Colorado Avalanche Roundtable: Predicting What the Team Will Do at Deadline

How active will the Colorado Avalanche be at the 2018 NHL Trade Deadline? Judging by past deadlines, they may well make a few trades.

The Colorado Avalanche are approaching the February 26 trade deadline with some uncertainty.

Historically, the Colorado Avalanche have been at least a little active at the NHL Trade Deadline, at least with Joe Sakic at the helm:

March 5, 2014: Avs acquire goalie Reto Berra for a 2014 second-round pick. (Calgary Flames)
March 2, 2015: Avs acquire Mat Clark for Michael Sgarbossa. (Anaheim Ducks)
March 2, 2015: Avs acquire Jordan Caron, 2016 sixth-round pick for Max Talbot, Paul Carey. (Boston Bruins)
March 2, 2015: Avs acquire Freddie Hamilton for Karl Stollery. (San Jose Sharks)
February 29, 2016: Avs acquire Taylor Beck for Marc-Andre Cliche. (New York Islanders)
February 29, 2016: Avs acquire Eric Gelinas for 2017 third-round pick. (New Jersey Devils)
February 29, 2016: Avs acquire Mikkel Boedker for Alex Tanguay, Conner Bleackley, Kyle Wood. (Arizona Coyotes)
March 1, 2017: Avs acquire Sven Andrighetto for Andreas Martinsen. (Montreal Canadiens)
March 1, 2017: Avs acquire Joe Cannata for Cody Corbett. (Washington Capitals)
March 1, 2017: Avs acquire Brendan Ranford for Joe Whitney. (Arizona Coyotes)

On March 1, 2017, the Avalanche also sent Jarome Iginla to the Los Angeles Kings for a 2018 conditional fourth round pick — unfortunately, the conditions were not met.

So, GM Joe Sakic likes to make trades at the deadline. Let’s look at what Mile High Sticking contributors think he might actually do at this year’s trade deadline.

Colorado Avalanche

Ross Kleppe thinks it all boils down to how the Avalanche are positioned come deadline day. At the time of writing, the Avs had 69 points, which put them three points out of a playoff spot with one game in hand.

Here’s what Ross had to say:

“I think this is going to come down to quite literally trade deadline day. If the Avs still look to be right in the thick of the playoff hunt, I think they might become buyers. If they’ve slipped down a few spots and seem to have too big of an uphill battle, I think they sell or just watch depending on the market for guys like Blake Comeau, Nail Yakupov, Tyson Barrie (I really hope not him though), and Jonathan Bernier.

“Either way, Sakic should be busy with a capital B calling 30 other GMs. Historically, the Avs end up doing something at the deadline, either big or small. So, I expect something similar this year.”

Tom Janz didn’t have too different of an opinion:

“I think the Avs will stand pat, if they are able to stay in the playoff race. At most, they will make a very minor move or two, but I would think that they will not do very much to alter the chemistry of the team.

“If the Avs fall out of it in the next three weeks, and/or MacKinnon does not recover quickly, I think the Avs will look to trade some pending UFA’s like Blake Comeau and Mark Barberio. In either scenario, I don’t expect the Avs to be big players at the trade deadline.“

Anthony Noga doesn’t think the Colorado Avalanche will do much at all:

“I don’t really expect a busy deadline for Sakic. He’s got some UFAs he has to decide whether or not to keep, and rumours are out that the Avalanche are looking to add a top 9 winger.

“My best guess is that Sakic makes some small tweaks. We’ll probably see his usual minor league swaps and maybe the Avs add a young forward. I’d guess at least a couple UFAs (Comeau and Barberio) are gone for some futures, maybe even a young winger.

“All in all I expect the expected come February 26th.”

Personally, I’d love to see the Avs trade some of their veterans for picks and prospects at the deadline. It was hard last year because they were so bad. The stars didn’t look good — it was hard to put journeymen in a good light. This year, all the players are having good seasons, and journeymen such as Matthew Nieto, Blake Comeau, Carl Soderberg, and Gabriel Bourque are showing they might be worth a pick or a prospect for a Cup run.

That said, what I really think Joe Sakic is going to do at the trade deadline is make more of the “Brendan Ranford for Joe Whitney” type moves — trades that make us go, “Who? Oh, it must be an AHL move.”