The Colorado Avalanche could become the perfect trade landing spot for a veteran winger at this year’s deadline.
The rumor mill has begun to grind, bringing the Avs into the mix. One of the rumors making the rounds is that Vancouver Canucks winger Evander Kane heading to Colorado. For the readers of Mile High Sticking, this rumor is not new. We explored this possibility in an earlier article.
But now, it seems that things could be picking up. According to insider Kevin Weekes, the Avalanche and Dallas Stars could be competing to land the 34-year-old winger.
Per multiple sources, I’m told the @DallasStars and @Avalanche are among the likely destinations for @Canucks F Kane via potential trade. #HockeyX pic.twitter.com/HicMv0SB35
— Kevin Weekes (@KevinWeekes) January 23, 2026
The potential deal would be an interesting addition for the Avalanche. The club could use a quick jolt, especially in light of Colorado seemingly falling prey to the January doldrums. Friday night's 7-3 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers was a good example of how the “dog days” of winter could be getting to the Avs.
That said, the Avalanche could do much worse than adding Kane. He’s in the final year of a four-year deal, carrying a cap hit of $5.125 million. At this point, the remaining cap hit is less than half of that. A rough calculation shows that after 50 games played, Kane’s cap hit would be a $2 million.
The Avalanche have $1.7 million in cap space at the moment. So, some money would have to be moved out. That said, Colorado has a projected $3.36 million in deadline cap space. So, the deal could work if the club really wanted to make it happen.
As for the return, that could be an entirely different story.
Looking at the return Avalanche would pay for Evander Kane
After the Canucks traded one of the hottest commodities this season, Kiefer Sherwood, to the San Jose Sharks for two second-rounders and an AHL-level player, there’s a fair chance that the Avalanche could land Kane for a very modest price.
In fact, I would venture as far as making a 1-for-1 swap involving Kane coming to Colorado with Ross Colton going to Vancouver. While Colton has 20 points in 48 games this season, he hasn’t scored a goal since November 26 against the Sharks. He had a three-assist night against the Ottawa Senators on January 8, but that’s been pretty much the highlight of his production this season.
In Vancouver, Colton would have an opportunity to play a much more prominent role. He could even be a top-six forward, considering the Canucks have a significant lack of depth down the middle.
In all likelihood, the Canucks will want more than just Ross Colton. So, a couple of draft picks may have to switch sides. Unless the Stars overpay for Kane, there’s a very good chance that the Avalanche could land Kane if they really wanted to make this deal work.