Colorado Avalanche: Who's Tradable Amongst the Group?

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With the trade deadline approaching in the near future, the Colorado Avalanche may think about trading a prospect, or current roster player.

The Colorado Avalanche are currently in a tight playoff race, and in order to separate themselves from the pack, they might consider trading a prospect or maybe even a current star in order to bolster their lineup where it is currently weak.

Where is the roster currently weak you ask? I believe that depends on opinion. But, they currently stand at fifth (143) in the league for total goals, while being 25th in the league for goals against (142).

The casual eye would then suggest that the Colorado Avalanche are in need of defense, but perhaps the casual eye would overlook what can be seen with greater detail.

First, let’s discuss players that might be considered as tradable if the Avalanche do seek to bolster their roster.

Next: Who's Tradable?

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Here’s a quick hit of who could be “tradable” on the Colorado Avalanche, considering enticement from other teams, and the prospective return we could see if they were traded.

Matt Duchene — Woah, what? Yeah, well I think he is a possibility, although I don’t really think it will happen. These talks were hot though when he was struggling to start the season. You have to wonder if the Colorado Avalanche are a little untrusting of his consistency.

Tyson Barrie — This is a more likely scenario. Tyson Barrie is a budding right-handed defensemen, who could bring a real good forward to the team. But then there’s the fact that the blue-line does not need to lose any top defensemen, so this one might be out too.

Semyon Varlamov — A lot of fans were calling for this earlier in the year — and even recently as well — because they know that Calvin Pickard is in the wings, and has a lot of potential. Varly’s out as well because the Avs can’t afford to rely on an unproven goaltender.

Calvin Pickard — Some other team could afford to put some weight on the shoulders of a young guy though, and Calvin Pickard is an RFA next year, while Reto Berra has one year left on his contract. He’s the most tradable asset on this list so far.

Gabe Landeskog — I only list him because Will Radke, a fellow MHS writer, offered some small speculation about it another post. I also think he is the most expendable out of the forwards, his presence would be missed the least. But, he’s the captain so…

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Chris Bigras — Well, he’s obviously got a lot of potential, and could make a good fit for a team that is rebuilding yet ready to drop a player that is ready to add help to a team pushing for a strong playoff hold, and possible run into the further rounds.

Nikita Zadorov — Sure, they just added him via trade this summer, but who’s to say that trading him to get a good player that’s ready now wouldn’t still be winning that trade, or making good use of what they got out of the trade?

John Mitchell — Why not? He hasn’t been tremendous this season, and he’s even been horrendous in some games, but most just blame that on him playing up in the lineup when he shouldn’t. Still, he could be a highly sought after character guy for most teams.

There are certainly some other players that could be added to the list above, like Duncan Siemens, Conner Bleackley, or even Alex Tanguay and Jarome Iginla.

Tangs and Iggy probably won’t see time another team before their careers end, but Duncan Siemens has not been a good fit for the Colorado Avalanche, and they could already be actively shopping him.

The Avs haven’t seen Bleackley showcase his skills in the AHL yet, but they’ve also yet to sign him to an entry-level contract, so they could look to move him as a potential prospect, especially with their depth up the middle. He was also stripped of the Red Deer captaincy this year.

Next: Players that Might be Worth Trading

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Here’s a quick list of players I deem the most-likely players to be traded if the Avs look to add someone before the deadline. They are not ranked in order of most likely.

— Nikita Zadorov

— Chris Bigras

— Connor Bleackley

— Tyson Barrie

— Calvin Pickard

— Alex Tanguay*

*Tanguay is listed because he was a healthy scratch during the Kings game, and he hasn’t played well this season. Although, it’s probably his last season, so I don’t imagine he gets traded unless he wants to contend for one more cup.

First, what are the Colorado Avalanche looking for? The benefit of all the prospects listed above is that they can add almost any position if they were to trade one of them, as they pose no glaring holes if they were to leave the team.

Tyson Barrie is the only real threat there. So if he gets traded, the Avs better be sure that his absence won’t be missed, especially with respect to who they get in return.

But enough of that, here’s what I’m thinking:

Next: Calvin Pickard

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Calvin Pickard would go to either Edmonton, Calgary, or Buffalo. He comes cheap, and no one can nab him from you next season because he’s an RFA. Plus, he probably provides a better opportunity to win than the current goaltending these teams have.

Who would we get in return though?

From Edmonton

Well, although the Oilers are cited as needing a top-pairing defensemen, their goalie situation is certainly not good either. Nonetheless, there’s not much they can offer in defense (most of their top-quality defense are decimated with injury) unless they move Justin Shultz, which is not out of the question.

The article states that Justin Schultz could likely be on his way out, and that he needs a change of scenery. But, I honestly don’t think that Colorado is a good fit for him seeing as his contract is a whopping 3.9 million a year and expiring at the end of this year.

That money could be spent elsewhere.

From Calgary

Now, this was more likely, but now I’m not quite so sure because of Dennis Wideman’s antics with a referee. He’s been suspended indefinitely pending a hearing, and no matter what people say, that hit did not look unintentional.

Since he’s likely to face retribution, the Flames will be down a defensemen, and they don’t really have the forward assets to consider trading one away.

The only one that I see as a possibility is Jiri Hudler, but that’s only because they’ll want to shelf his burden on someone else’s wall above the stove.

From Buffalo

That leaves Buffalo, and I don’t see that happening either just because we are so shortly removed from a blockbuster trade with them over the summer. However, that could only mean that they are even more likely to attempt orchestrating something with us.

Here’s what I have going down if it does:

Calvin Pickard would probably get Matt Moulson if we threw in a prospect as well, and they tossed in a late round pick.

Unfortunately, Matt Moulson is getting paid an exorbitant 4.75 million over the next four years, including a 6 million cap hit this season. He also hasn’t been worth the pay this year, with only 13 points in 49 games…

After looking at the rest of the roster, the only logical trade I can conclude with is something involving Sam Reinhart, but I think it would take too much to pry him from the Sabres.

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Nonetheless, if the Avs really want to try to work things out with a relatively green cat, then Reinhart is the most likely trade-bait in anything involving Pickard’s departure to Buffalo.

So, those situations are out — to my estimation — because so many of these trades are dependent upon cap space in my opinion.

Although, Calvin Pickard is certainly the most enticing and expendable player on the Colorado Avalanche roster. There are more enticing players, but it would take a lot to give them up.

Two of those enticing players are up for new contracts this summer, and one is certainly off limits.

The Colorado Avalanche need to sign Tyson Barrie and Nathan MacKinnon during the offseason, which will be expensive, but do they really need to sign Tyson Barrie this offseason?

Next: Tyson Barrie

I am only going to entertain one suitor for this scenario, and that is a trade that would see Jonathan Drouin come to the Colorado Avalanche for our coveted offensive defensemen, Tyson Barrie.

To me, Tyson Barrie must not be given up for any other player than Jonathan Drouin because you’re trying to establish chemistry that you know has history, any other trade is too risky.

What Would it Take?

Well, I think that Colorado would ask for at least Drouin and a prospect, or a second/third round pick if they were going to throw Barrie in a trade scenario.

They also might consider adding in a prospect like Connor Bleackley to make the Lightning feel better about losing a top-tier forward such as Drouin. Unfortunately for Drouin, he’s just not suited to the current lineup that the Lightning employ.

But, Connor Bleackley might provide more of what Tampa is looking for in a couple of years: a solid third-line responsible center with a good nose for scoring gritty.

Unloading Barrie also saves the Avalanche from having to sign Barrie this offseason, which would put them very near the salary cap because MacKinnon will obviously be re-signed, and it will cost a fair amount to sign him.

Likelihood

I just don’t see this happening either, but that’s why they’re trades, because they are often shocking when they happen.

So — besides Pickard, or some prospect getting thrown in on another trade — I view Tyson Barrie as the most likely to hit the market come deadline.

The Avalanche should be looking for a shakeup before the deadline, and a way to alleviate cap space come this summer.

Barrie could find himself as a casualty of this situation, especially if the Avs can find a way to bring in Drouin, who’s not an RFA until the 2017-18 season.

Still, there’s two more scenarios to consider before the conclusion strikes ink.

Next: John Mitchell and a Prospect

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I’m grouping all of the prospects (Conner Bleackley, Nikita Zadorov, and Chris Bigras) together because they can’t be traded outright, they would probably be included with some other player on the roster, or a draft pick.

As such, they would probably get thrown in with either of the above mentioned players as a sweetener, and possibly to pick up a higher draft pick from the other team.

Also, since the Colorado Avalanche have 50 contracts, it’s very likely that any trade they make will certainly include more players on their end, and more prospective return on the other, like a player ready to the hit the ice now, and a draft pick or two.

My conclusion is that one of these talented prospects will be part of almost any trade that takes place, in order to ensure that they get the man they want, have space for said player, and also get a good return in draft pick nature of some sort.

Here’s where I talk about Johnny Mitch.

John Mitchell and a Prospect

I think that Conner Bleackley is out in this scenario because the Avs would probably bank on a guy like Bleackley coming up and providing a good amount of what Mitchell currently brings to the ice.

So, a John Mitchell trade is really to any team that’s looking for a good 3rd or 4th line center than can play responsible and provide jump in minimal time on the ice.

The prospect is included for the 50 contract situation mentioned above, and the Avs would hope to get a good player in return. If they move John Mitchell and a prospect, they can get a good top-4 defensemen, without hurting the forward group that much.

I had some trouble finding what I think would be a good fit, because the Avs certainly won’t trade within their division, just because of what they would be asking for, not because of what they give the other team in return.

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Also, if we’re looking at defensemen, which we are, then the Avs would want a left-hand shot to pair with Barrie, so that narrows things down as well.

I looked within the Pacific, and Vancouver and Arizona are really the only teams that would want to look at a guy like John Mitchell, teams in the “rebuild” probably won’t look his way.

Vancouver is old, and the defense they would give up aren’t proven, or worth it.

Arizona’s only defensemen that I would want is Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and getting him from the ‘Yotes would be like trying to pry open a safe with a toothpick, not going to happen.

So here’s what I came up with:

John Mitchell and Nikita Zadorov to Toronto

Who do we get in return? Morgan Rielly of course, and a third or fourth round draft pick. It would take a lot to get Morgan Rielly to the Colorado Avalanche, but it’s not impossible, especially if we include Zadorov in the deal.

If the Leafs are going to give up a potential superstar in Rielly, then they need to ensure that they get some good return.

Zadorov is going to be a top-four defensemen, and he brings a good two-way game just like Rielly does, except for the fact that he is five inches taller and twenty pounds heavier. The leafs might like adding that sort of size to their lineup.

Also, they could use a guy like Mitchell in the bottom part of their lineup, especially since he is versatile enough to play in any position whether it be wing or center.

Morgan Rielly could fit right into the Avalanche lineup with Tyson Barrie, and our blue-line would improve in an instant. Nick Holden, who has done well in the top-four, would move to a bottom pairing which would give the Avs a formidable back-end.

Likelihood

I see either this trade, or a trade very similar to it as a high possibility.

As I have mentioned throughout the entirety of this article, the Avs will be looking to upgrade their roster if they want to ensure a playoff birth, and a chance to make it to the second round at least.

John Mitchell and a prospect provides that opportunity without doing too much damage in the short-term, or the long term.

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However, if they trade a top-tier prospect like Bigras or Zadorov, then they need to make sure that they are able to sign whoever they receive in return, or that their contract extends for a few more years.

Morgan Rielly will be an RFA at the conclusion of this season, and he’s likely due for a big raise. With Barrie and MacKinnon already due for the same.

Luckily, MacK and Rielly could probably both be signed to bridge deals, with the latter a more likely candidate for that situation. Still, that would put the Avs dangerously close to the cap, even with the 1.9 million they would lose in trading Mitchell.

It would be exciting to see a good young top-four defenseman come to the Colorado Avalanche, especially at the relatively low cost of Mitchell and a prospect.

There’s one more trade to discuss that would include the prospects though, so let’s get to it.

Next: Alex Tanguay and a Prospect

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This trade only happens if Alex Tanguay waives his modified no trade-clause, which basically means he can be traded to a list of teams of his choosing.

However, if Alex Tanguay wants to win another cup then he could certainly ask for it, and I’m sure Roy and Colorado Avalanche management would provide.

That’s why this is an interesting thing to discuss because let’s be honest, Alex Tanguay has not been good this season.

There have certainly been flashes of what he provided last year, but did any of us predict he would be a healthy scratch just after the midway point in the season?

He’s supposed to be a top-six forward, but he is providing nothing of the sort, and the Avs might be able to get something for him if he is willing to move, and especially if they include a prospect with the trade.

Here’s a list of potential contenders this season, listed in no particular order:

— Chicago Blackhawks

— St. Louis Blues

— Dallas Stars

— Washington Capitals

— Los Angeles Kings

— Tampa Bay Lightning

Of these teams, the Blues, Stars, and Hawks are out in my opinion because they’re in our division. That leaves the Lightning, Kings, and Capitals.

Due to the Kings orchestrating a couple trades to bring in veteran presence already this season, and how well Vinny Lecavalier has played in a Kings uniform, I’m rendering them out as well.

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That leaves two Eastern Conference teams, which won’t matter for competition unless we prove to be the contender that Tangs was looking for.

Of those two teams, I’m pinning Washington as the more likely due to their style of play. Tangs was much faster last season, and he was able to play on a good possession line with Ryan O’Reilly and MacKinnon.

He hasn’t had the pleasure of that this season, and his play has suffered because of it.

So, if he were to find himself on a third line in Washington I think it would work better for him, and they’re probably the most likely team to make the Cup Finals in the East this year.

The only problem is that I don’t see the capitals looking to change their lineup at all since it has worked so well for them this season.

So in then end, I’m ruling this trade out — but that doesn’t mean that it won’t still happen in another variety — because the Capitals would have to give up too much in the way of defense.

Next: Conclusion

In the end, the Calvin Pickard and John Mitchell trades are the most likely options for the reasons mentioned on their slides, and the reasons that make a Tyson Barrie trade so difficult.

Calvin Pickard is an RFA next year that stands to get a bit of a pay increase if he’s going to take over the back-up situation.

With one more year left on Reto Berra’s contract, the Avs have the luxury of trading Pickard, especially if Berra can continue his current form next season.

The Avs won’t trade Tyson Barrie unless they can guarantee a trade for Drouin, and even if they can guarantee his arrival in Colorado, they still might not make that trade.

John Mitchell and a prospect makes a lot of sense for both sides in the trade, especially if they can come to an agreement about defensemen.

No matter what happens, it will be interesting to see if the Colorado Avalanche make any moves either before, or on the deadline.

If this post wasn’t enough for you, here’s another MHS trade rumors article!

Next: Colorado Avalanche Trade Rumors

If they do make a move, hopefully it will be to improve their defense, but I still argue that they should pursue Drouin and acquire him if at all possible.

What do you think Avs fans? What trade arrangements would you put forth if it were up to you? Do you think they should trade Barrie if they can acquire Drouin? Let us know in the comments!

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