Giving Larkin $9M puts the Avs in a situation this summer where they will have just over $9M in cap space and only 7 forwards and 4 D under contract - so they need at least 7 players just to ice a full team. You've got to extend Alex Newhook & Bowen Byram, and even on a bridge deal I'd conservatively say that will take up $3.5M of space. Now you need to basically fill out your bottom 6 and get a replcement for Erik Johnson with only $5.5M available. It's just putting yourself in too tight of a bind - if they *do* upgrade 2C at the deadline, I think they find a way to do it with a pure rental that won't cost such significant assets.

Larkin isn't available.

With what cap space are they able to sign a 9m player

Can the avs figure out a trade for Brock Nelson, what’s the islanders can plan next offseason?

Larkin isn't available, but Nichushkin and Newhook would be a solid start.

Cap and common sense gets in the way of this one

Two weeks ago I would've said "yeah let's talk about it" but obviously the team has gone all-in on the current core - before the Horvat trade, I had posted something about sending Nelson out with full retention for a 2nd and a strong prospect - if the Isles were in the tank, it made sense to eat the contract and turn Nelson into a 2x$3M guy scoring 60 points and maximizing the return. But now I think they're going to stick with him for now - I can't see them giving up that package and extending Horvat and then moving out other productive veterans.

This offseason I wonder if they explore moving him. Move money around, he would be such a good fit on the avs, wonder if there is an offseason deal therd

Girard, Ranta and a late 1st are a joke, For an extended Larkin who you can't even afford him. Starts with Newhook and then add accordingly.

If it's there, they'd need a roster player coming back - since they traded Raty there's really no centers left in the pipeline to step up and take that 2C spot (CF has Iskhakov listed as a C but I think he winds up more on the wing when he makes his NHL debut.) JG Pageau can moonlight at 2C if necessary, but he's not a long-term solution there.

Massive overpay. An extension doesn’t add much value. We have plenty of evidence or this

the real question is do they plan on splitting Horvat Barzal as 1C 2C eventually or are they goign to convert Barzal to a Full Wing moving forward. That is the only way I can see them moving Nelson if that is the ultimate plan and have Pageau a high end 3C.

Yeah, that's the big question - I think they're running with Barzal on the wing for now to see how he gels with Horvat, and the (very) early returns look nice. I think long-term Barzal winds up as a winger who can fill in at center when need be - similar to Mikko Rantanen in a way.

The thing I run into with a possible trade, though, is what can the Avs offer? I don't think it's crazy to say Nelson is a very strong 2C - he very consistently scores 25-30 goals, plays a sound enough defensive game that you're not worried about him being a problem, and has a relatively affordable $6M hit. We both know that the pipeline in Colorado is pretty dry, and that the Isles would probably want an NHL-ready player back. The only guys Colorado has signed for '23-24 are mostly untouchable (MacKinnon, Rantanen, Landeskog, Nichushkin, Lehkonen, Makar) or RFAs. If I was driving the boat on this trade, I'd be looking right at Alex Newhook and saying it would have to start there, and an extra pick would be coming along with its value based on how much retention you'd want, if any. It's a tough trade to build, for sure.

It would be a girard based trade, just moving cap around but I dont think the Islanders have any interest in him. Probably only way to make it work is Avs move girard in another trade, gain the assets they need to flip for Nelson, or have the young newhook like player back from a G trade so they can move Newhook in this type deal

Probably a very complicated lots of moving parts trade for both teams, potentially a third to make it all make sense

A three team trade, you say? With lots of moving parts? That's like catnip to half this userbase, lol, don't tempt them.

Any deal involving Larkin would involve Newhook going to Detroit.