Quoting: memewarrior
Colorado doesn't have anybody to sign in the next two years? Rantanen, Burakovsky, Zadorov and Compher this year. Girard and Jost the next year. Then Makar and Landeskog in two years. The Avs didn't just lose Barrie they intentionally traded him along with Kerfoot. Moving assets they didn't think they could retain / didn't want to resign for players with term. If the Avs didn't want to pay Kerfoot after a 40 point season, they sure aren't interested in Brandon Sutter. And if they didn't want to lose Barrie for nothing, they aren't going to offer draft picks to risk the same with Tanev. Maybe come playoff time, but by then they'll have Cole back.
I meant sign anybody significant in the next 2 years. Girard and Jost are not going to cost much next year, they'll sign around $3M to $5M, depending on term. And even after signing Rantanen, Burakovsky, Zadorov and Compher this year, Colorado are going to still have plenty of cap space left. The Avalanche are one of the few teams in the NHL, which don't have to worry about cap space, or for at least two seasons. When Landeskog and Makar are up, they'll be expensive. However, by then, Brandon Sutter's contract will be up. Also, even if Colorado intentionally wanted to give Barrie and Kerfoot away, that doesn't mean they don't need to replace them. And considering Colorado didn't really do anything on July 1st by signing FA, they'd have to replace them via trades. Avalanche are a playoff team anyways, they are not a rebuilder anymore, so they can afford to trade picks away.
As for why the Sutter-Tanev trade makes sense, Sutter has a 50+ FOW%, he is a very good bottom pairing Centre when he's fit. He can play lots of minutes, including the PP and PK. Only paying $3M for him, is a great deal. Colorado also just lost Kerfoot, so he would be the perfect replacement at 3C. We all know Colorado are weak on offense, especially when it comes to depth. And Sutter will definitely be an upgrade. Sutter can play 17+ minutes a game, he will be very handy in the playoffs, especially if Colorado go deep. Sutter is also a great locker room guy, he has always had the "A" on all teams he has played for. And Colorado just did acquire Kadri, and he is a great 2C, but u still need that depth. After Kadri, their next best Centre is Colin Wilson. Brandon Sutter is an upgrade on Wilson, as he’s more versatile and better at face-offs. Which would make Sutter their 3C and Wilson the 4C. That is a much better balance, you need depth guys to win you a playoff series. Your 1C and 2C will get tired and overworked. And with Kadri, that dumbass will probably get himself suspended again, which will Colorado a Centre short. That's where Sutter, who can play lots of minutes, will be very handy.
As for Tanev, he is one of the best defensemen to ever play for the Canucks. He is also a RD, which they need. Unlike, Barrie, he is a defensive forward, but he is still a really good Top 4 D-man. He can play 20+ minutes a night, and the PK. He is very underrated. If he wasn't injured so much, he'd easily be worth a 1st round pick. This is a steal for Colorado, in terms of the value they are giving up. And above all, it fits their needs perfectly. A 2nd and a 4th, or a two 4th's if Tanev doesn't re-sign, is a bargain, especially considering what they bring to the team. And 4th round picks don't tend to be NHLers anyway. The 2nd is a toss-up, but if Tanev re-signs, Colorado gets a really good Top 4 D-man, locked up long term. It's a win-win situation for both teams. As the Canucks get to clear up cap space, and acquire some draft picks which will help end the rebuild quicker.
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