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Chris McFarland tried to find the right words. What have been the last few days for Colorado General Manager after shocking the hockey world?
“Well, it’s hard. That’s it Miko RantannaRight? “McFarland started on Saturday night in an interview with AthleticS “Everyone knows it’s an incredible talent. He is an elite wing. His game speaks for himself. No matter what city you live in, in NhlYou know the name Mikko Rantanen. What makes it difficult is the combination of skill and the player and the person. “
AVS GM continued to talk about how they attracted a ranked, how it grew up with them, how it was so much of the team in the last place, becoming champions of the Stanley Cup. And how was it time to cut the cord.
“These are never, they are never easy (trading),” McFarland said. “We wish him the best because he deserves it.”
These words came out 24 hours or more after a Blockbuster trading with Carolina Hurricanes (and Chicago Blackhowks) that will be talked about for many, many years. Just like Joe Thornton’s trade is still talked about about 20 years later.
The resemblance to these two blockbusters is how quiet things they were before the rant. The assumption was that since AVs were the contenders, they would expel it and continue to try to sign a ranty, designated as an unlimited free agent after this season, right next to the wire, as they did with the captain Gabriel Landskog In July 2021
Instead, this time, there was a rant in a stunning manner a little over five months from July 1, deciding that they would not be able to comply with his requests for a contract.
“I don’t know if we can say we can’t sign it,” McFarland said. “I think it would be … obviously it was a challenging contract. Each time you have a player of this height and have a player Nathan Makinnon and its height and Cale Makar and his height and (his next contract) on the horizon. We had the good fortune to have some recent success. We won in ’22 and have been killing in the last few years. Miko is a great player and he had the right to be UFA. And we knew this would be potentially a difficult deal. We went through a similar situation with Landeskog a few years ago. He went straight to the wire.
“After the deadline for trading is over, this is difficult. The bank must be the fact that the player wants to conclude a deal and that you can find a common basis. Sometimes the closer you get to July 1, they may be more likely to listen to (with other teams) or whatever the case.
“It was certainly not easy.”
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Read between the lines, but given what it can, although it can give in its next contract before the 2027-28 season, a determination was apparently that there are three players who earn such a large percentage of the cap is not the long-term plan, Who makes sense to AB.
And as for the secret way of these trade negotiations, it is also clear that AVS was not shopping for a rant in itself.
“He had a list without trade, our request would not be low, and we also know that teams may not invest this elite, young piece or high -end without extension (for a rant) or,” McFarland said. “And they obviously controlled this part of the equation. Some other teams may watch it differently than Carolina, but it certainly played a factor in it. “
His question is that many teams would like to make sure they have been ranked for more than three months if they give up key tracks. And to be clear, AVS did not allow the teams to talk to the Rantanna Camp, led by Agent Andy Scott of Octagon, about possible extension.
“No, no, don’t end there,” McFarland said.
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All of this really made Carolina the most common fit without a signed rant and with hurricanes ready to take this swing, though.
“I think the goal for their country and for our country was to try to find a common position and we knew it would be a challenge,” McFarland said.
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So, how many more team participated in Rantanen?
“I will not comment on other teams,” McFarland said. “Were there teams that were kicking tires? Yes, there were teams that kicked tires. But the players we would ask for, I understand that the extension should be part of the equation. “
Which again was not part of the process, so it really kept things more or less to Carolina as a trading partner.
In receiving the talented Martin Nadas and the young Jack DurryAVS has pieces that will be part of the nucleus beyond this season and will fit more in the growing pay puzzle. On the ice, Necas’s dazzling capacity to slide and open and mark the goals of highlighting the reel should be pleasant with Makinnon, where he ended up in his first AVS game.
“Yes, Marty is controlled and there is another year in your deal with a nice number and you are right, this is what you are attracted to (his skill). You watch him play a few shifts both things that stand out are his speed through the neutral zone and his shot; These are his two attributes, “McFarland said. “I think it is a good option of the best six for us. I get attracted to boys who can skate. And it certainly answers this Bill. … He will play a good role. “
The 24 -year -old Durie is a man who hated the hurricane to get involved in the deal.
“He is not a big body, but he is an oily, competitive man,” McFarland said. “He is a good killer of penalties, a good person with a face. We hope that it will become an integral part of our bottom six and will be able to anchor another check line that can give us some rhythm. “
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But again their contractual situations were huge.
“They are both young, both controllable,” McFarland said. “These were important things for us to add players to this group, not just make a deal with the future.”
Plus, as he noted, the team has acquired a place to limit the salaries, which he hopes to use before the deadline for trading on March 7, but certainly in the summer.
“We’ll see if we can improve the team between now and the deadline,” McFarland said. “The challenge last week would be pieces for moving and limiting space. I think it’s a little clean. So we’ll see if there is a match we can do. “
So, AVS still compete for the Cup or go to the transition? Zero fluctuation from AVS GM to this issue.
“We are all-in,” he said. “Miko is obviously a horse. He does things differently from Marty. Marty will put points and now we have more space for caps. We will continue to try to use it. “
Finally, what of their captain? Gabriel Landskog did not play after lifting the Cup in June 2022, as he continued to recover from a type of knee surgery, from which Nhler did not return to play. His initial recovery time, which the club announced when the operation in May 2023 was from 12 to 16 months. It has been more than 20 months.
“Nothing new, but I will say that it continues the process of skating and rehabilitation,” McFarland said. “I know it’s been a long time and I’m sure everyone – we’re first in this order – wants something on the horizon, but it’s still where he is not practices. He made some morning skates. He certainly slides consistently and continues to grind. “
“Rehabilitation is going well, but there is nothing essential to report the horizon.”
AVS still doesn’t know when or whether it will return this season.
“We don’t do it,” McFarland confirmed. – Not at this time. He must enter regular practices and contact. It must be able to protect itself and move appropriately. Everything is being controlled right now. And the hockey is anything but that. There are things that he will have to be able to test and understand.
“And when that’s it, I just don’t know. I think he is the only one who will be able to answer it. “
And this is not a small part of how this AVS team has had to go through the last few years. Landeskog is such an important voice in this dressing room. And an fearless, talented ice player. He and the Rantanna, Makinon, and albeit Valeri Nichushkin They were so decisive for the fabric of this team of the Cup in 2022.
Now there is no Rantanna and there is still uncertain whether Landeskog will play again. And if it is, what version of yourself will he be?
It was a great weekend in the continuing evolution of the avalanche as a perennial contender. They traded on the sixth leading NHL goal scorer. But they hope, a greater picture, that they have improved their resistance.
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(Photo: Sean M. Haffy / Getty Images)
