Ararana
Registered User
If EJ retires he'll free up 6M in cap and if EJ retiers it makes no sense to send Girard out. He has a good contract and is a very good DMan with well known shortcomings, but he can still do good against most teams even in playoffs. Avs don't need to panick about 2C. Every time MacK has gone down Rantanen has been put up as a 1C and has been producing more than with MacK. Last game for whatever reason Bednar put him at wing with JT at center and the team scored 0 goals. Bednar's decisions are quite puzzling sometimes.
Bo Horvat would be optimal solution and Avs can afford him at deadline/next summer.
1. EJ doesn't need to retire, his contract is up this summer.
2. EJ's entire cap hit will cover MacKinnon's raise alone.
The Avs are banking enough cap to cover an aquired 2C at the deadline. But going into next season, the Avs will lose one of their LHD this summer if they want to resolve the 2C position. There's no way around it. Extending Manson meant one of the LHD will need to go.
I'd bet heavy money it's Girard.