Why The Avalanche Should Trade O’Reilly

It’s that time of year. The time of year where frustrated fans start looking for their teams to make trades. Especially the ones who have faltered in the first half of the season. For the Colorado Avalanche, expectations were soaring after the success of last season. However, things have been the complete opposite of that. Most teams in this position start to look at trade options before the December 19th holiday roster freeze.

Live Feed

Puck Prose

I love what Ryan O’Reilly brings to the team, but this year he hasn’t even come close to proving he is worth that six million salary he so desperately pushed for. He’s a great player, but with all the problems the Avs are struggling with defensively, you have to wonder what moves they could make to change that. I see O’Reilly as one of the few options. With all of his contract debacles he has put the team through, he clearly wouldn’t mind playing somewhere else. I think they should accommodate him on that. If I was Sakic, I’d make a move soon. Your season isn’t over quite yet, and you could make a huge push for the playoffs if you were to bring in the right piece(s).

Nov 20, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; Washington Capitals defenseman Mike Green (52) during the game against the Colorado Avalanche at Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

I’d look at the possibility of acquiring Mike Green from the Washington Capitals. They dangled his name out there earlier this season. I’m not sure if they’re still looking at trading him since they’ve picked up the slack lately, but It would still be worth looking into. A lot of people will argue that he’s past his prime, but I disagree. He’s only 29 years old, and has ten years of experience in the NHL. Why not bring him in? He’s a great defenseman regardless of what people say. He is great when he’s on the ice with Ovechkin, so putting him on the ice with the magnitude of talent the Avalanche have could give him a chance to quarterback the Avs’ struggling power play. Green is also like a fourth forward when he’s on the ice. I understand he’s prone to injury these days and makes quite a few mistakes in the defensive zone. However, I’m going to give you the cliché response by saying maybe a change of scenery and coaching staff can improve his game.

Jan 26, 2014; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Phoenix Coyotes defenseman Keith Yandle (3) skates against the Vancouver Canucks during the third period at Rogers Arena. The Vancouver Canucks won 5-4 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports

Another option would be to pursue Keith Yandle from Arizona. The Coyotes would most likely ask more in return than the Capitals would for Green, but it would still be interesting to make a phone call for him. He’s another one of those guys who can control things from the back-end. Great puck handling skills, smart offensive capabilities, and a deadly one-timer. The Avs obviously have a lot of these players already, but Yandle would be another great asset for the power play. Not to mention the fact that he is an assist machine. This is the least realistic option, but I would still be interested to see what they would ask in return.

These are only two examples, but as you can see I feel the need for defense is most important. I’m sure many others would agree as well. A lot of people I talk to get hyped up upon hearing about all these forwards who are emerging in trade rumors. The Avs have enough forwards. Some of whom are expendable. Maybe things will turn around, and the magic that the Avalanche displayed last year will emerge again. You can’t rely on that though, and if you want to make a push for the playoffs, a shake up might just turn things around. Preferably sooner rather than later.