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Avalanche Acquire Sean Walker From Flyers

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The Avalanche traded for one of the more highly-coveted right-handed defensemen on the market Wednesday, announcing the acquisition of Sean Walker and a 2026 fifth-round pick from the Flyers in exchange for center Ryan Johansen and a 2025 top-10 protected first-round pick. The Flyers subsequently placed Johansen on waivers. If the first-round pick ends up being a top-10 selection, it would transfer to 2026, per Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff.

Walker, 29, began his NHL as an undrafted free agent signing by the Kings in 2018 after spending a season with their AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign. He made his major league debut that year, impressing with three goals and 10 points and a -8 rating on one of the league’s worst offensive teams. His possession numbers out of the gate were strong, posting a relative CF% of 3.6 at even strength in primarily defensive-zone usage. He quickly became a full-time fixture, playing in the majority of the Kings’ games across the COVID-shortened 2019-20 and 2020-21 campaigns. However, a torn ACL and MCL ended his 2021-22 campaign after just six games.

While he was cleared to play when 2022-23 rolled around, he didn’t look like the same player. Walker tumbled out of top-four consideration in L.A., averaging a career-low 14:50 per game while posting a 51.4 CF% at even strength that was slightly below the team average. He was a healthy scratch at times, too, making his $2.65MM cap hit an unaffordable expenditure for a Kings team looking to load up last summer.

As such, he was traded to the Flyers last summer in the three-team blockbuster that also saw Ivan Provorov head from Philly to the Blue Jackets. It turned out to be a necessary change of scenery for Walker, who’s rediscovered his confidence and has once again blossomed into a capable top-four blue-liner. With six goals and 22 points in 63 games, he’s on pace to break his career-high of 24 points set in 2019-20, and he’s also averaging a career-high 19:36 per game. He’s had impeccable possession impacts, too, logging a +13.9 expected rating and a 53.6 CF% at even strength, playing primarily alongside journeyman shutdown blue-liner Nick Seeler, who’s nearing an extension to remain in Philadelphia. Both were pending UFAs.

Walker will slot in as a more defensively responsible partner for Samuel Girard on the Avs’ second pairing. He replaces 2019 fourth-overall pick Bowen Byram, who Colorado dealt to the Sabres in exchange for center Casey Mittelstadt in a subsequent trade Wednesday. Notably, three of the Avalanche’s top four defenders are listed at under 6 feet, but their core is still remarkably similar to the defense that led them to a Stanley Cup championship just two years ago.

With all their first-round picks in store for the next three years (and after making two first-round picks in 2023), parting with one for Walker is a sensible cost to pay for a team looking to capitalize on the primes of Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar for a second championship. Ridding themselves of Johansen, who fell short of expectations with 23 points in 63 games this year, also clears a crucial $4MM off their books through next season. If he clears waivers and reports to the Flyers’ AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, he’ll cost a slightly reduced $2.85MM against Philly’s cap.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was first to report the trade.

Sportsnet’s Eric Engels was first to report that the Flyers received a first-round pick, while Charlie O’Connor of PHLY Sports specified it will be in 2025.

TSN’s Darren Dreger was first to report that Johansen was heading to the Flyers.

The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta was first to report that Johansen was being placed on waivers.

Avalanche Sign Ivan Ivan To Entry-Level Contract

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The Avalanche have signed undrafted free agent center Ivan Ivan to a two-year entry-level contract, per a team announcement Tuesday. Financial terms were not disclosed, although the deal will begin next season and make him an RFA in 2026.

Ivan, 21, was on an AHL contract with the Avalanche’s affiliate, the Colorado Eagles. He’s had a promising inaugural professional season, scoring 12 goals, 15 assists, and 27 points in 51 games with a +3 rating.

The 6-foot Czech pivot was impressive on an otherwise middling Cape Breton Eagles team over three years in the QMJHL, closing out his major junior career with a 33-goal, 90-point campaign in 64 games last year. He was named to Czechia’s 2022 World Junior Championship roster, where he notched one assist in seven games en route to a bronze-game loss.

Ivan’s transition to the pro game has created some buzz about his ceiling as a solid bottom-six playmaking center who can log some penalty-kill time. Size won’t be a hurdle in his NHL adjustment, weighing in at nearly 200 lbs, and he’s got plenty of experience playing on North American ice, joining Cape Breton in 2019 after playing out his youth career in Czechia.

Signing Ivan brings the Avs to 47 out of the maximum 50 contracts, so they’ll be cognizant of the limit as they navigate the trade waters this week. He’ll remain waiver-exempt throughout his ELC if he plays 80 NHL games or less.

Kraken Scratch Alexander Wennberg For Trade-Related Reasons

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Kraken center Alexander Wennberg will be held out of tonight’s game against the Flames for trade-related reasons, head coach Dave Hakstol said (via Kate Shefte of The Seattle Times). Wennberg, 29, had been generating interest as far back as last month and was linked to the Rangers a few weeks back. The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta added Monday that the Bruins have demonstrated interest, while Chris Johnston of TSN and The Athletic reports the Avalanche have also called about the veteran center.

Carrying a cap hit of $4.5MM on an expiring deal, Wennberg may potentially veto a deal to any of these teams if they appear on his 10-team no-trade list. He has nine goals, 16 assists and 25 points in 60 games this season, his third with the Kraken after he signed a three-year, $13.5MM contract with them in free agency before their inaugural season in 2021.

It’s a bit of a down year for him offensively, but not by much. His 0.42 points per game aren’t far south of his 0.48 career average, although his possession metrics have taken a tumble. He’s posted a 46.7 CF% at even strength, a career-low by a country mile for the normally defensively responsible center.

That hamstrings his value at his cap hit, but with all three retained salary slots open, Kraken GM Ron Francis will likely retain half his salary to make him a $2.25MM player for the acquiring team. Adding in a third party could decrease his cap hit by another 50% to $1.125MM.

The Rangers’ courtship of Wennberg has been discussed at length, while the Bruins have been in the conversation for added depth down the middle since the retirements of Patrice Bergeron and David Krejčí last summer. The Avalanche, on the other hand, are likely in on Wennberg as a backup plan if they can’t land the Ducks’ Adam Henrique, who Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reported has been linked to Colorado. If Wennberg is being held out days before the deadline, though, he may not be available by the time Colorado leans their fate on their offer for Henrique.

Avalanche, Oilers Pursuing Adam Henrique

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The Avalanche and Oilers are among the teams that have expressed interest in Ducks forward Adam Henrique ahead of the March 8 trade deadline, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet said Monday. Now on an expiring deal with a $5.825MM cap hit, the 34-year-old Henrique is nearly guaranteed to be moved in the coming days after receiving strong interest from contenders going back months.

Both teams have 2024 first-round picks to dangle for Henrique, and Edmonton has made it known theirs is on the table. However, it appears they’re more likely to leverage that asset for a defenseman – meaning, speculatively, that their offer for Henrique revolves around a high-end prospect, not a pick.

Henrique would immediately slot into a second-line role for either team, although he’d more likely be utilized as a center in Colorado. He, along with Valeri Nichushkin, would anchor the Avs’ second line behind their top unit of Artturi Lehkonen, Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen. That’s not considering the potential return of captain Gabriel Landeskog from back-to-back knee surgeries during the postseason, which could give them an absolutely dominant two-way trio of Henrique, Lehkonen and Nichushkin backing up their stars.

The Ducks are expected to retain 50% of Henrique’s salary in a potential deal, bringing his cap hit down to $2.91MM. Colorado and Edmonton would need to carry a third party into trade talks to retain an additional 25% of his salary to remain cap-compliant. The Avs have $2.23MM in projected deadline space, while the Oilers have $2.37MM with an artificially small 21-player roster. At a 75% discount, Henrique would cost $1.46MM against the cap.

For Edmonton, Henrique would help stabilize a second line alongside Leon Draisaitl or Ryan Nugent-Hopkins at center. He also helps shelter Evander Kane on the opposite wing, whose possession impacts have been considerably worse than his linemates.

Henrique is among the Ducks’ scoring leaders with 18 goals, 24 assists and 42 points in 60 games. In addition to logging 17:35 per game and winning 53% of his draws, Henrique has some of the better possession stats on the team, boasting a 48.2 CF% at even strength. The Brantford, Ontario, native reached the Stanley Cup Final as a rookie with the Devils in 2012 and earned Selke Trophy votes in 2013 and 2016.

Devils Acquire Kurtis MacDermid From Avalanche

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The Devils have acquired winger/defenseman Kurtis MacDermid from the Avalanche in exchange for a 2024 seventh-round pick and the signing rights to center prospect Zakhar Bardakov, per a team release. New Jersey didn’t have an opening on its roster before the trade, so winger Brian Halonen has been assigned to AHL Utica in a corresponding transaction, per CapFriendly.

The 29-year-old MacDermid moves to his third NHL team, spending four years with the Kings before joining the Avalanche via trade in 2021. Strictly an enforcer, MacDermid was briefly a member of the Kraken after they selected him from the Kings in the 2021 Expansion Draft, but they dealt him to Colorado for a fourth-round pick less than a week after picking him up. Primarily playing defense in his days with Los Angeles, he’s shifted to wing on a deeper Colorado blue-line, averaging 7:12 per game over his 131 appearances in the Mile High City.

MacDermid logged 29 games for the Avs this year, recording two goals and a +3 rating with an unusually low 23 PIMs. He has been a healthy scratch in nine of Colorado’s 12 games since the beginning of February.

New Jersey, who already has eight defensemen on the roster, will utilize MacDermid in a similar role. He’ll likely skate as their fourth-line left wing when in the lineup, rotating in and out with players like Tomáš Nosek and Chris Tierney.

The Avalanche, on the other hand, likely care more about clearing MacDermid’s $987.5K cap hit than they do about losing his bottom-six presence. They now have two open roster spots and $2.3MM in space with captain Gabriel Landeskog and goaltender Pavel Francouz on long-term injured reserve, significantly opening up their options to take on a player with double salary retention. They could realistically take on a player whose cap hit is in the $8MM range if the selling team and a third party each retain 50% of his contract.

MacDermid is in the second season of a two-year, $1.975MM contract and will reach unrestricted free agency this summer. If the Devils choose to buy at the deadline in a last-ditch effort to make the playoffs, they have $8.3MM in space remaining with Dougie Hamilton on LTIR for the rest of the season, per CapFriendly.

In Bardakov, the Avs pick up a 2021 Devils seventh-round pick who’s remained in his native Russia since his draft year. The 23-year-old Seversk native logged middle-six minutes for second-place SKA St. Petersburg in the KHL, scoring six goals and 12 points in 51 games with a -3 rating.

Standing at 6-foot-2 and nearly 200 lbs, Bardakov possesses a physical element to his game and adds slightly to a thin pool of center prospects in Colorado. His contract with St. Petersburg is up this season, so he’s an option to sign with Colorado once SKA St. Petersburg’s run in the Gagarin Cup Playoffs, which began today, wraps up.

Avalanche Were Finalists For Chris Tanev

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Among the finalists for Tanev were the Avalanche, Canucks, Maple Leafs, and Oilers, TSN’s Pierre LeBrun said on Thursday’s episode of “Insider Trading.” Toronto was in conversations later than other teams, as LeBrun reports Leafs GM Brad Treliving had discussions with the Flames’ front office as late as hours before Tanev was dealt to Dallas.

Valeri Nichushkin Will Return Next Week

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That would bring Henrique’s cap hit down to $2.91MM without needing to get a third team involved, which would still be out of reach for contenders pondering adds on offense like the Oilers, Avalanche and Kings. Los Angeles would be able to stomach Henrique’s cap hit if Adrian Kempe lands on LTIR for the rest of the regular season, however. He’s out with an upper-body injury sustained Monday against the Oilers, and the team hasn’t finished evaluating his recovery timeline.

  • Avalanche winger Valeri Nichushkin is nearing a return after being cleared to resume practicing with the team by NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program administrators earlier this week. While he hasn’t been approved to play in game action, that will come soon. Head coach Jared Bednar said on 92.5 FM Altitude Sports Radio on Wednesday morning that the Avs are targeting one of their first home game after their current road trip for Nichushkin’s return (via Evan Rawal of Colorado Hockey Now). That rules him out of a return tomorrow against the Blackhawks or Saturday against the Predators, but he will return sometime during the week preceding the March 8 trade deadline. Nichushkin had 42 points in 40 games before taking leave from the team last month, a career-best scoring pace.

Valeri Nichushkin Cleared To Resume Practicing

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The NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program has cleared Avalanche winger Valeri Nichushkin to resume practicing with the team, the league said Monday.

Nichushkin is not yet cleared to return to game action by program administrators, but that step traditionally doesn’t come too long after a return to team activities. The Russian two-way force has been away from the Avs since entering the assistance program on Jan. 15.

Colorado cleared a roster spot for Nichushkin’s eventual return to play this morning by assigning Fredrik Olofsson to the AHL after he cleared waivers yesterday. Since Nichushkin’s $6.125MM cap hit has counted against their books while in the program, they won’t need to make any cap-clearing transactions to reinstate him to the active roster in the coming days or weeks.

The Avalanche remain active in discussions ahead of the March 8 trade deadline, including being recently linked to the Capitals’ Anthony Mantha, but a lack of cap space makes any additions hard to work in. Internally, the return of Nichushkin after a weeks-long absence, plus the potential return of captain Gabriel Landeskog down the stretch, will serve as their major deadline adds.

Nichushkin, 28, has been on a consistent upward climb since joining the Avs in 2019, and he’s capped things off with his best season yet in 2023-24. He’s one of four Avs players with over a point per game this year, notching 22 goals and 42 points in 40 games, along with a +9 rating. After helping Colorado to the Stanley Cup in 2022, Nichushkin inked an eight-year, $49MM extension that’s provided high-end value to the Avs thus far.

His pending return will allow recent veteran pickup Zach Parise, who has a goal and two assists through 10 games with Colorado, to drop down to a much more comfortable bottom-six role. He and Artturi Lehkonen will anchor their second line, hopefully providing enough support to aid the struggling Ryan Johansen in the 2C role.

Avalanche Reassign Fredrik Olofsson

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Feb. 26: Colorado waited a day to do it, but they’ve officially assigned Olofsson to the minors, per a team announcement. They’re left with one open spot on the 23-man roster.

Feb. 25: Olofsson cleared waivers Sunday and can be assigned to the AHL, Friedman reports.

Feb. 24: The Avalanche placed left wing Fredrik Olofsson on waivers Saturday for the purposes of assignment to the AHL’s Colorado Eagles, per Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.

With no pending IR activations or corresponding roster moves, this is likely a performance-based demotion for the 27-year-old. He was a healthy scratch in Thursday’s 2-1 overtime loss to the Red Wings and is mired in a 12-game pointless streak.

If he clears waivers Sunday, assigning Olofsson to the minors will trim the Avalanche roster to 22 and create $775K in cap space. This is the first time he has been sent down in nearly a year; he was last assigned to the AHL on Mar. 5, 2023, when he was a member of the Dallas Stars, and was recalled the next day.

Olofsson has three goals, six assists, nine points, and a -3 rating in 55 games for Colorado after they acquired his signing rights from Dallas in June 2023 and subsequently signed him to a one-year, two-way contract. A fourth-round pick of the Blackhawks in 2014, Olofsson never signed with Chicago and only made his NHL debut last season after signing with the Stars in free agency.

While he was valuable in a fourth-line shutdown role for Dallas in 28 games, he hasn’t provided the same value to the Avs. Averaging 9:53 per game, Olofsson has a 39% faceoff win rate, a Corsi-for percentage at even strength of 45.8, and an expected rating of -1.6. He’s been tasked more at center in Colorado than in Dallas, potentially contributing to his significantly reduced possession impacts.

Without Olofsson, 32-year-old Chris Wagner is centering Colorado’s fourth line between enforcer Kurtis MacDermid and former Star Joel Kiviranta. Wagner has no points in three games after missing the first three months of the season while rehabbing an Achilles injury. He spent most of the last two months on assignment with the Eagles, readjusting to game pace, posting three goals and seven points in 11 games.

Olofsson will be paid at a $300K salary rate while in the minors, and his minimum guaranteed salary this season is $350K. He will be a UFA this summer.

Anthony Mantha Drawing Trade Interest

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The Capitals have bandied moving winger Anthony Mantha and his $5.7MM cap hit throughout much of the last two seasons after he struggled with injuries and failed to recapture his production from his first-line days in Detroit. With this year’s trade deadline less than two weeks away, there may finally be a match for Mantha to move elsewhere with no term left on his contract, reports David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period.

Mantha, 29, had a disastrous campaign last year, dropping a career-worst points-per-game pace with 27 in 67 games and falling out of the lineup entirely at points. He’s rebounded somewhat in 2023-24, at least in the goal-scoring department. His 18 markers in 52 games rank second on the team, although his overall point production of 29 isn’t what you’d hope for at his price tag.

His possession numbers have seen a massive jump, though, posting a +7.1 expected rating and 51.3 CF% at even strength, the latter of which leads all Capitals forwards with more than 10 games played. He’s done so in easier minutes, averaging only 13:51 per game. While he does see some defensive usage 5-on-5, making 54.7% of his even-strength zone starts in the defensive end, he hasn’t seen any penalty kill usage with Washington this year. Most of his time has been spent on a line with youngsters Connor McMichael and Aliaksei Protas, whose unit leads the team with a 57.4 expected goals percentage among Caps lines with over 100 minutes together, per MoneyPuck.

The Capitals sit eight points behind the Lightning for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, but they have four games in hand on their former Southeast Division rivals. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic and TSN reported Friday that Washington was undecided on their trade deadline strategy and would wait until further down the schedule before deciding to sell off their pending UFAs and hamper their chances of making the playoffs. The math isn’t in their favor despite the games in hand, however – a tough schedule and poor advanced numbers have the Capitals with just an 11.1% chance at the playoffs, per MoneyPuck, behind other wild-card hopefuls such as the Devils and Penguins.

Washington is 4-3-3 in their last ten games, a pace they’ll need to improve upon. With injuries piling up to depth forwards like Nic Dowd and T.J. Oshie, plus multiple games against key playoff competitors like Pittsburgh and Detroit in the coming days, they’ll need some big performances from core pieces Alex Ovechkin, Dylan Strome, and John Carlson to make a miracle happen. Mantha himself is dealing with a lower-body injury and will be a game-time decision tonight against the Senators, the team said. However, head coach Spencer Carbery said there’s a “good chance” he draws in after leaving Saturday’s overtime loss to the Panthers prematurely.

A Mantha move would likely start a domino effect of Washington’s other major pending UFAs – defenseman Joel Edmundson and wingers Nicolas Aubé-Kubel and Max Pacioretty – finding new homes by the March 8 deadline. Pagnotta says multiple teams have called about Mantha, namely the Avalanche, Maple Leafs and Oilers. All three teams would need Washington to retain a solid chunk of Mantha’s cap hit to swing a deal, which the Capitals are free to do with all three retention slots open. Colorado has extremely limited space, even with captain Gabriel Landeskog on LTIR, and would likely need to move money out and have a third team retain money in a Mantha trade to make an acquisition work.

With the Capitals still in the playoff race, albeit barely, they’re likely still in the “taking calls” stage on Mantha rather than actively shopping him. They still have 11 days to make a decision before the deadline.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports.

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