Trade Deadline Options for Colorado Avalanche

The trade deadline is upon us. Usually I can’t contain my excitement at the trade deadline. I spend hours and hours concocting trades for the Colorado Avalanche that will either improve the team or get rid of players I don’t like.

This year feels different. Maybe it’s because the Avs have been so inconsistent that I have a hard time getting invested in the season after last year’s magical run or maybe it’s that I actually like this team and am disappointed in how the season has gone thus far.

Nevertheless, the trade deadline is a fun time around the NHL as some teams gear up for a run at the Stanley Cup while others trade everyone in hopes of rebuilding through the draft and in the off-season. So, what are the options for the Colorado Avalanche? Let’s take a look.

Stand Pat

As of this writing, the Avs are six points out of a Wild Card spot with 20 games remaining. Given their inconsistent play throughout the season, it doesn’t seem likely that they can put together a run, jump three teams, and secure that final spot, but stranger things have happened. So maybe the Avs best move is to make no move at all. While other teams add players that they’ll have to fit in to their line-up, the Avs could just stick with what they have and hope that their team chemistry that they’ve built all season trumps any new addition other teams may acquire.

Let’s not forget that the Avs will be getting back star defenseman Erik Johnson sooner or later, and while their playoff hopes might be dead by the time he’s back in the line-up, if they are still alive, he would certainly add a big boost to a defense that needs all the help they can get right now.

It might not be the sexy option, but standing pat might the Avs best play on Monday.

Trade Ryan O’Reilly

O’Reilly’s name has been in trade rumors for years now. I thought he should’ve been traded for defensive help when Johnson went down with an injury, but he’s still in burgundy and blue. He’s the Avs most valuable trade chip and is playing really well as of late on a line with Gabriel Landeskog and Nathan MacKinnon. That said, MacKinnon appears to be in the doghouse for some reason and the Avs might not want to risk trading away one of their top two centers if they feel that MacKinnon isn’t ready to fill that role.

The Avs might be better off keeping O’Reilly until the off-season when general managers can re-evaluate their needs and make a stronger pitch for the young forward. If O’Reilly is traded, expect a top defensive player and then some to come to Colorado.

Trade Unrestricted Free Agents

Jan Hejda, Daniel Briere, and Ryan Wilson are all unrestricted free agents at the end of the season. Wilson is out for the year with an injury so there will be no takers for him.

That leaves Hejda and Briere. It seems odd that the Avs would trade Briere after acquiring him in the off-season for P.A. Parenteau, but he’s been in and out of the line-up all year despite solid production when he does play. The Avs got Briere for his leadership and playoff experience, but he’s not much good if the Avs don’t make the playoffs. That said, he could still be a valuable player for a team that is more secure in their playoff spot. He likely won’t bring much of a return, but a mid-round draft pick or an average prospect seems better than nothing. Young playoff teams like the Nashville Predators or New York Islanders might actually overspend for Briere knowing how valuable he’s been in clutch moments.

Then there’s Hejda, a long in the tooth defenseman who can still eat up a lot of ice time and play a semi-psychical game. Like Briere, I can’t expect the Avs to get much in return for him, but considering that he’s not likely to be back with the team next year, something would be better than nothing.

Surprise Everyone

Besides O’Reilly, and to a lesser extent Hejda, the Avs have been pretty quiet on the trade front. Patrick Roy doesn’t do things quietly. It’s possible that the Avs make a multi-player swap centered around MacKinnon and Tyson Barrie because just when you think nothing is happening in Colorado, an Avalanche hits.

I certainly don’t expect anything crazy to take place on Monday, but I think we’re learned to expect the unexpected with Roy and Joe Sakic running the show in Denver.

Next: Fixing the Avs

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