Mackenzie Blackwood may not be short-term and replacing Mikko Rantanen wouldn’t be easy
Evan Rawal of the Denver Gazette: (mailbag) Colorado Avalanche GM Chris MacFarland has already made it clear that the acquisition of goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood may not just be as a rental.
The 28-year-old will be a UFA after the season and he may not come cheap. Blackwood could be looking for a deal of at least four years and guessing, maybe starting at $5 million-plus per season.
There are some who think the Colorado Avalanche should let Mikko Rantanen walk at the end of the season and use that money to bring one or more forwards. Finding two forwards to reproduce what Rantanen does, isn’t easy. Nikolaj Ehlers and Sam Bennett are two pending free agents, but there is not much after that. thinks that Bennett will re-sign in Florida. It seems more likely that they’ll re-sign Rantanen.
NHL Rumors: New York Rangers Trade Package for Kaapo Kakko Had to Include a Defenseman
Things haven’t worked out for Vincent Desharnais in Vancouver
Donnie and Dhali: Elliotte Friedman on the Donnie and Dhali Show talking about Vancouver Canucks defenseman Vincent Desharnais and his availability on the trade market.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
Don Taylor: “How serious are the Canucks about moving on from Vincent Desharnais.”
Friedman: “Yeah, I just think it just, you know, it just hasn’t worked, unfortunately. So they’re trying to see what the options are out there and they’re willing to consider a few things.
You know, I think one of the things too, is with the group of players that keeps going up and down, I think the Canucks, what some of, it’s obviously for cap reasons, Don but I think they’re also trying to be, eventually you get to a point where you want to, want to be a bit more consistent with who’s in and who’s out, right?
Like you reach a point where you, like players want to know, and I think even the coaches want to know and the team wants to know, what, you need to have depth, but what’s our more consistent lineup and I think they would like to get to that.”
NHL Rumors: Montreal Canadiens, and the Vancouver Canucks
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