5 "Under the Radar" Free Agents the Colorado Avalanche Could Target

Colorado Avalanche: 5 “Under the Radar” Free Agents They Could Target

By Ross Kleppe | May 24, 2018

CHICAGO, IL - JUNE 24: General manager Joe Sakic of the Colorado Avalanche listens to president of hockey operations Trevor Linden of the Vancouver Canucks on the draft floor during the 2017 NHL Draft at United Center on June 24, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Dave Sandford/NHLI via Getty Images) /

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D – JOHN MOORE

It’s no secret to anyone who watched this season; the Avs defense needs work. There are a lot of young up and coming defenseman in the system (Sam Girard, Conor Timmins, Cale Makar, etc..), but if the Avalanche are going to compete next season, they need immediate defensive depth.

John Moore is a true two-way defenseman. He put up 18 points last season on a surprising New Jersey Devils team and averaging 20 minutes of ice time. His advanced numbers show he can play in a top-4 role, with his shot generation numbers in the 77th percentile and zone entries allowed numbers in the 63rd percentile among NHL defenseman.

The Avalanche could certainly use Moore in a 3rd pairing role. Moore is also someone who could be moved into a top-4 role if needed. The Avs really missed Erik Johnson after he went down, and the AHL defenseman who replaced his spot were not nearly good enough. This is one of the big reasons the Avs were eventually overmatched in their first-round playoff exit.

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