Hi!

Why would you trade an elite two-way, top 15D in the league, 0,7 PPG (on PP2) defenseman who can play 25+ minutes and fits the teams system perfect, for a rental?

I like the signings of Sheary and re-signing of E-Rod, would prefer if they where a little bit cheaper tho.

So you didn’t watch the team this season. Rantanen as 2C doesn’t work. He is an elite winger not an elite center. Speaking of winger, what’s the easiest position to fill in the NHL? Winger. Besides a franchise 1C a top pairing dman is the hardest position to fill why in the world would you trade arguably a top 10 dman for the easiest position to find an answer in the league?

Yeah, this is the one Guentzel trade I would remotely consider (and I would do it in a heartbeat). Toews fills so many needs, team friendly contract, a legitimate two way defenceman, and he is younger than most of the core lol. All these trades of Guentzel for a 24 first an average 3rd liner and middle 6 prospect bc the pens need cap space and youth do nothing for a team that's trying to win now lol

I'm with you on ERod's potential cost. Would like to have him back, but the inflated market for mediocre forwards hurts.

Totally agree. It would be great to have a better 2C option, but we don't desperately need one. Terrible injury luck led to a rotating cast of AHL'ers filling out our bottom 6 (and sometimes middle 6) all season and we still won the division. Focus on improving the bottom 6, which can be done at reasonable prices if Avs are smart. Get some grinders/pests. Get guys who like to camp out in front of the net. Other than Val and Landy, Avs don't have those. Stay away from overpriced 2C UFA's unless one will take a deal to chase a cup and don't overpay for the not-quite-2Cs who will benefit from a weak UFA class. We don't have a lot of assets (thought it depends on how the Avs are valuing this year's first), so any trade would have to be heavily in our favor.

I hear you, thats’s why we want to keep him! The thing is that Colorado and Pittsburgh is a bad match in this case. Pittsburgh doesn’t have the assets Colorado need, except a certain #87 ofc, and that will unfornatuely, never in a million years happen.

Agreed, I'd be stunned if either Jake or Toews gets traded this summer

I keep telling people this when they try to get Toews or Girard for magic beans but they just keep doing it. At least Guentzel is a young-ish goal-scorer but even that isn't all that enticing because he's expiring and will want a raise; wings are also the easiest and cheapest pieces to acquire so this trade needs a lot more coming the Avs way for it work but the Pens don't have what the Avs need or want.

They desperately need one or you have to give it to Newhook and just live with growing pains. No Bednar nonsense about playing the top line 23 minutes and the bottom 6 15. I’m a big fan of Newhook but if he can’t handle the 2C spot and you don’t have somebody that can do it on the roster they will be fubar.

I guess I'm distinguishing between the traditional true 2C guys out there, like maybe ROR, and the guys who can just play and will help the second line produce. I'm interested in someone like Barbashev, who can play both LW and C. He's going to help any 2nd line produce. It's so hard to evaluate last year's guys because they were either in/out of the lineup themselves or their line mates were constantly changing. I think we would have been fine without a 2C if we had more stability on the lines and Val wasn't hurt, then dealing with injury, then who knows what in the playoffs. Don't get me wrong, I'd love a 2C, but we have so many holes to fill right now that getting a 2C only opens more holes.

I completely agree they need to find out if Newy is a 2C (or any kind of C) or not; it's what they should have done this season. It was always going to be an uphill climb to repeat with all the FA's they lost and then the injuries happened. Might as well just let the kid play and see what he can do then make a decision about him as C or W then figure it out from there. And Bednar, for all his positives, needs to take a more balanced approach to his playing time. The FO also needs to commit to calling up Foudy and Olausson multiple times and telling Bednar they need real playing time when they do get there. They will never become real options unless they get real opportunities. The Avs, if they want a dynasty, need to shift to being a bit more patient; they've got the core around for a while and can be contenders every year but they've traded away the pieces that bring back impact players. Grow their own talent, make smart acquisitions and win a few more Cups before Mac and Mikko and Cale are greybeards.

honestly, Avs should seek a player like PLD or Monohan as a 2nd center. young, tried and true talent, and perfect cap replacement for Landy. Even ROR if thatd be possible. Lehky plays well with Mack IMO

I think Newhook would have gotten a longer look without the injuries, he should have gotten the longer look anyway, but can’t change that. I don’t know about so many holes they are set at goalie, basically set on d, set on the top line, 4th line is easy to fill out and they have about half the middle 6 filled. For me you figure out 2C first and everything kind of drops in place after that

PLD yes, Monahan no he was a cap dump then only played in 25 games and was never fleet of foot. If your intention to go hard with Newhook at 2C I could maybe see him at 3C just don’t think he fits with what they are looking to do schematically