Avs 2016 Offseason Signing/Fantasy Thread

[PAZ]

I know it's a bit early, but it's piqued my interest during this Anaheim game seeing the potential of a legitimate top 9.

Both Matthias and Boedker have been huge additions, and it's been awhile since we've seen out top 9 look this good (since 2013). Myself, I really hope we resign both Matthias and Boedker. But with the additions of Gelinas and along with Mackinnon, Barrie, Grigorenko, and Pickard all needing raises, it'll be interesting to see what Sakic and Roy do.

Notable RFAs:

Nathan Mackinnon
Andrei Martinsen
Mikhael Grigorenko
Tyson Barrie
Calvin Pickard

Dennis Everberg
Duncan Siemens

Notable UFAs:

Mikkel Boedker
Shawn Matthias
Jack Skille

Zach Redmond
Andrew Bodnarchuk
Maxim Noreau

Started playing around with the armchair feature on capfriendly, and this is what I came up with if end up keeping everyone (well that i'd like to )

CapFriendly.com Armchair-GM User-Generated Roster

FORWARDS (13)
Rightwing: J. Iginla ($5,333,333) - M. Rantanen ($925,000) - B. Comeau ($2,400,000) - J. Skille ($1,000,000)
Centre: M. Duchene ($6,000,000) - N. MacKinnon ($6,900,000) - C. Soderberg ($4,750,000) - S. Matthias ($2,400,000) - J. Mitchell ($1,800,000)
Leftwing: M. Grigorenko ($2,500,000) - G. Landeskog ($5,571,429) - M. Boedker ($5,000,000) - C. McLeod ($1,333,333)

DEFENSE (7)
Right: E. Johnson ($6,000,000) - T. Barrie ($6,000,000) - N. Zadorov ($894,167)
Left: F. Beauchemin ($4,500,000) - N. Holden ($1,650,000) - C. Bigras ($843,333) - E. Gelinas ($1,575,000)

GOALTENDER (2)
S. Varlamov ($5,900,000) - C. Pickard ($2,000,000)

AHL BURIED
R. Berra ($500,000)

DETAILS
Roster Size: 22
NHL Salary Cap: $71,400,000
Cap Hit: $75,775,595
Cap Space: $-4,375,595

So, what can change? Which players can we realistically trade/not sign? I don't expect the cap will go up enough for the Avs to be able to resign everyone and not make any trades.

Note* This is assuming Stuart staying on LTIR as well.
Bolded are the resigned players.

Click to read more...

 

[Gigantor The Goalie]

I don't give Skille or Matthias that much or even Grigorenko. I'd give Grigs a small raise. Skille doesn't deserve a raise and Matthias, if he wants anything more then a 1-year deal he'll need to take less.

 

[PAZ]

I don't give Skille or Matthias that much or even Grigorenko. I'd give Grigs a small raise. Skille doesn't deserve a raise and Matthias, if he wants anything more then a 1-year deal he'll need to take less.

Even with those tweaks, I don't think that covers ~$4.4 mil of capspace.

 

[henchman21]

Knock Picks down by a million, Grigo by 1.25, Skille or replacement by 200k, and Matthias by 400k. Milo also loses 92.5k on a slide. That is 2.9m. 1.5 can be found (trade Mitchell and Holden/Gelinas?).

 

[cgf]

Pray for good deals from Mack & Barrie. Sign Radulov (ideally on a cheaper 1 year deal so he can make sure he likes it and we have more cap to play with in year 1; before extending him in January, but however gets it done). Give Compher an ELC to go pro this year. Move Holden for futures. Move Berra for futures. Skille can try his luck else where if he wants a raise or term, and maybe even if he doesn't. Retain 1-1.5M on Iggy to make a move happen there...if he'll wave in the summer. Pray to the LTIR gods about Stuart. Take offers for Mitchell. If possible bring back Matthias.

Role into next season with something like:
Radulov - Soderberg - Duchene
Landeskog - MacK - Grigorenko
Matthias - Rantanen - Iginla* (?)
McCleod - Mitchell (?) - Comeau*
Compher*

Beauch - Kondor
Woody - Barrie
Gelinas - Peacock

Steve
Pickard

Boom.

E: Swap Matthias and Mikko, or drop Greg down to center that line; if Rantanen's time at C in SA has just been to make him a better winger and to keep challenging him, not because they want to see if he can play C moving forward.

Knock Picks down by a million, Grigo by 1.25, Skille or replacement by 200k, and Matthias by 400k. Milo also loses 92.5k on a slide. That is 2.9m. 1.5 can be found (trade Mitchell and Holden/Gelinas?).

Or both.

Not to mention we probably won't need to bury Berra if we want him off the books to make space for Pickard. He's a good NHL backup and still reasonably young for a goalie, signed to a fair contract. He's not a negative value contract that we can't move if we decide to.

Then there's the possibility of an Iginla trade if Joe can convince him to wave for LA, and us retaining ~1.5M is enough to entice them.

Or the incredibly stupid "bridge MacKinnon" alternative.

 

[Cousin Eddie]

My extreme fantasy would be to trade Iginla somewhere without retaining any salary. Trade EJ for Hamonic and maybe a small +. Sign Barrie to EJ's old contract. Lock Mackinnon up long term. Sign Radulov to a 1 year 4m contract and Yandle to a long term 6m contract. Sign Matthias to a cheap 2 year deal. Trade Mitchell and Holden for draft picks. Sign one of Evb/Rendulic or maybe even both or a cheap UFA.

Grigorenko Duchene Radulov
Landeskog Mackinnon Rantanen
Matthias Soderberg Comeau
McLeod Compher/Everberg/Rendulic or a cheap UFA

Yandle Hamonic
Bigras Barrie
Zadorov Beauchemin
Gelinas

Varly
Picks

 

[AvsGuy]

Why are people jonesing so hard for Radulov? We have offensive forward talent in spades, and I'm not sure how his renowned laziness would compliment our already delicate roster. The Roy factor isn't enough to justify jettisoning good competitive players just to bring that sack of potatoes in.

 

[henchman21]

Why are people jonesing so hard for Radulov? We have offensive forward talent in spades, and I'm not sure how his renowned laziness would compliment our already delicate roster. The Roy factor isn't enough to justify jettisoning good competitive players just to bring that sack of potatoes in.

That is debatable... the forwards now are fine, but Boedker and Matthias can both walk... and Iggy will be another year older. That leaves the top 9 having about 6 capable players.

Rads isn't lazy... total myth. He is a bit of a headcase though.

 

[RoyIsALegend]

Why are people jonesing so hard for Radulov? We have offensive forward talent in spades, and I'm not sure how his renowned laziness would compliment our already delicate roster. The Roy factor isn't enough to justify jettisoning good competitive players just to bring that sack of potatoes in.

Radulov loves Roy. Roy loves Radulov. Radulov plays motivated under Roy.

Do you not want a motivated Alexander Radulov? I'd imagine 29 teams would.

 

[Cousin Eddie]

Radulov probably becomes our best player if we land him. I don't think people realize how good he is.

 

[AvsGuy]

Radulov loves Roy. Roy loves Radulov. Radulov plays motivated under Roy.

Do you not want a motivated Alexander Radulov? I'd imagine 29 teams would.

Are we going to get a motivated Radulov is the question.

Rads isn't lazy... total myth. He is a bit of a headcase though.

I'm no Keith Jones homer, but this is brutal - has Radulov's effort changed any? Because this we don't need.



And I apologize if this hijacks the thread, I just don't understand penciling a guy like this into our lineup or for what purpose.

 

[henchman21]

I'm no Keith Jones homer, but this is brutal - has Radulov's effort changed any? Because this we don't need.

He was playing during that time to just get the ELC off the books... of course he wasn't really interested in giving his full effort everynight. I've seen many of his KHL/WC/Olympic games, remember his first two years in the NHL, and his time in the Q. He isn't a lazy player by any means. There have been lazy moments, but those can be pointed out for EVERY player.

 

[Foppa2118]

He was playing during that time to just get the ELC off the books... of course he wasn't really interested in giving his full effort everynight. I've seen many of his KHL/WC/Olympic games, remember his first two years in the NHL, and his time in the Q. He isn't a lazy player by any means. There have been lazy moments, but those can be pointed out for EVERY player.

I want Rads on this team next year because of how I think he can help Duchene, but that is still a bit of a concern. Those were playoff games, he shouldn't have been just playing out his ELC. To go along with his head case antics, he's got a bit of that enigmatic two way play. If he feels like playing hard defensively he's good at it, but if not you see that disconnected controller mode from him the same way you see it from Semin and the Ovi of old.

The question is can Roy get him to stay engaged every game and play like a vet, the way Trotz has done for Ovi. I think there's a decent chance but there is some risk that it won't work out.

 

[cgf]

Why are people jonesing so hard for Radulov? We have offensive forward talent in spades, and I'm not sure how his renowned laziness would compliment our already delicate roster. The Roy factor isn't enough to justify jettisoning good competitive players just to bring that sack of potatoes in.

A) a team who's top 6 still has a billion year old Iginla in it and spent much of the season cycling through crap like Tanguay and Martinsen doesn't have forward talent in spades. If we re-sign the rentals and call up Mikko we'll have good depth, but how elite that group is would be debateable (atleast while Greg, Mack and Mikko keep developing).

B) Radulov is not renowned for laziness. He's renowned for being a fierce competitor and for being hot-headed. Unless you're just referring to the general stereotype about russians; I really think you've got Rads confused with someone else. Semin or Grigorenko maybe?

C) He'd compliment our roster by being our best skater. He'd compliment our roster by giving us an elite partner for Duchene who's a top player right now, not in 3+ years, but right this very second. That duo could challenge Benn-Seguin if stuck together from the get-go.

Plus his passion and the fire with which he plays would really help this team play with swagger and confidence more regularly. So that performances like last night aren't such a rare occurence.

Radulov probably becomes our best player if we land him. I don't think people realize how good he is.

Or just this.

 

[AvsGuy]

A) a team who's top 6 still has a billion year old Iginla in it and spent much of the season cycling through crap like Tanguay and Martinsen doesn't have forward talent in spades. If we re-sign the rentals and call up Mikko we'll have good depth, but how elite that group is would be debateable (atleast while Greg, Mack and Mikko keep developing).

B) Radulov is not renowned for laziness. He's renowned for being a fierce competitor and for being hot-headed. Unless you're just referring to the general stereotype about russians; I really think you've got Rads confused with someone else. Semin or Grigorenko maybe?

C) He'd compliment our roster by being our best skater. He'd compliment our roster by giving us an elite partner for Duchene who's a top player right now, not in 3+ years, but right this very second. That duo could challenge Benn-Seguin if stuck together from the get-go.

Plus his passion and the fire with which he plays would really help this team play with swagger and confidence more regularly. So that performances like last night aren't such a rare occurence.

I'll give you the benefit of the doubt on most of that but... seriously? Are we watching the same player in that clip I posted above?

 

[RockLobster]

I'll give you the benefit of the doubt on most of that but... seriously? Are we watching the same player in that clip I posted above?

You're picking out one clip and then expanding that to say it's how he is normally. Every player has lazy moments.

 

[cgf]

I'll give you the benefit of the doubt on most of that but... seriously? Are we watching the same player in that clip I posted above?

Yes.

 

[PAZ]

I don't have an issue with Radulov, I just don't think it's a realistic expectation unless we manage to jettison Iggy. I can't see Radulov signing for anything under 6 mil either.

 

[The Mars Volchenkov]

Grigorenko isn't getting near 2.5M. Love the guy, but he's got 22 points right now. He's probably in the 1-1.5M range, and that's completely fair. I'd love to see the Avs try to lock him up for a few years cheap.

 

[LieutenantDangle]

i love how polarizing radz is on these boards. The fact that some people are opposed to signing him blows my mind though... like really? watch more hockey dammit

 

[Ivan13]

Grigorenko isn't getting near 2.5M. Love the guy, but he's got 22 points right now. He's probably in the 1-1.5M range, and that's completely fair. I'd love to see the Avs try to lock him up for a few years cheap.

He'll probably get a 1 year deal to prove himself at around 1.5.

 

[AvsGuy]

You're picking out one clip and then expanding that to say it's how he is normally. Every player has lazy moments.

I honestly don't know how he is normally aside from the fact that he's reputedly lazy and evidently couldn't hack it in the NHL previously. If he's really as talented and as instantaneous an injection of offense as everyone here is claiming, then he's probably worth an offer, but is every other GM in the league just wrong on their assessments of him? He just immediately strikes me as the kind of player we already have too many of, but with even less effort.

And while it's theoretically true that every player has lazy moments, most don't - they worked hard to get here, and the playoffs is the last place you'd catch most NHL caliber players drifting off the way Radulov seems to in those multiple and sequential clips.

None of this is even factoring in the transition from KHL to NHL - Steve Moses turned his record-setting season in the KHL into 7 points in 16 AHL games this year. It's just not the same league or playing style, and Radulov already proved that earlier in his NHL career.

 

[henchman21]

I honestly don't know how he is normally aside from the fact that he's reputedly lazy and evidently couldn't hack it in the NHL previously. If he's really as talented and as instantaneous an injection of offense as everyone here is claiming, then he's probably worth an offer, but is every other GM in the league just wrong on their assessments of him? He just immediately strikes me as the kind of player we already have too many of, but with even less effort.

If Rads is coming back over, 29 GMs would love to have him at the RIGHT price. Poile is probably the only GM that wouldn't at least investigate.

 

[AvsGuy]

If Rads is coming back over, 29 GMs would love to have him at the RIGHT price. Poile is probably the only GM that wouldn't at least investigate.

Curious, that.

 

[cgf]

I do get a kick out of the Radulov couldn't cut it in the NHL myth. Definitely sounds better for the league's pride than saying he chose the KHL over the NHL.