Early trade(s) Avalanche must make during 2024-25 season

Should the Avalanche make this deal?

The Colorado Avalanche have rebounded from a disastrous 0-4 start to their season, having won five straight to get back to over the .500 mark. However, their initial struggles still have them near the bottom of the National Hockey League’s Central Division.

Colorado’s early season struggles were mainly attributed to defensive breakdowns and poor goaltending, leading many to speculate that the team could be in the market for outside assistance.

NHL insider Elliotte Friedman opined on his recent 32 Thoughts podcast that the Avalanche could be exploring the market for a goaltending trade, via Sportsnet.

“I just find it hard to believe that the Avalanche aren’t looking at the goalie situation,” Friedman said. “Bednar is saying all the right things publicly. But it’s the front office’s job to sit here and say, ‘What are our other options?'”

Friedman then suggested Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson as a potential possibility for the Avalanche to consider, while also noting that Gibson’s contract AAV of $6.4 million over the next two seasons should be enough to scare them away from making a deal.

“The contract, you can work out,” Friedman said. “If you think the player is good enough, you’ll find a way to make the contract work. People aren’t going to be too afraid of that term if he could play.”

Earlier in the summer, Friedman indicated that there were “some teams looking” at Gibson as a trade piece, via The Hockey News:

“I’ll throw another name out there, and that’s John Gibson,” Friedman said on Sportsnet’s “The Jeff Marek Show”. “I think there are some teams looking into Gibson. I think that New Jersey did, but obviously they’re off the table now. I don’t know if that’s a fit in Ottawa. The thing I’ve heard about Gibson is that Anaheim is not crazy about retaining money there, so that’s going to be complicated.”

Right now, the Avalanche have ridden the hot play of Justus Annunen. But without a full season of NHL hockey under his belt, they would be wise not to immediately declare him their man moving forward and rather look to someone more experienced.

The Avalanche should acquire John Gibson from the Anaheim Ducks

Gibson has been involved in multiple trade rumors in recent years and also allegedly requested a change of scenery last season.

The Ducks took him with the 39th overall selection in the 2011 NHL Draft and has played his entire career for a squad that hasn’t qualified for the postseason since 2018. Meanwhile, 24-year-old Lukas Dostal has essentially taken the reigns as the starter in the Ducks crease.

At age 30, he has several more years of competitive hockey in him and is only a year removed from an alleged trade request, something that his agent later refuted.

The Avalanche could offer Alexander Georgiev, who is in the final year of his contract, back to Anaheim in return. His contract comes off the books during the summer, while the Ducks aren’t expected to be able to compete for a postseason spot this season realistically. It would provide an opportunity for him to showcase his abilities in a less pressure-filled situation.

Meanwhile, the Avalanche would be getting an established goaltender who has already been rumored to be looking for a change in scenery.