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Colorado Avalanche Prediction: What Trades Joe Might Make

By Nadia Archuleta

DENVER, CO - OCTOBER 06: Sheldon Dries #15 of the Colorado Avalanche skates against the Philadelphia Flyers at the Pepsi Center on October 6, 2018 in Denver, Colorado. The Avalanche defeated the Flyers 5-2. (Photo by Michael Martin/NHLI via Getty Images)"n"n
DENVER, CO - OCTOBER 06: Sheldon Dries #15 of the Colorado Avalanche skates against the Philadelphia Flyers at the Pepsi Center on October 6, 2018 in Denver, Colorado. The Avalanche defeated the Flyers 5-2. (Photo by Michael Martin/NHLI via Getty Images)"n"n /
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The Colorado Avalanche are likely to make a trade or two during the 2019 NHL Trade Deadline. Thy’re unlikely to be big ones — so we hope.

Colorado Avalanche GM Joe Sakic is going to make a trade tomorrow. I can feel it in my bones. Also, he always makes a trade on deadline day. Every single year since he became the Avs head honcho, Sakic has made a trade at the deadline.

I think it’s the adrenaline. He doesn’t want to feel left out. Or maybe the pressure just gets to him, and he makes a trade. Yeah, yeah, the consensus is that GMs don’t make trades just to do something. Horse feathers. I think that’s exactly what Joe does.

He’s just learned to make little ones that don’t impact the team too much. Here’s the last few he’s made on deadline day:

  • Chris Bigras for Ryan Graves (2018)
  • Joe Whitney for Brendan Ranford (2017)
  • Cody Corbett for Joe Cannata (2017)
  • Adreas Martinesen for Sven Andrighetto (2017)

Before that, he was making more impactful trades.

So, Sakic will make a trade tomorrow — probably at the AHL level. At most, in the bottom-six area. Here are three players he may send in trade.

AJ Greer

Forward AJ Greer has come into his own at the AHL level, earning 29 points (13 goals, 16 assists) in 36 games. At the NHL level, the 22-year-old has two points (1 goal, 1 assist) in 15 games. He’s started looking really good at this level, which is why he might fetch a good price on the market.

Nicolas Meloche

Defenseman Nicolas Meloche has not cracked the NHL yet. However, the 22-year-old has been good in his tenure with the Eagles. He also still has a year left after this one on his contract, which could make him attractive as trade bait.

Sheldon Dries

Forward Sheldon Dries has been bouncing in and out of the NHL lineup since the Colorado Avalanche signed him as a free agent over the summer. He made the team out of camp but looked out of place. The 24-year-old has since earned some trust, and playing time with the NHL team. He’s an RFA after this season, but a team may want him for depth.

The Colorado Avalanche’s recent win streak makes them look more like buyers than sellers. I don’t think that should be true. However, the last time Sakic tried to be a buyer, the following trades happened (all in 2016):

  • Alex Tanguay, Conner Bleackley, and Kyle Wood for Mikkel Boedker
  • Third-rounder for Eric Gelinas
  • Colin Smith and a fourth-rounder for Shawn Matthias

Two of the players the Avs acquired are no longer in the NHL, and one (Boedker) is on the Ottawa Senators. So almost the same thing at this point.

Next. Trading Zadorov Would be a Bad Idea. dark

Hopefully Sakic doesn’t decide he’s a buyer tomorrow. I’d like it if he was a seller, perhaps of Semyon Varlamov, Patrik Nemeth, or Mark Barberio. Failing that, though, I’m content with the inevitable AHL-level trade.

The Colorado Avalanche are still in a rebuild, and you don’t pick up foundational pieces at deadline. (Thought that Graves acquisition is looking good at the moment.)

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