The Colorado Avalanche are a really bad hockey team. They have the NHL’s worst record, a league-low minus-48 goal differential and an abysmal 4-13-1 record on home ice.
So, with the trade deadline coming next month, will the Avs make a major move involving one of their young, talented forwards in an effort to shake things up?
“Now, if you’re asking about (forwards) Matt Duchene or Gabriel Landeskog, from what I understand, teams have been told they’re not giving these guys because they’re panicking,” NHL insider Elliotte Friedman said Saturday during Sportsnet’s “Hockey Night in Canada” broadcast.
“If you want to come at (the Avalanche) with good, young defensemen or prospects, (they) are prepared to listen. But the packages are going to have to be big because they look at both (players) and see good players signed to good contracts.”
The Avalanche won’t get very far without a No. 1 defenseman. Tyson Barrie is very good, but he’s not a franchise cornerstone-type player. Look at the recent Stanley Cup champions and you’ll see their blue lines were anchored by a legit No. 1 defenseman, players like Drew Doughty, Duncan Keith and Zdeno Chara.
Colorado doesn’t have a prospect with that kind of talent, either. It’s mostly the Avs’ own fault, too. They’ve selected forwards with six of their last seven first-round draft picks. The only defenseman of that group, Duncan Siemens, is no longer with the organization.
It’s understandable that the Avalanche are hesitant to give up on Duchene or Landeskog without getting a lot of value in return. But sooner or later they need to make a major move for a defenseman, and they’ll probably have to give up a really good forward to get one.
Thumbnail photo via Greg M. Cooper/USA TODAY Sports Images
