Inspired by Avs fan @Richard88 posting the Colorado side of this trade, I wanted to see how it might shake out for the Islanders.
Both teams are trading from a position of strength - the Islanders have 4 guys locked in at C but an enormous hole at LD2, and the Avs have Toews(ugh)/Girard/Byram as their LD depth chart but are most likely losing Nazem Kadri this summer(can't see Sakic going long on term with a 31 year old C) and need a solid 2C behind MacKinnon. So Nelson goes to play 2C in Denver, and Sam Girard comes over to fill the hold at LD2 next to Noah Dobson for the next few years. Sakic throws in negotiating rights with Andre Burakovsky as a little treat to get the deal over the hill. Burakovsky signs 6x$6M and as a result, Josh Bailey's contract needs to move and off he goes to Seattle for mid-round picks(the Kraken have said they want to add veterans this offseason - here you go!)
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I think Lee-Barzal-Burakovsky would be a ton of fun. Bura is a solid two way player who can finish, Lee is the king of the garbage goal, and Barzal having two dependable guys on his wings will let him really let his creativity shine.
2nd line was actually the toughest to figure out. Beau-JGP-Wahlstrom seems interesting to me as a mix of a creative playmaker in Beau, a responsible defender in JGP, and a heavy shot from Ollie. I think this line needs the most work.
Parise and Palmieri had chemistry last season so I think they can play together again. I thought about putting Raty here as 3C (hence his taxi squad placement) but I can also see Lou being a little hesitant to throw the kid right in the fire. I could see them signing a UFA to a 1 year deal for this spot - I like Chris Tierney as a potential bounceback candidate that can probably be signed for max $2M. Flip him out at the deadline if Raty tears it up and you want him to take that spot over.
4th line should be Bellows/Martin-Cizikas-Clutterbuck/Czarnik. Cycle these dudes in and out constantly. They're not the B4LIH anymore but I think they can be effective if you are smart about how you deploy them, and if you keep them fresh. Bellows & Czarnik can give them nights off and come in when the opponent requires more skill than sandpaper. I hope Lambert treats them less as a monolith next year.
D pairs are what you'd expect. Pelech+Pulock should be kept together until they give you a reason not to. Girard & Dobson gets the majority of O-zone starts. Shelter Salo with Mayfield and bring him along the way you brought Dobson and pray that you get, like, 60% of development.
I like this team, honestly. I think the upgrade at LD2 is worth the downgrade at 2C - you're asking a couple guys to step up/show positive regression with the middle 6, sure, but you're correcting some bad flaws from last year's team.
One thought I had to this though - wouldn't moving Girard's $5M make it much easier to keep Toews around? Byram goes RFA after next season, so you'll be able to lock in his number at whatever bridge or long-term deal you get him at. Plus Erik Johnson's deal falls off after next season; while you need to replace him, obviously, you're either going to be spending all of his $6M on a major upgrade(good problem) or you'll be bringing in a younger, more affordable guy. I think Toews signs for $8M max (Makar did them a favor by taking $9M and making an unofficial cap for the rest of the D corps) and with Girard's deal off the books you shouldn't have a terrible time signing him.
They'll need to pay MacKinnon, Byram, and Newhook, with MacKinnon obviously being the big one (that's where the Erik Johnson money goes). I think Toews is going to be a luxury they likely can't afford once his current contract ends.
The team is also heavily built around quick transition, beginning with their defensemen, and Girard is a huge part of that. I believe they value him more than many others think they do. Just my opinion though, and I'm just some guy.
They'll need to pay MacKinnon, Byram, and Newhook, with MacKinnon obviously being the big one (that's where the Erik Johnson money goes). I think Toews is going to be a luxury they likely can't afford once his current contract ends.
The team is also heavily built around quick transition, beginning with their defensemen, and Girard is a huge part of that. I believe they value him more than many others think they do. Just my opinion though, and I'm just some guy.
Aren't we all just some guy or gal on these boards? I appreciate your input, though - the Avs are a fun team to watch and obviously have a lot of pieces other teams would covet. I do hope you can keep Devon Toews because he just seems to fit there - I think he was good in the Isles but I don't think he takes that step into the Norris conversation without getting out of Trotz' system and into Bednar's.
Aren't we all just some guy or gal on these boards? I appreciate your input, though - the Avs are a fun team to watch and obviously have a lot of pieces other teams would covet. I do hope you can keep Devon Toews because he just seems to fit there - I think he was good in the Isles but I don't think he takes that step into the Norris conversation without getting out of Trotz' system and into Bednar's.
I hope the Avs can keep him too. The Isles are my #2 team, so I watch them a fair amount and was thrilled when that trade went down. Even I didn't think he'd be as good as he has been though. He's just so solid at everything and thinks the game at a high level. Sakic at his best with that acquisition.
dannibalcorpse et TJTwolf a aimé ceci.
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