Trade-deadline primer for the Colorado Avalanche

With the All-Star break in the rearview, the trade deadline looms large. Where does each team stand, and what moves should they be looking to make? Let's take a look around the league with the Colorado Avalanche.

The Avalanche are near the top of most people’s lists of Stanley Cup favorites in 2024. It’s understandable – Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar playing like the best players in the world at their respective positions heading out of the All-Star break. This core is also less than two years removed from one of the most dominant championship runs in recent memory.

However, they also boast one of the most flawed rosters on paper in this year’s contending class. They lack a true second-line center behind MacKinnon, no active forward outside the top line has cracked 30 points, and their goaltending has been only slightly above average. Alexandar Georgiev ranks 14th out of 32 starters in goals saved above expected, per MoneyPuck. Their forward depth could be buoyed by the returns of captain Gabriel Landeskog from a knee cartilage replacement that was previously thought to be season-ending and Valeri Nichushkin, who is receiving treatment in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program, but both players still have a muddy path to a return with no clear timeline. Assuming at least one of Landeskog or Nichushkin returns in time for postseason play, does GM Chris MacFarland believe this team is a top-six center and a backup goaltender away from winning their second championship in three years?

Record

32-14-13, 1st in the Central

Deadline Status

Buyer

Deadline Cap Space

$1.24M on deadline day, 0/3 retention slots used, 47/50 contracts used, per CapFriendly.

Upcoming Draft Picks

2024: COL 1st, COL 4th, SEA 5th, COL 6th, COL 7th
2025: COL 1st, COL 3rd, COL 4th, COL 5th, COL 6th, COL 7th

Trade Chips

Colorado’s cap space and draft pick cupboard are typical of a team that’s been in contention for a half-decade. However, their cap situation is likely to improve dramatically by March 8. The team isn’t accumulating any space with Landeskog and backup netminder Pavel Francouz on LTIR for a combined $9M in relief, but Nichushkin’s $6.125M cap hit still counts while he’s in the PAP and is taking a significant chunk out of their LTIR pool. Nichushkin is eligible for LTIR if he’s expected to meet the minimum absence requirements of 10 games and 24 days, which he will satisfy if he doesn’t return by Feb. 8 against the Hurricanes. If the Avalanche expect him to remain in treatment through the deadline, they could add him to LTIR and have nearly $7.4M in space on deadline day, enough to execute any move they’d like.

That could be a tricky dance, though, as Nichushkin could return before the end of the regular season. The Avalanche would still need space to activate him from LTIR when he’s ready to go. Landeskog being ready to play before the postseason is much less likely, but as he’s begun on-ice work in his return from knee surgeries that have kept him out of the lineup for almost 20 months, it’s not impossible.