NHL free agency is looming and the Avalanche still need to fill out their roster after making some trades. With Ross Colton, Jack Drury, and Valeri Nichushkin all being shipped out, the Avalanche have clear needs at forward, even with the additions of Zachary L'Heureux and Fyodor Svechkov. On defense, the top-six is set, but there is a need to build depth.
Avalanche GM Joe Sakic held a press conference on June 26th and explicitly stated they’re looking for two forwards and a defenseman. Sakic didn't specify the exact roles these players would fill, but looking at the roster it's clear that the needs are: A middle-six forward, a bottom-six forward, and a seventh defenseman. Here are some targets I think could fill those roles.
Middle-six targets
Vladimir Tarasenko
Vladimir Tarasenko has something the Avalanche have desperately needed since trading Mikko Rantanen: Goal scoring. The Avs‘ top-six is littered with playmakers, but no one who really tracks as a pure goal scorer. Tarasenko checks that box as a proven option, winning a Stanley Cup with Florida two seasons ago. He's only four seasons removed from a 30-goal campaign and had 23 goals with Minnesota last season. Even on a one-year deal, Tarasenko would give the Avs a scoring punch within their top-nine.
Patrik Laine
Patrik Laine is an enigma. He could be an elite goal scorer as he boasts a 44-goal season to his resume. However, he's had injury problems in the past and rumors that question his work ethic.
Laine had 20 goals in 52 games for the Canadiens in 2024-25, then dealt with some core muscle injuries that kept him out almost the entirety of last season. He's coming off a contract with an AAV of $8.7 million, and will get nowhere near that. The key here, though, is that according to AFP Analytics, his projected salary is the league minimum, $850,000.
The Avs can sign him to a one-year, $1 million show-me contract as a low-risk, high-reward move.
Bottom-six targets the Avalanche should target
Colton Sissons
If anything, signing Colton Sissons just prevents him from beating us. He's one of those players that consistently plays his best games against the Avs and wills his teams to victory.
He adds a lot of what the Avs lost in Jack Drury. He's strong in the face-off circle, is a strong penalty killer, and has a high motor. I think adding him to Parker Kelly and Logan O'Connor would continue to give the Avs one of the best fourth lines in the league. Sissons is likely to come in somewhere around the $1million mark for one or two seasons.
Tanner Pearson
Tanner Pearson is probably one of the safest free agent signings the Avs could make. He's not flashy, he's a veteran with size and plays heavy. He would fill the need and could be someone that sits in the press box if (or when) one of the Avs younger guys comes up to snag a roster spot. As an aging player, Pearson's contract shouldn't be too much for Sakic to fit him onto the roster.
Seventh defenseman targets for the Avalanche
Mike Reilly
Mike Reilly is a veteran defensive defenseman. He's had great defensive numbers throughout his career and would be an excellent addition as a seventh defenseman. He just served that seventh defenseman role for the Carolina Hurricanes. He only played in two games during their run to being Stanley Cup champions. Being the seventh defenseman wouldn't be new for him and playing on another contender should be appealing if Carolina doesn't bring him back.
Dylan Coghlan
Dylan Coghlan is a bit of a flyer, as the rest of the defense market is lacking. He is through and through the definition of a seventh defenseman, as he'll likely only get time when injuries pop up. While he's not been able to crack the lineup for his previous teams, he could get some valuable development time within the Avalanche system.
Free agency is almost upon us. Joe Sakic and the Avalanche are clearly ready to make more moves.
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