One of the pieces acquired in the Ross Colton trade with the Nashville Predators was goaltender Magnus Chrona. The 25-year-old won’t be a bit of an interesting piece in the trade. For one thing, sending Isak Posch the other way raised some eyebrows. Posch seems to have a much higher upside than Chrona, making the move a seeming downgrade for the Colorado Avalanche.
But that’s the thing. Posch really had no path to the NHL in Colorado. The NHL tandem will be MacKenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood. Then, there’s Trent Miner, who’s next in line for the NHL. He’s the third-stringer and should have a shot at the backup role if and when Wedgewood departs the organization.
The two other Russian goalies, Ilya Nabokov and Nikita Novosyolov, should be in line as the future Avalanche tandem.
That situation put Posch in a tight spot. So, sending him to Nashville was a solid the team made for him. As far as Chrona is concerned, well, the Avalanche gets depth in him. While he won’t be seeing the NHL crease any time soon, he’s organizational depth at the AHL level. Yes, there will be some competition for playing time with the Colorado Eagles. But there is always a shot with the ECHL New Mexico Goatheads.
That’s why Chrona provides depth. While he might be fifth or sixth in the depth chart, NHL clubs often make moves to bolster their minor-league teams. That’s what Chrona does for the Avalanche. And if he can thrive in the AHL or even the ECHL, the better off the organization is off for it.
But I will say one thing. There are situations in which a player is overlooked by one team. Then, that player lands with another organization and realizes his potential. That was the case of Parker Kelly. He washed out of the Ottawa Senators organization. That’s not an indictment of the Senators’ player development. It’s just a reality of pro sports.
Some players fit better in one team than another. That’s what happened to Kelly, and it’s something that could happen to Chrona. Chrona is the typical “big” goalie. He’s 6’6” and put up decent AHL numbers. His 2.94 GAA and .894 SV% with the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL seem encouraging.
Who knows, Chrona could be one of those mind-boggling trades when seen several years down the road.
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