I had been saying this for a while as well. I don't think the Avs were ever serious about re-signing Mikko, and I agree, this reinforces that theory. They were mostly going through the motions for PR.
It's the one thing that makes this 'makes no sense' situation make sense.
I think they had planned in the offseason that they could only sign for what would be a low ball offer in this market with all the cap raises coming up. If he didn't take it they'd move him mid season and they didn't really think he would take it.
We heard earlier that the Avs and Carolina had been talking about a Mikko trade earlier in the year, perhaps in the off season, can't remember.
If this is true that the Avs offered $11.6M, then Mikko dropped all the way to $12M, and they moved him the next day, then I'm not sure they even wanted the $11.6M number. Maybe Mikko dropping so much scared them and they were like we gotta move him asap, not at the deadline, because he may drop further and then we won't know what to do. We'll look like assholes to our fans who want to keep him.
I know the narrative has basically set in that Mikko is the asshole, and that's very hard to change when minds get made up that way here, but I really feel bad for Mikko outside the financial aspect of all this.
He was willing to take a lot less than Nate to stay. MacK's 15.09% of the cap would be $14,410,950 under next year's cap. So Mikko was willing to stay for about $2.4M less than Nate in same market as a multi 100+ point guy.
He gets traded immediately after caving, then goes to Carolina where he doesn't produce like normal in 13 games playing a totally different style. Then Avs fans start thinking he's an asshole. NHL fans and the media start shitting on him.
Then Carolina decides to trade him again. Then Canes fans start thinking he's an asshole. Sounds like he came to a deal with Edmonton but the Canes didn't like their offer. Doesn't come to a deal immediately with the Stars, who were reportedly very close to walking away, and leaving Mikko in Carolina where he's probably miserable.
Then at one point he reportedly just goes f*** it, lets just get this shit over with, and signs for $12M again. Now he's the asshole again to Avs fans, and that 1st round series is probably either gonna end with the Stars beating the Avs (which means Mikko probably played well and he's the villain) or the Avs beat the Stars (which means Mikko might not play well and will get shit on for being overrated again).
What a crazy chain of events, and butterfly effects, likely stemming from CMac and the Avs decision to reshape the team mid season. Early results say the team is better, but man Joe and CMac have shown often they're cold customers when it comes to the business side.
