Grading the Colorado Avalanche in trade with New York Rangers
Now, let’s get down to the nitty-gritty. The Avalanche did a pretty good job in this trade. I would have given them a better grade, had it not been for the two picks included in the trade. Nevertheless, the Avalanche added some solid talent in this trade.
Let’s begin with the obvious piece, Ryan Lindgren. Lindgren was a necessary player the Avs needed to round out their defense. Lindgren should replace Josh Manson on the second pairing, especially given that Manson has been banged up of late.
While we shouldn’t expect Manson to ride the bench, the deal will allow Manson more time to recover so he’s fully ready for the playoffs. When everyone is healthy, Lindgren likely lines up alongside Sam Girard in the second pairing, with Manson on the third-pairing with Sam Malinski.
However, don’t be surprised if Lindgren and Manson flip-flop from that second pairing as needs dictate. When the Avs need more offense, Manson may get more ice time. When the team needs more defense, Lindgren will get the call.
The next part of this deal is all about the future. Lindgren is an UFA this summer. So, expect the Avalanche to make a push to sign him sooner rather than later. The Rangers seemed to have given up on Lindgren as a future piece of their blue line. Mainly, that was due to the cap situation. Someone had to go, and that someone was Lindgren.
Jimmy Vesey is a versatile forward who should be a bottom-six piece. He’ll likely play on the fourth line, though he could jump to the third line if need be. Vesey isn’t nearly the player he once was, but he can kill penalties and create offense in a depth role.
Vesey is on an 800K contact so he won’t cost the Avalanche much. He’s a winger so that’s a bit of downgrade from Parssinen who can play center. But given the Avalanche’s needs at this point, Vesey is a good fit.
The most intriguing piece here is Hank Kempf. Kempf was a seventh-round pick by the Rangers in 2021. He’s currently playing for Cornell in the NCAA and should make the jump to the pros next season. He’ll likely play with the Eagles, but could get a look at camp.
The interesting part is that Kempf was a former teammate of Sam Malinski and Matthew Stienburg. That connection makes adding Kempf an intriguing move as the familiarity could help Kempf’s development.
Now, I’m not saying Kempf will be on the Avs’ roster next season. But he could be another Malinski-type player that makes the jump to the seamless jump to the pros.
Overall, I give the Avalanche a A- in this trade. I’d given them a higher grade if it wasn’t for the second-round pick they gave to get Lindgren. While I like Vesey, I don’t think he really moves the needle. The real treasure for Colorado is Kempf. He could make this deal look like a steal for Colorado.
Had the Avalanche not given up the second-rounder, I would have given this deal a solid A. But there is one caveat. This year’s draft isn’t considered to be a particularly deep one. So, the Avs did well in moving picks from this year’s draft and saving their ammo for next year’s, much deeper draft.