Killed HDMI jacks on Receiver - Options?

[CosmoKid]

I have a Yamaha rx-v1700. I love the receiver. I love the sound it produces. It powers my Paradigms just great. Over Christmas either myself or my electrician seem to have damaged the HDMI jacks on the receiver. At first I was able to fiddle with the cord and get audio and video. After a while I get nothing.

So I bought a couple of HDMI jacks from Yamaha and took the receiver apart. Turns out the jacks seem to be soldered on to the board and getting them off/reinstalling new jacks is way over my head.

It's not the cables as I have them going directly to my TV from my sources right now.

So I am at the point of being frustrated and may just go out and buy a new receiver. This pains me as I like my receiver and hate spending money when I don't need to.

I am leaning towards a Pioneer Elite. I need 3 zones and would like a phono input although I could always do some type of a workaround with a phono amp.

I am also trying to figure out if there is a way to salvage this receiver.

Can I use it as just an amp? Add an affordable pre/pro?

Can I at least use the amps to power some of my other speakers in ceiling/by the pool/patio?

Any recommendations on an affordable pre/pro if I can go that route? Anything I should try before I say it is dead?