Mailbag
Avalanche Mailbag 1.0: Burns’ Cap Hit, The Futures of Girard and Malinski, & Bednar’s Jack Adams Bid
In the first part of the December Avalanche Mailbag, I covered questions ranging from Brent Burns’ cap hit to Jared Bednar’s Jack Adams bid, as well as the future outlook for both Sam Malinski and Samuel Girard.
Is this the year that Girard finally gets traded? It feels like Sam Malinski has replaced his presence in the lineup and is much cheaper.
Aarif’s Response
I hate making these types of predictions because they could be insanely wrong. For example, last February, I predicted that one of Casey Mittelstadt, Miles Wood, and Ross Colton would get traded ahead of the 2025 trade deadline. And I was right. But then I added that I thought all three of them would be gone before opening night in October of 2025. Of course, that part was wrong. Colton looks like a beast this year and is finally being used properly (albeit he’s been shifted back to center for now).
But with that being said, I’d say yes, this is the year Girard finally gets traded. If it happens before the offseason, it’s because the Avs need to clear his cap space to add what they need. Or they need his trade value to make a trade work.
There’s also a scenario where they have an injury or two that are season-ending (think Dallas and Tyler Seguin), and it opens the cap space they need to add a 3C and a depth defenseman without trading Girard, if that’s what they prefer to do.
Question from BTV
Are the Avs trying to get an extension in place with Malinski? He’s about to become a UFA.
Question from Golden Boy
What is the impact of Brent Burns’ contract for the remainder of this year and going into next?
Per PuckPedia, he has a base of $1 million with incentives, with $3 million already earned. How does this $3 million accrue against the cap? Is there any impact this year? Does it all apply next year?
Aarif’s Response
Burns can earn up to $4 million. Let’s pretend he does, since it’s likely. If, when all is said and done, the Avs have $2 million in cap space at season’s end, then the other $2 million in overages will be subtracted from next year’s cap.
By being able to sign Burns to one of those contracts (because of his age), it allowed them to have the ability to kick up to $3 million of his cap hit into next season. They have to account for his $1 million base salary for sure this year.
Question from Mocha Man
Ok, I’m sure it has been asked before, but it certainly deserves to be asked again, and again, and again. When will Jared Bednar get his well-deserved Jack Adams Award? Why isn’t there more chatter about it, and what can be done to make that happen?
Aarif’s Response
I wish there were more than could be done. But the voting for the Jack Adams isn’t up to the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association. So it’s not on my colleagues around the league or me. The best we can do is write articles that sway voters towards fixing how they choose the best coach each year.
The NHL Broadcasters Association votes for this particular award. It’s ultimately become an award given to the coach of the most surprising team, or the one that makes the most significant jump in the standings. Think Joel Quenneville and Anaheim.
I don’t like it, but I’ve not seen anything that says it’ll change.
Question from Jared Williss