So I don't watch a lot of Avs games but Compher has always been an interesting player to me. Is he more defensive or does he have offensive upside?

Johnson is not going to be on LTIR. I actually don't see Cale coming in quite that high. Probably more in the $9-9.5M realm. Landy might come in closer to $7M but it's possible he goes RNH if they give him 7-8 years. Saad will want more and get it on the market. Jost seems a bit high and he isn't a 2C; Gru looks about right. I'd actually be a bit surprised if Seattle takes Graves; give the abundance of better LHD that will be available, Donskoi seems like a more realistic option.

He is something of a mess. Very streaky scorer, doesn't play with enough jam to be effective as a bottom six guy but not enough skill to be a top six guy. Can skate and has some speed. Isn't a center at all, gets paid too much to do what he does but his superficial numbers look decent enough. If they can find a GM that doesn't look too closely at advanced stats, they might have a taker.

Yes very streaky, but he has been a 30pt scorer season after season with no consistent linemates or role.

Completely disagree about his ability to be an effective bottom 6. He is versatile and I think he is much better on the wing, he CAN play center (and Bednar sure thinks the same). He also can does a solid job on special teams.

I think what aggravates Avs fans is the streaky nature of his play, he has a game where he looks like he is one of the best players on the ice but then disappears for multiple (sometimes more) games. But he is at his best where he is with other players that will push the play and play physical. Let’s be honest, 30pt players that can play up and down the line up, play special teams, and can play C and W, have value.

But it's the inconsistency that significantly lowers his value to the Avs - there are weeks where you say, "Was JTC even in the lineup the last 3 games? Because I didn't notice him at all." And at $3.5M, that's cap space they'd rather give to someone else.

I don’t disagree with any of that, but that’s what you get with a 30pt 3rd line guy. I think he is the new Jost poster boy for Bednar. I’d love to see him on a regular line with an LOC and a speedy forechecking center.

OTT declines

Yeah, I made sure there was enough cap space in case he doesn't go on LTIR, I just think it's more likely he spends the rest of his career on LTIR rather than be bought out, but I could easily be wrong. And I put Cale at 10 because I think that's the most he gets, but I could easily see him taking a discount. Landeskog I put at 6.5 but I agree, will probably end up being around 7 to 7.5. Saad I think is only gonna stay if he takes around 4, would be fine at 4.5, but more and the avs probably don't keep him. Jost at 2C I like, because I feel there are a lot of other options, and he played really well as the 1C when MacKinnon was out near the end of the season between Landeskog and Rantanen, so I would like to see them try that, and if it doesn't work and Newhook isn't ready Landeskog should easily be able to move over to center imo, he basically plays center in the d-zone, and takes faceoffs. I think it is very Seattle will take Graves because his value, I bet they move him, so I bet his position isn't really a cocern to them, so I doubt they take the older and more expensive Donskoi, but I could be wrong.

Do you think there is a chance Landeskog leaves? Or is it almost a guarantee he is going back? Also with Byram coming up do you think the Avs would consider trading Girard?

Landeskog are Girard are 99.9% staying. Landeskog is the captain and will continue to be, Girard is on a steal of a contract, and the Avs are gonna need those to keep the team together, especially when MacKinnon's contract is up.

Guys who can move up and down the lineup and be effective are assets but JT doesn't provide that. In a 4th line role, he's probably fine but it's the $3.5M cap hit that is unacceptable for a guy like that. They could probably get decent 4th line minutes from someone else at a third that price or less. Don't get me wrong, this isn't personal, it's about the amount of cap hit he's eating up for what he brings.

Yes he does. I get you don’t like him, but the guy scores 30pts yr in yr out. Bednar obviously thinks he is effective enough to keep him not only in the line up but to move him up. Yeah the cap number is higher than you would want for the production, but CF and the army of guys ACGM’s claim to be cap dumps are ridiculous. I mean when you bury a $6M contract like Ericcson in the AHL that’s a cap dump not a guy capable of playing 13-15 minutes a night for a contender.

Like I said, it's not personal, he just doesn't produce consistently enough in his role and his raw numbers belie his underlying stats which are not good.

That’s fair but even then he is an NHL player with value.

True enough but if I'm a GM and I see that cap number, I'm asking for a sweetener to take it. Bowers, Kaut, maybe someone like Helleson if I'm going to take the contract and give you back anything better than a 3rd even if I have cap space because the contract still has term on it.

No way. You think former 1st or 2nd rd picks is fair that’s crazy, Compher if they want to move him won’t be hard to move and they won’t be adding sweeteners. That’s crazy. The one caveat I could see is if they tell Seattle they can have Graves if they take Compher. Trading ELC’s to move a guy in a flat cap time is an exceedingly bad idea imo.

If the Avs aren't going to give Kaut a shot, he's got to be in play as a trade asset. And JTC has minimal trade value considering his cap hit, his one-ice performance and the fact that he has two years left.