Offseason Musings: Rumors Galore — An Avalanche of Opportunities to Explore

We’re right in the middle of the calm before the chaos this offseason. The Stanley Cup is going to be awarded in the next 3-to-8 days, the NHL Draft is in two weeks and free agency follows right behind.

I often have several thoughts that come to mind, but none that are enough to write an entire article about. But some have been worthy of sharing.

With that, I’d like to introduce the first Offseason Musings of the year.

Throughout the summer, I’m going to release pieces like this as often as needed. What ever is on my mind, I’ll jot it down for all of us to discuss in the comments section. I have 10 musings today, but I’m not going to cap them at any specific number.

On this edition, I’ll uncover my thoughts on the most recent trade around the league and several opportunities the Avs could explore to improve their roster.

1. The Chris Kreider trade is a reminder that any contract and player is tradable. His game fell way off this year, and the Rangers still managed to get off his $6.5 million deal while upgrading from a fourth-round draft pick to a third (and sending a prospect the other way).

I only mention this because I know many are wondering how the Avalanche are going to get out of the Miles Wood contract — if that’s the route they want to take.

The rising salary cap means several teams have a lot of cap space that needs to be used to reach the floor. For this season and beyond. Having someone like Wood on the fourth line making 2.5 million makes sense for one of those clubs. Not so much for the Avalanche.

Let’s use the Chicago Blackhawks as an example. They already have 12 forwards, seven defensemen, and two goalies under contract for next season, with nearly $30 million in cap space to spare. They’re also $4 million from the cap floor.

I’m not saying that’s what will happen with Wood, I’m just saying it’s very much possible.

2. Trade and free agent rumors are in full force right now, and it’s honestly interesting to hear some of the names Colorado might be targeting, and the players the team is considering trading.

In years past, I wouldn’t believe that someone like Charlie Coyle is on the market. But now? You never know.

Chris MacFarland and the front office have proven time and time again that they have zero issues moving off a player that was just acquired. They have no problem trading players with term (like Samuel Girard), and they aren’t afraid to reset their depth.

With that being said, Pierre LeBrun wonders about a fit for Jonathan Toews in Colorado. Would he play on the wing? Or would they trade Coyle and free up a spot for Jack Drury and Toews to center the bottom two lines?

3. The Dallas Stars ended the postseason 9-9. They weren’t as good as they should’ve been, and that’s part of the reason why Pete DeBoer is out of a job. It just serves as another reminder that the Avs really let one slip away here.

I don’t believe Winnipeg would’ve beat Colorado. I also can’t say for sure that the Avalanche would’ve eliminated Edmonton. But even if not, they would’ve at least made it to the Western Conference Final and put up a better fight than the Stars did.

Despite the disappointing first round series loss, the Avs’ roster is already loaded with talent far greater than what they’ve had on opening night in any of the last three years. I expect a massive redemption season, which will include a No. 1 seed in the Central Division.

4. Speaking of the Stars, having Mikko Rantanen fall into their laps has completely changed their salary cap outlook. It sounds like they made that move with the thought in mind that it’ll lead to a Jason Robertson trade. And that’s fine. Rantanen is a better player, and they weren’t all that happy with negotiations with Robertson the last time he was up for a new deal.

Between the changes coming to their core and a new head coach on the horizon, I really wonder how much of a threat they’ll be next season.

5. The Brock Nelson contract is a tidy piece of business from MacFarland. The initial sticker shock was very much a thing, but once other deals are handed out on July 1, Nelson’s will look better.

Getting the 2C thing figured out before the draft and free agency is also a smart play. It allows the front office an opportunity to focus on other priorities.

6. I still think their next move should be to upgrade their defense after Cale Makar and Devon Toews. The Avs need a three-headed monster on the blueline. When Chicago was winning all those Stanley Cups, they had Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, and Niklas Hjalmarsson playing heavy minutes. The other three defensemen were more interchangeable. This is part of the reason why I was on the Seth Jones bandwagon a few months ago.

7. This obviously would mean Girard needs to get traded. I like the player and have defended him for years, but I do believe he’s reached his ceiling and the Avs need more from their third-best defenseman.

Could they get into a bidding war for Ivan Provorov? Maybe. But I’d imagine they prefer a trade candidate rather than a potential free agency overpayment. That’s traditionally how this current front office iteration has operated.

How about K’Andre Miller?

8. Seeing Corey Perry and Brad Marchand thrive in the Stanley Cup Final should serve as another reminder that even though the league is getting younger, the older veterans aren’t going to just fizzle out.

This generation’s athlete takes care of their bodies more than ever before. I don’t believe aging curves are what they used to be, at least not for everyone. This is why the Avs should’ve signed Nazem Kadri back in 2022. Sure, he was going to be 32 when the season began, but even his play over the last three years in Calgary has proven that he isn’t slowing down.

Keep that in mind when thinking about Nelson’s deal. Or the fact that Colorado might look at other veterans to round out their roster. You need a veteran mix in the room, even if they play bigger roles than Andrew Cogliano, Darren Helm, and both Erik and Jack Johnson did three years ago.

9. I’m going to address the elephant in the room in a separate article. That being Martin Necas and the fact that he needs a new contract soon.

I’m in the camp that if the Avs moved on from Rantanen to not pay three stars a large portion of the cap, then Necas for anything more than the $9.25 million Rantanen made on his last deal should not be an option. Go all in on spreading the wealth and find someone else to attach to Nathan MacKinnon. Maybe someone younger than Necas.

10. I love the creativity we’re seeing around the league with deferred salary and long-term extensions for guys that are clearly not going to play through their deals (see Chris Tanev and eventually John Tavares).

The best way to win in a hard cap league is to be creative. We saw the Avs flex some of that this past year with the goaltending trades, etc. But they have to find more ways to be creative and give themselves the best chance to win.

For starters, I would not be surprised in the least bit if Logan O’Connor starts the season on long-term injury reserve and his money is used elsewhere. By the time O’Connor is ready to return, they can do something creative to clear the space.