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Trade #1 - Manson for Helleson + 2nd
Fit: B+
Value: C+
Overall: B-
Good physical defensive D man whose numbers have dropped off a bit from what they used to be. Playing a 2nd/3rd pair + PK role in a better system could help him return to form. Only downside here is he takes too many penalties. In terms of value I think it was a bit too much to pay, but wasnt anything crazy like the Lindholm deal. Prices were high and a high price was paid here.
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Trade #2 - Sturm for Jost
Fit: A
Value: B+
Overall: A-
This is my favourite deal. Sturm is better offensively, defensively, and on special teams, plus at a lower cap hit. Jost is younger and has a higher ceiling but this is a win now move and I like it. COL adds size and gets a reliable 4C. Value wise I think it was pretty even, COL wins now MIN wins later, fair for both sides.
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Trade 3 - Lehkonen for Barron + 2nd
Fit: A+
Value: D+
Overall: B-
I have very different grades for fit and value here. Lehkonen is fantastic - basically a Nichushkin lite but before his offensive breakout this season. Good playdriver who significantly improves COL offensively and defensively which is rare for a single acquisition. Now onto the value: giving up an NHL ready RD prospect with a high ceiling is crazy, but giving a 2nd on top of that is even crazier. A 2nd + a lower tier prospect (Kaut, Beaucage, Ranta, Bowers) would have been fair imo. Only thing that prevents this from being graded an F is that Lehkonen is an RFA this offseason so if he signs a nice deal then I can live with it.
I dont think Cogliano was needed, but he used to be a solid defensive winger up until this season, so for a 5th 2 years from now I guess its worth hoping he can regain his defensive prowess. I do think Namestnikov would have been a better add though - bumping the pick up to a 4th (maybe add more to retain 50% to match the cap hit) could have gotten them a sizeable improvement in player quality.
One thing I like is that all 4 of these acquisitions can kill penalties, which gives them tons of options. They can pick from Nichushkin, Sturm, Compher, O'Connor, Lehkonen, Cogliano, and Helm up front, and Toews, Manson, Johnson, Byram, Makar on defense. Sakic really seemed to prioritize defensive players
Overall Id give Sakic a B. Some prices were too high for my taste but I cant deny that COL is a much better team now than they were a month ago (at least on paper)
Using this free site to promote your own site is unseemly
How? Its not like I'm making money from it. People post player cards here all the time (many of which cost money) so I'm just giving a free alternative
Using this free site to promote your own free site is quite fitting...since they both are hockey sites!
Quoting: UpsideDownQue
How? Its not like I'm making money from it. People post player cards here all the time (many of which cost money) so I'm just giving a free alternative
@UpsideDownQue Agreed that the price for Lehkonen was steep, but have to think that losing out on Giroux played into that. I imagine it was a bidding war between the Avs and the Rangers, with the Rangers turning to Copp after losing out on Lehkonen. And on the bright side, they still have the '23 1st. This is my attempt at talking my way into being okay with losing Barron haha
UpsideDownQue Agreed that the price for Lehkonen was steep, but have to think that losing out on Giroux played into that. I imagine it was a bidding war between the Avs and the Rangers, with the Rangers turning to Copp after losing out on Lehkonen. And on the bright side, they still have the '23 1st. This is my attempt at talking my way into being okay with losing Barron haha
Definitely a bidding war, I dont think Sakic would have offered that if there wasnt pressure from another team. I feel the same about Barron, Im honestly still shocked he was moved. Sakic shipped out 3 valuable RD prospects in Timmins, Helleson, and Barron all within the last year, pretty crazy especially with only Makar on RD long term
Definitely a bidding war, I dont think Sakic would have offered that if there wasnt pressure from another team. I feel the same about Barron, Im honestly still shocked he was moved. Sakic shipped out 3 valuable RD prospects in Timmins, Helleson, and Barron all within the last year, pretty crazy especially with only Makar on RD long term
Definitely a shock to the system. I think one of the DNVR guys said it on the podcast, but buying out EJ and re-signing Manson makes a lot more sense now. $2 mil hit for '22-'23 and '23-'24. That or trade they trade him this summer as a cap dump. Either way, I doubt Manson walks
Definitely a bidding war, I dont think Sakic would have offered that if there wasnt pressure from another team. I feel the same about Barron, Im honestly still shocked he was moved. Sakic shipped out 3 valuable RD prospects in Timmins, Helleson, and Barron all within the last year, pretty crazy especially with only Makar on RD long term
I can live with moving Timmins and Helleson, Barron hurts tho.
But hurts less if Manson is resigned.
UpsideDownQue Agreed that the price for Lehkonen was steep, but have to think that losing out on Giroux played into that. I imagine it was a bidding war between the Avs and the Rangers, with the Rangers turning to Copp after losing out on Lehkonen. And on the bright side, they still have the '23 1st. This is my attempt at talking my way into being okay with losing Barron haha
Dater reported that some in Avs FO weren't sold on Barron. From the two games he played this season, I saw a player that needs more seasoning. Not to say he won't work out, but he def wasn't going to be an impact player this year. Behrens is already crushing it at DU, and should step right into the NHL when his college career is over.
Looking at the Avs roster moving forward, they still have: recent 1st, top F, top D, and top G prospect. The only area of need is a top six W next season for one season only, assuming they re-up Nuke. Even if Sakic overpaid in a couple trades, there is flexibility and depth, so its a job well done.
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