Confirmed with Link: [COL, CAR, CHI] Rantanen-Hall to CAR, Necas-Drury-25 2nd-26 4th to COL, Chi 25 3rd to Chi (Ret 50% on Mikko)

[Foppa2118]

You posted a 1 hour and 30-minute-long video without adding time stamps or summarizing what happens

Here's the actual interview. It's 17 mins.

Not a whole lot we didn't know from an Avs perspective. Mikko's agent already clarified that he talked to Carolina not Mikko, and it was just to say they weren't interested in discussing a contract. Tulsky confirmed this.

“We did talk to them. They said at that time they were not interested in an extension with anyone but Colorado.”

“Before the trade, he was hoping to be there (Colorado) that was where he wanted to be at the time. The question was what would happen after he got traded, and they didn’t want to think about that, they wanted to focus on getting a deal done there (Colorado).”

Tulsky also said Brindamour was speaking hyperbolically with his characterization. Which was obviously the case IMO.

“Of course he didn’t walk in and on day one say I’m not staying here, here are the four teams I’ll go to. He walked in saying wow I can’t believe I got traded, give me a minute here guys. It was a week before the deadline that he told us he didn’t see an extension here, and he thought about where it could be.”

 

[John Mandalorian]

Here's the actual interview. It's 17 mins.

Not a whole lot we didn't know from an Avs perspective. Mikko's agent already clarified that he talked to Carolina not Mikko, and it was just to say they weren't interested in discussing a contract. Tulsky confirmed this.

“We did talk to them. They said at that time they were not interested in an extension with anyone but Colorado.”

“Before the trade, he was hoping to be there (Colorado) that was where he wanted to be at the time. The question was what would happen after he got traded, and they didn’t want to think about that, they wanted to focus on getting a deal done there (Colorado).”

Tulsky also said Brindamour was speaking hyperbolically with his characterization. Which was obviously the case IMO.

“Of course he didn’t walk in and on day one say I’m not staying here, here are the four teams I’ll go to. He walked in saying wow I can’t believe I got traded, give me a minute here guys. It was a week before the deadline that he told us he didn’t see an extension here, and he thought about where it could be.”

Apparently Mikko’s agent got on Montreal radio and said that Colorado knew the 4 teams. The agent had contact with Carolina and could have disclosed the 4 teams at that time. They also didn’t disclose the 4 teams until a week before the deadline, yet he suggests Colorado should have disclosed this. This guy has such a forked tongue. It’s a bizarre suggestion to make when Colorado actually invited dialogue between Carolina and Mikko’s agent prior to the trade.

 

[Foppa2118]

I think they did want to keep him...at their price.

I think that's probably true, but I also think they didn't really expect Mikko to take "their price."

I'm not sure the Avs were ever interested in signing Mikko to a deal that was close to market value (different than what fans think he's worth), because they were worried about their depth, and Cale's pending deal. Which is understandable.

So perhaps their price was $11M. At the time Andy Scott was still playing hardball to match the Avs notorious hardball and asking for $13M+ like reported, thinking it would be negotiated up until the deadline, or perhaps the summer like Landy, and maybe they could get to Nate's $12.6M or perhaps $12.5M.

After seeing that $13M number, maybe the Avs went up to the $11.5-11.75M range as reported, never expecting Andy Scott to get close to that, and they'd trade him at the deadline.

Which perhaps in turn caused Mikko to ask for that meeting with the Avs after hearing other teams circling in on him, saying he wants to stay, and he's flexible, right before he was traded. Perhaps his agent also dropped down to around $12M like reported.

Then the Avs were like, we're already a lot higher than we wanted to go, if he keeps dropping, we won't be able to say we were too far apart in negotiations, so we should just trade him for Necas asap, instead of waiting until the deadline.

Hence the timing of the trade that felt a bit rushed. Not like anyone was beating their offer for Necas.

They could have, and IMO would have continued negotiating with Mikko for another six weeks, if they were actually interested in keeping him for close to those rumored numbers.

 

[Foppa2118]

Apparently Mikko’s agent got on Montreal radio and said that Colorado knew the 4 teams. The agent had contact with Carolina and could have disclosed the 4 teams at that time. They also didn’t disclose the 4 teams until a week before the deadline, yet he suggests Colorado should have disclosed this. This guy has such a forked tongue. It’s a bizarre suggestion to make when Colorado actually invited dialogue between Carolina and Mikko’s agent prior to the trade.

If true, I think that makes some sense from the standpoint that Mikko's agent wrongly thought the Avs were bluffing, so that was his attempt to call their bluff.

But they wanted to focus on signing with Colorado, and probably didn't want to go down that road with Carolina yet, to keep their options open in the summer. Maybe things change or maybe they could just use them for leverage.

Tulsky just made a dumb gamble without enough information to go off and it backfired.

 

[John Mandalorian]

If true, I think that makes some sense from the standpoint that Mikko's agent wrongly thought the Avs were bluffing, so that was his attempt to call their bluff.

But they wanted to focus on signing with Colorado, and probably didn't want to go down that road with Carolina yet, to keep their options open in the summer. Maybe things change or maybe they could just use them for leverage.

It’s that he’s suggesting the Avs pulled some deception when the agents window of time for disclosing the 4 teams started when Mikko was still with the Avs and lasted until Mikko/his agent finally disclosed this a week before the TDL. It’s such a shady move to make this suggestion.

It’s safe to say, the calculous of his agent was completely wrong and he completely misplayed the situation. Each of Mikko staying in Colorado and making 13M were individually absolute failures by his agent. And not only did he fail on both but he subjected to his client being shuffled around like a hobo or a gypsy.

 

[Richard88]

I think that's probably true, but I also think they didn't really expect Mikko to take "their price."

I'm not sure the Avs were ever interested in signing Mikko to a deal that was close to market value (different than what fans think he's worth), because they were worried about their depth, and Cale's pending deal. Which is understandable.

So perhaps their price was $11M. At the time Andy Scott was still playing hardball to match the Avs notorious hardball and asking for $13M+ like reported, thinking it would be negotiated up until the deadline, or perhaps the summer like Landy, and maybe they could get to Nate's $12.6M or perhaps $12.5M.

After seeing that $13M number, maybe the Avs went up to the $11.5-11.75M range as reported, never expecting Andy Scott to get close to that, and they'd trade him at the deadline.

Which perhaps in turn caused Mikko to ask for that meeting with the Avs after hearing other teams circling in on him, saying he wants to stay, and he's flexible, right before he was traded. Perhaps his agent also dropped down to around $12M like reported.

Then the Avs were like, we're already a lot higher than we wanted to go, if he keeps dropping, we won't be able to say we were too far apart in negotiations, so we should just trade him for Necas asap, instead of waiting until the deadline.

Hence the timing of the trade that felt a bit rushed. Not like anyone was beating their offer for Necas.

They could have, and IMO would have continued negotiating with Mikko for another six weeks, if they were actually interested in keeping him for close to those rumored numbers.

The trade may also have been rushed due to Vancouver's involvement with Carolina. CMac probably felt that there was a legitimate risk that Carolina would send Necas to Vancouver if he didn't act when he did. And as Tulsky said Carolina were also eager to get the Rantanen deal done well ahead of the deadline to give themselves a chance to find a trade incase he didn't want to sign there.

 

[Foppa2118]

The trade may also have been rushed due to Vancouver's involvement with Carolina. CMac probably felt that there was a legitimate risk that Carolina would send Necas to Vancouver if he didn't act when he did. And as Tulsky said Carolina were also eager to get the Rantanen deal done well ahead of the deadline to give themselves a chance to find a trade incase he didn't want to sign there.

I don't think that would have had much impact. It seemed like Van would move JT Miller instead and I think Carolina would prioritize waiting for Mikko on a 107 pt pace over Petterson on a 59 point pace.

In the end, waiting to deal Mikko at the deadline might have been in the Avs best interest too. Maybe he goes to Carolina and things go different there for him with more games, and the playoffs, and he stays.

It would have at least prevented Mikko from helping Dallas this year.

Maybe he doesn’t sign with Dallas as a UFA either. Maybe it’s clear by the deadline this was just business not personal. The Avs loved him but they just couldn’t afford him, and he feels some loyalty to them not to sign with Dallas.

He can just go to the market at that point, and maybe thinks through his options more, when he isn’t pressured into making a decision. Maybe he plays well in the playoffs and gets a $13M offer that Dallas can’t match. They said the Dallas deal almost fell apart over money, so they probably couldn't offer much more if any than $12M.

I think this is where CMac may have dropped the ball. Their approach with Mikko might have caused them to trade him earlier than they wanted, which gave Carolina an opportunity to trade him to Dallas, based on a 13 game sample where he wasn’t producing right away.

If the Avs hold onto Mikko until the deadline, a lot of this could have played out differently, and better for the Avs. Maybe he’s in Florida next year with no hard feelings, instead of motivated in Dallas for the next 8 years.

 

[MacKaRtin]

If the Avs hold onto Mikko until the deadline, a lot of this could have played out differently, and better for the Avs. Maybe he’s in Florida next year with no hard feelings, instead of motivated in Dallas for the next 8 years.

Judging by his last two and a half years here, I'm gonna go ahead and say that I don't think he'll magically find motivation. I think the deal ages poorly for Dallas, and the trade is actually a boon for us in extending the contention window

 

[AllAboutAvs]

The trade may also have been rushed due to Vancouver's involvement with Carolina. CMac probably felt that there was a legitimate risk that Carolina would send Necas to Vancouver if he didn't act when he did. And as Tulsky said Carolina were also eager to get the Rantanen deal done well ahead of the deadline to give themselves a chance to find a trade incase he didn't want to sign there.

That is a very good point which in fact would align with what I think happened. Risking losing Carolina as a trade partner was probably not an option for the Avs. They thought Carolina would be a good place for Mikko as they were contender and he has at least a very good friend on that team. It was probably worth the risk of Carolina trading him back to Dallas. They were obviously very high on Necas and Drury so if Carolina went away as a trade partnet they would have had to settle on less desirable trade targets. Trading him early makes sense when considering Carolina had talks with Vancouver.

 

[AvBuff]

From everything I've heard, the Avs and CMac had been coveting Necas for months and were simply waiting for Carolina to offer him up. As soon as that happened, they made the deal. By some accounts I've heard, CMac loved Necas game and was willing to swap him out for Mikko to gain some depth and cap space . . . without losing talent. That was the plan for a while. CMac has a reputation among GMs for being a pretty straight shooter and maybe that caused Mikko and his agent to let their guard down a bit.

I love Necas game. Mikko was a constant source of frustration. For us and probably for Sakic/Cmac as well.

Bummed that Mikko ended up in Dallas, but that's life. As they say in "The Godfather", "it's not personal - it's strictly business".

 

[hawk30]

Can't recall an agent being so active in the media post-transaction. Says a lot.

 

[LOFIN]

Can't recall an agent being so active in the media post-transaction. Says a lot.

When has a trade saga of this magnitude happened in the NHL?

Exactly, never. Completely unprecedented. So yeah.

 

[dahrougem2]

Tulsky and Rod the Bod not sounding all that aligned through their respective interviews. I have a feeling it's Tulsky who gets canned should upper management/ownership have to choose between he and Brind'Amour even though Brind'Amour clearly looks like a coach who doesn't know how to play any other way than the one he current implements (hello, Bednar) and it hasn't been 100% successful.

 

[Bill Peckerskull]

 

[Pokecheque]

Tulsky and Rod the Bod not sounding all that aligned through their respective interviews. I have a feeling it's Tulsky who gets canned should upper management/ownership have to choose between he and Brind'Amour even though Brind'Amour clearly looks like a coach who doesn't know how to play any other way than the one he current implements (hello, Bednar) and it hasn't been 100% successful.

That's the thing though, Bednar DOES know how to play in other ways, he just doesn't want to. For the first couple seasons there (not counting the first one) he relied a lot on that Nieto-Soderberg-Comeau line for a lot of defensive minutes and that was essentially the de facto 2nd line, and those guys were straight up dump-and-chase. If anything it felt like Bednar wasn't able to fully implement the system he truly wanted until those guys were gone. Now that he has and there's too many players who just don't seem able to pull that system off, he just refuses to adjust back.

I agree though, Tulsky is gonzo before Brind'Amour.

 

[Bill Peckerskull]

Agent trying to calm down the waters a bit here, saying Rantanen did give Carolina some legit thought. But also saying that it was Carolina who made the deal without having discussed it with Rantanen first.

 

[Grigowski]

This is a gift that keeps going....

So Rants denies what his agent allready confirmed.....

 

[Bonzai12]

When you want to negotiate a $100M+ hockey contract, call 1-800-YR-AGENT

Operators are standing by!

 

[Vaslof]

This is a gift that keeps going....

So Rants denies what his agent allready confirmed.....

Canes GM and Rants have the same story, so it's the agent making shit up to cover for his failure

 

[Tommy Shelby]

Canes GM and Rants have the same story, so it's the agent making shit up to cover for his failure

Textbook agent behavior