The Colorado Avalanche continue rolling, showing why they are the NHL’s dominant power. Their 5-2 win on Monday evening over the Washington Capitals was a good sign of why Colorado maintains an 11-point lead over the Minnesota Wild and 13 over the Dallas Stars.
While things are seemingly fine in the Mile High City, things are really beginning to heat up in the market. Other Western Conference competitors are starting to load up ahead of the Olympic break, as they look to dethrone the Avalanche.
In this edition of the Avalanche news, we’re going to take a look at two trades that could have some bearing on the Avs moving forward.
Vegas Golden Knights trade for Rasmus Andersson
On Sunday night, the Vegas Golden Knights traded for former Calgary Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson. The deal is hardly a shock as it had been in the works for months. Pundits and insiders had posited that Vegas was the frontrunner for this season’s hottest commodity.
The Golden Knights gave up a depth defenseman, a 2026 first-round pick, and a conditional 2027 second-round pick.
The Flames also retained 50% of Andersson’s $4.55 million cap hit. Andersson is in the final year of his current deal. So, the retention is no biggie for Calgary.
On the surface, this deal could impact the Avalanche in the postseason. Vegas plays in the Pacific Division, meaning the Avs won’t see much of Andersson. The two clubs play one more time this season on April 11 at Ball Arena. Colorado has won both meetings this season. The first was a 4-2 win on Halloween 2025, with the other coming on December 27, a 6.5 shootout win.
In the postseason, however, the two clubs could meet all the way in the Western Conference Final. That situation assumes, of course, that both Vegas and Colorado win their divisions. Unless one of them falls to a wild card spot, the likely clash will happen in the third round.
Andersson has yet to debut for Vegas. As such, it will be interesting to see if Andersson can have a similar impact to the one Quinn Hughes has had on the Minnesota Wild.
San Jose Sharks acquired Kiefer Sherwood
The San Jose Sharks surprised more than a few fans and pundits by landing another hot commodity, former Vancouver Canucks forward Kiefer Sherwood.
Sherwood became a highly-coveted piece after the Canucks declared they were open for business. I covered this trade in an earlier piece, focusing on how Sherwood had been linked to the Avalanche by several pundits.
That being said, this trade is one that could have a bearing on the Avalanche in the postseason.
The Sharks are currently third in the Pacific Division. If the playoffs started today, they would run into the Edmonton Oilers in the first round. Needless to say, San Jose’s first postseason in a while could end abruptly.
That said, there’s always the chance the Sharks fall to a wild card spot. Assuming the Sharks drop to the second wild card slot, they could meet the Avalanche in the opening round of the 2025 NHL playoffs.
Now, it’s tough to speculate that Sherwood could turn into an Avs killer. But then again, anything is possible in today’s NHL. This trade is one worth keeping an eye on, as it could be the beginning of an aggressive trade deadline for the Sharks.
Avalanche fans should keep an eye on subsequent moves
Moving forward, Avalanche fans should keep an eye on moves by competitors. The biggest that could impact the Avalanche was the Quinn Hughes trade by Minnesota. Despite the Wild’s strong play, the move has been largely inconsequential for Colorado.
The Avalanche could, nevertheless, run into Hughes and the Wild in the second round. The same goes for the Dallas Stars. They are also believed to be looking to add whatever they can at the deadline.
So, it’s worth keeping an eye on moves that may come about. We’ll keep tabs on those here at Mile High Sticking, as we assess what the trade deadline could hold for the Colorado Avalanche.