The Colorado Avalanche have already swung a few trades this season. But what will they do with the salary cap space they still have?
The Colorado Avalanche have made a few trades thus far, radically remaking their goaltending situation, and also acquiring a depth player in Jusso Parssinen. But with their remaining $5.39-million in salary cap space, what will they choose to spend it on?
For starters, let's talk about what the Avs already have: a few superstars in Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen and Cale Makar; a solid goalie setup with Mackenzie Blackkwood and Scott Wedgewood, and dependable secondary players in Devon Toews, Josh Manson, Artturi Lehkonen, Jonathan Drouin, Valeri Nichushkin and Casey Middlestadt. The Avalanche also have a potential star addition if captain Gabriel Landeskog can return to action. That's basically a trade deadline addition in its own right.
So really, if we're going to pinpoint an area they can bring in a newcomer to address, it has to be a depth performer. And as Colorado has some decent options for their final defense pairing, the key area to focus on is the Avs' depth at forward.
First and foremost, the Avalanche have a real need for a third-line center. Parker Kelly is not that player, and that means Colorado is going to look for a pivot to step in and give them help down the middle. Maybe that help comes from current UFA Jonathan Toews. Or maybe they trade for a veteran such as Calgary's Nazem Kadri or the New York Islanders' Brock Nelson.
Meanwhile, the Avs also could use more depth on the wings. That could come once Landeskog returns, and it also could come when winger Miles Wood is healthy again. But the wing may be the easiest place to get help via trades. It could be a veteran like Seattle's Brandon Tanev, or it could be Chicago's Taylor Hall.
In any case, the Avalanche are under significant pressure to win and win now. It's not about building for the future. Colorado GM Chris MacFarland knows he needs to stock up on talent, both to help the Avs get into the playoffs, and to win series once they get there. Standing pat shouldn't be an option for this franchise at this point in their history, and now it's all about finding the deals that address their needs.
