Rangers match the OS

If COL is really all in, that deal makes sense for them.

EDM would happily move on from the big goalie contract

Does guentzal play C?

He does pretty often

Yup

Trade Rutta, replace him with Smith and use the money to sign a good backup. You'll have around 4.5MM, so you can get someone like Varlomov or Hill

Blomqvist has a potential, I would rather keep him as a backup. With this idea we have money for another temporary backup

Avs decline. Guentzel isn't a centre (taken 275 face offs in 7 years) and they aren't trading one of their only 2 that they have of note. Nor are they trading Malinski who they just signed out of college. That would ensure very few college guys want to sign with you again in the forseeable future.

Merkley could be swapped in for Malinski, but that is still way to much to pay for a guy that doesn't solve the Avs biggest need.

No he plays wing. He can play center but I wouldn’t suggest it.



No he doesn’t lol

Campbell costs then more than that to move.

Worst goaltending tandem in the league. Blomqvist does have potential but he’s played two AHL games in his life. Starting him in the NHL would be a disaster.

He plays a defensively responsible game, can play with speed up the middle, has a career 47% faceoff win percentage, and came up as a center.

He could most certainly handle center duties.

No

I love Guentzel but he in no way plays a defensively responsible game.

There's no reason to believe he can play Center

Cant agree to this one. The top 6 is worse. Bottom 6 is a bit better. Defense is worse. Goaltending is much worse. Blomqvist hasn't even played at the AHL level yet.

Sure tou got some extra draft capital - but those guys aren't going to be up for another 4-5 years probably. The core will be gone

Huh. The eye test failed me. You're correct. In the past 3 seasons he has been in the bottom half of forwards at goal prevention. In 2019 and 2018 he was in the top 100.

I rescind my comment. He is no longer defensively sound. He seems to have sacrificed it all for sweet, sweet goals.

It's all good. I used to think he was at least respectable defensively as well - the more I looked it seemed like that wasn't really the case.

But like you said - he may have sacrificed it for all those sweet goals - and how sweet they are. I have zero issue with him not being great defensively - that's not his job. And honestly, that not being his job probably makes him grade out worse defensively than he actually is. So there's a chance he good be decent defensively if he's actually asked to be ya know. As long as he's scoring goals - and his line is scoring more than they allow - that's all that matters to me. It's impossible for everybody to be great on both ends of the ice. That's why I always hate when the Malkin haters come in with the "he sucks because he's a defensive liability" comment. Like - okay - if he's on the ice for a lot of goals against but twice as many goals for does it really matter?