I think you're giving rants a little too much money

I wish people would stop trading away Zadorov.

Probably pricey for 8 years. Better to assume high though right?

Why? He is probably the next defenseman to get traded along with Cole.

Did you watch playoff hockey? Maybe those guys don’t put up many points but they won playoff hockey games. Check the Avs record when Zadorov was injured. He’s highly underrated. Wish they would have signed him longer term.

Great isn't it? trade away all the grit & sandpaper you have on the D, (you could maybe argue that Meloche might add a little but he's nowhere near Zads or Cole) with only 1 (Landeskog) maybe 2 (Kadri) that you could say that about in the forwards.

When you look at the Avs defense in a year or 2, where does Zadorov fit in? The top 4 looks like Makar, Byram, Timmins, and Girard. Zadorov is important and good at what he does, I'm not arguing that, but he is going to demand too much money for a guy on your bottom pairing. This is why you have guys like Meloche to come in and fill those roles on cheaper ELC contracts. I'm not bashing Z but points pay and he doesn't put enough of them up for the money he is going to want.

From what it sounds like Melcohe is supposed to be super nasty and physical. Obviously we won't know what he brings until he plays in the NHL but he should bring a physical presence for a lot cheaper. Pretty much what I said above applies here.

Zads isn't there to provide points so I'd say you're missing the point(s) of having him.

So he's there to bring physicality, right? He already costs a lot for that and he is only going to want more. That's why I don't see him staying around too much longer.

Meloche is rated as 'chippy' and 'can be nasty' from what I've seen/read, and that sounds like a guy who chirps a lot and probably takes a lot of silly penalties to me, but definitions can vary. (That's the sort of description I'd have applied to a former Avs forward in their heyday). Don't get me wrong I like the idea of Meloche coming in for a look. I just think Zads is heavily underrated and probably the perfect foil for Makar. They should also be keeping Graves in the mix if they're smart. He looks like he has the tools if he's given a chance.

Yeah I'm not saying that Z is bad or anything, he is really good at what he does and I think he has a sneaky good shot (that he doesn't use enough), but there are just cheaper options that can fill the bottom pairing on this team. He will also hold some value if they decide to trade him that can bring back something of significance. Graves and Rosen are the two guys I'm looking at right now as guys who can fill in that bottom pairing this year while Cole is out and especially if Byram isn't on the team.

So Adam Foote wouldn't have been worth keeping by your definition (and I'm not comparing the two directly as Foote was great at what he did, Zads could get to that level as he's still comparatively young and has really only just put it together but the similarities are there), though I appreciate he wasn't in much of the salary cap era. To my mind the Avs dumped the wrong D when they lost him, and it showed (we also lost Blake shortly after if I remember correctly, when it was basically the choice between keeping Foote or Blake, and I reckon Foote was also the one who was more loyal and less mercenary, and almost certainly cost less than Blake. The Avs were scrambling to get under the cap before it hit). Interestingly Foote won a gold in both the Olympics and Worlds. Seems big physical Dmen can't be world class and worth the money right? Foote made his international debut at 24, Zadorov at 23. A much less talented Russian team (by comparison to the Canadian teams that won golds) won bronze. You're telling me a good, physical D isn't worth keeping? Foote was also actually decent going forward too (though he didn't do it very often, but see his OHL stats and watch the few times he did it in the NHL), but played the role he was asked to because he was good at it and the Avs needed it. Foote stayed at home to allow Blake to roam (and though Blake was much bigger and more physical than Barrie or Makar, they play a similar game in going forward and roaming if not more so, but you don't need a solid, physical D to cover that of course) Sound familiar yet? You want to move to a comparatively soft veteran (34) who is your biggest at 6'4 221, and has durability issues, a 'chippy', 'nasty', D at 6'3 205 (who'll be 25 if he's got into the NHL), and a bunch of smaller, skilled Dmen who are going to get knocked from pillar to post then be my guest, and the only reason Boston would want Zads is because they've been missing big Z. Where else is your grit and sandpaper coming from in this line up? Meloche who's a maybe and is only two years younger than Zadorov and still hasn't cracked the line up, Landeskog, and maaaybe Kadri & Compher (J.T. is more of a pest).

Edit: I also think Zadorov will be on the top line pairing covering Makar at this point, with them using the Makar/Girard pairing consistently on the PP. Zads would also be one of your top, if not THE top, PK D by this point.

I agree with you on Graves at least. He's my dark horse as I like what I saw of him in his brief opportunity last season.

I had a hard time following this but to answer the broader question of whether or Z is worth it or not, I don't think he is. I think the physical aspect of the game is overrated (again personal opinion) and you don't pay guys like that a lot of money. He will be a bottom pairing Dman if he stays on this team for a couple more years and if he wants 4M+, there is no chance they pay him that to fill that role. If somehow the point production gets a boost, which is definitely possible then maybe he becomes worth it, but then I think Seattle takes him. I'm taking skill over size every day of the week and there are guys to be had for real cheap who can play that physical game on your bottom pair.

I apologise, I probably should have broken that up more.

4+ for Zads, who as I say, I don't think will be on the bottom pairing, (so we'll have to agree to disagree there and on the necessity of the physical aspects of the game) would be fine by me. I'd take 4+ happily if his game (and the cap) continues going upwards. If it plateaus then maybe not, and yes if he's on the bottom pairing then 4+ is probably too much, but as I said I don't think he will be. The trouble is, he'll likely have already been paid that on longer term.

I'd see the Avs breaking it up more if this were going to be something close to the line up. Zads & Cale, Girard & EJ (or whoever as I hope they'll have managed to move EJ by then), Byram & Timmins, Graves & maybe Meloche (a righty even though he's played a lot on the left) as the 7th & 8th.

I doubt Rosen is still there unless he blasts out of the blocks, he's a 'Nemeth' to me. Meloche could be with Sam by then I guess, and another D in the 8th spot.

All hypothetical (as everything is here) and yes the possibility of Zads having been taken by Seattle is also there as you rightly say. Good to debate it with you!

I hope EJ sacks up and waives his NMC for expansion draft. A fan can dream.

Yeah if he is a long term top 4 D in your mind and he does grow as a player, there is absolutely an argument to be made there about paying him 4M+. I just like to think of the possibilities with a top 4 of Girard/Makar/Timmins/Byram. I also hope that EJ gets moved out (or waives the NMC) before that contract is up or even before the ED so they can protect someone like Z if there is growth in his game.