News of the New York Rangers' impending retool should not catch Colorado Avalanche fans off guard. If anything, the news could provide the Avs with an opportunity to pick up a solid player or two at a relatively reasonable price.
In an earlier piece, my colleague Graham Tiedtke discussed how current Ranger Taylor Raddysh could fit the Avalanche lineup.
In this discussion, I’d like to focus on three other Rangers players who could be a solid fit for the Colorado Avalanche heading into the stretch run of the season.
Avalanche top 3 Rangers targets
Jonny Brodzinski
The Avalanche don’t need to target a superstar at this point. The Avs have plenty of star power. As such, the goal would be to target depth pieces that could complement the team’s current roster.
One of those depth pieces is Jonny Brodzinski. The 32-year-old is a bottom-six forward with some offensive upside. This season, he’s scored four goals in 33 games. Not MacKinnon-like stuff, but decent for a fourth-liner.
Most importantly, Brodzinski is a worker bee. He’s the type of player who has a physical edge and isn’t afraid of digging for pucks. He could complement the fourth line very well, reducing the need to rely on forwards coming up and down the AHL.
Brodzinski would cost nothing more than a late-round pick. He’s in the final year of his current deal, paying $787K.
Juuso Parssinen
If that name sounds familiar, that’s because Parssinen is a former Avalanche. Parssinen was moved in the Ryan Lindgren trade last year’s deadline. The Rangers wanted a fourth-line center, and believed Parssinen could be their man.
Unfortunately, Parssinen has not lived up to expectations in New York. He’s been mostly in the AHL this season. The 24-year-old is still very much a solid depth piece and could play a decent role in the bottom six.
The best thing about Parssinen is his versatility. He can alternate between center and wing. That makes him a solid depth piece, especially in the playoffs.
The only knock on Parssinen is his cap hit. The Rangers signed him to a two-year deal worth $2.5 million at the beginning of this season. Perhaps the Blueshirts would be willing to retain some of that hit moving forward.
Urho Vaakanainen
The 27-year-old Vaakanainen is a depth defense piece. He’s a left-shot and plays a defensively responsible game. He’s hardly an offensive presence, but he could provide a decent option amid potential injuries.
Vaakanainen has only appeared in 20 games this season, racking up three assists. In Colorado, he wouldn’t likely crack the top six blue line spots. But then again, there wouldn’t be a need for him to rack up a ton of ice time.
If anything, having a player like Vaakanainen down the stretch could provide other blueliners some time off. Think of Samuel Girard or Josh Manson. Also, Brent Burns or even Cale Makar might need a break as the season heads down to the wire.
That’s why having some depth defensive help could certainly come in handy.