The NHL trading deadline is at 1:00 PM eastern time today, about 12 hours from this being posted, and the Colorado Avalanche have literally yet to make a single trade this season.
The Avs were one of the busiest teams last offseason, vamping up for a hopeful second straight run at the Stanley Cup Playoffs. However, a very slow start to the season has held the Avs back all year long. Now, after a heart-breaking loss a home to the Minnesota Wild on Saturday night, they sit at eight points out of a playoff spot and appear to be slight sellers going into “Deadline Day”.
Before Saturday night game vs Minnesota, Avalanche GM Joe Sakic held a press conference to update the local media on the state of the team and the Avs plans going towards the trade deadline. He noted that although it’s a business and anyone could be traded for the right price, he does not see the Avalanche trading Ryan O’Reilly at this time, and hopes to keep him locked up for many years as he is part of the “young core of this team” that he does not want to give up on.
With O’Reilly seemingly safe, along with Nathan MacKinnon, Matt Duchene, Tyson Barrie, Erik Johnson and Semyon Varlamov, the Avs don’t seem destined to make any huge blockbuster trades before today’s deadline.
So, who will the Avalanche be looking to trade? Well, here are a few realistic trades that we could see the Avalanche being able to pull off:
Daniel Briere to “Eastern Conference team” for a third round pick.
Briere has played most of his career in the Eastern Conference, and has been one of the more successful postseason scorers over the last decade. A contending team like the Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Islanders or Boston Bruins could use Briere well as a playoff rental depth forward with a ton of offensive skill. Based on the return of certain veteran players in the past week, we think a third round pick seems like a fair return for the Avs to get for a player who has barely sniffed their lineup lately.
Jan Hejda to Montreal Canadiens for a 2nd round pick, or another contender for a 1st round pick.
It is no secret that the Montreal Canadiens are searching for a veteran defenseman to add to their lineup heading towards the playoffs. Hejda has been linked with Montreal going back a month now, and it would not be surprising to see this deal happen very quickly tomorrow before other teams are able to get ahold of the Avalanche. If the Habs are unable to pull off the deal quickly, expect another contending team to swoop in prepared to offer as high as a FIRST ROUND PICK for the services of Jan Hejda. Hejda is almost the most certain player to be traded by the Avalanche today.
Max Talbot to Pittsburgh Penguins for defenseman Robert Bortuzzo.
This trade makes a lot of sense, as the new management for the Penguins have been trying to get their team back to looking like the 2009 Stanley Cup Championship squad. Last week, it came out that they might have an interest in re-acquiring center Jordan Staal from the Hurricanes, as many in the organization believe it was a mistake to let Staal go in the first place. Since then, the Canes have denied the fact that Staal might be available, so that trade is looking very unlikely. However, here is another option for the Penguins: bring back their Game 7 Stanley Cup hero, Max Talbot!
It doesn’t make much sense for the Avs to keep Talbot around at this point, and I’m sure the Penguins would be interested in bringing him back as a grinder on their 4th line.
In return, the Avalanche could probably get 25 year-old defenseman Robert Bortuzzo who would instantly add to the toughness of the Avalanche defense going forward. It’s unknown if Bortuzzo is indeed on the block, but he has been mentioned as a possible healthy scratch when Christian Ehrhoff returns to their lineup, so it doesn’t seem like he is part of their immediate plans heading towards the playoffs. Bortuzzo is 6’4″, 215 lbs and plays a very physical game and is always willing to drop the gloves to protect the Penguins stars like Crosby and Malkin. He is a former 3rd round pick back in the 2007 NHL Draft, and is a better 5th/6th defenseman than the Avs currently have in Holden and Guenin.
Some other deals that could go down, and possible returns:
Cody McLeod and something? to Calgary Flames for David Jones (CGY retains some of Jones’ salary).
Hear me out: Cody McLeod would fill the toughness and leadership role the Flames gave up in trading Curtis Glencross to the Capitals; meanwhile, David Jones could come back to Colorado where he had his best years, and play the last year of his contract next season. His cap hit would be $4 million for next season, which is why I could see the Flames needing to retain some of that salary if they trade Jones to anyone.
Nate Guenin to San Jose Sharks for a 4th round pick.
I honestly couldn’t see Guenin being wanted by anyone in the NHL before this weekend. But his big game in Dallas on Friday night could be just what the Avs needed to improve his trade value. If the Sharks are going to make the playoffs, they will need to match what the LA Kings did for their defensive depth last week when they acquired Andrej Sekera. Guenin has been one of the NHL’s top shot blockers this season, and would be a nice depth addition for a team like San Jose.
Alex Tanguay to Kings?
The Los Angeles Kings have always had an interest in Alex Tanguay, just like they did with Marian Gaborik. If the Avs really feel like they are out of the playoff picture, I’m sure Joe Sakic will personally ask Alex Tanguay what he would like to do. If Tangs wants to try and go win a cup somewhere, Sakic could pick up the phone and try and shop him around. The reason the Kings makes sense as a destination for Tanguay is their current situation with Justin Williams. Williams is a pending UFA, and if they are unable to get anything done soon, they could look to trade him before today’s deadline. This would mean the Kings would then go out and look for another veteran winger, and Tanguay could be a perfect fit with one year left on his deal after this season.
I really personally hope that the Avs don’t trade Tanguay though, as it would be sweet to see him finish his career in Colorado, and at $3.5 million next year, his price is a bargain for the type of scoring his has brought to the team this year.
Jarome Iginla?
Same here for Iginla. He has another two years left on his contract, and really signed here with the intentions of winning here. He is great friends with Joe Sakic, and if the Avs do plan on taking a step forward next season, then they will likely have Iginla be a part of that. However, if a team comes to the Avs today with an offer they cannot turn down, then it wouldn’t be too suprising to see them shed the salary in order to be able to re-sign Erik Johnson and Ryan O’Reilly next year.