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Originally Posted by Wolven
You'd be wrong.
A guy who can put up 30 goals, or close to 30 goals, in a season in the NHL has value. More value than a guy who is not able to put up 20 goals.
That value goes up if he is able to drive his own line. Also, positional value of being a natural C.
Being "old" does not eliminate a player's value. What it does is increase the risk that his value may diminish. But it isn't a hard and fast rule that a player is going to turn 35 and suddenly become a pumpkin. Some players are able to keep their game into their late 30s.
If the Avs feel that their cup window is still open right now and maybe for one more season then trading for Kadri does make sense and getting Mittelstadt's cap hit off their books also makes sense.
I can see the asking price for acquiring Kadri AND dumping Mittelstadt's $5.75 cap hit for two more years as costing someone like Ritchie.
I guess the question becomes, who is the competition for the Flames in making this trade? Who is ready to trade away a better, younger version of Kadri that can be a #2C on the Avs and is willing to take back Mittelstadt?
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Also worth acknowledging, as far as I recall it, the Av’s wanted Kadri back, namely MacKinnon. I also suspect Kadri did not sign til late in that offseason to leave the door open in the event the Av’s were able to free up space to resign him.
Kadri was a cap casualty. The big question is, would Kadri go back at this point. Believe DO and others have said Kadri has family or his family has moved to Calgary. He may have no desire to go anywhere. But if he were, the Colorado seems like as good, or better, for than anywhere.
I’m not sure if this is a legitimate option for the Flames but it certainly should be of interest.