Landeskog Practicing w/Team

I think it's pretty clear what to do as cap space becomes limited. You move out guys as needed in the following order:
- Wood
- Colton
- Girard
- Manson

With Mikko off the roster, I'm much less worried about the cap, even if Landy is back.
There's no reason to move Girard before Manson. You don't keep the older worse player who has a major attendance issue.
 
I think the rationale is it's harder to find players like Manson than it is players like Girard, even if Manson has serious injury concerns.

I don't think either of them will have to be moved, though.
Sure, but do you get the return to make moving Girard worth it? We know Girard is a perfect fit here and can/will carry a 2nd pairing in a Bednar system. Mansons been a nightmare this year when "healthy", which idk if Manson will ever really be healthy again. Idk I see very little reason to move Girard when we know he's such a good fit here.
 
Sure, but do you get the return to make moving Girard worth it? We know Girard is a perfect fit here and can/will carry a 2nd pairing in a Bednar system. Mansons been a nightmare this year when "healthy", which idk if Manson will ever really be healthy again. Idk I see very little reason to move Girard when we know he's such a good fit here.
Likely not. If I'm the Avs, I am doing everything in my power to buy out Gulyayev's contract/get him to leave the KHL next season and get him into the AHL, then looking to move Sammy out during the summer of 2026 when both Makar and Necas need raises and trying to integrate Gulyayev into Girard's spot.

That's a problem for down the line, though.
 
Yup, and next season is where the Rantanen trade essentially matters. Had the Avs re-signed him, they’d have closer to 3M in cap space for 4-5 guys. They would’ve been forced to move out salaries like Manson and Colton just to put together a cap compliant team.
If Landeskog returns, they’d still have to move out salary, but clearly not as much.

Nelson is the key though. No matter what, they’d still need him under contract. They have to have their Cs locked up for next season because I simply don’t see the trade capital to acquire another.
Sign Nelson, trade Colton and Manson for assets, re-sign Lindgren to a cheaper deal than Manson if possible and find some UFA wingers to fill out the depth.
CMac doesn't tend to trade guys with term so I'd be a little bit surprised to see him move more than one Colton, Manson, and/or Wood, and even one seems unlikely given his track record of honouring contracts. The only guys he's let go who had term were:

Graves - which was forced by expansion; Byram - due to the desperate need for a 2C; and
Mittelstadt - because he was just so bad it had to be done.

That said the draft pick capital is as bare as it's ever been, and they'll need to find space for Drouin and Nelson, which may necessitate a move.

From that perspective it probably makes sense to move Colton at least for capspace and a decent asset back, since he's relatively easy to replace if he isn't playing center (i.e. just sign Kiviranta for ~$2.5m less).

I think the rationale is it's harder to find players like Manson than it is players like Girard, even if Manson has serious injury concerns.

I don't think either of them will have to be moved, though.

From a purely size point of view it is easier to find a Girard type, but from a talent level it isn't that easy to replace him. He's elite at puck recoveries and zone exits which is the bread and butter of Bednar's system.

Several guys who fit stylistically but who aren't nearly as good as Girard have come in and failed as recently as this season. See Brannstrom and Kylington for example. Top 4 Dmen with elite metrics like Girard are hard to find.

Manson is also older, declining, and often injured. It really isn't a discussion as to who to move first if it came to it.

As you said though, I doubt CMac moves either of them. It'll be Colton for a ~2nd or Wood for whatever that get moved first as RHD >>>> bottom 6 wingers.
 
I think Sammy is a lot more important these days to maintaining the Avs identity.

Lindgren, Manson, EJ. These are not guys known for great puck movement.

If you get rid of G, you absolutely have to replace him with a similar style player.
Gulyayev, but yeah I agree Girard isn’t the guy to move this off-season. Hopefully Wood/Colton. I doubt they move Manson.
 
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Gulyayev, but yeah I agree Girard isn’t the guy to move this off-season. Hopefully Wood/Colton. I doubt they move Manson.
Gulyayev is a smaller PMD who's never played a game in NA before. Let's wait until he actually comes over before pencilling him into a top 4 role in the NHL in place of a guy who has a proven track record.
 
Not really a fan of Manson not getting back in until the playoffs. It always seems like he starts slow when coming back from an injury. But.... we are talking about Gabriel Ingemar John Landeskog... if he wants in we get him in.

If Manson is ready to come back, I wouldn't mind seeing Cale Makar become day to day to round out the end of the season. Dude's going to need some rest for the grueling marathon Bednar has in store for him.
If you’re suggesting placing Makar on LTIR so we can get Landy in the lineup before the playoffs, it’s not that simple. You can’t just fake an injury and LTIR a player when he’s healthy and playing. Manson is possible because he’s actually injured and is week to week with about a month to go before the playoffs. Not sure what’s going on with Wood. He’s currently a healthy scratch I believe, but he is dealing with chronic back pain or something. Can they just LTIR him?
 
Gulyayev is a smaller PMD who's never played a game in NA before. Let's wait until he actually comes over before pencilling him into a top 4 role in the NHL in place of a guy who has a proven track record.
Oh I meant longer term, not next season. LHD is basically the only position we have prospect(s) coming up that might be able to fill.
 
Is Gulyayev even in front of Behrens in the depth chart? No way I'm counting on this guy anytime soon, if ever.

Best case scenario is probably a left handed Malinski in like 3 years.
 
I don’t even think Ritchie would be considered a top 10 player in the OHL this year.
Then you factor in how far off he looked in the NHL, and his poor juniors performance. I’m glad the Avs cut bait, his stock will continue to drop imo.
Tho I’ve never been that high on him.
 

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