that is a very easy decline by the avs, Girard is not being traded for a rental. Miller would just be that, a rental. He is wanting to be paid like one of the top players in the NHL, avs can not afford to even entertain the idea of his contract.

This move only benefits the Cancuks as they get the only cost controlled with term player in the deal.

LMAO

CHI declines.

Such an easy no from COL.

Garak, not sure why you'd decline it? I know Dickinson is nothing special and would fall into one of the 300 4th liners the Hawks have but the contract isn't bad, and we pick up a 3rd in '24. That's why I'd be interested. I'm not sure we'd get much more for that small a salary.

We could use our cap space a lot more effectively than that. His actual cash salary over 2 years is a total of $6.7mil. That is a lot of money and what is most likely to be a mid to late 3rd doesn't pay for that, in my opinion. The Mrazek cap dump was better than this, and that deal sucked.

Overpay by the Avs.

Avs would absolutely consider trading Girard for a rental

It is an overpay, but it's the trade deadline, every team overpays at the trade deadline if it means they can win in the playoffs. Unless Newhook takes a massive step this year, they don't really have a 2C. Compher is not even close to an answer, Miller would be.

Compher is probably leaving either way, since they have to resign Byram, Newhook, give MacKinnon a raise, etc, there's no way they could fit him in under the cap. Furthermore, with Olausson showing a lot of promise, it's likely he'll replace Compher on the 3rd line as soon as 23-24.

It's well known that Colorado has tried to trade Girard as recently as last year, and it's not unreasonable to assume they'd give him up to fill that 2C slot. It's a high price to pay, but it's worth it, and it'd also free up a spot in the top 4 for Byram who should soon be better than Girard either way. The 1st is gonna be late as well, so they'll be fine with giving it up.

It's not as ridiculous of a trade as y'all seem to think.

They absolutely 100% would not. 5 years of a top 4 dmen on sweet heart contract that’s dumb.

It totally is. MacKinnon contract covered by EJ’s expiring deal. Byram by Compher’s. COL didn’t pick until the 6th rd this year, trading the 1st In 23 means no pick until the 5th rd, they aren’t skipping 2 drafts and trading trading a top 4 dman locked up long term for a rental. It’s absurd.

Girard also frees up money for a Miller extension, and most of the core is locked up long-term. It's essentially slightly weakening an elite dcore in exchange for filling the biggest hole in the lineup, potentially for the next few years. Especially considering the fact that few centers of Miller's caliber are currently on the market, and he'll be the only option if Kadri decides to leave

If they are trading Girard for that reason that do it now and just sign Kadri. COL isn’t trading for Miller it doesn’t make any sense especially including Girard in that trade.

Girard is nowhere near the caliber of player Miller is, and the Avs are continuing to try and win NOW, not later

Who cares they can’t re-sign Miller they aren’t throwing away a prime asset for a rental whom they won the cup without anyway.

So they won't need Girard to help them win a cup next time around, problem solved lol

Not saying that they're going to or should give him away for nothing, but you could argue it makes him just that much more expendable

They didn't win a cup with Miller, they did with Kadri. Would they win a cup with Compher? Maybe, maybe not. If they're gonna win, they're gonna need a top tier 2C, that's what Miller is. Compher is gone anyway, Girard is bound to drop out of the top 4 next year, as Byram keeps developing, and if they can't resign Miller, they can at least bridge the gap until Newhook's good enough to take over. Either way, the Avs win. They either let Newhook go next year, and resign Miller, or let Miller go and replace him with Newhook.

You're really overrating Girards value to this team. The Avs have an excess amount of top 4 dmen, (I count 6 in total), so shipping one off to fill a crucial hole in the lineup is absolutely worth it. As I previously stated, Compher is negligible, since he's gone at the end of the year either way, and he's very replaceable. 3rd line scoring is not too difficult to find, especially when you have prospects like Newhook and Olausson. You know what is difficult to find? Top tier 2C's.

I’m not overrating Girard a 24yr old puck moving too 4 dman locked up for the duration of his prime years when EJ has one year left and Toews 2 because they won’t be able to re-sign him. If anything you are grossly undervaluing him his contract and his play. Newhook had a 33pt rookie year playing on the 3rd line as a 21yr old. You don’t give away young proven dmen locked up long term for rentals.

Why would Girard drop out of the top 4? Because of Manson or EJ? Get real. COL switches up pairings all the time during games, and I guarantee he finishes no worse than 4th in TOI on the d. He was averaging 20+ minutes in the playoffs with Manson and EJ in the line up.

Really and what do they do when EJ inevitably gets hurt, then retires and Toews walks for a monster contract in 2years. I could buy if they didn’t move their top 2 d prospects in Barron and Helleson at the trade deadline, and outside of Behrens who won’t be ready for probably 3 years they have zero close to the NHL ready dmen.

I didn't say because Manson or EJ, I said because Byram. And once again they have tried to trade him in the past with this exact d-core. He's not necessary.

I also feel like you're missing the point of this post, it's not like I was considering the Avs needs a lot. They need a 2C, we need a top 4 dman, Byram, Toews, and Makar are untouchable, EJ's contract wouldn't fit, and Manson is not enough of a return for Miller. Simple as that.

That's what championship teams do, they balance needs. If they have an overflow in defenseman, they move a piece to maybe upgrade the forward core. If they have excess in goalies, they'll might move them to gain center depth.

Girard isn't irreplaceable, they already have Byram as a replacement. The Lightning only really had 2 or 3 great offensive defenseman during their cup runs, Hedman, Sergy, and McDonagh, and the Avs currently have Makar, Toews, Byram, Girard, and arguably EJ. Moving one of them is completely fine if it means filling the biggest hole in the lineup.

As it stands their top 4 is Toews - Makar, Girard - Manson. They're gonna wanna move Byram into the top 4 next year, so unless they want to run two RD's on the 3rd pairing, Girard would get moved down. Also, as you mentioned Behrens does exist. He could probably make the team next year, or the year after. If not, it's not like there isn't free agency or the trade deadline