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

[Bender]

Allen shouldn't even be an option for free IMO. It's too risky.

This is his second year in a row with a sub 900 save %, and he's making $3.85M next year.

Even at 50% that's still too big a gamble for this team. They need every penny to count next year if Landy comes back.

Goaltenders are so volatile... You can have a guy who's a world beater 1 year and a frikkin sieve the next.

That's probably why the Avs haven't paid top dollar for a goalie in a long time and why they haven't spent a 1st round pick on a goalie since 1995 (Marc Denis).

Guys like Wedgewood, Lyon, Nedelkovich, Stolarz were all left for dead at some point by one organization or another and have managed to stick around and put up solid seasons.

That's why I think the Avs might kick the tires on guys like Kakhonen, Blackwood, Vejelmka but if the price is ridiculous (as I believe it will be) then they'll just stick with what they've got with Georgiev, Annunen and Prosvetov.

 

[Bill Peckerskull]

It's not his proposal. It's a source called NHL Watcher.

It was a proposal on NHLN from, believe it or not, Lauren Gardner. It was NHL Now and they were doing trade proposals with a panel, including Elliotte Friedman, about 10 days ago.

 

[Foppa2118]

This is all fantasy talk and I'm the one who posts Kadri gifs every third day so I get it but I'd say the chances of Rantanen getting traded in season are close to zero. Even in the offseason I'd be shocked if they made a move like that but in the next three weeks? Nah.

Lets just get Mittelstadt and make a run.

Drouin-MacKinnon-Rantanen
Lehkonen-Mittelstadt-Nichushkin
Wood-Colton-LOC
Parise-Cogliano-Kiviranta
Landeskog

That's a forward group you can win it all with. Drouin sticks out, even with his success this season, but you have options if he sucks.

Use Byram in the Mittelstadt trade and then trade the 1st for a defenseman.

Don't ask me about the goaltending.

This is Mitts contract year and he's on pace for 5 less goals and only 7 more points than Henrique.

2023-24 Pace

Casey Mittelsdadt - 18 goals 62 points
Adam Henrique - 23 goals 55 points

Keep Byram, trade for Henrique, try out Ritchie at 2C on a much cheaper ELC, and that lets you keep another key player you'd have to lose with Mittelsdadt's raise this summer.

 

[Metallo]

It was a proposal on NHLN from, believe it or not, Lauren Gardner. It was NHL Now and they were doing trade proposals with a panel, including Elliotte Friedman, about 10 days ago.

Seems like she's better at being hot than knowledgable.

 

[henchman21]

Goaltenders are so volatile... You can have a guy who's a world beater 1 year and a frikkin sieve the next.

That's probably why the Avs haven't paid top dollar for a goalie in a long time and why they haven't spent a 1st round pick on a goalie since 1995 (Marc Denis).

Guys like Wedgewood, Lyon, Nedelkovich, Stolarz were all left for dead at some point by one organization or another and have managed to stick around and put up solid seasons.

That's why I think the Avs might kick the tires on guys like Kakhonen, Blackwood, Vejelmka but if the price is ridiculous (as I believe it will be) then they'll just stick with what they've got with Georgiev, Annunen and Prosvetov.

I’ve always wanted Lyon… teams hated he’s a momma bear on coke in net, but he stops the puck.

 

[Bender]

It was a proposal on NHLN from, believe it or not, Lauren Gardner. It was NHL Now and they were doing trade proposals with a panel, including Elliotte Friedman, about 10 days ago.

Not exactly... The LG proposal didn't have Ritchie in it. I think it had the Avs paying a 1st and a 3rd/4th but Ritchie wasn't included and it didn't have Allen either.

The one that's been reposted tonight came from some morons at sportsnet...so that's just par for the course.

 

[Bill Peckerskull]

Not exactly... The LG proposal didn't have Ritchie in it. I think it had the Avs paying a 1st and a 3rd/4th but Ritchie wasn't included and it didn't have Allen either.

The one that's been reposted tonight came from some morons at sportsnet...so that's just par for the course.

Both are terrible trades from a Avalanche perspective.

 

[chet1926]

Rantanen
Makar
Nichushkin
Toews
2025 1st

For

Petterson

Am I doing it right?

We laugh, but Vancouver fans would probably say it's not enough. Some is their asks are absurd.

 

[Bender]

Both are terrible trades from a Avalanche perspective.

I agree... I just didn't want her to be misrepresented. She also said she 'had help' to come up with that.

 

[Freaky Styley]

I wonder if there would be a deal to be made around Mercer+ for Byram. I'd love to do it for Girard but I'd imagine the Devils would want someone who could play on the top pair with Dougie while Hughes gets read (and maybe serves more as a #3 PP specialist)

There's probably no better time to get a guy like Mercer and there's incentive for the devils. If we got Siegenthaler/Bahl back that would be a good base IMO.

I know some guys are down on Mercer, but it's just a down year. He's got long-term two-way beast written all over him. I hesitate to trade Byram, but Mercer would be worth it IMO. One of those guys that 'plays the right way' that makes teams win

 

[Avs_19]

States the talk is all fantasy talk.

Posts fantasy talk.

Eh. I don’t think Byram for Mittelstadt is too far into fantasy land. I’m giving them 12 in that deal too! Fatty for fatty swap.

 

[JH21]

Reading last few pages on Pettersson from the Canucks forum. Their situation seems to be a bit similar to us. Same sort of problem as we with Rantanen. It's not like they are thrilled to throw him 12mil and he gets "cheap points". Pettersson slumping to 100 point season. Sounds familiar..

There's no such thing as cheap points. A point is a point and Rantanen is a top 10 scorer and an elite sniper. You don't get rid of those guys.

He will get an 8 year, 12.5 mil deal. Less than Mackinnon.

You build around the guys you draft and reward them. Plain and simple.

 

[The Abusement Park]

I wonder if there would be a deal to be made around Mercer+ for Byram. I'd love to do it for Girard but I'd imagine the Devils would want someone who could play on the top pair with Dougie while Hughes gets read (and maybe serves more as a #3 PP specialist)

There's probably no better time to get a guy like Mercer and there's incentive for the devils. If we got Siegenthaler/Bahl back that would be a good base IMO.

I know some guys are down on Mercer, but it's just a down year. He's got long-term two-way beast written all over him. I hesitate to trade Byram, but Mercer would be worth it IMO. One of those guys that 'plays the right way' that makes teams win

He just hasn't shown he's capable at C yet in the NHL and I don't think that's worth Byram. Good player and absolutely someone who will improve, but not what we need.

 

[henchman21]

Eh. I don’t think Byram for Mittelstadt is too far into fantasy land. I’m giving them 12 in that deal too! Fatty for fatty swap.

The joke apparently didn’t land.


The joke being that CMac would actually make the move.

 

[Murzu]

Some Buffalo fans seem to be okay with my Rants for Cozens, their 2024 1st and Noah Östlund proposal.

 

[henchman21]

He just hasn't shown he's capable at C yet in the NHL and I don't think that's worth Byram. Good player and absolutely someone who will improve, but not what we need.

On the other hand, what has Byram shown to be worth Mercer?

 

[JH21]

Some Buffalo fans seem to be okay with my Rants for Cozens, their 2024 1st and Noah Östlund proposal.

Why wouldn't they? We would be getting absolutely fleeced.

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

Rantanen
Makar
Nichushkin
Toews
2025 1st

For

Petterson

Am I doing it right?

Even when you try to make a joke you manage to f*** it up

 

[Avs_19]

If the Canucks are pretty good now and willing to throw a ridiculous amount of money at him (I assume) and he still doesn’t want to sign then I’m guessing it ain’t happening.

 

[Foppa2118]

Reading last few pages on Pettersson from the Canucks forum. Their situation seems to be a bit similar to us. Same sort of problem as we with Rantanen. It's not like they are thrilled to throw him 12mil and he gets "cheap points". Pettersson slumping to 100 point season. Sounds familiar..

OEL's dead cap hit is killing them too. That's the price for not realizing how overrated he is.

$2.3M next year, then $4.7M for two years, then $2.1M for two more years.

 

[Murzu]

Why wouldn't they? We would be getting absolutely fleeced.

Disagree here. We clearly give up the best player, but gain a lot also. Don't want to miss Rantanen to free agency and if Landy comes back we can't even afford him.

 

[Avs_19]

This is Mitts contract year and he's on pace for 5 less goals and only 7 more points than Henrique.

2023-24 Pace

Casey Mittelsdadt - 18 goals 62 points
Adam Henrique - 23 goals 55 points

Keep Byram, trade for Henrique, try out Ritchie at 2C on a much cheaper ELC, and that lets you keep another key player you'd have to lose with Mittelsdadt's raise this summer.

His contract year but he’s a RFA so theoretically you could have him for two playoff runs, even if you can’t get a long-term extension done.

Personally, I like that more than a rental in Henrique, whose going to likely cost a 1st rd pick+.

 

[Colorado Avalanche]

OEL's dead cap hit is killing them too. That's the price for not realizing how overrated he is.

$2.3M next year, then $4.7M for two years, then $2.1M for two more years.

Yikes!

 

[AvalancheSpeedsters]

If the Canucks are pretty good now and willing to throw a ridiculous amount of money at him (I assume) and he still doesn’t want to sign then I’m guessing it ain’t happening.

Not to mention Vancouver is as close to the chill west coast lifestyle of California as it gets for Canada . So if he’s not happy with that either …

 

[Colorado Avalanche]

There's no such thing as cheap points. A point is a point and Rantanen is a top 10 scorer and an elite sniper. You don't get rid of those guys.

He will get an 8 year, 12.5 mil deal. Less than Mackinnon.

You build around the guys you draft and reward them. Plain and simple.

We are already seeing the downsides of not having enough depth and overplaying the top guys every game.

Is this is a winning formula? I don't think so. We can make the playoffs but then top guys are tired at the most critical point of the season. We wasted the regular season for their skills.

I don't know. It's a hard decision. Maybe I would prefer to have more well-rounded team than super top heavy one.

Not to mention Vancouver is as close to the chill west coast lifestyle of California as it gets for Canada . So if he’s not happy with that either …

Closer to home? East