What would YOU do if you were the GM?

[CobraAcesS]

He'll be too expensive now. Vermette for me is the perfect 3C for us. Good size, fast, faceoffs, can play anywhere in the lineup as needed. To be honest though he'll probably go to somewhere where he'll get top 6 minutes and I don't blame him.

I want, I want, I want Vermette on this team...

Hes a less offensively gifted Stastny who will cost less, even overpaid in free-agency. I also believe that it would be worth overpaying our third line center a bit because of the two fire-wagon top six centers we have.

We absolutely need someone who can play against top competition and bring secondary scoring. (Where did O'Reilly go?)

Its also more realistic salary wise than people think, if your top 6 players salary wise are, Duchene, MacKinnon, Landeskog, Iginla, O'Reilly/??, Vermette/3C

One of the wingers on the top two lines can be a complementary player or a ELC contract, and it works. Right now that other player would be Tanguay at 3.5M. Which is ideally what your 3C is making, or at least somewhere close.

I'd have zero issues giving Vermette 4.5-5M/yr. If it took much beyond 5M I wouldn't do it though. Vermette also plays wing, and can put up good offensive numbers on the wing if needed.

Edit : As for the GM thing... I would think long and hard about still trading for Vermette & Sekera during the season. I'd probably be more careful, like trying to attempt to talk to Sekera some before the trade, and find out if hes even willing to sign in the Western Conference though.

Yeah we might draft lower, but if we're killin it down the stretch and just miss the playoffs. It gives the team much more confidence going into next year.

I still believe that if we fixed those two weaknesses (3C/2-3D) we'd see a different team on the ice.

 

[cgf]

I'm a big vermette fan, but I honestly think Malkin has locked up the 3C gig if he can get healthy and play like he was when that Tanguay - Malkin - Everberg/McGinn line was caring us. Dude was even making passes after having out with Tanguay so much. Plus he's become a really good two way player and PKer who has some of the sexiest danglez and one of the best shots you'll find in a true bottom 6er who's happy with that role. Plus if we were healthy I'd be pretty happy with a 3rd line that had Briere, McGinn or Everberg flanking Malkin. Big, fast, can chip in and are good two way players with Malkin being a key PKer for us and Everberg have started to earn PK time before he got hurt.

Not that I'll complain if Vermette ends up an av and Malkin can stake his claim to being the best 4th line Center in the game with Talbot riding shotgun to glory. Though, unless my sleep deprived mind is lying to me I'm pretty sure Vermette hasn't played on the Wing in quite a while.

But again fixing the bottom 6 isn't what fixes our top 6 playing like ****. Our best talents stepping up and carrying this team like a team's core is supposed to is what fixes the top 6, and until we get the ROR and Landy of previous years that won't happen regardless of who plays next to EJ or who's in the bottom 6.

I expect Siemens to become a bottom pairing defenseman for us. Maybe a decent #4 in the future. But bottom pairing for next season or something would please me.

I'm optimistic on him on his ability to hit Hejda-when-we-signed-him, maybe even younger-Stuart, level which would be a very good #4. Particularly as a partner for little Tyson Barrie. Which would be cool by me. Dunk's a second year pro who was a super young draftee like MacK and had a tough year in junior that threw some quality adversity at him, adversity he still worked hard through and continued to be a strong defensive dman. He's steadily improving and is now in a spot where he can just focus on his game for most of this season with a solid and more experienced AHL vet on the first pairing, most of the time, to give him cover and for him to push for minutes.

In the summer I expect him to make a serious run at the job next to Redmond. Though I also expect Patty to start the year with Holden or Guenin in that spot, Dunk should start next season with much bigger role in Lake Erie before getting his shot to make a serious claim on a full time NHL gig. And from there we'll see what comes, I think he does well next to Redmond on the third pairing if we get a real EJ partner and heads leave ***** up front, growing into a good defensive anchor for the third pairing and PKer before taking Stuart's job as Stuart's body fails him. Now wheter he gets there and can keep that job when Bigras arrives a season later, is one of many avs' question I waffle on.

I do really love me some Bigras, in a similar way to how Barrie and Shatty made me love them with their smoothness, skating and smarts. So he has the highest ceiling of our prospects in my eyes, and I expect it to click very quickly for him once he's gotten to do a little more work to his body and adjust to defending against men. I don't see why he won't become a very good #3 that fits very well next to EJ, if not more...as long as he keeps developing well, stays healthy and doesn't have anything unpredictable throw his development far off track. So I don't see more than Barrie's anchor in Siemens' future, but he's making solid progress and has some really sweet tools to work with, and a nice mean streak to go with them. With his head start and strength he could well be able to stake a legit claim to that job by the time Bigras has roared past Stuart/Holden on the third pairing so that when the time comes Patty doesn't want to break him and Barrie up, instead having Bigras develop with redmond until the new EJ-partner either leaves or gets hurt and patty gives Bigras first crack at the gig so that Barrie's pairing can stay together.

 

[CobraAcesS]

I'm a big vermette fan, but I honestly think Malkin has locked up the 3C gig if he can get healthy and play like he was when that Tanguay - Malkin - Everberg/McGinn line was caring us. Dude was even making passes after having out with Tanguay so much. Plus he's become a really good two way player and PKer who has some of the sexiest danglez and one of the best shots you'll find in a true bottom 6er who's happy with that role. Plus if we were healthy I'd be pretty happy with a 3rd line that had Briere, McGinn or Everberg flanking Malkin. Big, fast, can chip in and are good two way players with Malkin being a key PKer for us and Everberg have started to earn PK time before he got hurt.

Not that I'll complain if Vermette ends up an av and Malkin can stake his claim to being the best 4th line Center in the game with Talbot riding shotgun to glory. Though, unless my sleep deprived mind is lying to me I'm pretty sure Vermette hasn't played on the Wing in quite a while.

I'm not convinced Mitchell can play against top lines regularly. He is valuable, and I won't discount him like in the past. However when fully healthy I want him as the 4th line center.

Chicago has won the cup without a #2C but their entire team is more complete. LA and Boston both have very good center depth beyond the first two lines as well.

 

[cgf]

I'm not convinced Mitchell can play against top lines regularly. He is valuable, and I won't discount him like in the past. However when fully healthy I want him as the 4th line center.

Chicago has won the cup without a #2C but their entire team is more complete. LA and Boston both have very good center depth beyond the first two lines as well.

Well I was very excited for Winchester before he decided to elect the Tanguay strategem for his first season under coach Roy. If he ever gets right I think we'll all be very happy to keep him as our 4th line C and as another key Pker...well not all, some avs fans think a 4th line C should be able to score 20 goals on the regs...but most of us will be very pleased with the cycling game he brings next to talbot and hopefully Everberg if we're ever fully healthy, to go with his work against the puck.

 

[Balthazar]

Easily tradable at the deadline:

Briere and Hejda for very late picks, which won't help the team in any way since they'll not be back next year anyway so the team won't save money by trading them and the kind of players/picks that we'll get in return are unlikely to play in the NHL one day. Still, some playoff teams are likely to ask for them (especially Danny with an expiring contract and playoff clutch abilities).


Tradable:

ROR but after this year and the contract situation, we won't get nearly as much as we think we should get. Not even close.

Talbot: Won't get much in return, but tradable. Would probably return a prospect or a late 2nd pick.

Tanguay: Could help a team, only one more year left on contract. Still a good hockey player that could return a decent prospect.


Very hard to trade:

McGinn, Bordy and Mitchell. Injury issues. Multiple years left on contract. Probably a no-no for most teams.

Iggy: will be very hard to trade because if any team wanted to have him for this kind of contract last summer, they'd have done it without giving out assets in the process. Maybe Calgary could bite if they are making the playoffs. Maybe.

Stuart, Holden (I'm pretty sure the AVS want to keep them anyway)


Untradable:

McLeod, Berra, Cliche, Guenin, Wilson. No spot for them anywhere else in the NHL.


Not for trade:

Duchene, Mack, Landeskog, Varlamov, Barrie, Johnson.


So in the end, the only players that the AVS can potentially unload (to tank and make cap room) are Talbot, ROR, Tangs and Iggy. The rest are either not for trade, won't help us financially or there will be no demand.


Edit: I wonder if Calgary would be interested in the Iggy/Tangs duo for a playoff run? Just taking their contracts would be nice. A few draft picks will do.

 

[the_fan]

Put up super sized picture of McDavid on the locker room wall and tell the team this is what we're playing for the rest of the season

 

[Cousin Eddie]

I'd love to make the playoffs more than anything, but if that looks as far fetched after Christmas as it does now I would unload all the UFA's and hope to tank hard.

Then after we draft McDavid we sign Radulov, Sekera and Upshall. We then trade Ryan O'Reilly, Chris Bigras, Calvin Pickard and a 2016 1st for OEL and Hanzel.

Then next year we ride with a Stanley Cup team.

Tanguay Duchene Radulov
Landeskog McDavid Mackinnon
Mcginn Hanzel Everberg
Upshall Mitchell Talbot

OEL EJ
Sekera Barrie
Stuart Redmond

Varlamov


.
.
.

And then I woke up.......

 

[tigervixxxen]

Iggy: will be very hard to trade because if any team wanted to have him for this kind of contract last summer, they'd have done it without giving out assets in the process. Maybe Calgary could bite if they are making the playoffs. Maybe.

You make it sound like we are the only ones that offered him a contract. Didn't the Islanders offer him 4 years and I think Iggy was choosing between us and Tampa? I think it would be more us wanting to keep him than nobody would take him but the rental possibilities certainly go up in later years.

 

[henchman21]

Iggy would be very easy to trade if the Avs wanted to trade him. He should only be traded if he wants to be traded. Trading a player like Iggy against his will just after signing him this summer would throw a lot of red flags up to future free agents.

 

[Ararana]

One year?

I'd personally pray we lose enough to get us into the top 3. Draft the BPA probably Hanifin.

Offer ROR a 6x6 deal. If he rejects it I'd trade him for Evander Kane or a pick if the right player is available. I like Zacha personally so that's who I'd be looking at.

I'd resign EJ, Nate, and Barrie to long term deals of 6, 7, and 5 respectively.

I'd make calls about getting any of the dead weight off the team. Too many contracts to make moves imo. I'd trade Hejda, Talbot, and Briere for 2nd and 3rd rounders.

I'd sign Vermette at 4.5x5. Yes thats expensive but he's a guy who can play anywhere in the top 9 should injuries happen and I think we need a truly great 3C to win a cup.

I'd start the season from there. So lets see what we have then.

eKane-Dutch-Tangs
Landy-MacK-Iggy
Ping-Vermette-Everberg
Bordy-Malkin-Highlander

Hanifin-EJ
Siemens-Barrie
Stuart-Redmond

Varly
Picks

I'd love to say Cody is gone... But the dood just got extended and is wearing an A. It's Pejorative Slured but he'll be around. I actually love Bordy and think he's a glue guy. No harm in having him play 6 minutes a game. But a better bottom 6 starts by moving Everberg down to Cody Mac's spot and letting the Highlander eat nachos. Then also signing a #3RW or hoping one of Boss, Hishon, or Bleakley are ready.

I don't know too much about the upcoming draft prospects this year, but do you really think Hanifin would go straight through the draft to our top pairing? How does he compare to someone like Ekblad, who apparently is having a stellar first year.

 

[henchman21]

I don't know too much about the upcoming draft prospects this year, but do you really think Hanifin would go straight through the draft to our top pairing? How does he compare to someone like Ekblad, who apparently is having a stellar first year.

Hanifin won't be ready for top pairing duty next year (or middle pairing even). His upside is probably higher than Ekblad, but it will take him years to reach it. One thing Ekblad has always had going for him is that he has matured quickly... Ekblad had a NHL body and strength last year in juniors. He was always going to step in and do well. Not many expected what is happening, and it will be interesting to see how the NHL adjusts against him... but he was always going to step right into a top 4 role.

 

[Drury_Sakic]

The real question comes this summer if the team does get into the McDavid or Eichel. Do you trade down to 3, take Hanifin, and pick up an NHL talent roster player and maybe another pick from Buffalo, Carolina, or Columbus?

Avs:
3rd Overall
Myers

Sabres:
1st Overall
McLeod

would be something to really consider as an example.

Or, just maybe if you want to bail on contracts, trade down and force them to take Stuart, McLeod, AND Berra without picking anything else extra up in a deal? (might be worth it) Thus allowing roughly 6 million in cap space to improve elsewhere AND draft a top end D man prospect.

The other alternative is you draft one of the two forwards....and while they COULD roll with Duchene, Mac, and McDavid/Eichel for a season or maybe even two like they did with Duchene, Stastny, and Mac, odds are the pressure would be there to use one of them to get a D man.

O'Reilly is also sitting their as a trade chip as well, but his poor showing thus far this season is killing his trade value. Another longer shot alternative is to trade Lando, which maybe is unpopular due to his favorable contract and term, but that also makes him attractive in a trade and it would allow the Avs to make a change in leadership without the drama of stripping him of the captains C --- which he may deserve one day but IMO he probably should not have gotten so soon. It's not so far fetched, as Mac IMO looks better on the wing than at center, plus Tanguay and Iggy give the Avs depth on the wings as it is, and it is far easier to find wingers via UFA or trade if needed to complement the centers.

 

[InjuredChoker]

The real question comes this summer if the team does get into the McDavid or Eichel. Do you trade down to 3, take Hanifin, and pick up an NHL talent roster player and maybe another pick from Buffalo, Carolina, or Columbus?

Avs:
3rd Overall
Myers

Sabres:
1st Overall
McLeod

would be something to really consider as an example.

Or, just maybe if you want to bail on contracts, trade down and force them to take Stuart, McLeod, AND Berra without picking anything else extra up in a deal? (might be worth it) Thus allowing roughly 6 million in cap space to improve elsewhere AND draft a top end D man prospect.

The other alternative is you draft one of the two forwards....and while they COULD roll with Duchene, Mac, and McDavid/Eichel for a season or maybe even two like they did with Duchene, Stastny, and Mac, odds are the pressure would be there to use one of them to get a D man.

O'Reilly is also sitting their as a trade chip as well, but his poor showing thus far this season is killing his trade value. Another longer shot alternative is to trade Lando, which maybe is unpopular due to his favorable contract and term, but that also makes him attractive in a trade and it would allow the Avs to make a change in leadership without the drama of stripping him of the captains C --- which he may deserve one day but IMO he probably should not have gotten so soon. It's not so far fetched, as Mac IMO looks better on the wing than at center, plus Tanguay and Iggy give the Avs depth on the wings as it is, and it is far easier to find wingers via UFA or trade if needed to complement the centers.

put mack on RW. mcdavid has the potential to be the best player in the league, you don't trade players like that. there better be reinhart coming back on top of that (which means it won't happen).

trade ROR + picks + whatever to get the D. not the guy who is on pace to beat crosby's junior stats (i think, didn't do the math or adjust for league scoring but at one point right before his injury he was).

 

[henchman21]

put mack on RW. mcdavid has the potential to be the best player in the league, you don't trade players like that. there better be reinhart coming back on top of that (which means it won't happen).

trade ROR + picks + whatever to get the D. not the guy who is on pace to beat crosby's junior stats (i think, didn't do the math or adjust for league scoring but at one point right before his injury he was).

This... with McDavid and Eichel, you draft them and worry about the other issues later.

Any trade from McDavid/Eichel is going to be much bigger than was was listed though. The offers for those two picks will be insane.

 

[tigervixxxen]

Yeah it would start at Reinhart and Zadorov for me

 

[Freudian]

I don't think there is anything Avs can do except wait for trade deadline and then try to get value for Hejda, Briere and possibly McLeod/Talbot. They should listen to offers for O'Reilly and if they get a good enough one they trade him.

Other than this, they need to stay the course and try to get the team to do better with what they have.

 

[Avs71]

Panic, get taken advantage of in a trade, give out a terrible contract in UFA, fire the coach, eventually get fired.

Probably enjoy the perks of a pretty standard GM career.

 

[The Mars Volchenkov]

Easily tradable at the deadline:

Briere and Hejda for very late picks, which won't help the team in any way since they'll not be back next year anyway so the team won't save money by trading them and the kind of players/picks that we'll get in return are unlikely to play in the NHL one day. Still, some playoff teams are likely to ask for them (especially Danny with an expiring contract and playoff clutch abilities).

What makes you think Hejda would only get a very late pick? Andrej Meszaros, a horrible defenseman, managed to return a 3rd round pick at the deadline last year. Robidas, who missed most of the year with a broken leg, got a conditional 4th. Nick Schultz, whose over the hill, even got a 5th. I'd be surprised if Hejda returned less than a 3rd.

 

[henchman21]

At the deadline where teams give away picks like candy... Hejda at worst brings back a 3rd, at best a 2nd and 3rd.

 

[InjuredChoker]

mile high dreams gala interviews raised hejda's value exponentially.

 

[AvsRobin]

At the deadline where teams give away picks like candy... Hejda at worst brings back a 3rd, at best a 2nd and 3rd.

I think this is a year when teams will be more reluctant to give up picks though. But we'll see. I wouldn't expect a 3rd "at worst" for Hejda.

 

[henchman21]

I think this is a year when teams will be more reluctant to give up picks though. But we'll see. I wouldn't expect a 3rd "at worst" for Hejda.

1st are going to be tough (and are getting increasingly rare in deadline deals), but 2nds and 3rds will flow like they always do.

 

[ASmileyFace]

I don't think there is anything Avs can do except wait for trade deadline and then try to get value for Hejda, Briere and possibly McLeod/Talbot. They should listen to offers for O'Reilly and if they get a good enough one they trade him.

Other than this, they need to stay the course and try to get the team to do better with what they have.

I agree with this man. Stay the course, but we have to do better with what we have. I don't want to ship off some guy for little return because trade values are low during the middle of the season.

 

[Drury_Sakic]

I think this is a year when teams will be more reluctant to give up picks though. But we'll see. I wouldn't expect a 3rd "at worst" for Hejda.

Agreed. I think someone will give a 2nd for Hejda if he continues to play well though.

The only reason I would hang on to Hejda at this point is if the team does the smart thing and gets lucky in trading Stuart. Then you look to re-sign Hejda for a 2 year reasonable contract at a slight pay raise.

 

[ThatAvsGamer]

I'd try and offer O'reilly an extension. We aren't going to get fair value for him in a trade, I much rather see us just keep him. Might be able to get a fair deal with him after the season he is having.

With all the money coming off the books this year I would target whatever is left for UFA D. If Staal doesn't go to Carolina or stay with Rangers, he should be our #1 target. I would like to see another D-man added in UFA too.

Iginla would be on the trading block. It's not that he's bad, he just doesn't gel well with this team.