Well first off I think you trade Girard to anyone, it doesn't matter for what - could be a 7th rounder. Then I don't think Newhook gets that much on a bridge unless he has some kind of breakout this year.

Probably will have to trade a D man to free up cap next summer

33pts in 71 games last year. 33 pts today gets you some serious cash if he keeps it up this year and if you want to retrain him for a few extra, I put in 3 years, but could be 4 to 5 at that price. Especially in the position that the Avs are in right now with no certain 2nd centerman. He'll have more time so may have more points.. Could also go the other way with more responsibility and have him get a bad year... It's a toss up.

As for Girard, they just signed him long term 2 years ago, so if he doesn't live up to the contract this year, they'll need to pay AGAIN to get ird of the contract because of the terms still on there and right now.. they don't have the picks for a team to take in the hit.. If anything, they need picks. I'd trade out Toews during the summer and get some prospects or picks (Mostly in 2024 since GMs will want to try and keep their 2023s because of the quality coming up).

Not at all a nightmare, their elite core is signed long term and have good players to move I’d they want to te allocate cap space around

This is mission accomplished by Sakics front office, win a cup, keep a cup team together for multiple attempts. They have locked up their winning formula

Cap is expected to be 83.5 million next season. There's one more season of escrow paybacks where the cap is expected to grow only 1 million. Both Gary Bettman and Bill Daley have said that the salary cap is only expected to take a sizeable jump in the 2024-25 season. https://www.google.ca/amp/s/www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/bill-daly-believes-nhl-salary-cap-could-rise-significantly-after-2023-24-season/sn-amp/

Like people thinking there is a cap problem is almost funny. Everybody in the organization knew this was coming and let’s be honest if Newhook and Byram both earn $4.5M bridges they killed it, but that’s the point those guys are RFA’s and they aren’t arb eligible. Yeah the bottom 6 is all guys on the cheap, but TBL is the poster child for this, young guys and vets looking to win a cup. And there are plenty of guys that have a lot of trade value they can look to move if needed.

Girard could have the exact same season he had last year and he would have massive value. Acting like a 24yr old puck moving dman that can play both sides eat 20 minutes on a championship team and they are some how going to pay to move him is comical.

Yeah.. What's going to be hard is the price to pay to get contracts out unless they trade out and get low balled. Girard and Manson will still have 4 and 3 yrs left respectively so teams may have a price attached to move out the contracts. Like I'm thinking, Toews may be the less expensive player to move out yet get you picks or prospects since he'll only have a year left and, hopefully, have another good season this year to get his value up.

I wish more players could be like Crosby where they top it off and be good about the cash they make and know they left money on the table to help the team get players to fill up the needs they have. Not saying MacK ain't worht the 12.5M$ but he's not putting up McDavid-Gaudreau-Draisaitl numbers.. He's just under the 1.40 P/GP so I would've loved to have him sign at 9.5M$/yr be the highest paid on his team yet leave 3 on the table to ensure they can have money to pay 2nd/3rd line player to fill in the team's need.

Nils lundkvist just got moved for a 1st, people act like girard is someone they would have to beg to move is mind boggling

Even worse that I thought. Means my calcs at 85.5M$ is even worse for the Avs.. DOH!

Crosby signed contacts at 17.5 and 14.5% of the cap are the time, what are you talking about. Mack is 15% of the cap. Crosby isn’t some savor, he did what ever player has done

Lundkvist is also on an ELC for the next 2 seasons so there are a lot more teams who can fit him under the cap. Not many teams can take on 5M in cap without moving another contract out so there will be less suitors for a Girard trade. Worst case this turns into a Schmidt/Bjorkstrand scenario where hes moved for pennies on the dollar, but I think its more likely that Girard bounces back this year and a team will offer a decent package of picks/prospects (he would be considerably younger than Schmidt and a bit younger than Bjorkstrand)

Girard is the better player, easily, that was the point.
guys will trade for good players. Avs are not in the schmidt etc that they have the trade a player just to register the contract of a big time UFA contract signed...thats why they made those moves. Avs are tight against hte cap, they arent over the cap like those moves

Girard is top 4 on almost every team in the league, top pairing on probably 10. He’s 24 on a sweet contract, produces 30 pts per season with no PP1 time, plays huge minutes for a cup contender and you’re trying to peddle some nonsense that Lundkqvist somehow has more value is hilarious. No really you can’t actually believe that, do you?

I never said that - did you read my whole comment?

I wasn’t suppose to quote you - my bad

But yeah I read it. And my response still holds. People think Girard is some throw away is comical. Good defenseman always have value, wingers not so much