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What Your Team Is Thankful For: Colorado Avalanche

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As Thanksgiving and the holiday season approaches, PHR will be taking a look at what teams are thankful for in 2023-24. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We’ll examine what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Colorado Avalanche.

Who are the Avalanche thankful for?

Although Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen are MVP-caliber players in their own right, it is difficult to imagine a successful Avalanche team without defenseman Cale Makar on the blue line. Not only is Makar one of the best offensive defensemen in the entire league, there is an argument to be made that he is the best all-around player in the league, given his ability to shut down other team’s best players.

Through 21 games so far this season, Makar has six goals and 26 assists, which would put him on pace for a 125-point season, which would be one of the best seasons put together since the days of Paul Coffey and even Bobby Orr. On the defensive side of the puck, Makar holds an impressive +20 rating, a 55.5% CF%, and a career-best 92.1% oiSV%, all while averaging over 24 minutes of ice time per night.

Even at $9MM per year for this season and the following three, the contract that Makar is under is beginning to look like one of the bigger steals in the league today. With a Calder Trophy, Norris Trophy, Conn Smythe Trophy, and a Stanley Cup ring all in his collection before the age of 26, Makar is on pace to be one of, if not the best defenseman who has ever played in the NHL.

What are the Avalanche thankful for?

Improved depth.

Last season, in an attempt to repeat as Stanley Cup champions, the Avalanche were severely knocked by injuries, using a total of 27 forwards, 11 defensemen, and five goaltenders. With a decent amount of cap space this past summer, Colorado used a majority of that to improve the depth of their team, bringing in Ryan Johansen, Ross Colton, Miles Wood, Tomas Tatar, Jonathan Drouin, Joel Kiviranta, Fredrik Olofsson, and Ivan Prosvetov.

From the forwards that were brought in, the Avalanche have gotten 25 goals, and 23 assists, allowing forwards such as MacKinnon and Rantanen to not carry such a burden on their shoulders. Although team captain Gabriel Landeskog still finds himself on LTIR, as well as the relatively recent placement of Artturi Lehkonen, Colorado has still maintained a 15-6-0 record, sitting in third place in the Western Conference.

As seen in the team’s playoff loss to the Seattle Kraken in the first round of last year’s playoffs, depth is an important part of any successful team, and up to this point, it has paid off well for the Avalanche.

What would the Avalanche be even more thankful for?

More stability in the net.

Last season, his first with the team, Alexandar Georgiev started in 62 games, winning 40 of them, while posting a .918 SV% and a 2.53 GAA. Although the wins are largely a team statistic, Georgiev still placed in the top 10 for Vezina Trophy voting after spending much of his career as a backup for the New York Rangers.

Once again leading the league in wins for goaltenders with 13, Georgiev is not producing the same way he did last season. Through 18 starts, he holds a .898 SV% and a 44.4% quality start percentage according to Hockey Reference’s analysis, a 21.7% drop from last season.

Thankfully, the defense playing in front of him has shored up a lot of his shortcomings through the season so far, but as any Stanley Cup winning can attest to, once in the playoffs, a team will rely on their goaltender to steal a game or two. Georgiev has been solid in his last three starts, but Colorado will need him to play with more consistency between the pipes going forward if they are to compete for the Stanley Cup again this spring.

What should be on the Avalanche holiday wish list?

One more goal-scorer.

As of right now, Colorado sits second in the league in goals, but due to their improved depth, Rantanen and Valeri Nichushkin are the only two players on the team with double-digit goals. Especially on the powerplay, as the Avalanche are currently sitting in 18th place in the league with a 19.77% completion rate, another goal-scorer could turn this team into a monster come playoff time.

Although plenty could change leading up to the deadline, Colorado may look for buy-low short-term options to improve their goal-scoring capabilities, as Mike Hoffman of the San Jose Sharks could be a potential fit in the next several weeks. However, given the current state of the standings in the Eastern Conference, and a potential inability to keep him on a long-term deal next offseason, there may be a winger playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins that could be up for grabs.

Currently, on the last year of a five-year, $30MM contract, there is a possibility that the Penguins will make Jake Guentzel available at the deadline if they do not climb the standings in the next couple of weeks. Hitting 40 goals twice in his career up to this point, it would be a near-perfect addition to the Avalanche, who should be looking for a winger to complete their top-six heading into the playoff season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Snapshots: Ducks, Schwartz, Maple Leafs

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Without a definitive commitment on their availability for the team’s game tonight, Derek Lee of The Sporting Tribune reports that the Anaheim Ducks are nearing the return of defensemen Radko Gudas and Ilya Lyubushkin. Gudas had previously missed the entirety of the team’s last game against the Vancouver Canucks, while Lyubushkin left during the game and did not return to action.

Anaheim could certainly use the reinforcements on the blue line, as they are currently riding a seven-game losing streak, being outscored by a margin of 21 goals in that time. Providing mild offense in their own right, Gudas and Lyubushkin’s defensive capabilities would help the Ducks considerably in keeping the pucks out of their net.

In regards to Gudas specifically, even though he was an integral defensive cog in the Florida Panthers’ run to the Stanley Cup Final last summer, he has arguably become even more important to the Ducks organization. Over the last several seasons, Anaheim has had a difficult time in the defensive zone, but with Gudas’ arrival, he has aided the team with a 91.3% oiSV% through the first 21 games of the season, a higher mark than even his solid career averages in that department.

Other snapshots:

  • Earlier today, it was reported that after leaving Tuesday’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks with a lower-body injury, the Seattle Kraken would be placing forward Jaden Schwartz on injured reserve. In speaking about that directly with reporters today, the head coach of the Kraken, Dave Hakstol, stated that Schwartz’s placement on the IR would be longer than a ’day-to-day’ injury, indicating that Schwartz could be out of Seattle’s lineup for at least the next handful of games (X Link).
  • Although being acquired by the Vancouver Canucks a little while ago, there was another team extremely interested in adding Nikita Zadorov to their blue line. Kevin Weekes of ESPN reported that the Toronto Maple Leafs were interested in acquiring both Zadorov and Chris Tanev from the Calgary Flames in one trade, giving the indication that the Maple Leafs will be adding a notable defenseman in some form or another by the trade deadline.

Nikita Zadorov Traded To The Vancouver Canucks

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The Calgary Flames have traded defenseman Nikita Zadorov to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for a 2024 NHL Draft fifth-round pick and a 2026 NHL Draft third-round pick.

Zadorov’s move to Vancouver comes in response to a formal trade request submitted on November 11th, following a shootout loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Zadorov has appeared in 21 games with the Flames this season, recording six points, 23 penalty minutes, and a -6. He was in his third season with the club after Calgary acquired him through a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks ahead of the 2021-22 season.

Calgary signed Zadorov to two contracts, including a two-year, $7.5MM contract signed in 2022 that Zadorov is in the final year of. The 28-year-old defenseman carries a $3.75MM cap hit through the remainder of the season and is set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1st.

Vancouver will become the fifth team that Zadorov has played for throughout his 11-year career. He was originally drafted 16th overall in the 2013 NHL Draft, making his NHL debut at the end of the 2013-14 season. The defender played his rookie season in 2014-15, notching 15 points, 51 penalty minutes, and a -10 in 60 games. The Sabres traded Zadorov to the Colorado Avalanche in 2015 alongside J.T. Compher and Mikhail Grigorenko, in the trade that brought Ryan O’Reilly to Buffalo.

The deal to Vancouver is the fifth trade that Zadorov has been a part of, including the trading of the draft pick used to select the defenseman – which was swapped between the Minnesota Wild and Buffalo in the deal that sent Jason Pominville to Minnesota. Zadorov has not joined a new team by any other means other than a trade.

Injury Notes: San Jose Sharks, Conor Sheary, Timothy Liljegren

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San Jose Sharks winger Alexander Barabanov returned to the team’s practice for the first time since his October 24th finger injury. Barbanov did not take part in line rushes during the team skate, suggesting that he still isn’t ready to return just yet. The Sharks were also without top winger Tomas Hertl at the Thursday practice. Hertl has been out of action since November 25th with a mid-body injury.

The loss of the wingers is a hit to the Sharks forward group. Hertl substantially leads the team in points, scoring four goals and 16 points through his first 21 games. Fabian Zetterlund, who has nine points in 22 games, ranks second on the team in scoring – significantly behind Hertl. And while Barabanov has gone without a point through the six games he’s managed this season, he did record 15 goals and 47 points in 68 games last year – adding 20 penalty minutes and a -30. His point totals ranked fifth on the 2022-23 Sharks.

Other injury notes around the league:

  • Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper shared that Conor Sheary is working closer to a return. Tampa is gearing up for a six-game road trip that begins in Nashville and then takes the team across the Northwest, beginning on December 7th. Cooper said that Sheary will likely play at some point on the road trip, albeit likely one of the later games.
  • Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe shared that Timothy Liljegren has returned to on-ice activities but isn’t yet close to a return. Liljegren has been out since November 2nd with an ankle injury. The 24-year-old defenseman has appeared in 10 games this season, notching one assist and a -1. He totaled six goals and 18 points in 67 games last season.

Senators Activate Thomas Chabot

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The Senators have officially removed defenseman Thomas Chabot from long-term injured reserve, per CapFriendly. Chabot can now officially return to the lineup Friday against the Blue Jackets, where he’s expected to comprise the team’s second defense pairing alongside Artem Zub.

Tomorrow will mark Chabot’s first appearance since October 26, when he sustained a right-hand fracture in a game against the Islanders. The team immediately announced he would miss four to six weeks and placed him on LTIR, freeing up precious salary cap space for a team that had to open the season short a skater due to cap constraints. Just a few days into his projected return window, Chabot is ready to go.

His recovery has forced some cap gymnastics, as CapFriendly notes. Forwards Ridly Greig and Mark Kastelic, who have been out of the lineup since early this month, were both retroactively placed on LTIR to free up cap space. Given that LTIR requires a player to miss at least ten games and 28 days due to an injury, Greig and Kastelic will miss at least two more games with their lower-body injuries. They remain listed as week-to-week and will be eligible to return on December 5 against the Rangers.

Even under LTIR, the Senators now have only $148K in available cap space with an active roster of 21 players.

Outside of the financials, this news is quite pertinent for a Senators team looking to dig itself out of last place in the Atlantic Division and get back into the playoff conversation by New Year’s Day. Injuries have limited Chabot over the past few seasons – he’s missed roughly 25% of Ottawa’s games dating back to the COVID-shortened 2020-21 campaign. When in the lineup, though, he remains an extremely valuable piece of the Senators’ puzzle. He routinely averages the most ice time of nearly any defender in the league, staying over the 24-minute mark for six straight seasons. He has a long history of positive relative possession numbers, too, and has produced at a 0.64 points-per-game clip since transitioning into a top-pairing role in 2018.

Before sustaining the fracture, Chabot had logged three assists and a -1 rating in seven appearances.

Blackhawks Notes: Tinordi, Guttman, Hall

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Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times is reporting that Chicago Blackhawks injured defenseman Jarred Tinordi will take some contact in the team’s practice tomorrow before they evaluate if he is ready to return to the lineup. Tinordi suffered an oblique injury back on November 9th in a game against the Tampa Bay Lightning and hasn’t dressed since then.

He was placed on the injured reserve on November 11th; however, it was retroactive to the 9th. The Blackhawks then called up Isaak Phillips from the Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League to take his place. Phillips has fared well as of late with three assists in his last four games although he has struggled to manage the puck during his NHL run. Tinordi brings more edge and physicality to his game than Phillips, averaging nearly three hits a game this season. However, he is limited offensively having posted just one assist in nine games this season.

In other Blackhawks notes:

  • Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times is reporting that Chicago forward Cole Guttman suffered an upper-body injury on Sunday in the Blackhawks loss to the St. Louis Blues and is now day-to-day. The 24-year-old was scratched on Tuesday night in what many had assumed was a healthy scratch capacity but given the news today, it appears that Guttman’s injury kept him sidelined and will likely keep him out of tonight’s game against the Detroit Red Wings. Guttman has dressed in five games this season for the Blackhawks, registering a single goal which came in the season opener against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
  • The Chicago Blackhawks have announced that forward Taylor Hall underwent successful surgery on Monday to repair his right ACL. Hall is expected to miss the remainder of the regular season effectively ending his first season with the Blackhawks. Hall was dealt to Chicago in the offseason alongside Nick Foligno and was expected to ride shotgun next to rookie phenom Connor Bedard. Things didn’t work out as planned with Hall registering just two goals and two assists in ten games before the ailment cut his season short.

Noah Hanifin May Be Signed And Traded

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TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun is reporting that sources have told him that Calgary Flames defenseman Noah Hanifin could be dealt this season with an extension in place beyond this year. If a situation like that were to happen, it would effectively be a sign-and-trade agreement between the Flames and an acquiring team, as the team trading for Hanifin would be able to acquire the 26-year-old as a player under contract beyond this season.

LeBrun previously reported a few weeks ago that Hanifin and the Flames were close to agreeing to an extension back in October that would have been valued at roughly $60MM over an eight-year term. However, the Flames pulled the deal after Hanifin opted to wait and see how the season developed.

The Flames have turned things around this season after stumbling early in the year and might be feeling less pressure to deal some of their pending unrestricted free agents as they are back in the thick of things. However, LeBrun points out that the Flames are unlikely to make a deep run in the playoffs should they get there and may opt to recoup some assets for a few of their upcoming free agents.

Hanifin is in his sixth year with Calgary after coming over in a trade from the Carolina Hurricanes and has four goals and six assists in 22 games thus far. If he is to hit the open market, there will be no shortage of teams looking to acquire the native of Boston, Massachusetts.

The Flames are one game into a six-game homestand that could dictate how they approach the rest of the season. If they struggle on home ice, it may incentivize them to move some of their other pending free agents, such as Chris Tanev, Elias Lindholm or Nikita Zadorov, who requested a trade just a few weeks ago.

Canucks Reassign Cole McWard

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The Canucks assigned defenseman Cole McWard to the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks on Thursday, per an announcement from GM Patrik Allvin.

Vancouver signed McWard, 22, to a two-year entry-level contract in April. The undrafted free agent signing out of Ohio State University joined the team immediately, recording one goal in five games and burning the first year of the contract. He did not crack the Canucks roster out of training camp in 2023-24, though, and was assigned to Abbotsford to begin the season.

There, he started off his minor-league career with a goal, three assists, four points, and a +5 rating in 15 games before earning a recall from Vancouver last week. With Carson Soucy sidelined with a foot injury, the Canucks have been rotating players on their bottom defense pairing, including McWard, Mark Friedman, Akito Hirose, Noah Juulsen, and now Matt Irwin, who the Canucks recalled from Abbotsford yesterday and will make his season debut tonight against the Golden Knights.

McWard was rostered for three games during his recall but only played in one, logging one shot on goal in 9:05 of ice time against the Ducks on Tuesday. The right-shot defender, who remains waiver-exempt, will now resume a regular role in the minors. He will be a 10.2(c)-designated RFA at the end of the season, meaning he is ineligible to elect salary arbitration and ineligible to sign an offer sheet.

Jets Activate Gabriel Vilardi

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The Winnipeg Jets activated forward Gabriel Vilardi off injured reserve Thursday, per a team announcement. Head coach Rick Bowness told reporters this morning, including Jets radio commentator Mitchell Clinton, that Vilardi will be a game-time decision tonight against the Oilers.

Vilardi, 24, had missed the past six weeks and 19 games with an MCL sprain sustained in the Jets’ third game of the season. Vilardi, who had notched one assist in his first two games as a Jet, was injured early in an October 17 contest against the Kings, his former team.

If he does play, it’s unclear where he’ll slot in the lineup. Vilardi began the season in a prominent role, skating on the first line alongside Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele. It’s evident the Jets have high expectations for the young forward as he continues to overcome significant injuries, a common theme in his development since the Kings selected him 11th overall in 2017.

The most valuable piece sent to Winnipeg in exchange for forward Pierre-Luc Dubois last summer, Vilardi was coming off a breakout season in which he scored 23 goals and 41 points in 68 contests, all career-highs. He posted strong underlying numbers in the process and put up a solid 52.5% Corsi share at even strength. He continued his strong play in the postseason, notching four points in five games in the Kings’ first-round loss to the Oilers.

After missing significant time, don’t expect Vilardi to return to his previous first-line role, at least not immediately. Vilardi took line rushes with Morgan Barron and David Gustafsson on the team’s fourth line in practice today, likely indicating where he’ll skate tonight if he returns to the lineup. He’ll have to unseat Nikolaj Ehlers, who’s currently riding shotgun with Connor and Scheifele. Ehlers has had a somewhat disappointing start to the season, though, recording just 11 points in 21 games.

Vilardi is in the first season of a two-year deal signed with Jets post-trade, earning him $3.44MM per season. He will be a restricted free agent in the summer of 2025.

Avalanche Recall Sam Malinski

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The Colorado Avalanche recalled defenseman Sam Malinski from the AHL’s Colorado Eagles on Thursday, per a team announcement. Malinski, 25, comes to the NHL roster to be injury insurance for the team’s upcoming three-game road swing through the southwestern United States.

Colorado is without defenseman Samuel Girard as he undergoes treatment in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program, which has allowed players like Malinski and Caleb Jones to slide into the lineup. Jones seems to have won out a spot as the team’s de facto seventh defenseman, playing in eight straight games while logging an assist and a +4 rating.

Meanwhile, Malinski has just one appearance this season, his first in the NHL. The undrafted free agent signing out of Cornell in March logged a +1 rating, one shot on goal, and one hit in 12:02 of ice time against the Kraken on November 13.

The Lakeville, Minnesota-born defender may not have ideal size for the pros, standing at 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds. However, his transition to professional life in the AHL has been rather smooth. Malinski has picked up where he left off after a strong showing with the Eagles to close out 2023, sitting tied for third on the team in scoring with nine points in 17 contests.

Malinski is under contract for one season after this at a cap hit of $850K. He will be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights in the summer of 2025.

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