Quoting: Xqb15
Why would the Avs want to add Zacha a C when the already have MacKinnon, Kadri, Compher, PEB, Jost and you signed Kamenev. Then you also have Bowers who you completely omitted, and Newhook.
You have some guys being signed that it isn’t likely to happen at all. Smirnov isn’t going to get a contract offer, he hasn’t really progressed at all at Penn State. Greer is almost assuredly gone, Dries if signed is getting an AHL deal not a two-way deal, and I think it is very unlikely that Kamenev wants to come back, bad luck on injuries derailed any prospects he had here.
I could see a 3C being brought in for 1 year, as there's a bit of a need in the short-term until Newhook and Bowers are ready.
- Kamenev will likely be traded to get an opportunity somewhere else (eg. Florida/Ottawa/Detroit).
- Jost is ok defensively but hasn't made the 3C spot his own despite many opportunities. Barring a great playoffs I think he'll be getting traded if we get a good enough offer.
- Compher isn't a natural 3C, more of a north-to-south winger, so ideally he plays at RW rather than at C. He's ok as 3C, but excellent as a 3rd line RW.
- Newhook is still 1 year away from making the team.
- Bowers is probably around 1 year away, but another year in the AHL probably wouldn't hurt; or he could simply start out on the wing and work his way back to C after a year in the NHL.
With that in mind I could see Sakic wanting to target Zacha as another "Burakovsky/Nichuskin" type buy-low option to see if he can fill the 3C spot for us next season. If he does well at 3C in 2020/21 then we could keep him in a 4C/1st PK role once Newhook makes the team in 2021, and then in 2022 when Kadri hits UFA and Newhook slides up to 2C then Zacha would slide back up to 3C.