Question from Btv<\/p>\n
Aarif\u2019s Response<\/p>\n
I think Girard is fine defensively, but I don\u2019t disagree with you. I\u2019ve been pretty open about the idea of the Avs trading Samuel Girard for about a year now because they need more size on the back end.<\/p>\n
People in the comments are going to do what they usually do and bash me for that take. They\u2019ll say I\u2019m a Girard hater and I\u2019m trying to drive him out of town. That couldn\u2019t be more wrong.<\/p>\n
The reality is, Cale Makar and Devon Toews aren\u2019t going anywhere. Josh Manson has a contract extension already in place and is having a great year. He\u2019s also obviously not the guy to trade if you want to add size. Brent Burns, while not an untouchable in a traditional sense, is a veteran who signed here to win a Cup and is doing an admirable job on the second pair.<\/p>\n
That leaves Sam Malinski and Girard. Does this front office want that to be the third pair heading into the playoffs? I doubt it. Not with heavy teams like Dallas, Minnesota, Utah, Vegas, etc., all playing in the Western Conference.<\/p>\n
So those are the two guys you\u2019re looking at moving if this defense is going to change. Girard makes more sense. Especially if you want to re-sign Malinski before July 1.<\/p>\n
If you sign Malinski, or have intentions to do so, that means you\u2019re either trading Girard, or you\u2019re running the same six-man D core for the playoffs and just adding a No. 7 at the deadline.<\/p>\n
Question from Jeffrey Anderson<\/p>\n
Aarif\u2019s Response<\/p>\n
If I were the GM, I\u2019d go all in on this season and do anything and everything to improve the bottom six, add size on the blueline, and leave no stone unturned to make this team as strong as possible heading into the playoffs.<\/p>\n
Trade for a 3C, but add a winger on the third line, too. Alternatively, if you do the crazy Artemi Panarin thing that\u2019s been rumored, that would automatically beef up the third line with one of Artturi Lehkonen, Valeri Nichushkin, or Landeskog.<\/p>\n
I wouldn\u2019t sit on my hands. I\u2019d be fortunate for what this team has accomplished to date and double, triple, and quadruple down on this core group at the deadline.<\/p>\n
Thing is, MacFarland is the GM. He\u2019s never been shy about taking this approach. I don\u2019t think he\u2019s going to start now.<\/p>\n
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