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Yzerman Will Have To Make Trade To Re-Sign Kucherov |
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The Tampa Bay Bolts GM Steve Yzerman has agreed to contract terms with RFA forward Vlad Namestnikov, as reported by ESPN’s Craig Custance.
Namestnikov agreed to a two-year deal worth $1.937M AAV per season.
The Russian finished 14 goals and 21 assists in 80 games with the Lightning last season.
Yzerman now has only $6.5M in available salary cap space to side RFAs Nikita Kucherov and Nikita Nesterov.
Yzerman has reaches critical mass. Kucherov will demand a $6M+ AAV over 7-8 seasons.
Signing Kucherov will gobble up all of the available salary cap space.
This is the critical juncture where Yzerman trades Ben Bishop's $5.950M contract , correct? Bishop has one year remaining on his Tampa contract. Yzerman can trade Bishop and replace him immediately with Russian keeper Andrei Vasilevskiy who is still on his entry level contract at $925K this season. Vasilevskiy will move to a $3.5M AAV after the 2016-17 season.
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Is Colorado Avalanche forward on the trade block?
“I have no idea", said Duchene on Sportsnet 590 on Tuesday morning.
Duchene has been a frequent t flyer in the NHL trade rumorsphere for the past five months. His Colorado Avs are not a very good team right now. They have failed to make the playoffs the past two seasons.
“We’re a team that has not been where we want to be the last couple of years, and hopefully we get it back together this year. But if things don’t go that way, I’m sure they’ll be looking to make some big changes. That’s already obviously been talked about a lot in the media.
“All I can do is just prepare myself the best I can to help first of all Team Canada win the World Cup, and then after that, the same applies for Colorado. So that’s all I’m really worried about. The rest is out of my control.”
Duchene scored 30 goals and 29 assists for the Avs, yet still managed to annoy and tick off his opiniated head coach, Patrick Roy who questioned Duchene's leadership capabilities.
Being on Roy's sh*t list is now something that his players hope for. Roy's not afraid to chastise and criticize his players publicly when they step out of line.
Dutchy found out lsst season that Roy doesn't like ot when his players play the game the wrong way.
In early April, Duchene, 25, notched his 30th goal of 2015-16 late in the third period of Colorado’s 5-1 loss to St. Louis, with the marker coming on a deft deflection in front of the Blues net. Following the goal, Duchene pumped his fists upwards and celebrated his achievement.
Not a good look for Roy.
“The thing I have a bit of a hard time with is the reaction of (Duchene) after he scores. It’s a 4-0 goal. Big cheer,” Roy said post-game. “Are you kidding me? What is that? It’s not the (reaction) that we want from our guys. Not at all.”
Roy’s displeasure went beyond just Duchene, though, as he said the entire core of the Avalanche hasn’t proven they have enough leadership to take Colorado “to another level.”
“Eventually, we have to admit, isn’t it? We need more from these guys,” Roy said. “I love these guys. I think (captain Gabriel Landeskog) is pretty much alone in that. I think (Erik Johnson) is trying. But we need more from these guys. These guys need to prove to us that they’re capable of carrying this team.”
Duchene got Roy's message loud and clear.
“I won’t enjoy it tonight,” Duchene said after that game.
“Maybe it’s something I’ll look back on after the season and enjoy on a personal level. You play and try to score goals to make the playoffs. If you’re not in the playoffs, it doesn’t mean as much as you want it to mean. No one remembers that, and no one cares. Everyone just cares about who’s in the playoffs. That’s all we care about, and all I care about.”
In 495 career games, Duchene has scored 156 goals and chipped in 221 aaaists for 377 total points.
Duchene may well find himself traded out of Colorado before the 2016-17 begins. If he performs well for Team Canada at the World Cup of Hockey, his trade value may be the thing to get Avs GM Joe Sakic to trade Duchene for a group of players and prospects who can help the Avs win now.
The Buffalo Sabres and Anaheim Ducks would be interested in Duchene were to ever become available.
Buffalo could swap left winger Evander Kane and a D prospect not named Will Borgen or Brendan Guhle for LW Duchene and a second rounder.
Anaheim have Cam Fowler to offer as trade bait for Duchene.
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