The Colorado Avalanche stunned the hockey world a little over a week back when they traded Mikko Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes. The Mikko Rantanen trade is one of the biggest midseason trades in NHL history. Rantanen has a strong case for being a top-five player in this league. At the very least, he is a top-10 player in the league without any doubt.
However, Rantanen is a free agent at the end of the season. Contract negotiations did not prove fruitful enough for Colorado to risk keeping him past the NHL Trade Deadline. As a result, they shipped him to the Hurricanes for Martin Necas, Jack Drury, and two draft picks.
This trade has made the Avalanche one of the more interesting teams to cover as the NHL Trade Deadline inches closer. Colorado is unlikely to begin a fire sale. After all, they are still in a playoff spot. And they have won three of the five games they’ve played since trading Rantanen.
If Colorado isn’t selling off pending free agents, then what will they do? The Avalanche have the assets to make another big trade if they so wish. But ideal targets such as J.T. Miller have been traded in their own deals.
The Avalanche have one glaring need in their lineup. It’s a need that is exasperated in part by the Mikko Rantanen trade. If Colorado wants to keep up with other contenders in the Western Conference, it is imperative they fix this flaw by the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline on March 7th.
The Avalanche badly need secondary scoring
One flaw with the Avalanche entering the 2024-25 season was their lack of secondary scoring. Mikko Rantanen formed quite the offensive force with linemate Nathan MacKinnon and defenseman Cale Makar. However, Colorado’s offensive effort was incredibly top-heavy. If those three weren’t generating offense, the Avalanche could find themselves in trouble.
With Rantanen now out of the picture, the team’s need for offensive balance has grown. Martin Necas should fill in well in the top six, especially in a more free-flowing system than he played in with the Hurricanes. However, Necas is decidedly not Rantanen. He could become a similar offensive presence down the line, but for this season, the Avalanche are going to need added scoring depth.
There are a ton of scoring options on the trade market for Colorado. And they do not need to force themselves to add a top-six option since they acquired Necas. But Colorado did free up some cap space with the Rantanen trade. This should allow them to explore a move for a few different players if they so choose.
One potential option is veteran winger Kyle Palmieri. The New York Islanders star has had a bit of a dropoff from the 2023-24 campaign. But he is a highly experienced forward who could certainly serve Colorado’s middle-six well.
One other option is Vancouver Canucks winger Brock Boeser. Boeser, like Palmieri, is a free agent at the end of the season. He scored 40 goals during the 2024-25 campaign but has struggled this year. He might be able to reignite his scoring touch in Colorado, however.
No matter who the Avalanche pursue, they need to add a scoring forward. A top-heavy offense certainly can lead to success in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Edmonton Oilers made the Stanley Cup Final in 2024, after all. In order to win anything, though, having some balance in the lineup is a necessity.
