I know we have been discussing Mikko's situation in the chat all season. I recall when Dater posted an article about how the road trip in early December could prove pivotal in the Avs season and with it Mikko's chances of getting traded. The Avs ended up having a stellar month of December, but January has basically been a 50/50 month, trading wins with losses every other night. So I think, over the past few weeks, they slipped back into this territory where a playoff berth is not a sure thing, never mind a deep playoff run. In other words...it's hedge your bets time.
But the bottom line is whether the Avs or any team can afford to pay 3 or more players $12million+ and still construct a deep enough roster to win a cup. Personally, I don't think so. Look at the last few cup winners (since Pittsburg in 2017 really) and the one commonality is that they all favor depth over top end talent.
One more thing: I remember when Makar first joined the Avs in the 2019 playoffs. For me it was immediately clear that this generation of Avs is anchored around 2 players and 2 players only: MacKinnon and Makar - they are truly generational! Rantanen is a phenomenal scorer, a phenomenal hockey player no doubt! But despite his incredible numbers, it's hard to imagine him as an MVP. It's hard to see him as the guy who puts the team on his back en route to a deep cup run. And frankly, in this NHL, I don't think you need 3 megastars on a team anyway. I'd settle for someone like Necas who can produce 80 to 90 points and reliably put up numbers if it ensures that your team can also afford the depth.
I just read all the comments below,all written so very well. The writing has been on the wall.Lets be real Carolina is going for it all this year. AD said earlier in the season Moose would end up in Florida, this is closer now and he still might leave. Jack Drury gives something we do not have and that is a great faceoff guy. He has been pushing 60% all through his career. Lets have some fun win some games and enjoy our chats.
Who knows, maybe this is a really good deal. Necas is a little younger, faster, and hopefully a better defender (let’s face it, that wouldn’t be hard to beat). When Draisaitl got that huge deal last summer, the writing was on the wall.
As a Canes fan, I regret to inform you that Necas is unlikely to be a better defender, even if the bar is on the floor. He will be extremely fun to watch on offense, however. This could an actual win-win trade.
Unless additionsl moves are succesful can't proclaim this as more but I have thought since last season they neededto move him based on frequent lack of effort and playing style. Necas straight up may be an even trade if he assimilates and provides constant effort. If additional space locks up Makar and addresses depth scoring, then on top of goalie and team D approach, this will provide the Avs with their best chance to maximize the remainder of MacK's prime.
This could end up being very good, if we end up being able to get rid of mittlesdat and sign a real 2C. It frees up cap, brings in a better 2 way player and I would rather have a few goal scorers instead of just one, and maybe a good D man mixed in. Will be an interesting hockey chat today, maybe we can get the word out we are talking about the trade on the chat today and boost the membership !!
It’s all about what you can afford. We’ve seen successful teams driven by high-paid duos: Crosby & Malkin, McDavid & Draisaitl, MacKinnon & Rantanen. But the Avs also have a wild card, a third player, a generational player, Makar, that they’re going to have to (very willingly!) pay the big bucks to. I am actually amazed the Avs got the league’s 10th-leading scorer, who plays on a team better known for defense than scoring a lot of goals. And at a relative bargain (for now). I suspect we’ll find out how much Necas likes playing in Colorado!
Drury I don’t know much about, but I like the name a lot!
Of course there is a lot at play here as AD has stated, but my first thought when we waved bye-bye to Rants, is that Gabe and his salary will be coming back before the end of the season. So if that happens, and he can play, and Nuke returns in time to get strong for the playoffs, good things can happen. And that’s without any speculated future trades that could include getting a bruising winger (who won’t lay on the ice yapping at the refs as the play continues), and/or a hulking D-Man, or (cough) - Sid.
Thanks for laying it out there AD, as always, much appreciated.
Very sage article AD. Everyone gets so emotional about this topic. I certainly can’t blame the Avs management and always expected it would come to this.
The next closed Av in goals is seven behind Mikko. End of the day that’s still the goal. I wonder what this is like if they didn’t have the disastrous start to the season or if Casey had a pulse.
Food for thought: 26-27 a new Canadian TV deal kicks in and double the old one is what’s being talked about. 28-29 the new US TV deal kicks in. The cap numbers will be dramatically higher than most realize.
Both of those deals are still some time away. MacKinnon will be well into his 30s by then. Not sure how they will help us in 2025. But this raises a good point which is that they stupid flat cap - it has only gone up $2 measly million since 2020 - REALLY, REALLY f'd over the Avalanche organization. And that really pisses me off! Look at the f'n Blackhawks...they were basically able to tank it right through the flat cap era.
Not as far away as you might think. 26-27 is the year after next season. Losing Mikko doesn't help you this year and it probably doesn't help you next year. Necas is a nice player that won't finish plays, Nate's a ten percent shooter...not sure how having no guys that finish at a high level helps this year or next. Oh well, Avs perfectly set things up to tank for the Gavin McKenna draft.
As I read through all the comments here, the general consensus seems to be that we might be able to add some scoring depth, which would be a good thing. I think the AVS saw the writing on the wall, they weren't going to be able to re-sign Mikko so they did the best they could with what they had. The fact that Necas just comes in with some term is a good thing too.
And the bottom line is there has to be money there to sign kale when his extension comes up.
Just not a fan of this deal. It is not a one for one talent trade, because Necas is not a playoff proven talent. If this trade with picks doesn't lead to another deal to land talent, I can't see the point in "business" being served.
This is why I sour on pro sports more and more, and actually find more joy in watching minor hockey these days, where it's all about love of the game. Salaries are ballooning up again and I feel like every play these days just wants max dollar (even when Nate had to "one-up" McDavid). Nobody seems loyal to a team anymore, except the rare few exceptions like Crosby who hasn't gone over 8.7m. it's sad honestly, but good for Mikko if he's happy and about to add $5m to his income, I guess. Maybe it's a sign that Landy is coming. Who knows...
I disagree. If you look at the top end salaries in this league, they have barely gone up since the days when Sakic, Forsberg and Blake were on our roster. Forsberg made $11 million in 2001/2002. MacKinnon is making $12.6 in 2024/25. Btw..adjusted for inflation, Forsberg's salary would be the equivalent of $19 million today. So really, the top end players have gone underpaid for quite some time in the NHL. Conversely, average salaries have increased more significantly over the same period. In the early 2000s, the average salary was something like $1.5 million...today it's more like $3.5 million. This has lead to the NHL in fact becoming the most "socialist" of all the US pro leagues, meaning salaries are spread out far more broadly in hockey than they are in the NBA or the NFL.
Likewise, consider that in the late 90s and early 2000s, NHL player salaries for top end players were not too far off top players in the NBA or even the NFL...they are not even in the same league anymore!
Dater, was there a sense of overhang in the locker room knowing the chances were more likely than not he was gone after this season? Seems like a pragmatic trade and Necas is fast so he may fit right in.
I know we have been discussing Mikko's situation in the chat all season. I recall when Dater posted an article about how the road trip in early December could prove pivotal in the Avs season and with it Mikko's chances of getting traded. The Avs ended up having a stellar month of December, but January has basically been a 50/50 month, trading wins with losses every other night. So I think, over the past few weeks, they slipped back into this territory where a playoff berth is not a sure thing, never mind a deep playoff run. In other words...it's hedge your bets time.
But the bottom line is whether the Avs or any team can afford to pay 3 or more players $12million+ and still construct a deep enough roster to win a cup. Personally, I don't think so. Look at the last few cup winners (since Pittsburg in 2017 really) and the one commonality is that they all favor depth over top end talent.
One more thing: I remember when Makar first joined the Avs in the 2019 playoffs. For me it was immediately clear that this generation of Avs is anchored around 2 players and 2 players only: MacKinnon and Makar - they are truly generational! Rantanen is a phenomenal scorer, a phenomenal hockey player no doubt! But despite his incredible numbers, it's hard to imagine him as an MVP. It's hard to see him as the guy who puts the team on his back en route to a deep cup run. And frankly, in this NHL, I don't think you need 3 megastars on a team anyway. I'd settle for someone like Necas who can produce 80 to 90 points and reliably put up numbers if it ensures that your team can also afford the depth.
Exactly. Couldn’t have said it better. Depth wins.
I like this a lot! Roster needed a kick in the pants. I also feel like COL has already gotten the best out of Mikko.
I just read all the comments below,all written so very well. The writing has been on the wall.Lets be real Carolina is going for it all this year. AD said earlier in the season Moose would end up in Florida, this is closer now and he still might leave. Jack Drury gives something we do not have and that is a great faceoff guy. He has been pushing 60% all through his career. Lets have some fun win some games and enjoy our chats.
Who knows, maybe this is a really good deal. Necas is a little younger, faster, and hopefully a better defender (let’s face it, that wouldn’t be hard to beat). When Draisaitl got that huge deal last summer, the writing was on the wall.
As a Canes fan, I regret to inform you that Necas is unlikely to be a better defender, even if the bar is on the floor. He will be extremely fun to watch on offense, however. This could an actual win-win trade.
Unless additionsl moves are succesful can't proclaim this as more but I have thought since last season they neededto move him based on frequent lack of effort and playing style. Necas straight up may be an even trade if he assimilates and provides constant effort. If additional space locks up Makar and addresses depth scoring, then on top of goalie and team D approach, this will provide the Avs with their best chance to maximize the remainder of MacK's prime.
Lehky’s Dad needs to sign a no-compete clause, that prevents him from motivating Rants if he plays on another team!
This could end up being very good, if we end up being able to get rid of mittlesdat and sign a real 2C. It frees up cap, brings in a better 2 way player and I would rather have a few goal scorers instead of just one, and maybe a good D man mixed in. Will be an interesting hockey chat today, maybe we can get the word out we are talking about the trade on the chat today and boost the membership !!
It’s all about what you can afford. We’ve seen successful teams driven by high-paid duos: Crosby & Malkin, McDavid & Draisaitl, MacKinnon & Rantanen. But the Avs also have a wild card, a third player, a generational player, Makar, that they’re going to have to (very willingly!) pay the big bucks to. I am actually amazed the Avs got the league’s 10th-leading scorer, who plays on a team better known for defense than scoring a lot of goals. And at a relative bargain (for now). I suspect we’ll find out how much Necas likes playing in Colorado!
Drury I don’t know much about, but I like the name a lot!
Of course there is a lot at play here as AD has stated, but my first thought when we waved bye-bye to Rants, is that Gabe and his salary will be coming back before the end of the season. So if that happens, and he can play, and Nuke returns in time to get strong for the playoffs, good things can happen. And that’s without any speculated future trades that could include getting a bruising winger (who won’t lay on the ice yapping at the refs as the play continues), and/or a hulking D-Man, or (cough) - Sid.
Thanks for laying it out there AD, as always, much appreciated.
Go Avs!!!
Very sage article AD. Everyone gets so emotional about this topic. I certainly can’t blame the Avs management and always expected it would come to this.
The next closed Av in goals is seven behind Mikko. End of the day that’s still the goal. I wonder what this is like if they didn’t have the disastrous start to the season or if Casey had a pulse.
Food for thought: 26-27 a new Canadian TV deal kicks in and double the old one is what’s being talked about. 28-29 the new US TV deal kicks in. The cap numbers will be dramatically higher than most realize.
Both of those deals are still some time away. MacKinnon will be well into his 30s by then. Not sure how they will help us in 2025. But this raises a good point which is that they stupid flat cap - it has only gone up $2 measly million since 2020 - REALLY, REALLY f'd over the Avalanche organization. And that really pisses me off! Look at the f'n Blackhawks...they were basically able to tank it right through the flat cap era.
Not as far away as you might think. 26-27 is the year after next season. Losing Mikko doesn't help you this year and it probably doesn't help you next year. Necas is a nice player that won't finish plays, Nate's a ten percent shooter...not sure how having no guys that finish at a high level helps this year or next. Oh well, Avs perfectly set things up to tank for the Gavin McKenna draft.
As I read through all the comments here, the general consensus seems to be that we might be able to add some scoring depth, which would be a good thing. I think the AVS saw the writing on the wall, they weren't going to be able to re-sign Mikko so they did the best they could with what they had. The fact that Necas just comes in with some term is a good thing too.
And the bottom line is there has to be money there to sign kale when his extension comes up.
Just not a fan of this deal. It is not a one for one talent trade, because Necas is not a playoff proven talent. If this trade with picks doesn't lead to another deal to land talent, I can't see the point in "business" being served.
This is why I sour on pro sports more and more, and actually find more joy in watching minor hockey these days, where it's all about love of the game. Salaries are ballooning up again and I feel like every play these days just wants max dollar (even when Nate had to "one-up" McDavid). Nobody seems loyal to a team anymore, except the rare few exceptions like Crosby who hasn't gone over 8.7m. it's sad honestly, but good for Mikko if he's happy and about to add $5m to his income, I guess. Maybe it's a sign that Landy is coming. Who knows...
I disagree. If you look at the top end salaries in this league, they have barely gone up since the days when Sakic, Forsberg and Blake were on our roster. Forsberg made $11 million in 2001/2002. MacKinnon is making $12.6 in 2024/25. Btw..adjusted for inflation, Forsberg's salary would be the equivalent of $19 million today. So really, the top end players have gone underpaid for quite some time in the NHL. Conversely, average salaries have increased more significantly over the same period. In the early 2000s, the average salary was something like $1.5 million...today it's more like $3.5 million. This has lead to the NHL in fact becoming the most "socialist" of all the US pro leagues, meaning salaries are spread out far more broadly in hockey than they are in the NBA or the NFL.
Likewise, consider that in the late 90s and early 2000s, NHL player salaries for top end players were not too far off top players in the NBA or even the NFL...they are not even in the same league anymore!
Dater, was there a sense of overhang in the locker room knowing the chances were more likely than not he was gone after this season? Seems like a pragmatic trade and Necas is fast so he may fit right in.
Assuming this is not the only move though…