The Colorado Avalanche have started to make roster changes.
This past week, GM Chris MacFarland made a trade with the Minnesota Wild to swap backup goaltenders, with the Avs landing Scott Wedgewood. Colorado has dealt with a series of adversity this season, and have managed to barely keep their heads above water with a 13-12-0 record through their first 25 games.
What’s next for the Avalanche? While their goaltending issues have been well documented this season, sitting 30th in the NHL allowing 3.72 goals per game, there’s several other areas of concern, including their penalty kill ranking 29th in the league. The Avalanche don’t own a 2025 first-round pick, so MacFarland may have to get creative if he’s looking to upgrade their roster before the trade deadline in March.
On Monday’s episode of Daily Faceoff LIVE, Tyler Yaremchuk and Colby Cohen discussed the Avs’ roster and what could be coming down the pipe in Colorado.
Yaremchuk: What I wanted to do was zero in on Colorado here. Not to say that the ship has sailed in Nashville, but seven wins in your first 25 games, I don’t think you’re going out making trades trying to salvage your season right now. If you’re Colorado, you’re absolutely trying to do that with how poor the goaltending has been this season.
With the fact you’re 13-12-0 so far on the year, my thing is, this is a fine swap to go get a guy who is more of a veteran than Annunen, who has a track record of going on some nice runs, but this can’t be the only thing Colorado is doing? I got a first-hand look at them on Saturday night, they are not the Colorado Avalanche of old. They are not that consistently strikes fear into you. A big part of that, if you’re playing the Avalanche, there’s a pretty good chance we’re getting three or four tonight. We don’t have to play perfect hockey to beat them, and that wasn’t always the case when you’re facing Colorado.
Cohen: Well, Tyler look, you also have to remember, we did our power rankings on Morning Cuppa last Monday, and I snuck Colorado into the fifth spot on my power rankings because they were on a 8-1-1 tear in 10 games.
And, now since, I believe they’ve lost three in a row, and on a 3-6-0 skid right now. But, at one point to me, they looked like they were trending up. Valeri Nichushkin is a difference maker for them, they are a different team when he comes into the lineup. They’re still missing some important pieces with some guys who got off to good starts this year and have dealt with some injuries.
You know, for me, you look at the way they’re mis-managing the puck, and when you have goaltending problems and you and I have talked about this for years with Edmonton, when you don’t have a star goaltender you can’t mis-manage the puck. It just never works out in your favor.
Sure, you got out and get Scott Wedgewood, who I do think is a capable backup goaltender. I think he can come in and give you some good starts, he did it in Dallas for a couple of seasons, anytime Jake Oettinger would get hurt, Wedgewood would come in and steady the ship. I know his numbers aren’t pretty but there’s likely some more confidence in the dressing room with Scott Wedgewood than there was with Annunen.
I do think Colorado will be active, with the cast of characters they have, every year has to be win now. They’re a team we will certainly be keeping our eye on to see what else they do down the middle. Are you going to win with Ivan Ivan and Parker Kelly as your third and fourth-line centers? Probably not.
For more on what the future holds in Colorado, and all the very latest from around the NHL, watch the full episode here.
