Confirmed Trade: [COL/WSH] Lars Eller (31% retained) for 2025 2nd round pick

[McJedi]

Interesting debut with the Avs. He’s much faster straight line than I expected. His faceoffs work wasn’t great, he had an incredible, no look cross ice pass to Toews in the ozone and a turnover on his first shift that ended up in our net.

He doesn’t look physically washed like EJ does. He’s still got wheels and compete.

Only Kadri can replace Kadri for Avs

Depends which Kadri. He’s inconsistent.

Year one with the Avs Kadri is what Calgary seems to be getting. A 50ish point guy that seems like a mediocre 2C.

Year two Kadri with the Avs is a terrible waste of $7mm per year on a lousy middle six C.

Year 3, contract year Kadri is a $9.75mm per year star player. Kadri looked like that for a hot minute in Calgary but doesn’t anymore. Now looks like the ho hum year 1 with the Avs version. Kadri is consistently inconsistent.

This Avs fan wants nothing to do with that contract Calgary gave Kadri. That thing will be so toxic in a few years. Great memories of his 2022 season but we got his best year.

 

[nothingbeatshockey]

As a Caps fan, I like this trade. I think it's pretty good return for Eller but I don't think it's an outrageous overpay by COL. A 2025 COL 2nd round pick is likely to be a late round pick, pretty much a third rounder. Add back the salary retention and the trade gets more even. He is a proven playoff performer, defensively responsible, and good at faceoffs. I expect him to do well in COL.

 

[Toothless Legend]

I like the deal. Low risk, and somewhat fills a void. Like that 31% is retained to give the Avs a bit more flexiblity, even if it's ultimately not utilized. There's value there that most HFBoards keyboard GMs don't fully appreciate.

Would have loved a 3rd rounder instead, but the pick is 2 years out, CMac, like Sakic, seems to HATE 2nd rounders (LOL). Not every trade can bee a fleecing. Supply and demand for a middle 6ish center was really depleted after Horvat was dealt, Larkin was seemingly taken off the market, and Toews was shut down. Henrique's injury and Schmaltz's return asking price also pushed in this direction. Useful piece and I think this is the best CMac could do given his options.

 

[Misery74]

How has he been in Colorado?

At the end here in Washington, he looked cooked. Wondering if he has been better on a better team?

 

[SoundwaveIsCharisma]

How has he been in Colorado?

At the end here in Washington, he looked cooked. Wondering if he has been better on a better team?

Nah, he looks cooked here too

 

[Ncit3]

Nah, he looks cooked here too

I just don't know why such a fast transition focused team like Colorado would trade for him. He looks so slow. And you know it wasn't working in Washington, another team that has had an identity recently of being a transition heavy team.

Maybe if we tried to get him for a 5th, it'd not be a big deal. But a 2nd is a decent piece you could use for another player. Either at the deadline (like we didn't) or in the offseason.

Just a bad trade.

 

[Foppberg]

MacFarland is no Sakic.

 

[shadow1]

How has he been in Colorado?

At the end here in Washington, he looked cooked. Wondering if he has been better on a better team?

Eller's been mediocre, with a couple low light plays. During one of his very first shifts, he gave the puck away in Colorado's zone and it ended up in the back of the net. Last game, he lost a defensive zone face-off to a winger (Viktor Arvidsson) that also ended up in the back of the Avalanche's net.

Because Eller was Colorado's "big" deadline add, and because the team has had a rough past five games, these mistakes feel magnified. Most Avalanche fans are pretty mad at the trade and deadline in general.

Personally, I need to see more than five games. Josh Manson was dreadful after Colorado acquired him last season, but he eventually got comfortable and was a huge role player in the 2022 post season. Eller hasn't been nearly as bad as Manson was (and Manson was bad for roughly 20 games), so we'll see what the rest of the season holds.

 

[Linds]

He's been dog ass since day 1 with the Avs

 

[GirardSpinorama]

He's looked better than Manson did last year after the deadline. The team hasn't looked good though.

 

[biturbo19]

Interesting debut with the Avs. He’s much faster straight line than I expected. His faceoffs work wasn’t great, he had an incredible, no look cross ice pass to Toews in the ozone and a turnover on his first shift that ended up in our net.

He doesn’t look physically washed like EJ does. He’s still got wheels and compete.


Depends which Kadri. He’s inconsistent.

Year one with the Avs Kadri is what Calgary seems to be getting. A 50ish point guy that seems like a mediocre 2C.

Year two Kadri with the Avs is a terrible waste of $7mm per year on a lousy middle six C.

Year 3, contract year Kadri is a $9.75mm per year star player. Kadri looked like that for a hot minute in Calgary but doesn’t anymore. Now looks like the ho hum year 1 with the Avs version. Kadri is consistently inconsistent.

This Avs fan wants nothing to do with that contract Calgary gave Kadri. That thing will be so toxic in a few years. Great memories of his 2022 season but we got his best year.

Watching the Avs, this is something that stood out to me too. Eller looks so much faster than he has over the last bunch of seasons. There's clearly some sort of "team effect" at play...where the Avs "play fast"...but he just physically looks like he's moving more quickly with his new team. It's weird.


As others have said though, he does also look a little bit out of sync with the rest of the players. That's gonna have to get rectified if he's gonna be a quality deadline add. But again, as others have mentioned...it was kinda the same issue with Manson last year, and that ended up alright. It's just that orientation period to get on the same page with a Cup Contending team i guess.

 

[StephenPeat]

I just don't know why such a fast transition focused team like Colorado would trade for him. He looks so slow. And you know it wasn't working in Washington, another team that has had an identity recently of being a transition heavy team.

Maybe if we tried to get him for a 5th, it'd not be a big deal. But a 2nd is a decent piece you could use for another player. Either at the deadline (like we didn't) or in the offseason.

Just a bad trade.

Lars Eller is a proven playoff player for whatever warts he may have. He is a Center who has scored a Stanley Cup Winning Goal so that alone is probably worth at least a 3rd to many GMs.

 

[The Devilish Buffoon]

He's been dog ass since day 1 with the Avs

It’s been that long, eh? Crazy how quickly we’ve gotten to day 9 with nothing changing…

 

[NOTENOUGHRYJOTHINGS]

Watching the Avs, this is something that stood out to me too. Eller looks so much faster than he has over the last bunch of seasons. There's clearly some sort of "team effect" at play...where the Avs "play fast"...but he just physically looks like he's moving more quickly with his new team. It's weird.


As others have said though, he does also look a little bit out of sync with the rest of the players. That's gonna have to get rectified if he's gonna be a quality deadline add. But again, as others have mentioned...it was kinda the same issue with Manson last year, and that ended up alright. It's just that orientation period to get on the same page with a Cup Contending team i guess.

Having Makar Toews Girard and Byram as your top 4 means forwards get good outlet passes.

 

[cgf]

Having Makar Toews Girard and Byram as your top 4 means forwards get good outlet passes.

Have to think that the speed around them lets players play more aggressively because their team-mates are better able to cover for them, as well.

 

[StephenPeat]

What Lars Eller just did in this very game is a microcosm of exactly what he is and why coaches love him.

The AVs were not expecting to get anything from that Penalty Kill but possibly momentum if they kill the Penalty. The Bryam goal put the AVs up 3-1 prior to the goal so the Game was seemingly in-hand. Smart hockey minds know the 3-1 Lead is the worst lead in hockey because it’s not insurmountable.

Then Lars Eller scores a hard-working goal on the Penalty Kill and the AVs blow one open. The Mackinnon-Rantanen-Rodrigues goal was backyard rink stuff, they only had the confidence to do that because they were up 4-1.

Now the Eller goal will and SHOULD be an afterthought but it is a significant part of WHY the AVs won. The Byram goal deflated the Wings, the Eller goal vanquished them.

That play could/will play dividends in the POs and no one but someone intently watching this game would have ever seen or thought about it.

 

[JoeSakic13]

Both of his goals have been the result of him not giving up on a play.

Controversy aside on the first one, that’s the kind of guy you want in the playoffs. One that plays hard the entire game.

 

[StephenPeat]

Both of his goals have been the result of him not giving up on a play.

Controversy aside on the first one, that’s the kind of guy you want in the playoffs. One that plays hard the entire game.

Eller will take a dumb Offensive Zone penalty pretty frequently, look lazy on occasion, somehow have excellent possession stats despite looking like dogshit, and then he’ll just casually have a dare-say beastly Playoffs. He’s an enigma but I wouldn’t bet against him and I’d absolutely want him on my bench.

 

[Hennessy]

He took a while to warm up, but he seems to have arrived. And it's not even about him scoring. He just looks good out there after a rough debut period.

 

[Perratrooper]

I’ve thought he’s looked much better the last two or three games. His poise with the puck has been extremely beneficial for the bottom 6 and while his speed isn’t the perfect fit for the team his tenacious effort is exactly what is required in Bednar’s system.

If he continues to play how he has the last few games I can most certainly stomach the relatively high price the Avs paid.

 

[John Mandalorian]

I’ve thought he’s looked much better the last two or three games. His poise with the puck has been extremely beneficial for the bottom 6 and while his speed isn’t the perfect fit for the team his tenacious effort is exactly what is required in Bednar’s system.

If he continues to play how he has the last few games I can most certainly stomach the relatively high price the Avs paid.

Meh. It wasn't that high of a price. A 2nd two years from now is probably worth something like a 4th today. The delay in utility causes it to lose value.

 

[Reparlana]

I wasn't very high on this pick up so I'll eat crow. I'm stoked to have Eller and what he brings.

Meh. It wasn't that high of a price. A 2nd two years from now is probably worth something like a 4th today. The delay in utility causes it to lose value.

For the Avs yes absolutely but depending on where Washington is and what they are doing I see your point but disagree. Most Caps fans didn't seem sad to see him go some say he was washed. Seems like a pretty decent trade for the Avs and the Caps for different reasons.

 

[GirardSpinorama]

I’ve thought he’s looked much better the last two or three games. His poise with the puck has been extremely beneficial for the bottom 6 and while his speed isn’t the perfect fit for the team his tenacious effort is exactly what is required in Bednar’s system.

If he continues to play how he has the last few games I can most certainly stomach the relatively high price the Avs paid.

His speed hasn't been poor either. He's not a Cogliano but he's not a soderberg or mcdermaid either; has good speed while carrying the puck and enough agility and speed to not beaten wide on defense.

 

[McJedi]

His speed hasn't been poor either. He's not a Cogliano but he's not a soderberg or mcdermaid either; has good speed while carrying the puck and enough agility and speed to not beaten wide on defense.

If Eller is washed as we were told, it surely isn’t his legs or his skating that’s fallen off.

Dude is definitely fast enough. We’ll say sufficiently fast enough to play Avs hockey.

He’s been a pretty good bottom six addition as he settles in. Potted the shorthanded goal today the Avs were hoping to see. And paid a high pick for.

 

[Foppberg]

I wasn't very high on this pick up so I'll eat crow. I'm stoked to have Eller and what he brings.


For the Avs yes absolutely but depending on where Washington is and what they are doing I see your point but disagree. Most Caps fans didn't seem sad to see him go some say he was washed. Seems like a pretty decent trade for the Avs and the Caps for different reasons.

And… we f***ing suck at drafting outside of the top 10. So I’m fine with trading picks for the most part