Aarif Deen
Question from Joshua Canfield
Aarif, can we assume the Avs Front Office will make a move at the trade deadline? What assets are they offering up (roster players, prospects, draft picks)? Would Samuel Girard be on that list? He’s in year 6 of a 7-year contract with a $5 million cap hit.
Aarif’s Response
I would imagine that all of those options are on the table. Roster players will be necessary to move to clear cap space. Prospects are also on the table. I remember the Avs used a couple of middling prospects to acquire Carl Soderberg from Chicago in 2021. They’ve also used those types of guys as key pieces in trades for depth pieces like Yakov Trenin. And whatever draft picks they have left are also likely on the table.
As for the players I can see being traded, Girard is on that list. I would imagine Ross Colton, Victor Olofsson, and maybe even Zakhar Bardakov are guys you can also use to shore up your depth with a money-in, money-out deal.
I can’t see any of the other defensemen getting traded other than Girard. Signing Malinski to an extension takes him off the table. The team also committed to Josh Manson over the summer, giving him an extension that begins next year. Brent Burns is not going anywhere this year, and neither is the top pair.
At forward, the top six is safe. And I’d imagine Parker Kelly, Jack Drury, Logan O’Connor (if healthy), and Gavin Brindley are all safe too. Joel Kiviranta isn’t necessarily untouchable, but I can see head coach Jared Bednar liking him as a No. 13 or No. 14 option when all is said and done.
Question from Sasha Landprecht
Is there a possibility that Girard and Colton both get traded or just one?
Aarif’s Response
All options are on the table. It all depends on how active Chris MacFarland decides he needs to be to help the team. We all know that the Avs need more size and depth on the blueline. If they only fix the depth part, that means they’re comfortable with Girard and Malinski as the third pair, and they’ll probably only acquire a No. 7 defenseman. I just don’t think that’s the case. And I don’t imagine you can trade for a new third pair defenseman while still paying Girard $5 million to be a rotation option or a fill-in.
As for Colton, the same rule applies. If the Avs acquire a 3C that makes anywhere from $3-to$5 million, you probably can’t afford that while also having Colton make $4 million on the third line. Not unless you’re trading Girard and replacing him with a defenseman making a third of what he makes.