The last article I wrote was centered around deadline strategy. I threw down a bit of a challenge to this Colorado Avalanche club to prove their intent to seriously contend, or conversely, to be forced to consider selling on the trade market for future assets. Thankfully for all of us among Avs Faithful, the boys have responded by winning.
I said that they needed to win at least three of four games leading up to the deadline. They did better than that, by sweeping all four. Even more encouraging, is that they have continued the hot-streak by beating a very good Toronto team post-deadline. The pivotal homestand has become an on-ice statement that the Avalanche should not be ignored.
I graded the early season Avalanche deals pretty favorably. But it felt right to re-visit the question now that we have survived the most stressful day of the NHL calendar.
The front office showed us that they believe in this club, and their viability for winning now. That took some serious guts from Avalanche GM Chris MacFarland who has been wheeling and dealing all season.
After trading away both halves of Colorado's goalie tandem , and a perennial All-Star in Mikko Rantanen earlier in the year, causal observers might think the last 24 hours before the trade deadline would be less tumultuous. Not so, by any evaluation as it turns out.
In the middle of Thursday night's 7-3 whipping of the San Jose Sharks and ex-Avalanche net minder Alexandar Georgiev, the team landed maybe the biggest fish of deadline day in acquiring center Brock Nelson from the New York Islanders. Nelson was at the very top of many trade boards as the best forward on the market.
As such, he did not come to Colorado cheap. The Avalanche parted ways with Calum Ritchie, who was believed to be the top prospect in their system, a first-round and third-round pick, from 2026 and 2028 respectively, and Oliver Kylington. The Avalanche did receive another forward prospect in the swap, but however you cut it, that's a hefty price.
Going and getting a quality 2C in Nelson and creating another gap on the backend signaled that the team was not done. Casey Mittelstadt, whose future in Colorado has seemed to be an open question for months was clearly no longer a guarantee for the playoff roster.
Indeed Mittelstadt was subsequently dealt to Boston on Friday for fellow center, Charlie Coyle. Also included in the trade from Colorado was prospect William Zellers, and you guessed it, another pick, this one of the second-round variety. The Avalanche did get a future fifth-rounder in return, but the theme of forgoing immediate drafts almost entirely continued.
Finally, to cap off a wild deadline the Avalanche cleaned up the question of defensive depth with an old friend, bringing back the much beloved Erik Johnson for Givani Smith.