There have been a ton of rumors on the Avs and will most likely continue throughout the year. We will probably see all kinds of speculation, both founded and unfounded.
So because of this I wanted to create a thread examining "which players could be moved?", "the reasoning behind why they might be moved?" and mostly looking at which players the Avs may be targeting.
Keep in mind this isn't a proposal thread (while I know some of that will be brought up) but I'd like it to be a place where Av fans can learn more about the players from other teams that may be brought up as possible returns in a trade, the advantages and disadvantages for these options and looking at previous moves as precedent for what we might expect to happen.
The Avs have some of the brightest and passionate fans in hockey and while this is definitely a trying time for the fan base, we can take this as an opportunity to learn more about the game and become more knowledgeable hockey fans about the team we all love(and some times feel other feelings towards)
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So with that said here are some quick personal thoughts:
What are some paths Sakic may choose to take:
-There is standing pat, and hoping our current prospects and influx of cap space will be enough to improve the team. This will allow for the team to be as competitive right now as other options but also leaves our defensive issues mostly unsolved.
-He could move A core player like Landeskog or Duchene for help on defense and depth. This would be a painful move but very possibly may be necessary to get the Avs the type of Dman they need. With Zads, Barrie and EJ, getting another Dman may be enough to move forward while having a prospect like Jost or the Avs 1st this year to replace the lost forward as they take far less time to develop.
-He could do a large rebuild focusing on a core of players ~22 years of age and younger. With this we would most likely see Duchene, Landeskog and even EJ moved for as many high end young players, prospect and picks that they could get. This would by far make the Avs worse over the next 2 years but should allow for a very strong core all with the same window, and would allow for Sakic to build the roster with the right composition of players as well as lining up with the start of good drafting 3 years ago when pracey was fired.
-All paths will probably include trading away as many rentals as the Avs can for the best value offered.
What non core may be moved
Soderberg: With Jost and Compher in the system and his struggles to start the year would the Avs consider trying to move Soderberg? While Compher is a promising prospect would they miss a center that is large in size?
Comeau: Still a solid depth player that could be useful going forward
Grigorenko: Has all the skill but not enough effort. Possibly a bad fit for this system
Wiercioch/Gelinas: Both have had ups and downs. Should the Avs extend them or try and move them
Varly: Not that it would be likely anyone would give up much for him. Also maybe with improved team in front he could bounce back. Are injuries catching up to him?
Who are some players the Avs may be targeting:
This one is pretty simple as its essentially high end young dmen. I'll put down some potential players I feel the Avs could be looking at and the category they fall under.
Unrealistic: These are the players the Avs will ask for but there is essentially 0% chance that they will be moved:
-Lindholm
-Fowler
-Werenski
-Provorov
-Jones
-Ekblad
-Parayko*
-Reilly
-Klefbom
Too old: I am also assuming and Dman over the Age of 24 or maybe 25 is probably too old for the Avs to be interested in them, as that wouldn't align with their rebuild.
Division Rivals: I'm also assuming the Avs wont make any major trades within the Central division but some names might be on here anyways with an *
Barrie replacements: These are Dmen that fill the same role as Barrie and really only make sense on the off chance he is moved. A niche list.
-Vantanen (very likely to be moved due to Ducks ED issues)
-Klingberg (unlikely to be moved)*
-GhostBEAR (unlikely to be moved)
-Gardiner
-Maybe Leddy
NHL Players: So finally here are some players in the NHL I could see the Avs targeting, or they have been rumored to target. These players aren't all equal in "value" but are all possible fits for what they may be looking for.
-Josh Manson
-Shea Theodore
-Brandon Carlo
-Dougie Hamilton
-Jaccob Slavin
-Noah Hanafin
-Ryan Murray(maybe but probably not)
-Michael Matheson
-Nathan Beaulieu
-Damon Severson
-Olli Maatta
-Derrick Pouliot
-Brian Dumoulin
-Slater Koekkoek
-Jacob Trouba*
Prospects: Prospects that may or may not be enough to be part of a package or the main piece of a deal
-Brandon Montour
-McAvoy
-Jakub Zboril
-Mikhail Sergachev
-Noah Juulsen
-Ryan Pulock
-Travis Sanheim
-Mirco Mueller
-Jeremy Roy
-Olli Juolevi
-Joshua Morrissey
Players to Avoid: These players may seem like they may fit, but are either overrated or just plain bad
-Cody Ceci
-Rasmus Ristolainen
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So those are some thoughts off the top of my head that I could think of. If there are any players you would like to discuss, whether it be questions or comments please throw in a response. Also if there is anything I may have missed feel free to throw it down below.
Also please try to stay on a single topic at a time so things dont get out of hand.
So because of this I wanted to create a thread examining "which players could be moved?", "the reasoning behind why they might be moved?" and mostly looking at which players the Avs may be targeting.
Keep in mind this isn't a proposal thread (while I know some of that will be brought up) but I'd like it to be a place where Av fans can learn more about the players from other teams that may be brought up as possible returns in a trade, the advantages and disadvantages for these options and looking at previous moves as precedent for what we might expect to happen.
The Avs have some of the brightest and passionate fans in hockey and while this is definitely a trying time for the fan base, we can take this as an opportunity to learn more about the game and become more knowledgeable hockey fans about the team we all love(and some times feel other feelings towards)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So with that said here are some quick personal thoughts:
What are some paths Sakic may choose to take:
-There is standing pat, and hoping our current prospects and influx of cap space will be enough to improve the team. This will allow for the team to be as competitive right now as other options but also leaves our defensive issues mostly unsolved.
-He could move A core player like Landeskog or Duchene for help on defense and depth. This would be a painful move but very possibly may be necessary to get the Avs the type of Dman they need. With Zads, Barrie and EJ, getting another Dman may be enough to move forward while having a prospect like Jost or the Avs 1st this year to replace the lost forward as they take far less time to develop.
-He could do a large rebuild focusing on a core of players ~22 years of age and younger. With this we would most likely see Duchene, Landeskog and even EJ moved for as many high end young players, prospect and picks that they could get. This would by far make the Avs worse over the next 2 years but should allow for a very strong core all with the same window, and would allow for Sakic to build the roster with the right composition of players as well as lining up with the start of good drafting 3 years ago when pracey was fired.
-All paths will probably include trading away as many rentals as the Avs can for the best value offered.
What non core may be moved
Soderberg: With Jost and Compher in the system and his struggles to start the year would the Avs consider trying to move Soderberg? While Compher is a promising prospect would they miss a center that is large in size?
Comeau: Still a solid depth player that could be useful going forward
Grigorenko: Has all the skill but not enough effort. Possibly a bad fit for this system
Wiercioch/Gelinas: Both have had ups and downs. Should the Avs extend them or try and move them
Varly: Not that it would be likely anyone would give up much for him. Also maybe with improved team in front he could bounce back. Are injuries catching up to him?
Who are some players the Avs may be targeting:
This one is pretty simple as its essentially high end young dmen. I'll put down some potential players I feel the Avs could be looking at and the category they fall under.
Unrealistic: These are the players the Avs will ask for but there is essentially 0% chance that they will be moved:
-Lindholm
-Fowler
-Werenski
-Provorov
-Jones
-Ekblad
-Parayko*
-Reilly
-Klefbom
Too old: I am also assuming and Dman over the Age of 24 or maybe 25 is probably too old for the Avs to be interested in them, as that wouldn't align with their rebuild.
Division Rivals: I'm also assuming the Avs wont make any major trades within the Central division but some names might be on here anyways with an *
Barrie replacements: These are Dmen that fill the same role as Barrie and really only make sense on the off chance he is moved. A niche list.
-Vantanen (very likely to be moved due to Ducks ED issues)
-Klingberg (unlikely to be moved)*
-GhostBEAR (unlikely to be moved)
-Gardiner
-Maybe Leddy
NHL Players: So finally here are some players in the NHL I could see the Avs targeting, or they have been rumored to target. These players aren't all equal in "value" but are all possible fits for what they may be looking for.
-Josh Manson
-Shea Theodore
-Brandon Carlo
-Dougie Hamilton
-Jaccob Slavin
-Noah Hanafin
-Ryan Murray(maybe but probably not)
-Michael Matheson
-Nathan Beaulieu
-Damon Severson
-Olli Maatta
-Derrick Pouliot
-Brian Dumoulin
-Slater Koekkoek
-Jacob Trouba*
Prospects: Prospects that may or may not be enough to be part of a package or the main piece of a deal
-Brandon Montour
-McAvoy
-Jakub Zboril
-Mikhail Sergachev
-Noah Juulsen
-Ryan Pulock
-Travis Sanheim
-Mirco Mueller
-Jeremy Roy
-Olli Juolevi
-Joshua Morrissey
Players to Avoid: These players may seem like they may fit, but are either overrated or just plain bad
-Cody Ceci
-Rasmus Ristolainen
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So those are some thoughts off the top of my head that I could think of. If there are any players you would like to discuss, whether it be questions or comments please throw in a response. Also if there is anything I may have missed feel free to throw it down below.
Also please try to stay on a single topic at a time so things dont get out of hand.
