Pro Hockey Rumors

With the regular season now upon us, the bulk of the heavy lifting has been done from a roster perspective.  Most unrestricted free agents have found new homes, the arbitration period has come and gone, and the trade market has cooled.  Accordingly, it’s a good time to take a look at what each team accomplished over the offseason.  Next up is a look at the Colorado Avalanche.

The Avalanche had a shocking end to their season this past spring and are looking to put it behind them and resume their quest for another Stanley Cup. The Avalanche aren’t mentioned in the upper echelon of NHL teams like they were a few years ago, but on paper, they are very much in the conversation. They don’t boast the depth that they used to, but their top six remains one of the strongest in the league, and they still have a top defensive pairing in Devon Toews and Cale Makar.

Draft

3-77 – D Francesco Dell’Elce, UMass (NCAA)
4-118 – D Linus Funck, Luleå HF J20 (J20 Nationell)
7-214 – F Nolan Roed, Tri-City (USHL)

The Avalanche didn’t have many picks this year, which is the result of doing business when you’re in the Stanley Cup window. With their third-round pick, Colorado chose an offensive defenseman who already moves like a pro and stays very calm under pressure. He has an excellent first pass and can lead the transition game with his skating and passing. You might wonder why he was drafted in the third round after reading that. Firstly, he’s an older prospect at 20. He’s also better with the puck than without it, suggesting that his defensive game could improve.

With their fourth-round pick, the Avalanche selected Funck from Sweden. The mobile defenseman is another good transition player, with a strong first pass and good ice awareness. He’s a solid defender and appears to transition smoothly from offense to defense, which might explain his significant jump of 36 spots in the spring rankings. While he has considerable potential, he may face some challenges. Funck is lean and will likely need to add strength to handle net-front battles and NHL forecheckers.

Expectations are rarely high for seventh-round picks, but there is a lot to like about Roed’s game. He can move around the ice with speed and plays a north-south style of hockey. He creates separation with his skating and remains poised under pressure when carrying the puck. While he performs well in open spaces, the biggest critique of Roed is that he struggles with physical contact and is easily knocked off the puck in board battles and net-front confrontations.

Trade Acquisitions

RW Gavin Brindley (from Columbus)
LW Danil Gushchin (from San Jose)

The Avalanche made a few trades this summer, with the Brindley acquisition aimed mainly at shedding the contracts of Coyle and Wood rather than Brindley, the player. The 21-year-old Brindley is a former second-round pick (34th overall) and is expected to see NHL action this season, even though he is undersized at just 5’8” and 173 lbs. The Avalanche lack a well-established bottom six, so they are open to giving young players in that role opportunities if they believe they can be long-term solutions.

Gushchin is another small player Colorado was willing to take a chance on. The 23-year-old, a former third-round pick (76th overall) in 2020, has been a consistent scorer in the AHL over the past three seasons. Gushchin had a lengthy stint in the NHL with San Jose, but he managed only one point in 12 games and wasn’t a significant presence. At 165 lbs, there are concerns that he might get pushed around in battles and easily be knocked off the puck. However, given his skill level, Colorado was willing to take the gamble on him.

UFA Signings

D Jack Ahcan (one year, $775K)*
D Ronald Attard (one year, $775K)*
C Alex Barre-Boulet (one year, $775K)
D Brent Burns (one year, $1MM)
C Parker Kelly (four years, $6.8MM)^
F Joel Kiviranta (one year, $1.25MM)
D Josh Manson (two years, $7.9MM)^
C Brock Nelson (three years, $22.5MM)^
F Victor Olofsson (one year, $1.575MM)
C TJ Tynan (one year, $775K)*

*-denotes two-way contract
^-denotes re-signing

The most significant move for the Avalanche in free agency was re-signing veteran center Nelson, who fit well after joining from the New York Islanders at the NHL Trade Deadline. Spending $7.5MM annually on a 34-year-old is definitely a gamble, but given their position in the contention window, the signing makes sense for the Avalanche. It provided them with a second-line center and a reliable player driver, which they’ve been looking for since winning the Stanley Cup in 2022.

In terms of new faces, signing Burns to a one-year deal was a smart gamble even though he’s 40 years old. The former Norris Trophy winner remains a very effective offensive defenseman with his shot and passing still quite good, even if his skating isn’t what it used to be. Burns can’t log 26 minutes a night anymore, but he can probably handle around 20 minutes and still be effective, which is a steal for $1MM. It’ll be interesting to see how he performs in the later stages of the season, but it wouldn’t be shocking to see him finish with 30-40 points.

Olofsson is another intriguing addition who could have some upside in Colorado. The 30-year-old is a three-time 20-goal scorer who could reasonably reach a 40-point pace over an 82-game season. The problem with Olofsson has always been that if he hits a slump, he doesn’t do enough without the puck to secure a spot in an NHL lineup; however, last season, he disproved that notion by significantly improving his defensive play and posting excellent defensive numbers. It’s uncertain if he can keep this up, but only time will tell.

Finally, the Avalanche decided to re-sign veteran defenseman Manson for another two years. The 34-year-old is in his fifth season with the Avalanche and continues to be a defense-first defenseman who isn’t afraid to hit. Manson missed half of last season but reduced his penalties when he did play. His puck control was poor last year, as he was responsible for many turnovers in limited ice time. Right-shot defensemen are hard to find, and at the very least, Manson remains a third-pair defender.

RFA Re-Signings

F Danil Gushchin (one year, $775K)*
D Sam Malinski (one year, $1.4MM)
G Trent Miner (two years, $1.55MM)*
RW Jason Polin (one year, $775K)
C Matthew Steinburg (one year, $775K)*

*-denotes two-way contract

There isn’t much to comment on regarding the Avalanche’s RFA list from this past offseason. Malinski is essentially the only RFA who could make an impact at the NHL level this season. The 27-year-old is a bit small, but he’s swift and isn’t afraid to use his skills to create plays with the puck. Malinski is clearly talented with the puck on his stick, and he’s willing to jump into the play from the point or lead the team in transition. This upcoming season is crucial for Malinski as he aims to break into Colorado’s top four.

Outside of Malinski, the remaining RFAs re-signed and will spend most of their time in the AHL. Gushchin might get a look at the NHL level given his skill set, but with his size, it’s hard to see him getting an extended opportunity.

Departures

F Charlie Coyle (traded to Columbus)
F Jonathan Drouin (signed with Islanders, two years $8MM)
D Erik Johnson (retired)
D Ryan Lindgren (signed with Seattle, four years $18MM)
D John Ludvig (signed in Czechia)
D Calle Rosen (signed with Washington, one year $775K)*
D Devante Stephens (signed in Austria)
F Miles Wood (traded to Columbus)

*-denotes two-way contract

The Avalanche’s forward group suffered significant losses this offseason as Coyle, Wood, and Drouin moved on. This causes pressure on the team’s bottom six, which will look quite different this year. Whether that turns out to be a good thing remains to be seen, but currently, several questions surround the team’s fourth line, specifically regarding Zakhar Bardakov and Brindley. Parker Kelly is an established player on that fourth line and is likely to serve as a mentor to the other two as they work towards becoming regular NHL players.

Bardakov has good size and could bring a bit of a power-forward feel to the fourth line. He doesn’t have a long history of scoring, but last season he was a solid depth scorer in the KHL, recording 17 goals and 18 assists in 53 games. The 24-year-old was a seventh-round draft pick and isn’t highly touted, but if he can competently fill the fourth line role for Colorado, it would check off one of their shopping list items and provide a solid return on that late-round pick.

On the defensive end, the most notable loss was Lindgren, who bolted to Seattle on what can best be described as an overpayment. Lindgren has traditionally been a decent middle-pair option, but he was a disaster last year in New York with the Rangers and damaged many of his partner, Adam Fox’s, numbers. He was moved at the deadline to Colorado, where he posted arguably the worst results of their entire defense core. Colorado could have probably received better results from the player they traded for Lindgren (Calvin de Haan) and correctly moved on during the off-season. That’s not to say Lindgren is a bad player by any means, but for $4.5MM annually, Colorado could find a better fit.

Former first overall pick Johnson also retired after playing 1023 NHL games. The 37-year-old split his time between Philadelphia and Colorado, performing respectably with the Avalanche, though a 101.3 PDO helped him. It seemed like he might continue his career this season, but ultimately, he chose to hang up his skates. For Colorado, Johnson isn’t a significant loss, as they have plenty of options to fill the role he played last season in his limited time.

Salary Cap Outlook

The Avalanche are close to the salary cap, but isn’t in the worst position with just over $1.1MM available currently (as per PuckPedia). That figure multiplies to $4.665MM at the NHL Trade Deadline, meaning the Avalanche can add an impact player without needing to shed salary and could even acquire a player with a cap hit above $8MM if the other team is willing to retain. Next summer, the Avalanche will once again face a cap crunch with just under $27MM available and 14 players signed. One of their free agents is forward Martin Necas, who could consume more than one-third of that remaining cap space, indicating a summer squeeze once again in Colorado.

Key Questions

Do the Avalanche have another deep playoff run in them?

The Avalanche don’t have a perfect roster, and no NHL team does in a salary cap world. As mentioned earlier, there are question marks on the lower tiers of their roster, but the top end remains elite, giving them a chance for a deep playoff run unless significant injuries occur. A concern for the Avalanche in the Central Division is that they could face either the Dallas Stars or Winnipeg Jets in one of, if not both, of the first two rounds of the playoffs, and those teams are also top-tier NHL clubs.

How will Mackenzie Blackwood perform for a whole season?

Blackwood performed exceptionally well after joining the Sharks in a midseason trade. His performance was so impressive that it prompted the Avalanche to sign him to a long-term extension. It was somewhat risky, considering the early struggles Blackwood faced in his career, but the Avalanche are betting that last year’s version of Blackwood is the one they’ll see moving forward. It’s a significant gamble; some might say they are staking their Stanley Cup hopes on him because if he falters, they won’t have much cap space left to find a suitable replacement. While that might be a bit of hyperbole, Blackwood’s play could indeed be a key factor in where the Avalanche finish the season.

How will Gabriel Landeskog perform full-time?

It’s been four years since Landeskog began the regular season in October, having missed three full seasons before returning last year for the playoffs. The 32-year-old played well in five games, scoring a goal and adding three assists before the Dallas Stars eliminated the Avalanche in the first round. It was an incredible comeback, one that seemed impossible at one point. Now, with the calendar turned back to the regular season, it will be interesting to see how many games Landeskog plays this year and how effective he will be as the season goes on. He’s off to a slow start this season, but if Landeskog has taught us anything, it’s not to underestimate his grit.

Photo by Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images