With the Olympic break approaching, the trade deadline is about a month away. Where does each team stand, and what moves should they be looking to make? We begin our look around the league with teams that have clear plans at the extremes of the standings, this time with the Avalanche.
Colorado will come out of the Olympic break as the Presidents’ Trophy favorites and will likely remain so up until the trade deadline. There are a few teams that could conceivably catch them between now and then, but the Avalanche have put themselves in a spot where they won’t need to be too active at the deadline, barring injuries. Colorado ranks first in GF/G, first in GA/G, 31st in PP%, second in PK%, and first in SV%.
Record
36-9-9, 1st in the Central (~100% playoff probability)
Deadline Status
Buyer
Deadline Cap Space
$6.48MM on deadline day, 0/3 retention slots used, 46/50 contracts used, per PuckPedia.
Upcoming Draft Picks
2026: CAR 4th, COL 4th, PHI 5th, BOS 5th, COL 5th, NYR 7th, OTT 7th, PIT 7th, COL 7th
2027: COL 1st, MIN 2nd, COL 2nd, COL 4th, SJ 5th, COL 5th, COL 6th, COL 7th
Trade Chips
Depending on how aggressive they want to be, the Avalanche could likely use their plethora of draft picks to acquire the depth they need. Obviously, it’s more quantity over quality, but as the league’s best team, they only need to add around the fringes.
Still, if they wanted to make a more notable addition, particularly to their defensive core, Colorado has a few prospects at their disposal. It wouldn’t be the worst idea in the world for the Avalanche to push most of their chips in with only two more guaranteed years of consistent Norris threat, Cale Makar.
Two of Colorado’s better prospects are playing in the KHL, so they wouldn’t be negatively impacting the NHL squad or the AHL’s Colorado Eagles. Defenseman Mikhail Gulyayev, whom Colorado selected with the 31st overall pick of the 2023 NHL Draft, is playing for the Avangard Omsk. Furthermore, Ilya Nabokov, selected with the 38th overall pick of the 2024 NHL Draft, is having a solid year with the Metallurg Magnitogorsk.
Considering how he’s played the last three years, Nabokov would have significant value if the Avalanche included him in trade conversations. Nabokov, 22, has managed a 67-34-9 record in 123 KHL games with a .920 SV% and 2.31 GAA. Although it’s not a direct comparison, the Florida Panthers were able to acquire Sam Reinhart with Devon Levi and Seth Jones with Spencer Knight in recent years. Both played integral roles in the Panthers’ back-to-back Stanley Cup titles.
Outside of those two, Colorado could include defenseman Sean Behrens or forward Nikita Prishchepov, both of whom are playing with AHL Colorado, for less significant additions. Unfortunately, according to Daily Faceoff’s preseason rankings, the Avalanche have the 29th-ranked farm system, meaning their cupboards are lacking in prospect capital. Regardless, it’s unimaginable that Colorado would part with anyone on the active roster, considering how the team has played this year.
Team Needs
Defensive Depth: At the time of writing, the Avalanche has only six defensemen on the active roster, without much depth. Yes, the likes of Keaton Middleton, Jacob MacDonald, Ronald Attard, and Jack Ahcan can and have all served when needed, though they wouldn’t be the best options to have in case of injuries leading up to or in the postseason. In a perfect world, the Colorado would target a defenseman who can play on both sides of the blueline, though they’ll want to seek out a left-handed shot at the very least. Fortunately, there should be a few options available to them with varying degrees of talent. Logan Stanley of the Winnipeg Jets, Matt Grzelcyk of the Chicago Blackhawks, Mario Ferraro of the San Jose Sharks, and Brett Kulak of the Pittsburgh Penguins all make sense as potential additions.
Bottom-Six Center: Outside of most contending teams, the Avalanche don’t have much to be concerned about regarding their center core. Nathan MacKinnon (51.1%), Brock Nelson (49.4%), and Jack Drury (59.2%) are all having solid years in the faceoff dot, with the former two providing much of the team’s offense. However, there is a steep drop-off in faceoff talent on the team’s fourth line. The team has typically used Parker Kelly or Zakhar Bardakov in that role. However, they’ve only managed a 32.1% and 43.4% in the faceoff circle, respectively. If he’s willing to leave his native Winnipeg in pursuit of one last shot at the Stanley Cup, Jonathan Toews would be a perfect addition, as he has a 61.0% faceoff rate this season. However, if Toews is unwilling to leave Manitoba, lower-cost additions such as Jason Dickinson (49.7%) or Erik Haula (50.3%) would also help round out the bottom-six.
Image courtesy of John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images.