Holy crap, what a draft! Byram and Newhook to add to MacKinnon, Rantanen, Landeskog, Makar, Girard, etc. is making things look really good for the future. Who knows if it all works out like it should, but we can certainly get excited. It's not all peaches and cream though. The Avs are still without a great second line. They do have cap space though, so let's look into how to use it.

It would be easy to go crazy and spend to the cap on long-term contracts for guys like Lee, Panarin, etc. but it will eventually lead to some tough decisions (e.g. losing Landeskog or Barrie). Perhaps losing Barrie is worth it for a guy like Panarin, but I'm not sure it would be for, say, Lee and Nyquist. There might be an alternative that helps in the short run while not sacrificing the long run though. That alternatives name is Pavelski.

One thing to like about a Nyquist/Pavelski combination is that the two have skill sets that would seem to gel. Another thing is that neither should command long-term contracts, which provides for flexibility in the future. Finally, putting these two veterans with a guy like Jost could help the youngster with his confidence and development. If such additions can help bridge the gap between now and the Newhook/2020 first round pick era, perhaps this is a really smart direction to go. Let's take a look.

2019/2020

Aside from the two aforementioned free agents, the Avs have a ton of work to do on their own free agents. I'm assuming all UFAs go elsewhere and all RFAs with the exception of Andrighetto stay. Feel free to debate the numbers, but this should hopefully be in the ballpark.

One thing to note is that Pavelski is supposedly looking for term. I thought about three years, but it doesn't work if the team keeps Barrie. Thus, I ended up offering a monster AAV for two years. This might be hard for him to say no to. All this requires moving Cole though, which may be tough at this point. I doubt they do this, but aside from not extending Zadorov it's the only way it all works. I'd rather keep Z, so kiss Cole goodbye (or get Brad Marchand to do it) in this post.

I'm also still advocating for Puljujarvi. If a guy like Nieto could be the centerpiece going the other direction, I think this is a shot that's well worth taking. Edmonton messed up with Puljujarvi, and I think it's conceivable that a change of scenery and the right situation benefit this kid immensely. Some have argued that the Avs can't provide the right situation, but I disagree. A line with Kerfoot, Compher, and Puljujarvi could be a productive line but wouldn't be expected to score as though they're a second line. As such, the pressure is off and there is time to acclimate. If it works, great. If not, there is very little harm done. I'm thinking this one just might work.

Here is the cap situation and the lineup.

2020/2021

I moved away from a steady percentage increase in the cap this time around, as it looks like things may be tight for at least the next couple of years. Hopefully it opens up a little bit eventually. If it doesn't, the types of contracts guys like Hayes are getting are simply unsustainable. You can see the percentage increase at the top of the lineup next to the cap number. It's not much this year, but things still work.

There are no new free agent acquisitions this year, but there are a few big extensions in Barrie, Girard, and Jost, and a few more minor ones as well. Byram also makes the jump, as do Bowers and Kaut (the latter is eligible for the ELC slide again this year, which is nice from a cap perspective). I think it's likely Bowers and Kaut aren't quite ready for the NHL in the coming season, and the acquisitions in the prior year mean there is less reason the rush them. Hopefully another year in the AHL helps both refine their game.

Here is the cap situation and the lineup:

2021/2022

Hopefully, in addition to paying him a bundle, the Avs were able to give Pavelski the Ray Bourque treatment. His time with the team is up though, and it's time to usher in the Newhook era! I have really high hopes for this kid and can't wait to see him. A couple years in the NCAA will be good for him though. Hopefully the patience is rewarded.

One thing I like about Nyquist is that he can play the left or right pretty comfortable. He was on the left when Pavelski was around, but now he moves over to make room for Newhook.

Other notable actions include extensions for Landeskog, Makar, and Grubauer. The elephant in the room though is the expansion draft, which I am summing up like this:

• Protected forwards: MacKinnon, Landeskog, Rantanen, Jost, Compher, Kerfoot, Puljujarvi
• Protected defensemen: Girard, Makar, Barrie (Johnson waives NMC)
• Exempt list: Newhook, Kaut, Bowers, Byram, Timmins
• Protected Goalie: Grubauer
• Exposed: Nyquist, Zadorov, Johnson, Kamenev, and Francouz
• Lost: Johnson

This is likely wishful thinking, but I am assuming Johnson relishes the opportunity to get back to a top 4 role and is eager to join Seattle. If not, he may need to be traded. At worst, Zadorov is lost, which will eventually happen anyway, so no big deal. I'm assuming Nyquist is exposed and less desirable due to age, but Compher could be that guy too. Look at the title of the post though. This is really the only reason I went with exposing Nyquist.

Anyway, here is how things look after all is said and done. Note that Timmins finally arrives.

2022/2023

A handful of extensions but no major shakeups. No need to say much more

2023/2024

Here is where it could potentially fall apart. I have Zadorov and Nyquist coming off the books here, which helps a lot, but it might not be enough with MacKinnon, Byram, Jost, and a couple others in line for raises. I worked it out in such a way that things are fine, but in reality it's likely that someone like Kerfoot, Compher, or Puljujarvi is lost. Either way, Newhook will need a raise the year after this, so the team is starting to feel a bit of a squeeze. It's manageable though.

One thing to note is that next year's draft looks to be a really good one. If the team can somehow grab an extra first, they should do it. If not, at least try to hold onto the one they have. It's way too early, but I'm penciling in a guy projected to go in the latter half of the first round. I haven't done much research here, so go easy on me. It's nice to have a name though.

One last look at things:

Conclusion

Basically this one is arguing in favor of short term help and a Barrie extension. There are obviously lots of other possibilities, but I must say that this one fits pretty neatly in the salary cap world and also seems to gel with the direction the team is taking. I doubt they go crazy on a 2-year Pavelski deal. Maybe Sakic loves my posts though and considers me an unpaid consultant, so we'll see. Lol. Thanks for reading.