Colorado Avalanche Improved by Erik Karlsson Trade

Over time, the Colorado Avalanche will be the big winners in the Erik Karlsson trade, especially since we won’t be the ones on the hook for his salary.

The Colorado Avalanche did not win the Erik Karlsson trade, not outright anyway. Karlsson will not be playing for the Avs, not directly anyway.

In fact, on the surface the Karlsson trade makes things a little rougher for Colorado. The Ottawa Senators traded the two-time Norris winner to the San Jose Sharks. That’s not our division, thank goodness, but it’s still our conference.

Ottawa sent Karlsson and forward Francis Perron to the Sharks for the following return:

Chris Tierney, center
Dylan DeMelo, defenseman
Josh Norris, prospect center
Rudolfs Balcers, prospect left wing
conditional 2019 second-round draft pick*
conditional 2020 first-round pick**
conditional 2021 second-round pick***

*Higher of the two the Sharks own
**2019 if the Sharks miss the playoffs, 2020 if they make it this year
***If Karlsson signs an extension with San Jose and the Sharks make the Stanley Cup Finals in 2019, the 2021 second-round pick upgrades to a first-round selection.

More from Mile High Sticking

Ottawa will also receive another first-round draft pick sometime between now and 2022 if Karlsson ends up on an Eastern Conference roster this season.

At first I thought San Jose utterly fleeced Ottawa. Then I remembered that Karlsson is an unrestricted free agent next summer. San Jose traded two journeymen, two prospects, a first-rounder and two second-rounders for one year of Erik Karlsson. And some of those picks can upgrade.

No, that’s not the return that Colorado got for Duchene, but everyone knows Ottawa in burning right now and there was no reason to overpay. Honestly, that’s not too shabby. Especially considering the Sharks either have to sign him for ~$11 million per year, trade him at deadline, or let him walk next summer.

And it leaves the Avalanche in a good position. Regardless of the fact that the Avs now have to face the best one-two punch of offensive defensemen in the league (It’s a race with Nashville’s), Colorado has a gigantic silver lining.

Part of the Matt Duchene deal was a first-rounder. That first-rounder was conditional on whether the 2018 pick was a top-10. It was, so Ottawa deferred to 2019. The Avalanche get that pick regardless of where it falls — including the number-one spot.

And with Erik Karlsson gone, the Senators are in full-rebuild mode, probably in that awkward transitional 2016-17 way that led to the Avs’ 48-point season. Naturally, as we learned that season, having the worst record doesn’t guarantee a first-overall pick, but it does guarantee a top-four.

And, to add fuel to the fire, Ottawa’s second-line center, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, is likely to miss the majority of the season with a torn Achilles tendon he suffered during training camp testing. That’s so 48-point Avs I can’t believe it didn’t happen that year.

Next. Exciting Sophomore Seasons. dark

I really feel for Ottawa Senators fans. A lot of them on Twitter have lost their minds, and I don’t blame them. The appearance is that owner Eugene Melnyk salary-dumped Karlsson and got pennies on the dollar back. As I observed when Colorado traded Duchene, prospects and draft picks are lottery tickets. (We just won big with our Sam Girard lottery ticket.)

From a Colorado Avalanche point of view, the tear-down is good news in the long-run. Yes, we’re going to have our butts handed to us by the Sharks, but imagine how Jack Hughes will look in burgundy and blue.

Home/Editorials