Will Want Decent Return
Looking at that previous slide, it’s depressing to see how little of value the Colorado Avalanche have to offer. However, they do have a few nice pieces that Sakic would be willing to part with if he had to re-tool the team somewhat.
Colorado’s two summer acquisitions, Ian Cole and Matt Calvert, fall into this category. So, too, does recent wunderkind Carl Soderberg. I don’t want to throw shade onto any of these players. It’s just that they’re not central to the makeup of the Avs.
I think Sakic would be delighted to get a decent return for Semyon Varlamov. If the net minder could get his bionic groin to mind, he’d be a huge asset to a team looking to make a deep Cup run.
If Joe Sakic could get a late-round pick and a prospect, or a mid-round pick for any of those guys, he’d probably account the trade a good one.
I’d think Sheldon Dries, Logan O’Connor, Mark Alt, and Ryan Graves would be candidates for an AHL-level trade. They’re all good players, so Sakic might try hard-balling for a GM to include a late prospect in addition to a career AHLer.