The Colorado Avalanche have been pretty active over the past couple of days, and heck, even going back to just over a week ago. They traded away Sam Girard, acquiring Brett Kulak from the Penguins, and acquired two players for some draft picks, including their 2027 first-round pick.
The Kadri-to-Avalanche thing has maybe cooled down for good, after there was a report that the Avs put in an offer for their former center but Flames management turned it down. Unless something happens from now and the trade deadline, which is on Friday, Avs faithful can probably start planning for other potential trades.
Another potential Avalanche target, Bobby McMann, does not appear likely to join Colorado either. A report from insider Elliotte Friedman says that the Maple Leafs want at least two second-round picks for the 29-year-old McMann. The Avalanche could technically do it, but say they trade the two second-round picks they own in the 2027 NHL Draft. That would put them out of any draft capital in the first three rounds of the next two NHL Drafts and would leave them with just two in the first three rounds in 2028.
At some point, the Avalanche are going to have to either acquire some high-mid-round picks and use them to replenish their prospect pool. They already have one of the worst prospect pools in all of the NHL, if not the worst. Sean Behrens’ name has been thrown around over the past while as a potential trade piece, but the Avs haven’t made that decision—at least not yet. It remains to be seen whether or not they will add a prospect to a trade offer, but time is obviously running out.
Chris Humphreys, an Avalanche seventh-round picks from 2024, is having a very solid year for the Kitchener Rangers after he made the decision to go from the University of Michigan to the OHL. He has put up 37 goals and 77 assists in 86 games since he chose to go a different route. It has worked out for him tremendously as he hopes to find a way closer to the NHL some day.
Some of the team’s other prospects include Max Curran, Ivan Ivan, and Mikhail Gulyayev.
The Avs did send Calum Ritchie to the Islanders in a deal that brought Brock Nelson to Colorado. That trade certainly has paid off as of now, for both teams, but it did sting when it first happened. The Avalanche are in win-now mode, so plenty is possible, but when it comes time to slow down and develop players, they will need some players to, well, develop. A lot of that will be dependent on the NHL Draft, so they will need to keep their picks.
We’ll find out in a couple of years if their prospect pool improved.