but for the pillow-soft defense as well. At least one major chance against happens when he's on the ice, even in an extremely limited role like that.

Besides, in the playoffs you need contributions from your 4th line, even if it's nothing more than giving the team a bit of a spark and jump. That's kinda why I always hated Jost in a 4th line role. His play tended to suck the life out of the room.

I would imagine if the Avs are going big at the deadline, Johansen has to be moved in some capacity.

This more describes the way he was playing earlier in then season then now IMO.

Look at how playing with Parise seems to motivate him. Something about playing with a guy he respects motivated him. Now imagine Landy comes back and plays on the other wing.

It remains to be seen if he does it again this year, but he also has another gear he usually taps into in the playoffs. So potentially he could improve on how he's playing even now.

I think that's a good bet to try at 4C. If he doesn't work out, he'll probably have a short leash from Bednar who doesn't do anyone any favors, and Wagner will be given a shot in Game 2 or 3.

 

[dahrougem2]

I disagree. We're talking about the 4C role, which isn't a very big role, and the way he's been playing lately, he'd be just fine in that role.

Big body, playing somewhat physical, winning some battles to maintain possession in the O zone, contributing some offense, clicking well with Parise, and winning faceoffs.

That's a fine 4C contribution if he can keep that up, or even play better in the playoffs, like he has before.

I like Wagner a lot, but RJ has the ability to be an X factor in the playoffs that Wagner doesn't really have. With RJ's offensive pedigree and IQ, he's a better fit with offensive 4th liners like Parise and Landy, or even Kovalenko.

They don't need to move RJ. It's better to keep him for depth unless they need the cap space. They can move him in the off season if need be.

I would rather a guy who will go 100% over RyJo's half ass efforts. Get that scrub off this team as soon as possible.

 

[Tommy Shelby]

F***en Vegas is gonna get Guentzel for Morelli, 1st and some bum prospect none of us have heard of, aren't they?

 

[Pokecheque]

This more describes the way he was playing earlier in then season then now IMO.

Look at how playing with Parise seems to motivate him. Something about playing with a guy he respects motivated him. Now imagine Landy comes back and plays on the other wing.

It remains to be seen if he does it again this year, but he also has another gear he usually taps into in the playoffs. So potentially he could improve on how he's playing even now.

I think that's a good bet to try at 4C. If he doesn't work out, he'll probably have a short leash from Bednar who doesn't do anyone any favors, and Wagner will be given a shot in Game 2 or 3.

You make salient points but I'm just not able to overcome my bias. His play is a bit more spirited of late but on most shifts I still see a blobfish on skates. I really do hope they find a way to get rid of him AND upgrade the center position, but that may just be a pipe dream at this point.

 

[Foppa2118]

I would rather a guy who will go 100% over RyJo's half ass efforts. Get that scrub off this team as soon as possible.

Again though, that describes how he played earlier in the season, not how he's playing now. And he has a history of stepping up in the playoffs.

Say he's got a big Darren Helm style X factor goal or two in him that Wagner or another 4C doesn't have. Or could set up Parise or Landy with a big goal in a way that Wagner can't.

If you trade him, you lose any chance of seeing that, because you traded him when you didn't really have to.

There's no incentive to trade him unless they need cap space, and unless they plan on adding some expensive players at the deadline, they don't need cap space.

 

[Chibby]

Friedmann's entire spiel with the Avs is they go after blokes with term. So, which centres are available with terms besides the obvious one in Mittelstadt?

Nelson, Zegras

 

[lonelybadger]

Isn't Nelson a big boi too?

 

[dahrougem2]

Again though, that describes how he played earlier in the season, not how he's playing now. And he has a history of stepping up in the playoffs.

Say he's got a big Darren Helm style X factor goal or two in him that Wagner or another 4C doesn't have. Or could set up Parise or Landy with a big goal in a way that Wagner can't.

If you trade him, you lose any chance of seeing that, because you traded him when you didn't really have to.

There's no incentive to trade him unless they need cap space, and unless they plan on adding some expensive players at the deadline, they don't need cap space.

We agree to disagree on this. I think he makes the team worse each shift. He is slow as molasses, doesn't play with effort and I believe the team would be much better without him on it.

 

[Foppa2118]

We agree to disagree on this.

We do?

 

[SoundwaveIsCharisma]

Acquire Guentzel, get him to talk to Sid about how great the Avs are, last second deal for Sid

 

[Balthazar]

Keeping Johansen as a 4C would be a mistake IMO. The few times Bednar has put him there he's gone from disinterested to invisible.

I agree. Who wants a 4C who doesn't forecheck, has 0 defense and can't PK?

I still have this image of him completely stationery at the Avs blue line and slowly moving his stick while the other team is entering the zone at full speed right next him. Brutal.

 

[niwotsblessing]

We agree to disagree on this. I think he makes the team worse each shift. He is slow as molasses, doesn't play with effort and I believe the team would be much better without him on it.

RyJo is the new JTC. He sucks.