Colorado Avalanche
Avalanche Mailbag: Do the Avalanche Regret Trading Rantanen? Will Nelson Re-Sign? Is Bednar Still Underrated?
The Avalanche are playing incredible hockey and well on their way to an entertaining playoff series against the Dallas Stars unless something changes.
Mikko Rantanen vs the Colorado Avalanche in the postseason? Sign me up.
But first, let’s answer some questions about it.
Question from Doug Y.
It seems like Mikko Rantanen was the big loser in his whole situation where he didnโt want to leave Colorado and ended up signing for what the Avs were offering anyway (but for a rounding error). But as for the three eeams (Dallas, Carolina, and Colorado), who won and who lost?
Aarif’s Response
I wouldn’t say Rantanen necessarily lost. He still ended up on a great team and is locked in with a core group that can win a Stanley Cup. Time will tell if he gels with them the way he did with the Avs, though.
But as for the three teams, there’s a scenario where they all come out as winners and there’s a scenario where they all come out as losers. Carolina looks the worst right now because they forced a trade for a superstar player that was very clear about not signing there before they pulled the trigger on the deal. They ended up losing a stud in Martin Necas for a player who they hope can be a stud in Logan Stankoven.
This offseason, they’ll have a ton of cap space and a ton draft capital from the Rantanen trade to Dallas that they can use to acquire other solid players. Right now, they are the big losers. But what if they end up bringing in another stud player via trade using those draft picks?
Dallas is a winner on paper. But if Rantanen doesn’t fit, they can find themselves on the losing end.
The Avs won in the sense that they were able to spread the wealth this year. But time will tell here too on if they made the right decision. What will Necas make on his next deal? What will the Avs do with the leftover cap space?
Question from Doug Y.
Aarif’s Response
Both were expensive, albeit the Nelson trade was a lot more expensive than what the Avs gave up for Lindgren. I think they’ll entertain bringing both back. They have the cap space for a second-line center and will make a push for Nelson to stay, assuming the fit is there.
As for Lindgren, I didn’t think they’d keep him two weeks ago but I’m starting to think they’ll entertain the idea if they can find a way to get off Josh Manson’s contract. What Lindgren asks for will also play a factor in this.
Question From Reece
At this point would it be better for the team if Gabriel Landeskog didnโt come back? I mean we have wingers and having him come back at $7 million against the cap without the production would hurt. Maybe that cap space would be better spent on someone else and Nathan MacKinnon gets the C.
Aarif’s Response
This is such a tough question to answer. The worst-case scenario would be for Landeskog to return and be an anchor with an expensive contract. I think it’s too early to say, though.
I still stand by the thought that knee issues aside, Landeskog can still be an effective top-six forward. The good news here is, I don’t think he’s coming back unless his knee issues are completely behind him. So maybe a Landeskog comeback is just what this team needs.
Question from idavsfan
Thoughts on why Chris MacFarland and Jared Bednar are never mentioned in the GM or coach of the year conversations from national media?
No other GM re-built his team on the fly to the extent CMac has this year. And Bedsy keeps it all running while having to use more players than any other team in the NHL due to injuries and suspensions.
Aarif’s Response
The GM of the year award is a little bit different because it’s not voted on until after the second round. I promise you, if the Avs beat Dallas in Round 1 and possibly even Winnipeg in Round 2, MacFarland will win that award. No question.
As for Bednar, it’s criminal that he’s never even in the conversation. The Jack Adams Trophy is Spencer Carbery’s to lose this year. But to not even discuss Bednar despite all the things you mentioned is lazy from the voters. I do hope he gets one soon. He deserves it.
Question from Stephen Merino
The front office really emptied the cupboards for this playoff run. If the Avs are eliminated in the first or second round, do the costs start to look unacceptable? Or is this just what you do when you have Cale Makar and MacKinnon.
Aarif’s Response
This is simply how things go when you have MacKinnon and Makar. The team has to earn it, and this group did. Even after the Rantanen trade, No. 29 and No. 8 didn’t stop leading this team on and off the ice.
Time will tell how the playoffs go, though. It’s unfortunate that there’s a scenario that Colorado and Dallas are both top-5 teams in the entire league and still face each other in the first round.
Question from Aaron Grady
If the Avs could re-sign one of the three trade deadline additions, which would you prefer? And which is most likely?
Aarif’s Response
Charlie Coyle is under contract for another year already, at $5.25 million. So I’m assuming you’re talking about Lindgren, Nelson, and Erik Johnson.
I think EJ’s career ends this offseason, especially if the Avs go on a deep run. Maybe, just maybe, he signs for league minimum to be the seventh or eighth option on defense. But time will tell.
As for the othe two, Nelson is the obvious choice because Colorado gave up a lot for him and needs a 2C for the foreseeable future. Lindgren, like I said in one of previous responses, makes sense if he’s not asking for too much and if you offload Manson.
Question from Joe Cerwinski
What does MacKinnon need to do to stay in the lead for the Hart Trophy over Connor Hellebuyck and Leon Draisaitl, and what could those two do over the last month to overtake him?
Aarif’s Response
I honestly wouldn’t even say MacKinnon is the leading candidate right now. Hellebuyck is getting a lot of the hype, deservedly so. But I would say MacKinnon winning the Art Ross, Colorado continuing to play well, and the Oilers continue to struggle will help MacKinnon’s case against Draisaitl.
Voters often steer toward the forward more than the goalie. But Hellebuyck hasn’t skipped a beat. That’s the one I think will be more tough to overcome.
Question from Brad Jacobs
How do you see Bednar lining up his bottom two D pairings in the playoffs? Lindgren with Manson has been rough in early returns. Samuel Girard and Sam Malinski have looked good, but their lack of size might be too much for the postseason.
Aarif’s Response
Whether Manson is healthy or not (which he isn’t right now), I don’t think Bednar is going to have a clear cut second or third pair. Girard has looked good with Manson, he’s looked fine with both EJ and Malinski, too. I think Bednar will do what he did against the Stars on Sunday and try all kinds of pairs at any given time. As long as these guys have familiarity with each other, they’ll figure it out.
Having Cale Makar and Devon Toews as your top pair also helps make this possible.
Question from Anne Beierle
Avs need Valeri Nichushkin for a legitimate run. Does anyone have a feel for how heโs doing since he came back from his suspension? I want to believe his relative comfort speaking English and his friendship with Mackenzie Blackwood are good signs. Am I reading too much into the small snippets we get from him?
Aarif’s Response
I’m not sure what they’re doing behind the scenes but I’ve tried asking. They know as much as you and I know that his availability is crucial for this team to win another Stanley Cup.
Between the friendship he’s built with Blackwood (one of my favorite locker room observations), and the veteran group around him, I’m hoping the team and player get this figured out. Especially as the playoff grind gets longer.
Question from Jean-Brett Chamois
The significant cap raise for the next few years was announced after Mikko Rantanen was traded. If MacFarland and the front office had known that large of a cap raise was coming, it seems like offering Mikko $12M x 8 years would have been much more feasible. My question is: Did CMac and the NHL front offices know/expect that the cap was going to raise so significantly? If so, it seems like a massive miss, or at best, terrible luck for the Avs front office to trade Mikko when they did.
Aarif’s Response
I find it hard to believe that MacFarland and the front office didn’t know that was coming. It had been rumored and speculated for months that the cap was about to make an outrageous jump well past the $100 million mark over the next handful of seasons.
I still stand by the thought that the team was ready to move on from Rantanen. They don’t have regrets. They got a return they felt was appropriate for him and are ready to allocate the funds elsewhere. Is it the right move? Time will tell. But I think they did that trade with confidence. They were convinced it was time to move on.
Question from Mr. Question #2
When it came time to trade Rantanen, do you think MacFarland anticipated difficult negotiations with Rantanen and that he still had in mind how things went when he signed his last contract with the Avalanche?
Aarif’s Response
I think this played a part, but a very small part. In the end, the Avs were offered something they probably didn’t expect to be on the table for him. That made it easier to pull the trigger on the trade.
Question from Alan
Why didnโt the Avs target another defenseman at the deadline? With how injury-prone Manson and Lindgren have been, are they really comfortable with their depth?
Aarif’s Response
Simple answer here is, they ran out of assets and cap dollars. After the Nelson trade, I was curious about if they’d prioritize center depth or blueline depth and they chose the center route. I think, again, having Toews and Makar makes it easier to make that decision. But EJ as a depth add isn’t a bad consolation prize. Especially because you ultimately got him for free.
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Flynn’s Takes from Game 3: Avs’ Issues and How to Fix Them
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Good & Bad: Landeskog Makes Emotional Return, Avalanche Fall in OT Again
More Than Teammates: Inside the Friendship of Valeri Nichushkin and Mackenzie Blackwood (+)
Landeskog’s Potential Return Has NHL Talking
Avalanche Excited to Have Gabe Landeskog Back
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10 Observations: Avalanche Sent a Message in Game 1 Rout of Stars (+)
Is Brock Nelson an expensive rental for this yearโs Cup run, or do you think the Avs will try to re-sign him? The same question for Ryan Lindgren.