3 major acquisitions the Colorado Avalanche must make for a deep postseason run
The Colorado Avalanche won the Stanley Cup in 2022, only to lose in the first round of the 2023 playoffs to the Seattle Kraken.
The Colorado Avalanche are once again major contenders for a deep playoff run, and they will be buyers at and perhaps before the trade deadline. Therefore, don’t be surprised if this team makes at least one big move to inch closer to not only a top-three playoff spot, but perhaps even a top seed.
Colorado would ideally like to remind the NHL universe that last season’s first-round exit was nothing more than an outlier for what has been a stellar hockey team in the 2020s. This organization also has just enough in cap space, in its prospect pool, and in draft capital to make a splash at the deadline.
Below, we identified three players who can more than just help them make a major run for their second Stanley Cup title in three seasons. And if one of them fits well, maybe they will remain in Denver for a while if the Avalanche can create enough space beyond 2023-24.
Keep in mind that we are not expecting these trades to all occur, so you will see an overlap in compensation. Therefore, assume just one of these three, or something similar, will turn into a reality.
Kaapo Kahkonen has proven his worth on a poor hockey team
Kahkonen Trade
You can’t help but give Kaapo Kahkonen credit, as the 27-year-old has hung in there time and again despite playing for one of the worst teams in hockey. While Kahkonen has a 3.55 GAA so far this season, his 0.901 save percentage and 0.524 quality starts percentage aren’t bad, considering he’s playing for a team whose defense has been awful all year.
Therefore, a team like the Avalanche that can use a solid goaltender to factor in as a 1B should at least inquire about Kahkonen. While Alexandar Georgiev has done a serviceable job this season, his 2.91 GAA and 0.898 save percentage are nothing to brag about. Justus Annunen shouldn’t be the answer as a backup or, ideally, a 1B this season.
For this trade, the Avalanche would give up a third-round pick in 2025 plus a second-rounder in 2026. They will also have a trading partner to cut their losses on an ill-fated Ryan Johansen. Finally, since the San Jose Sharks are rebuilding, they will want a top prospect in the pool, which is where Nikolai Kovalenko comes in.
Adam Henrique will fill a need on the Avalanche’s top-six
Henrique Trade
Adam Henrique is another name who will find himself on the move, and since the Avalanche are lacking in their top-six, he is a legitimate trade piece who can fulfill that issue. Like Kahkonen, Henrique is another player you need to give credit to as the 33-year-old has been through a lot playing for a rebuilding Anaheim Ducks team.
However, his productivity (33 points in 49 games) puts him on a realistic pace to secure a career-high, showing us he can still play more than just a solid game at age 33. For Henrique, you can expect a similar trade, but as the Ducks look like they are one rung above the Sharks, expect the Avalanche to swap a pair of high-end prospects and a draft pick for Henrique should this transaction occur.
Mikhail Gulyayev and also in this scenario, Nikolai Kovalenko find themselves going to Anaheim for Henrique, plus a third-round pick. Colorado will also send Ryan Johansen to Anaheim should a scenario like this occur instead of the one listed previously, which will once again let them cut their losses on their trade with Nashville last year.
It still wouldn’t be enough for the Avalanche to afford the trade, so we will see the Ducks retain 15 percent of Henrique’s contract to make this move work.
Vladimir Tarasenko adds another jolt of experience to Colorado’s top-nine
Tarasenko trade
Vladimir Tarasenko was supposed to be the missing piece for the Ottawa Senators, but that didn’t quite work this season and Ottawa is among the worst teams in the Eastern Conference. Therefore, if Henrique is off the table, Tarasenko would be the next-best to take center stage in such a scenario.
But given the sheer similarities between him and Henrique from a productivity standpoint this season, expect a trade package similar to what the Avalanche would be willing to give up for Henrique. However, because the Senators are even closer to contention than the Ducks despite their poor record, we are taking out Kovalenko and adding Calum Ritchie.
This might not sit well with a contingent of Avalanche fans, and the trade would be beyond lopsided given the amount of young talent Colorado would give up and basically sacrifice its future for the present. But the Avalanche are looking to win a Cup, and given the steep cost of letting their top two prospects go, Ottawa will send them two second-round picks - one for 2024 and the other for 2025.
The Senators have one of the worst prospect pools in the NHL, and although they would be parting with even more draft capital, there is no way they would say no to a pair of high-end prospects. Sure, it would hurt Colorado’s pool as well, but a win-now team collecting a pair of picks is fair compensation here.
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(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)