Compher > Kerfoot everyday.
If the Avs get Skinner at 8mil instead of Panarin at 10mil + you pay Mikko 9mil not 10mil, that frees up 3mil in cap space alone.

The Kerfoot and Compher signings are pretty interchangable. One was paid more for longer term and will end up as a UFA, while one was paid a bit less for short term and will end up as an RFA. I doesnt really matter which one signs long term or short term to me, as long as their contracts are staggered so we dont have to sign them all in the same year along with Makar, Landeskog, Grubauer, Zadorov, etc.

Yes that would free up 3M but it is also a huge downgrade from Panarin to Skinner. Not worth it imo

I have a hard time seeing Compher>Kerfoot. Compher hasn't stayed healthy in either of his "full" seasons while kerfoot has stayed healthy and has put up back to back 40 point seasons. They both are non factors too often for long stretches but if they both put it together for a whole season Kerfoot is a 50 point center while Compher is probably a 20 goal, 40 point winger. I think most teams would take the center in that scenario.

I also think that Panarin contract is not going to happen. Going to be betting against teams like Florida and the Rangers which is gonna drive the price up to 11M+. Skinner isn't the playmaker Panarin is but if you get Skinner on a line with Rantanen and put him on the PP2 with Girard/Makar I could see him getting 50 goals. So not a huge downgrade and it will come for 3M less than Panarin. If the Avs can get him for 10M, I would be all for it but I doubt that contract is less than 11M.