The Colorado Avalanche have just begun wheeling and dealing. Tuesday’s trade involving the Pittsburgh Penguins appears to have been just the beginning of another under-the-radar retooling.
But more than shipping out a bigger contract for a lighter one, the Avalanche have now opened the door for bigger deals. That’s precisely what insider Chris Johnston thinks. In an appearance on TSN’s Insider Trading, the notable insider discussed how the Avalanche are getting set to pursue just about anyone available on the market, including Nazem Kadri.
“So, we can attach them to all the big names out there on the Trade Bait list. Nazem Kadri, who obviously had a time throughout, with the Avalanche, but also others, as the Avalanche are all in on trying to win a Stanley Cup this season.”
While Kadri isn’t the only option out there, the Avs are certainly going for broke this season. The goal is a Stanley Cup, and the team will not fail due to a lack of trying. The goal is to find the best available options out there and make something happen.
With about 10 days until the NHL trade deadline, it seems that everything is on the table at the moment. That’s crucial, especially considering the Avalanche’s path to the Stanley Cup Final will likely go through one of Dallas or Minnesota.
Tuesday’s trade was likely the first domino to fall. So, it remains to be seen what the next one will be. But if last year’s deadline was any indication, the Avalanche won’t be holding back if the right deal becomes available.
Avalanche rumors have legs with current cap space
Johnston doubled down on the Avalanche rumors by pointing out that the club has about $8 million in cap space. That’s not nothing, and could be highly useful in bringing in reinforcements.
The notable insider pointed out that the focus will be on landing a center. That’s something we’ve discussed previously at Mile High Sticking. There is a need for a third-line center. A player like Kadri would be a high-end 3C. Perhaps he might be too pricey, but other options could satisfy the need.
Short of a bona fide middle-six center, another top-six winger could certainly aid matters. The Avalanche could use more depth scoring in the bottom six. So, it wouldn’t be a stretch to see names like the Toronto Maple Leafs Bobby McMann or the Vancouver Canucks Evander Kane pick up steam in the next few days.
While we can’t really assure who will come to Colorado, the one thing that remains clear is that the club will try to land an upgrade.
When that happens will be another story entirely. But it has to happen before the March 6 NHL trade deadline.