Joined: Nov. 2015
Posts: 1,086
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This is a really interesting question. I don’t think Kaut or Timmins will debut until next season, but the assumption with Makar has been that he will join the Avalanche this spring after the UMass season is over. I think the decision to bring in Makar will depend on Colorado’s playoff positioning. If they’re out (whether they don’t qualify or get knocked out) by the time Makar is finishing his season, then of course there’s no point in bringing him in. If they’re in a place to make a serious run, and they feel that Makar would be a significant upgrade over Nemeth & Barberio, then I think it’s worth bringing him in. One other factor to consider is that Erik Johnson will be 33 years old with two years left at $6M going into the expansion draft. It’s hard to predict now, but he could be a candidate to waiver his NMC and not have to worry about being selected, depending on where his game is at that time.