The Colorado Avalanche have made their fair share of bad trades, just like every other NHL franchise. While the Avalanche have been savvy in making shrewd trades, the fact is that every now and then, GMs drop the ball.
Now, we could dwell on the Mikko Rantanen trade from this past season as one of the worst of all time. But instead, I’d like to focus on a seemingly minor detail in a trade that no one talks about.
I’m referring to a 2011 draft that landed Semyon Varlamov in Colorado. On July 1, 2011, the Avalanche made a draft-day deal with the Washington Capitals. The Avalanche were coming off a tough season in which they missed the playoffs. The team went 30-44-8, totaling 68 points. The Avs finished well out of a playoff spot and were poised for a lottery pick.
The 2011 NHL Draft wasn’t bad for the Avalanche. The team drafted a fella named Gabriel Landeskog with the second-overall pick. The Oilers selected Ryan Nugent-Hopkins with the first overall pick, with the Florida Panthers taking Jonathan Huberdeau with the third pick.
It was a good thing the Avalanche took Landeskog and not Huberdeau. Although Mark Scheifele went seventh to the Winnipeg Jets and Dougie Hamilton went ninth to the Boston Bruins.
Anyhow, that day, the Avalanche made a trade with the Capitals for a young goaltender, Semyon Varlamov. Varly was coming off a great season in which he posted a 2.23 GAA and a .924 SV% in 27 games. He won 11 games and looked poised to become a solid NHL starting netminder.
So, the Avs pulled the trigger on the deal. Varlamov was a solid upgrade over Peter Budaj, but it cost a second-round pick and a first-round pick in 2012.
That first-round pick in 2012 turned into Filip Forsberg. While Forsberg didn’t last very long in Washington, he became the face of the Nashville Predators. Forsberg has played 780 games for the Preds, scoring 318 goals and 681 points.
That’s not bad for an 11th overall pick.
Colorado Avalanche missed out on another franchise player
The Avalanche had already drafted their future captain in 2011. They would also draft future superstar Nathan MacKinnon in 2013. But wouldn’t it have been absolutely wild if the Avalanche had drafted Forsberg in 2012?
A lineup consisting of Landeskog, MacKinnon, and Forsberg could have been the foundation of a dynasty.
It’s worth pointing out that Varlamov, while solid in Colorado, didn’t change the team’s fortunes single-handedly. The Avalanche missed the playoffs in the next two seasons. The Avs rebounded for a stellar 2013-14 season, but then fell back to Earth the next three seasons.
It wouldn’t be until several seasons later, and several goalies later, that the Avalanche finally broke through and won a Stanley Cup.
In hindsight, the 2011 Semyon Varlamov trade potentially cost the Avalanche another cornerstone player. But then again, who could have known that first-round pick would turn into Filip Forsberg? The Capitals gave up on Forsberg, flipping him to the Preds.
So, Forsberg’s success could be due more to the Predators’ successful development than the luck of the draw, as it were.