3 Avalanche Players Most Likely to Be Traded

The Colorado Avalanche didn’t wait for the offseason to officially begin before making their first impactful move. They shored up their second-line center position by re-signing Brock Nelson to a three-year extension. Nelson was brought in at the trade deadline for a first-round pick and a top-end prospect, so re-signing him was imperative.

With much of the lineup set, the Avalanche have a few holes to fill and just over $1 million in cap space to do it with. That more than likely means that one or two names will be dealt sometime this offseason. Who are the most likely names to be shopped?

Ross Colton

With the re-signing of Nelson, big moves are out the window. Instead, the Avalanche will look to fill out their bottom six, possibly through a trade. Because of his injury issues the past season, Ross Colton and his $4 million average annual value (AAV) may be one of the prime candidates.

The 28-year-old center has been a solid bottom-six piece – when he’s healthy enough to be in the lineup. Prior to the 2024-25 campaign, he had never missed more than a couple of games. But in a season in which the Avalanche faced a litany of injuries, Colton couldn’t help but find himself on the injured list.

Colton had his lowest offensive output since his 2020-21 rookie season. He may be given the chance to bounce back since the Avalanche don’t desperately need to make a move, but they need help on defense, and his $4 million salary could be moved to provide that help.

Charlie Coyle

Charlie Coyle is an interesting case. Acquired near the trade deadline for prospect Will Zellers and a 2025 second-round pick, Coyle was okay during his 19 regular season games with the Avalanche, scoring twice and posting 13 points. He unfortunately was a no-show offensively in the playoffs, registering just one goal.

That said, Coyle will be counted on to be defensively responsible more than anything. And with just one year left on his contract, it is entirely possible that the Avalanche don’t feel any real sense of urgency to move him, and his $5.25 million cap hit.

At 33 years old, Coyle is getting on the wrong side of Father Time, but he has a strong track record as a solid two-way player. If he can find a way to fit in and improve the third line for the Avalanche, it would go a long way toward getting them over the playoff hump. That said, there is enough flexibility there that he could be moved for another piece if the Avalanche see fit.

Josh Manson

The writing may be on the wall for Josh Manson. Like Coyle, Manson has one year remaining on his contract, this one paying him $4.5 million per season. Unlike Coyle, Manson has had a very tough time staying on the ice throughout his career. In fact, you would have to go all the way back to 2017-18 to find the last time he has played 80 games or more.

Manson was once again injury-prone this season, suiting up in just 48 games. More importantly, he looked like a defensive liability more often than not. There isn’t nearly enough offense or physicality there to justify his salary or position in the lineup.

Packaging Manson for a young player or a pick might behoove the Avalanche, especially if it can free up space to acquire someone they think is a better fit. The Avalanche are going to be contenders, but their defensive depth is a major question mark past the trio of Cale Makar, Devon Toews, and Samuel Girard.

Avalanche Will Need to Be Creative

With little cap space remaining and the need to fill out defensive depth, it seems more than likely that someone will be moved prior to the start of the season. The Avalanche have invested heavily in the top portion of their lineup, so it is imperative to be creative when it comes to filling out the bottom of the roster.

There is a wild card at play as well: Martin Necas. Reports surfaced that he was unhappy with contract talks recently. With one year remaining on his deal, he could be a major trade chip akin to what Mikko Rantanen was this past season. It could also allow the Avalanche to land multiple pieces in order to gain better depth.