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Colorado Avalanche Struggling to Sign Will Butcher — Here’s What They Should Do if he Doesn’t Sign

By Ross Sellers

Apr 8, 2017; Chicago, IL, USA; Denver Pioneers defenseman Will Butcher (4) following a game against the Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs at the United Center. Denver won 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 8, 2017; Chicago, IL, USA; Denver Pioneers defenseman Will Butcher (4) following a game against the Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs at the United Center. Denver won 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Colorado Avalanche still haven’t announced a contract to sign Will Butcher, and that is not encouraging.

Remember when I said in this post that if the Avs didn’t sign Will Butcher by May, you might as well wave goodbye to the young man’s rights? Well, May 1st is on this coming Monday, and Butcher still hasn’t signed a contract.

According to BSN Denver, both sides are “still talking,” but that does not mean there is any heft behind those words, it could just be a formality on Butcher’s end.

The only way for Butcher to put some weight behind his words at this point, is with a pen. However, he may want to use that pen elsewhere, and he’d only have to wait until Aug. 15.

Essentially, the Avalanche brass might as well start asking him where he wants to sign other than here. Once they find out, they can call those folks and get a trade worked out.

Hopefully management can still find a way to get the young man to put the pen to the page. However, don’t get your hopes too high at this point.

Let’s explore some other options.

Trading Will Butcher Could Yield…

Not much, unfortunately. However, Avalanche brass could use the power of the conditional pick in this case.

For example, If they find out where Will Butcher would absolutely sign, if given the chance, and said team is also interested in Butcher’s rights, the yield could actually be pretty legit.

When the Nashville Predators found out Jimmy Vesey was opting for free agency, they were able to haul a third round draft pick out of the deal with the Buffalo Sabres.

Here’s the rub. The Sabres didn’t sign Vesey, and Vesey didn’t want to sign there. If the Predators knew that Vesey wanted to go to the New York Rangers, they could have probably nabbed a conditional third round pick that would turn into a second round pick if he signed there.

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Unfortunately, Butcher was a fifth round pick originally, while Vesey was a third round pick.

So, the yield for the Colorado Avalanche is probably a conditional fourth round pick, at best. The conditions being, if Butcher signs with the team the Avs trade him to, it turns into a third round pick.

I say at best, because that’s highly unlikely to happen unless some team absolutely loves the thought of Butcher on their roster. It’s more likely Joe Sakic trades Butcher for a conditional fifth round pick. The pick would turn into a fourth rounder if Butcher signed. It’s even more likely management is only able to get another straight up fifth round pick out of the deal.

Conclusion

The longer Will Butcher goes unsigned, the longer the odds of the Colorado Avalanche signing him.

Joe Sakic is hopefully already working the phones to find out who’s interested in the kid. And, I’m sure the two have also had a chat about where else he may want to sign.

Next: Four Scenarios Based on Draft Picks 1-4 as the Lottery Approaches

If the stars align on this one, and Butcher makes it clear he wants to sign with a specific team — and said team is extremely interested in Butcher as well — Sakic could actually bring back an impressive haul for the Colorado Avalanche in the form of a conditional draft pick.

However, don’t count on it. The best option for Avalanche management is obviously to find a way to get Butcher to sign the dotted line.

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