On the Colorado Avalanche …
Adrian Dater of BSN Denver: Sources saying the Avalanche and RFA defenseman Nikita Zadorov are making progress on a new deal.
“Trust me, they will have a deal. You can count on it,” said one source familiar with the negotiations between the Russian defenseman and the Avalanche.
Source adds there shouldn’t be any worry of Zadorov returning to the KHL.
Last week sources were saying that Zadorov was looking for between $2.75 and $3 million, with the Avs offering around $2 million.
Source said that if they agreed on a longer-term deal as opposed to a bridge deal, he could get more money per year. Zadorov has four more years before becoming a UFA, so anything over five years would be buying years of unrestricted free agency.
Josh Cooper of ESPN: Though many expected more changes, the Colorado Avalanche could start the season with basically the same core.
Matt Duchene has been their biggest trade chip but GM Joe Sakic hasn’t found an offer to his liking dating back to the trade deadline.
“Did they wait too long on Duchene?” a Western Conference scout wondered. “I think that the market will tank on Duchene if they don’t trade him before the beginning of the year. I think there’s a negativity that surrounds their team and surrounds him.”
Duchene has two years left on his deal and with Avs not liking to be competitive in the next two years it makes some sense to load up on cheaper, future assets.
Though he could be moved before the start of the season, some think it may be better for Sakic to hold on to him for a bit and hope his play increases his trade value.
NHL analyst Mike Johnson on GM Sakic and the Avs.
“I don’t know that we can evaluate the job Joe does until we know the deals he has been offered and if he gets anything in return, or if he actually makes a trade. But as bad as they were, they still have lots of holes in their roster,” Johnson said. “Returning with the same group saying, ‘I expect them to be better’ … I don’t know if that’s a feasible scenario.”
