CBC Hot Stove: Avalanche the favorites for Taylor Hall, trade may even happen before Christmas

[AvsGuy]

So a swap of Zadorov for Hall makes the Avs worse ?
Honest question not tongue in cheek .
I thought the addition of an elite forward would outweigh a depth Dman but obviously Z is needed for the playoffs moreso than Hall ?

On this roster? Absolutely we need a Zadorov more than we need a Hall. We have the offense chugging along fine, but we really only have one imposing physical defenseman and he's playing really well for the most part.

 

[IWantSakicAsMyGM]

That sounds... wrong. I believe accrued seasons as a concept is simply a different concept than what’s applied to determine 1st/2nd year professionals

If that definition was right, then Makar wouldn’t be eligible

Recall how his expansion eligibility was dependent on his age back in the playoffs? Where, since he was over 20, one game counted to a professional season instead of the normal ten?

Not in a position to look this all up again but I don’t think that’s it. I think accrued seasons are more used for contract or union requirements. Stuff like waiver eligibility

The thing I remember with Makar was that playing a single playoff game would burn the first year of his ELC, because he was 19 on Sept 15, but turned 20 between Sept 16 and Dec 31, and was therefore ineligible for his contract to slide. So, by simply playing in a game, he would only have 2 ELC years left. Timmins was also 19 on Sept 15, but turned 20 a couple days later, also making him ineligible for his contract to slide last year.

The only real difference between them is the 10 playoff games Makar played, but those games don't count as an accrued season and aren't the reason why his ELC year was burned. And, those 10 games didn't make him ineligible for the Calder, and he doesn't have any other professional games/years in the AHL. So, is he still a first year pro, eligible for the Calder, or is he a 2nd year pro, eligible for the expansion draft? Or is he somehow both, because there are different rules for what qualifies as a professional year?

 

[Smitty426]

no, that our first round pick is a mystery box (even though Byram technically is too since he hasn't played in the NHL yet, but I get it)

I don't blame Avs fans at all, I would never give up Byram in a deal for Hall. Like that guy said, a core of those forwards plus Makar and Byram on the backend is ridiculous. Even if they believe they have a great shot at the cup this year, with how young their group is they have to believe they have a good shot in the coming years too - which Byram could be a part of as well, on an ELC no less.

I feel like a deal around Timmins just makes the most sense from both sides.

Got it. I'm holding out hope that Shero has some magic up his sleeve and stuns us with somethin good!

 

[flyfysher]

If I was an Avs fan I wouldn’t trade Byram . I’m a devils fan and hope there is some slim chance in hell of it happening but I don’t see it at all .
I was hoping for Zadorov but have been told he’s off the table as well .
That’s where I don’t get why ? Won’t be be available for expansion draft and the chances of losing him are probable anyways ? Or is there something else in the works where Avs will trade one exposed D prior to draft in order to keep Zadorov ?

It's a good question. Obviously Zadorov should be on the table because the Avs likely won't be able to protect him in the entry draft if they're protecting their future D-core of Timmins, Makar and Girard and it's impractical to allocate $4+M/AAV to a 3rd liner.

I think Zadorov is still developing and will be highly sought after in the next 2-3 years. I'm in the minority on that position on the Avs board as to the developing part. Zadorov, at his best recently shut down the Hawks, the Leafs, the Canadians and the Bruins. None of their top scorers scored. He literally changes the dynamic of the game by his on ice presence. He's one of the few Avs D-men that brings a very physical presence. But he can be frustratingly inconsistent due to a lack of focus. As such, he needs a stable D partner. He's not good enough at this point to cover for his D partner having an off night. Despite what you may read, I believe Zadorov plays cleanly but his aggressive hits will bring charges from other fan bases that they are dirty. I don't see it. At least not like Matt Cooke. Zadorov tends to elevate his play in the POs and recently while we were defensively shorthanded with Johnson out. To me, he takes less penalties than he used to but the referees tend to target him. The debate on the Avs board was whether he could continue with his recent good play and then the team did not look good against the Flames although they came back. For Zadorov advocates, we contend he plays better with increased usage. Interestingly, I'd rather keep Zadorov than bring Barrie back. Notice a trend? I want to keep the D aspect of the Avs strong rather than focus on improving its offense. It's great but it's just not the priority.

 

[flyfysher]

I'd bring Barrie back before I'd bring Hall on. Barrie has already demonstrated his chemistry with MacKinnon, et al. He's a definite add offensively, improves the PP and adds defense and is beloved by our fan base. Forget Hall. Come home TB, give us a discount and come hoist your SC.

 

[GirardSpinorama]

We could use Barrie’s slapper. Thats something Makar doesn’t have yet.

 

[thethinglonger]

This is a really tough situation because Hall is more than likely to test the open market once his contract is up, although Colorado would be a fantastic destination for him to sign a long-term contract since they are looking to be extremely competitive for the foreseeable future. While the Devils prospect pool needs defense (specifically LHD) the most, I genuinely don't know what to expect for a return. Byram is clearly the pipedream but that's not likely, and I'm not sure if I'm ready to pull the trigger on anything with Timmins. The value centered around Timmins is good but his injury history scares me.

 

[El Travo]

So a swap of Zadorov for Hall makes the Avs worse ?
Honest question not tongue in cheek .
I thought the addition of an elite forward would outweigh a depth Dman but obviously Z is needed for the playoffs moreso than Hall ?

A team should not trade from a position of weakness for a position of strength. The Avs lack a consistent physical presence on the back-end without Zadorov. There have been numerous times where players will straight up abandon a forcheck because the puck is going towards Zadorov's side. He's also extremely effective at defending the rush.

 

[Avaholic29]

We could use Barrie’s slapper. Thats something Makar doesn’t have yet.

He definitely has a slapper. Just doesn't use it often

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Now, we know who's going to be the Stanley Cup winner of 2020.

 

[Avsboy]

 

[LT]

We can move this discussion here.

Taylor Hall scratched tonight - trade imminent?