The Colorado Avalanche could be biding their time, waiting for the right deal to come along.
Insider Elliotte Friedman described the Avalanche’s plans this summer, stating that the club will use the cap space it’s got to make more moves if they happen to come available.
In the latest edition of the 32 Thoughts Podcast, Friedman delved into the Avs’ situation following the initial frenzy of free agency. In particular, Friedman highlighted how the trade involving Charlie Coyle and Miles Wood created cap space that the Avs haven’t had in previous seasons.
Friedman also noted that the Coyle and Wood trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets opened up spots in the team’s bottom six. Judging from Daily Faceoff’s lineup projection, Friedman has a point.
The Avalanche’s top two lines look stacked. On the top unit, all-world center Nathan MacKinnon leads Artturi Lehkonen and Martin Necas. Both wingers are solid and can score in bunches. The second line features Brock Nelson with Gabriel Landeskog and Valeri Nichushkin. While the line is a bit on the older side, pound-for-pound, it will be hard for any other club to match it.
But the bottom six does leave some question marks. Jack Drury and Parker Kelly are penciled in as the 3C and 4C. That looks fine for now. But it’s on the wings where upgrades could be needed. Ivan Ivan and Ross Colton hit the wings on the third line. Colton is a great player, while Ivan still needs to prove himself at the NHL level.
Meanwhile, prospects Nikita Prischepov and Matthew Stienburg round out the fourth line. I’ll be the first to say that I like the idea of younger players rounding up the bottom six. But you have to think that the Avalanche will be looking for a Corey Perry-type bottom-six forward at the trade deadline.
Colorado Avalanche blue line looks stable for now
The Colorado Avalanche’s blue line hasn’t undergone a major shift this summer. Last season’s top five are slated to return. The newcomer is former Norris Trophy winner Brent Burns.
Burns joined the Avalanche on an incentive-laden deal that could jump from $1 million to as much as $5 million if Burns can hit all of his metrics.
The deal is an ambitious one, but Burns can pull it off. He’s got the skills and experience to make such a deal work out. Even at 40, Burns has enough left in the tank to where he could be more than a bottom-pairing defenseman.
Keaton Middleton likely gets the nod as the seventh defenseman, that is, unless the Avalanche can find another blue liner to take over the seventh spot.
One name I would urge readers to keep an eye on is Ronald Attard. He was an under-the-radar signing this summer. While he’s likely heading to the Colorado Eagles this season, he could be one of the first players up in case of injuries.
If Attard has a great camp, he could be in the mix for the seventh or eighth defenseman slots. Sean Behrens is another blue liner who could get a long look, though there isn’t a lineup spot for him at the moment.
Overall, fans shouldn’t expect any seismic moves from the Colorado Avalanche at this point. But fans should keep their eyes and ears open as a deal could happen when least expected.