Wouldn’t be top choice but I’d take that oilers deal

That's an awful Grubauer trade for Colorado. He's worth at least a 2nd, if not with a +.

It's unlikely we move for Murray.

Lehner costed a 2nd
Grubauer is always injured

He had one bad season with injuries, that's all. It happens. Before that he was mostly healthy.

Easy accept from the Oilers

But how could he get more than Lehner when he came back from a season he’s been injured ? We’ll see, but I would be surprise a 2nd +

Just to make sure I think Grubauer is worth more than a 3rd + 5th but no 2nd +

If EDM accepts this deal, what do we have left for draft picks? A 1st, 6th and 7th? No thanks

Grubauer cost the Avalanche a 2nd round pick and the Brooks Orpik buyout. He’s a couple years older but has proven he can be a starting goalie in that time. I’m not sure you can argue that he should be worth less now than he was 2 years ago. Maybe a saturated goalie market this offseason hurts his value a little bit. Regarding the injuries - goalies take wear and tear. I wouldn’t put too much stock into injury history unless it was something major. Part of it is just bad luck.



I’m curious about why you think it’s unlikely that Colorado trades for Murray? Multiple reporters have at least linked Colorado to Murray. He wouldn’t be my first choice if I were Sakic, but he’s an upgrade in my opinion.

As Mergus said below Grubauer's value has only gone up as he's proved he can be a starter. He may only have one year term, but he's still young enough where a long-term extension isn't hugely risky (as it is with other UFA 30+ goalies).

A big factor is also his caphit. For a starting goalie a $3.33m caphit is excellent value, especially in flat cap league. If we made him available I'm sure several teams would be interested simple due to that low caphit alone.

As for the "2nd+", obviously the need for a + will vary with how high the pick is in the 2nd round, and also which year the pick is in. A "+" can also vary quite dramatically in value, from a 3rd to 7th or from a B prospect to a throw-in C prospect... or no + at all if the 2nd is high.


The main reporter who has linked us to Murray is Adrian Dater, who has basically only been speculating without much actual evidence of interest. Ryan Clark is the Avs mouthpiece these days so Dater doesn't really have any insider information.

Sakic and Bednar also said yesterday in an interview that they are happy with the goalies, though they want to change their fitnes regime somewhat as both played injured in the playoffs. Obviously Sakic could be holding his cards close to his chest, but he's usually a pretty straight shooter and it doesn't sound like he's looking to change in net.

Moreover, Murray's contract demands and arbitration eligibility make him a less atractive solution compared to just sticking with Grubauer who has mostly been solid.

We also have Annunen in the pipeline who is looking really promising and has starter potential, so it doesn't really make sense to bring in a guy on a long-term contract. If we did make a change in net it would likely be someone with ~2 year term with a manageable caphit, like Kuemper for example, rather than Murray who will want $6m+ and 5 year+ term.

I’m a big fan of Ryan Clark. I get what you’re saying about Dater. Keep in mind he has been covering the team for a long time and I’m confident he’s still well connected. Without getting too much into my opinion on reporters, I think he throws out little bits that he gathers (maybe for clicks). But during the pause he did mention Colorado had interest in Murray at the deadline. There’s a Penguins reporter - I cant remember his name - who confirmed that rumor recently, and Frank Seravalli tweeted recently that Colorado is one of the teams that at least expressed interest in Matt Murray. Now a few reports about them being interested in a guy is far from a guarantee that Sakic will make the trade, but multiple reports suggest it’s on the table. And I would guess that they’re looking into other options too, even if they are “happy with their goaltenders.”

I don’t think Annunen would have much impact on their decision to upgrade in net. He’s their best goalie prospect in a long time, and if he works out it would be a big win for the organization. But they can’t bank on that. And he likely wouldn’t be NHL ready for at least 2-3 years, taking them past the MacKinnon contract window. Like you said, Kuemper would be an awesome fit in that respect. But I don’t think Annunen would/should stop them from adding a goalie with more than 2 or 3 years of term.