The most exciting day of the season- NHL trade deadline day – has come and gone, and in the rubble afterwards rise the Avalanche, a vastly improved team in certain areas. GM Chris MacFarland went all-in, adding both impact players as well as depth pieces throughout this trade season, in an attempt to provide Coach Jared Bednar the best possible roster to make a Cup run this season.
It’s now or never for the Avalanche. They’ve added some aging players and others on short term contracts, to be determined if any of those players wear the burgundy and blue past this season.
Those players can still produce, however, and some at a high rate. Star center Brock Nelson, acquired from the New York Islanders, is a 33-year-old veteran that’ll be counted on to solidify the black hole of the second line center position the Avs have been lacking for some time. He’s a proven scorer, one who’s scored less than 20 goals in a season only once since 2018.
The Avalanche added Charlie Coyle from the Bruins as well. He’s expected to eat up bottom six minutes and was acquired for his playoff acumen. This season he’s tallied 15 goals for the underachieving Bruins.
In a deal with the New York Rangers, the Avalanche acquired gritty defenseman Ryan Lindgren as well as depth forward Jimmy Vesey. Lindgren will quickly endear himself to Avalanche fans with his hard-nosed, throwback style of hockey. That same style has garnered him some injuries over the past few years, but if healthy, he’ll be an asset for a defensive unit that has drastically changed.
Vesey is a player who initially had high hopes coming out of college as an impact scorer but has made most of his money in the NHL doing the dirty work like playing bottom six minutes and being an effective penalty killer. The Avalanche will need players like him come playoff time.
Colorado also acquired fan favorite Erik Johnson to bolster their defensive unit. Fans will have fond memories of his play across 13 seasons wearing the Avalanche crest and hope he can rekindle some of that physical play.
Key trade deadline acquisitions come at high cost to Colorado Avalanche
To acquire these significant assets, the Avalanche had to rid themselves of many bit pieces at the NHL level, but also draft picks (one 1st and two 2nds) and prized prospect Calum Ritchie. Although projections may not always come true at the NHL level, it’s difficult to give up on a prized young player.
To get a little, you must give a little, as the saying goes. It’s clear the Avalanche have done that. They’ve bolstered every position on their roster, and hope that this group can lead the team to places they’ve recently been, like lifting Lord Stanley’s chalice in June.
The future is unknown with the team. The farm system isn’t great, and there are aging players on the roster. With a nucleus of players like MacKinnon, Makar and Necas, backstopped by goalie Mackenzie Blackwood, it’s unlikely the team completely falters.
For some, this jump with two feet into the deep end will come back to haunt Chris MacFarland if it doesn’t work out. Even with the re-tooled roster, the Avalanche still have some hills to climb to even win the Western Conference.
The team needs to gel quickly, and with these older, more mature players, it’s likely that can happen. Team camaraderie goes a long way during a deep playoff run, and the Avalanche must hope these moves pay off come June. If they do not, these decisions will likely be met with criticism.