Everyone from Chris MacFarland as general manager to Jared Bednar as head coach should be feeling the pressure.

This is the year when the excuses shouldn’t be a factor. There’s no more waiting for Gabe Landeskog. The expectation is that Valeri Nichushkin is healthy and ready to rock from the get-go. You have solid goaltending. Your starter is locked up, and your backup is one of the best in the league — a nice clap back to the days of Pavel Francouz. You have a second-line center. And this time it’s someone with veteran experience and a proven track record of reliability in the regular season and production in the playoffs.

You have Nathan MacKinnon in his prime.

You have Cale Makar in his prime.

Yet you’ve only won one series since that legendary night in Tampa Bay that ended with a Stanley Cup championship. It hasn’t been good enough. But it should be much more than that this season.

Here are three things I’d like to see from the Avs for this to be their year.

Top Six: The Best Ability is Availability

The Avs have had arguably the best top six in the NHL on paper for most of the past three years. But on paper didn’t always translate to on-ice availability.

Landeskog hasn’t played in three full seasons. In the first year, he was replaced with Evan Rodrigues, who had 39 points in 69 games. In the last two seasons, the Avs had Jonathan Drouin, who did an admirable job. Drouin produced at a clip of 62 points per 82 games in Colorado.

The problem wasn’t his production. It was his availability. He missed more than 25% of the regular season games in the last two years. And that came after Rodrigues missed 13 games. In total, Landeskog’s replacement in the top six has missed 55 games in three seasons — which comes out to 18 per season. That’s a lot of hockey for such a big piece of the roster.

And with all due respect to both of them, they were not as good as Landeskog in years past. They didn’t have his leadership, physicality, and net-front presence. The Avs finally have their captain back. He was solid in his short playoff stint and should be a factor moving forward. Even if he’s not producing at his 2022 rate.

Then there’s the second-line center issue. Somehow, in three seasons, the Avs have managed to have five players slot into that role.

READ MORE: Avalanche Depth Chart: Lineup Coming Together but Still an Unfinished Product

J.T. Compher did a fine job punching above his weight class in 2022-23, but he was slotted into it because Alex Newhook couldn’t develop into that role. Then there was the failed Ryan Johansen experiment, the Bowen Byram-for-Casey Mittelstadt blunder, before the team ultimately landed on Brock Nelson.

The 33-year-old has played 246 consecutive games after missing 10 games in 2021-22 with an injury. And before that, Nelson missed only two games in seven seasons. That’s the type of reliability the Avs need. And they should have it with their new full-time 2C.

Nichushkin and Artturi Lehkonen are two of the best two-way checking forwards in the game. But the fact that they’ve missed 96 and 68 games, respectively, over the past three seasons, is a huge problem. That averages out to 32 per year for Nichushkin and 22 for Lehkonen.

Let’s put that into perspective.

Since 2022-23, Nichushkin has averaged 42 goals in every 96 games and Lehkonen 29 goals per 68 games. That’s a lot of offense they’ve missed. And that doesn’t include what missing them did to the ice time of MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen, who were far and away the two most-used forwards over the last three years.

Rantanen is gone now, and Martin Necas should be here for the foreseeable future. This will be the first year with Necas as a full-time member of the roster. If he can continue to elevate his production, I see no problem with him being a key piece of this team moving forward.

All five of these guys, the five that will make up the top two lines with MacKinnon, were not in the lineup for opening night a year ago. All for different reasons.

MacFarland built a top six that can win. They need to be available to achieve that goal.

Organizational Fit: Be More Strategic with Future Acquisitions

Basically, find the right depth pieces. It’s easier said than done.

When the Avs won the Cup in 2022, they hit on a depth acquisition in Andrew Cogliano at the trade deadline. In the following years, guys like Lars Eller, Yakov Trenin, Brandon Duhaime, Juuso Parssinen, and Jimmy Vesey were all misses.

When they won in 2022, Josh Manson came in and made an impact. They didn’t get that same impact from Sean Walker in 2024 or Ryan Lindgren in 2025.

When they needed help in the middle of the year, they picked up Nicolas Aube-Kubel off waivers, and he was a mainstay of the roster throughout the regular season and a key depth piece for the playoff run. Since then, they’ve gotten pretty much nothing out of recent waiver claims like John Ludvig and Ivan Prosvetov.

Darren Helm wasn’t supposed to be the fourth-line center in the playoffs in 2022 and was barely a factor in the regular season. The front office went out and acquired Nico Sturm to play that role. But the veteran forward, who played on the wing all year, was shifted to center and did everything and more that was asked of him. Nowadays, the coaching staff is struggling to find fits for players. Tomas Tatar was here, and then he was gone, before he had a chance to find his place. That’s just one example.

And that doesn’t even include their ability in the past to find the right type of players. They once added Nazem Kadri to be their 2C. His willingness to do anything it takes to win was an attribute missing from Johansen and Mittelstadt.

How has the pro scouting department fallen this much?

READ MORE: Former Avs Center Achieves Life-Long Dream — Awarded Captaincy for Winter Olympics

You have to hit on those depth moves. Every additional NHL-capable player you have at your disposal is a boost to your lineup. That’s part of the reason why I like the Joel Kiviranta signing. I’d much rather they get a guy they know can play 10+ minutes per night and do a good job, then to try and sign someone for a couple hundred thousand dollars less and end up with an unplayable player.

Missing on a depth piece — even a fourth liner — means you have to go out later and trade third-round picks for guys like Duhaime or Trenin, or a second for Eller because Anton Blidh and Lukas Sedlak were failed signings.

The Avalanche need depth pieces right now. And the fact that they’re being patient makes me feel like they’re well aware that they can’t get this wrong. Trying to replace a failed depth piece later isn’t easy when you’re short on tradeable assets.

Bring in Tougher Defensemen to Play Against

Is Brent Burns enough to change the tune of the defense? I certainly don’t think he is. And I say this as someone who loves the signing for Colorado.

The reality is, the blueline is a big part of the reason why the Avs have struggled to win playoff games in recent years

The Dallas Stars are a tough team to play against. And if you get past them and the rest of the Central Division, you’re probably going to struggle with the size and physicality of the Vegas Golden Knights. Which, by the way, were no match for the Edmonton Oilers’ physicality just two months ago.

Everyone else is beefing up. Colorado needs to adapt.

The Avs have hitched their wagon to Manson for the foreseeable future, and they have their top pair locked up. Between those three, and Burns, you’ve got four solid pieces of your defense.

Then there’s Sam Malinski, who they signed for a year, which walks him to unrestricted free agency next summer. But they still added another righty in Burns afterward. So, do they trust Malinski as a full-time NHLer? If they do, are they planning on shifting him to the left? Or is he a tradeable asset that they plan on using to bring in someone else before the trade deadline?

And of course, Samuel Girard rounds out the group. He’s the only piece of the bottom two pairs who didn’t sign a contract with the Avs this summer. Which is why I’ve continued to write about him being a potential trade candidate. They want to shake up the blueline, they’re not trading Devon Toews or Makar, and they signed the other three guys over the last six weeks.

So where does that leave Girard?

Regardless of what they choose to do, I just can’t imagine that Burns in and Lindgren out is the only change they wanted. They have to figure out a way to get bigger, stronger, and tougher to play against.

The post 3 Things Standing Between the Avalanche and Another Long Stanley Cup Run appeared first on Colorado Hockey Now.

I still wonder about the center position. On one hand, Chris MacFarland made it clear in June that he really loves having Jack Drury as the fourth-line center. If he starts the year at 3C, it might ultimately mean the Avs don’t have a traditional third line. This was also something the general manager noted at the draft — having two hard-working bottom six lines to go along with the talented top-six the team boasts.

Anyway, here’s where things currently stand on the Avs’ depth chart. Some of the players can play multiple positions, but ideally, this is how they’d stack up.

Centers

1. Nathan MacKinnon
2. Brock Nelson
3. Jack Drury
4. Zakhar Bardakov

Extras: Ivan Ivan, T.J. Tynan, & Jason Polin

If the team doesn’t acquire a centerman to replace Charlie Coyle, you can expect Bardakov to get the first look on opening night, assuming he does well at training camp. MacFarland singled him out specifically in June as someone they’d like to see step up.

Bardakov is already 24 years old and has four years of professional hockey experience in the KHL. He had a breakout last season, posting 17 goals, 18 assists, and 35 points in 50 games. At 6’2, 200 lbs, he’s got the physicality and energy to fill that fourth-line role. It’s just a matter of having his game translate to the NHL, which isn’t always the case.

The Avs got Bardakov from the New Jersey Devils in the Kurtis MacDermid trade.

Drury is 25, and this will probably be the season that determines how his career will shake out. If he gets the 3C opportunity and runs with it, there’s a reality where he locks in a higher AAV contract next summer and become the permanent third-line center on the depth chart.

But if the Avs feel the need to still bring in someone to play ahead of him, it likely means Drury as the 4C would be the plan moving forward. Can he develop into something more in the future? Absolutely. We’ve seen several examples of this in the NHL. But at 25 years old and with two full NHL seasons (plus two other years split with the AHL) under his belt, this would be the time for him to take that next step.

Even if Drury steps up, the Avs still lack depth and need another centerman to avoid moving Parker Kelly or Ross Colton back to the middle at any point. Injuries will probably happen.

The first two lines are set. Let’s hope the Nelson gamble pays off. I have high hopes for him in the Avs’ system with a full training camp and without the shock of a mid-season trade for a guy that had to navigate leaving his family around the trade deadline.

I know the production wasn’t all there, but that line with Gabe Landeskog and Valeri Nichushkin did a lot of really good things.

Wingers

1. Martin Necas
2. Artturi Lehkonen
3. Valeri Nichushkin
4. Gabe Landeskog
5. Ross Colton
6. Logan O’Connor (injured)
7. Joel Kiviranta
8. Parker Kelly

Extras: Nikita Prischepov, Gavin Brindley, Matthew Stienburg, Danil Gushchin, Tye Felhaber, Taylor Makar, Chase Bradley, Cooper Gay, & Alex Barre-Boulet 

I figured it would make more sense to combine wingers into one category. Aside from Necas, the other three top-six wingers in Colorado’s lineup all have the ability to play both sides. Even Kiviranta and Colton have played on both wings in their two years under Jared Bednar.

I also wouldn’t read into how I ranked the top four. I simply just went by their total points from last season. Any combination of those four guys in the top six makes sense. We’ll probably see Lehkonen and Necas start with MacKinnon, but I’d love to see Landeskog reunited with MacKinnon at some point. I also loved Nichushkin in 2023-24 on MacKinnon’s wing.

I genuinely can’t think of a combo between those four guys that wouldn’t work.

The third line ended last year with Kiviranta and Jonathan Drouin as the wingers. But Colton also started on that line with Kiviranta before his injury, and before Landeskog came back and pushed Drouin out of the top six.

If nobody else is added to the roster, I suspect Kiviranta and Colton will get the first look with Drury on the third line. And that’ll leave Kelly with Bardakov and whichever other AHLer or rookie that makes the opening night roster. It seems bare. And it is.

And that’s why I can’t imagine the front office stops here. I would suspect at least one more bottom six forward gets signed before opening night, and maybe even before training camp.

But even the waiver wire is going to be interesting to watch this year.

Right Defense

1. Cale Makar
2. Josh Manson
3. Brent Burns
4. Sam Malinski

Extra: Ronald Attard

The addition of Burns is so unbelievably intriguing. This is a guy that played heavy minutes in a very important role for a team in Carolina that made it to the Eastern Conference Final in two of the three seasons he was there.

I don’t imagine Burns is going to be the fifth most used defenseman on the team all year. I also think he might see some time on the left to get a chance to line up with Manson. But in a league where right defensemen are hard to find, the Avs have four that are capable of playing every single night.

If everyone is healthy for opening night, and no other additions are made, I imagine Malinski and Burns will make up the third pair with one of them shifting to their offhand side.

Left Defense

1. Devon Toews
2. Samuel Girard
3. Keaton Middleton

Extras: Sean Behrens & Jack Ahcan

Toews will play with Makar. That we know for sure. But that’s basically all that’s set in stone.

Are the Avs going to keep Girard with Manson? Will he get a look with Burns instead? Or will Manson and Burns load up on the second pair and push Girard down with Malinski? The options are endless.

Middleton is a solid extra and deserves to be around the team full-time. He’ll play a lot again this year if or when injuries happen.

Goaltending

1. Mackenzie Blackwood
2. Scott Wedgewood

Extras: Trent Miner & Ilya Nabokov (loaned to the KHL)

The Lumbar Yard is back, and they’re here for a full season this time around. This should be an exciting year in goal for the Avs.

If injuries strike here, Miner will probably be the main guy to get call-ups, just like last season. And Nabokov, who is on loan in the KHL, will be able to join the organization, likely in the AHL, once his season ends in Russia.

That’s assuming the Eagles qualify for the postseason again.

The post Avalanche Depth Chart: Lineup Coming Together but Still an Unfinished Product appeared first on Colorado Hockey Now.

All that and more on this edition of Deen’s Daily — August 7.

Colorado Hockey Now

There was more news than usual on Wednesday, in the sense that a hockey team did literally anything. While most of the league is quiet, the Avalanche finalized their coaching staff for the upcoming season.

Mark Popovic, a former NHL defenseman who has called Colorado home since retiring from pro hockey in 2017, has been added to Jared Bednar’s staff as the skills coach.

Read more about him below.

READ MORE: Avalanche Hire Mark Popovic as Skills Coach

Also, in the second half of the August Mailbag, I touched on all sorts of things. There were questions about Bednar and Chris MacFarland feeling the pressure, the possibility of trying to target another Bruins centerman on the trade market, PTOs, and the team’s 30th anniversary.

I listed some of the ideas I’d like to see from the team during the season, as they celebrate 30 years in Colorado.

READ MORE: Avalanche Mailbag 2.0: Avalanche’s 30th Anniversary, Pressure on Bednar and MacFarland, Trading for Zacha, & More

Around The NHL

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: It’s 8/7, which is unofficially Sidney Crosby day. The Penguin’s legend turns 38 today, and PHN has some thoughts on how we should treat him for the rest of his NHL career.

New Jersey Hockey Now: James Nichols at NJHN takes a moment to get real on how the Devils’ offseason has unfolded thus far.

Florida Hockey Now: How fun is the cover for the deluxe version of NHL 26?

Detroit Hockey Now: It’s not official yet, but it’s leaning that way. Former Red Wings forward is likely playing in Sweden for the upcoming season.

The post Deen’s Daily: My Ideas For Celebrating Avalanche’s 30th Anniversary; New Skills Coach Hired appeared first on Colorado Hockey Now.

READ MORE: Avalanche Mailbag 1.0: Gambling with Necas, EJ and Kiviranta Updates, Goaltending Tandem, & More

Question from Walter Nieuwlandt

Is Pavel Zacha a good third line target?

Aarif’s Response

This would honestly be an excellent pickup, but I just don’t think the Avs have the assets needed to acquire him. To me, Zacha is a perfect third line center that can also play up the lineup as needed. He’s good enough to play 2C if injuries arise or if Brock Nelson struggles at any point.

Basically, he would play the Ross Colton role with more offensive upside and as a more natural centerman. He’s also a big body, listed as 6’3, 206 lbs, and kills penalties. At only $4.75 million and 28 years old, I’d take that all day.

But again, I’m not entirely sure what Colorado could offer that would make sense for the Bruins.

Question from Sasha Landprecht

Are there any players the Avs will target for PTO?

Aarif’s Response

I can’t say who specifically, but you can expect at least one PTO at training camp this year. The Avs love inviting veterans to camp on tryouts to see if anyone can play their way onto the roster. We saw it last year with Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, albeit that didn’t end in a contract. But in the past, guys like Joel Kiviranta, Jack Johnson and if you go way back, Jack Skille have gained contracts after successful training camp PTOs.

I’d imagine it’ll be guys lower down the list of remaining free agents.

Question from Doug

Are the Avs at a disadvantage from a state income tax perspective? Should we expect Nevada, Texas, and Florida teams to always be a little better than they might otherwise be?

Aarif’s Response

In the flat cap era, it was easier for these teams to flex that advantage. And there’s a reason why five of the last six Stanley Cup champions are teams in Florida or Nevada. (Kudos to the Avs for being the one outlier).

But with the cap rising, I just don’t think it’s going to matter as much since more than half the league will likely have a cap surplus. You can finally entice a player with an overpayment to keep him away from a no-tax state because you’ll actually have the cap space to do so.

The problem is, the damage was already done to help some of these teams. I don’t believe being in Florida helps attract free agents. But I do believe it helps keep the guys you already have. Look at the contracts Sam Reinhart, Aaron Ekblad, and Tampa’s Brandon Hagel and Nick Paul signed. Those aren’t the types of deals you’re getting in Colorado. If the Avs had a no-state advantage, it could’ve possibly helped them keep Nazem Kadri in 2022, for example.

So even though I don’t think it’ll be as big of an advantage moving forward, it doesn’t take away from the fact that Ekblad, Reinhart, and Hagel are still playing out those contracts while in their primes.

I do think this general conversation will slowly go away over the next five years.

Question from Henri

What can we expect from the Avs 30th anniversary season announcement coming within the next week or two?

Aarif’s Response

We’ve all see the reports that they’re planning on bringing back the Nordiques sweater, so that’s something I’d expect to be announced then (if it’s true).

But I also wish they’d play a few games in the diagonal ‘Colorado’ word mark burgundy third jersey from the early 2000s. That was the first alternate sweater they ever had, and it was worn by Patrick Roy, Joe Sakic, Rob Blake, Adam Foote, Peter Forsberg, Paul Kariya, and Teemu Selanne. A lot of legends donned that sweater. Bring it back.

Also, I would like to see some of those legends come back for pre-game ceremonies throughout the season to honor past accomplishments and moments over the past 30 years.

Maybe when the Islanders are in town on Nov. 17, they can do a pregame ceremony remembering the day Roy passed Terry Sawchuk in wins.

When the Canucks are in town, we can do a flashback to a great Foote moment. And on other days, we can celebrate the other legends. When did Bob Hartley win his 100th game as head coach? Bring him back around that day to celebrate the anniversary. Thirty years is a long time. This team has a ton of history worth remembering.

I just hope it’s a little bit different this time around, and we can see some of those faces we haven’t seen in years. Perhaps a visit from Ray Bourque around the trade deadline would be fun. He was acquired on March 6, 2000.

Honestly, I’d even do something with Kariya and Selanne even if their time here wasn’t the best for either of them.

But I would like to see them celebrate moments from after the lockout too. Can we get Jose Theodore here for something? How about Jarome Iginla, recalling is 600th goal. Maybe a Ryan Smyth appearance? Or even Paul Stastny?

Question from Reece

Does another first round exit spell the end for Jared Bednar and does another failed experiment (example: Brock Nelson) mean the end for Chris MacFarland?

Aarif’s Response

Honestly? I do believe it will.

We all understand the loss to Seattle in 2023 and how gutted that roster was, on top of the Gabe Landeskog injury and Valeri Nichushkin suspension. But the next two years were a giant bummer. Losing to Dallas twice was a tough look. Especially since the Avs won Game 1 both times.

This year should put a lot of pressure on both the head coach and GM. I’m a big fan of Bednar, but results are all that matter now. Nathan MacKinnon will be 30 years old this upcoming season, and you can’t keep wasting his prime years.

If this talented Avs roster doesn’t play well enough in the regular season to win the division or at least have home-ice advantage, then that could lead to a tough first-round opponent, and potentially a loss. That’s still a fireable offense for not getting better playoff positioning.

And if they do finish first or second in the Central, and get upset by the lower seed, I think that’s also a fireable offense for both of them.

Unless something completely crazy happens. Like I’m talking season-ending injuries to Cale Makar and MacKinnon, I can’t find a reason that would excuse another first-round loss. Potentially even a second-round loss (if it’s to Dallas again).

Question from Rudy Volz

Who is the best Joe Pavelski puck deflector on the Avs that can help point shooters?

Aarif’s Response

It’s either Landeskog or Nichushkin. Having both of them fully healthy at the same time again will be fun.

I didn’t love Landeskog playing in different spots on the PP after his return in the postseason, but Ray Bennett is gone, so I imagine that’ll somewhat change.

Question from Jeffrey Anderson

Who do you have on your bingo card for 3C, assuming it’s not Drury? I think he needs time at 4C to develop his game.

Aarif’s Response

I’ve talking about choices like J.T. Compher (with salary retained) in the past. But I honestly have no idea what they do here anymore. I can see so many different scenarios play out.

What if during training camp, another team has a young center earn a roster spot and it makes a veteran expendable? Avs could probably trade for whoever that guy is.

What if Avs decide to let Jack Drury start the season at 3C to see what they have? And what if it doesn’t go as well as you’d want? Then you’re back to scouring the trade market for someone else.

What if the security blanket is Ross Colton, and putting him back at center if Drury doesn’t do well there? I don’t love that idea, but that could be a possibility.

In the end, I think they’ll have a different 3C after the trade deadline, I just don’t know when they’ll get that guy.

But I also really don’t want to rule out the idea of Drury developing into that role. It’s not the sexy option, but it’s still very possible. Drury is 25 and entering only his third full NHL season. How he plays this year will probably say a lot about how the rest of his career will look.

Question from Jeffrey Anderson

The Avs also need a LD, or two of them, if they trade Samuel Girard. Who’s a good fit and available? I know Mario Ferraro may be.

Aarif’s Response

Ferraro is a reasonable option.

I honestly wouldn’t mind Matt Grzelcyk on the third pair. But only if you’re trading Girard for someone else to beef up the left side on one of the pairs. Grzelcyk is also a UFA, so you wouldn’t have to give up assets to get him.

If they trade Girard, I’d love to see them acquire a solid No. 3 option. I’ve written about it before, but I always loved how the prime Chicago Blackhawks had Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, and Nik Hjalmarsson as their three-headed monster on defense. And then there would be a drop-off for the remaining three guys.

Ivan Provorov could’ve been a UFA target, but he was way overpaid by Columbus. K’Andre Miller as a trade target would’ve made sense. Perhaps Bowen Byram could still be an option, albeit he’s not the big, beefy defenseman that would fit the bill.

What about one of Seattle’s towering blue liners? They have Vince Dunn, Jamie Oleksiak, and Ryan Lindgren all on the left side. Maybe they’ll make Oleksiak available.

An off-the-radar type of guy for me would also be Alex Vlasic from Chicago. But I can’t think of any reason why they’d trade him. I would like to see them find a way to bring in someone younger like that, though.

Question from Karl Keen

You posted on the Avs’ Nordiques jersey rumor. But given it is an anniversary season, any inkling that the Avs would just update their home and road jerseys, including altering the logo a bit? I feel like the jerseys are pretty outdated at this point in time.

Aarif’s Response

I don’t think that’s happening. The logo might be outdated to some but it’s a classic for this franchise. The Avs have rarely altered their jersey designs in general since 1995-96, let alone the logo. When Adidas took over in 2017, they pretty much went back to the same design before Reebok in 2007.

I’m not entirely sure why they defaulted to the ‘unipron’ that Reebok offered, but I’m glad those days are long gone.

Anyway, I just can’t see them changing the logo anytime soon.

The post Avalanche Mailbag 2.0: Avalanche’s 30th Anniversary, Pressure on Bednar and MacFarland, Trading for Zacha, & More appeared first on Colorado Hockey Now.

Or at least try.

Yegor Chinakhov wants out of Columbus, according to a report from Aaron Portzline of The Athletic, and the Avalanche should take a chance on the buy low, high reward forward.

According to the report, the 24-year-old Chinakhov’s agent went public on X/Twitter, stating that a misunderstanding between his client and Jackets head coach Dean Evason led to the request. Columbus’ GM Don Waddell told Portzline that he wasn’t surprised about the request, and that Chinakhov didn’t take well to being healthy scratched after not playing well following a back injury.

The Jackets are taking calls to try to trade him, if the return is up to par with his value.

Enter the Avalanche. And a long relationship between Chris MacFarland and his former employer.

MacFarland has time and time again taken a chance on players or coaches from the Jackets organization since joining Colorado in May 2015. Usually it’s on guys he knew when he was there, but that’s not always the case. Sometimes GMs have teams or other GMs they prefer to trade with, and Columbus is that for the Avs.

In fact, the most notable move Colorado has made this summer was a deal that sent Miles Wood and Charlie Coyle to the Blue Jackets. This is a great opportunity for the two organizations to strike another deal.

Chinakhov is listed at 6’1, 201 lbs, and was drafted No. 21 overall in 2020. He had seven goals and 15 points in 30 games this past season, but that came after a 16-goal, 29-point 2023-24 season in just 53 games.

If the Avs can get him without overpaying, the left shot right-winger, who has experience on the power play and a great shot, is a perfect reclamation project oozing with potential to be a useful top-six winger.

Read More: Avalanche Mailbag 2.0: Necas’ Next Contract, Trade Value, and Bottom-Six Depth Uncertainty

The Avalanche haven’t had much success in recent years with reclamations or hitting on a player’s untapped potential, like with Oliver Kylington, Erik Brannstrom, and even Casey Mittelstadt. This same front office, led by Joe Sakic and MacFarland, also missed in the Patrick Roy era with pick-ups like Joe Colborne and Patrick Wiercioch.

But this is the same group that hit big with Valeri Nichushkin, Devon Toews, Artturi Lehkonen, and Andre Burakovsky, to name a few. Those guys were all on the Stanley Cup-winning roster in 2022.

Chinakhov might not be a success. But he also could be, and would majorly help a franchise that needs young talent up front for this upcoming season and beyond.

Low risk, high reward. It’s an opportunity that doesn’t always present itself.

Let’s see if MacFarland can make it happen.

The post Chinakhov Wants Out of Columbus — Why the Avalanche Should Make a Move appeared first on Colorado Hockey Now.

Trades are still very much going to be a thing, especially when it comes to remaking the blueline. But up front, there are still some guys that could help this team in a depth role.

Avs general manager Chris MacFarland said on Thursday that he’s still keeping tabs on a few options.

Here are five that he could be talking about.

Victor Olofsson, LW, Age: 29

The Avs are still looking for help in the bottom six and Olofsson is the only remaining skater from my first UFA Board on June 30.

If you’re looking for someone who can play the left side on the power play and pound pucks home, then Olofsson isn’t a bad option. He had 15 goals and 29 points in 56 games for the Knights last year in a limited role.

Joe Veleno, C, Age: 25

There was a report earlier in the week that the Avs were favorites to land Veleno. He’s a 25-year-old centerman that was bought out of his contract at one-third of the value because of how young he is.

This is precisely the same way Valeri Nichushkin became an unrestricted free agent in 2019 with the Dallas Stars. And that’s about the only comparison between the two players.

Veleno was a very skilled junior play that just couldn’t find his way with the Red Wings. He’s a centerman, which you could never have too many of, and is the best reclamation project on the market. Can the Avs unlock something in him?

Joel Kiviranta, LW, Age: 29

This is an obvious choice because the Avs know what they’d be getting here. If I had to guess, I’d say Kiviranta is still available because the Avalanche didn’t offer him as much of a raise as he’d like. But that’s entirely a prediction.

If other teams don’t pounce, I’m sure an opportunity to remain in Denver will arise. MacFarland already made it clear that he’d circle back on both Kiviranta and Erik Johnson if needed.

Jack Roslovic, RW, Age: 28

The best forward remaining on the market, Roslovic, who scored 22 goals, is the only option left that had more than Kiviranta’s 16.

If the Avs end up dealing Ross Colton, this is someone that can take his place as a third-line right wing option and can fill in for injuries in the top six. I’m not for dealing Colton at this point, given the surplus of cap space Colorado now holds. But if options arise for MacFarland to shore up and remake the blueline, then trading Colton and signing a slightly cheaper Roslovic is an easy way to create some cap space.

Brett Leason, RW, Age: 26

Listed at 6’5, 220 lbs, Leason can play center or wing. At just 26 years old, he’s a UFA because the Anaheim Ducks didn’t qualify him. Similar to Veleno, Leason could be a solid reclamation project for the Avs, or someone that never dresses and ends up in the AHL. It’s a worthy gamble on a player you can get for around league minimum

The post Avalanche UFA Board: Bottom Six Depth Options Remain on The Market appeared first on Colorado Hockey Now.

“I love coming to the rink every day and working. It really is the best. You’re around guys that they’re chasing one goal, there’s just something special about it — all the laughs and working hard together. It’s really special to try to build something together. And I just enjoy that process,” Burns told the media on Thursday via Zoom.

“There’s a lot of different reasons I love that and obviously the biggest one for me is there’s still something to chase. So I’m still super motivated for that. And, yeah, there’s one big goal still.”

Burns has relationships with a few players, which will make his integration into the team a bit easier. He most recently played with Martin Necas and Jack Drury in Carolina, but knows other new teammates.

READ MORE: Deen’s View: At 40, Burns Isn’t Done Yet — But Where Does He Fit on Colorado’s Blue Line? (+)

“Hockey is a pretty small world. I played with Mac (Nathan MacKinnon) before. I’ve come across Brock (Nelson) a little bit. We have some mutual friends in Minnesota. And obviously I know Nechi (Necas) and Jacko (Drury), and there’s a couple other relationships there,” Burns said.

The 6-foot-5 blueliner was drafted in the first round (20th overall) of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft by the Minnesota Wild. He spent seven seasons with the Wild before being traded to the San Jose Sharks on June 24, 2011. He won the James Norris Memorial Trophy in 2016-17 and was a finalist for the accolade in 2015-16 and 2018-19. After 11 seasons with the Sharks, Burns was traded to the Canes on July 13, 2022.

Playing both forward and defense in his career, Burns has proven a valuable two-way player. His style and experience will undoubtedly fit seamlessly into the Avs’ system and structure.

“Anytime you have a guy that has that kind of experience, to put in with Gabriel Landeskog and Nathan MacKinnon and the other guys that we have that are maybe not quite 40 years old, but they’ve got a lot of miles in this league and have been good players for a long time. So I think he’s going to fit right in with our group,” GM Chris MacFarland said.

READ MORE: Avs Still Have Work to Do After Coyle, Wood, and Brindley Trade

The Barrie, Ontario native had 29 points (6G/23A) and averaged 20:57 of time on ice per game last season. He played a perfect regular season and added five points in 15 Stanley Cup Playoff games. With 1,497 career regular-season games under his belt (eighth-most all-time by a defenseman) and 14 years the wiser than his fellow Norris Trophy-winning teammate, Burns is excited to learn new things from Cale Makar.

“I’ve heard a lot about how he approaches the game and how he is at the rink. I love that,” Burns said. “I’m 40 years old, but I can still learn a lot. And I don’t know if I’ll be able to do any of it, but I love that part. Trying to learn from people around you is such an important thing, and trying to adapt to it.”

Burns’ extensive resume with numerous awards and milestones is exceptional, but the most important of all trophies is missing — which he hopes to add with his new team.

The post ‘There’s One Big Goal Still’: Burns is Excited to Join Avs appeared first on Colorado Hockey Now.

Colorado has spent years building its team through the trade market for good reason. Because the contracts handed out on July 1 are often for a touch too much, or for a little too long. And you rarely ever get a needle mover.

The Vegas Golden Knights landed the big fish in Mitch Marner. But to make space for him, they’re losing top blueliner Alex Pietrangelo to LTIR while trading Nic Roy to Toronto in the Marner sign-and-trade, and Nic Hague to Nashville for two other depth pieces.

Read More: Jonathan Drouin Lands Big Two-Year Contract With Islanders

Aside from Marner, almost every other big free agent opted to re-sign with his club. You can thank the Florida Panthers for ultimately eliminating a lot of the intrigue. Florida didn’t just re-sign the reigning Conn Smythe Trophy winner, Sam Bennett. They also landed deals with Aaron Ekblad and Brad Marchand at the eleventh hour.

Without them, without Brock Boeser, who re-signed in Vancouver, or Ivan Provorov, who opted to stay with Columbus, the market ultimately lost almost all the talent at the top.

The Rangers signed Vladislav Gavrikov, arguably the best UFA defenseman remaining, but they traded K’Andre Miller to make the money work.

The last remaining high-profile player left is Nikolaj Ehlers. And, the Avs are reportedly interested. It would explain why they did basically nothing (Parker Kelly extension aside). It would also explain why they haven’t yet resorted to making trades.

Read More: Report: Avalanche One of Many Teams Interested in Nikolaj Ehlers

It seems like general manager Chris MacFarland identified his target, and was willing to risk losing out on the next tier of players if Ehlers chooses another suitor. But that’s fine. They weren’t missing much.

I have a sense the L.A. Kings might quickly regret the big money deals they handed to Cody Ceci and Brian Dumoulin on the blueline. The Ducks have cap space, but is Mikael Granlund for three years at $7 million the best way to utilize it?

For some teams, striking out on July 1 might be a cause for concern. But it shouldn’t be for the Avs, or their fans.

Sticking it out to see if you can land a sizable piece in Ehlers is worthy of being patient. If not? That’s fine too. It just means you have another year without a notable UFA signing. Another year of extending a streak of seven offseasons in a row without a UFA signed for more than a $4 million AAV.

Read More: Ryan Lindgren Departs Avalanche For New Deal in Seattle

MacFarland and Joe Sakic built the 2022 Stanley Cup championship roster via trades. They remade last year’s mess of a lineup by wheeling and dealing throughout the regular season. After dealing Charlie Coyle and Miles Wood to clear space and recoup some assets, they still can, and likely will, shift to the trade market to achieve what they wanted.

It starts with waiting it out to see if Ehlers signs. After already sitting out a market that just wasn’t favorable for most Stanley Cup contending teams

The post With Ehlers Reportedly in Sight, Avalanche Smartly Play the Waiting Game appeared first on Colorado Hockey Now.

The Avalanche’s general manager feels calm, and more comfortable with what he has to work with.

He’s got clarity on the captain, all of his top forwards are healthy and available, and following a cap-clearing trade, he has cap space to maneuver with. What a difference a year makes. Especially as it pertains to Gabe Landeskog and planning around his hefty $7 million salary.

Read More: Deen’s View: With Coyle and Wood Gone, Avalanche’s Main Focus Should Shift to Defense (+)

“The last three years we didn’t know (if he would play). So you’re in that wonky space of if he comes back, what do we do, and how do you plan for that exactly? And last year, Val was also suspended,” MacFarland said Saturday at Ball Arena. ” Those are vice-like grips on what you’re doing in the summer, because if you don’t have escape hatches, sometimes teams will look to exploit you if you have to get in those situations where you have to move money suddenly.”

Last year, MacFarland straight up told us that his targets would be low AAV signings. He got Parker Kelly on a low-cost deal and it paid off. But Oliver Kylington, Calvin de Haan, and Erik Brannstrom didn’t work out. This time around, there is a possibility that things could really get shaken up.

Is it finally time to remake the defense after the top pair? Who is going to play in the bottom six? Pretty much everything is on the table outside the core group and the goaltending tandem.

Here are the takeaways from MacFarland’s press conference, just days away from the opening of unrestricted free agency.

They Finally Can Operate Without LTIR

Landeskog’s playoff return has almost made me forget that the Avalanche haven’t played a regular season with their captain since March 2022. And for the first time in four years, the front office can plan for opening night without wondering if they can spend Landeskog’s salary on a replacement.

That, in itself, is huge. MacFarland spoke about the possibility of being able to accrue cap space leading up to the trade deadline, something you can’t do when you’re operating in LTIR. If, for example, you enter opening night with around $250,000 in cap space, that daily number accrues over the season and allows you to spend more at the trade deadline.

Logan O’Connor will start the season injured, but depending on the moves they make, they still could probably be under the cap even with O’Connor and his replacement accounted for. Having cap space means less assets get sent out the door for salary retention.

Read More: Deen’s Daily: MacKinnon Has Had Enough; MacFarland Talks Coyle, Wood Trade; Marner to Vegas?!

MacFarland Loves Making Trades. Could More Be Coming?

I’ve written about this before but, traditionally, this front office prefers trades to signing free agents. I asked MacFarland about this, and he said it’s a case by case type of thing. But here’s what he had to say about the plan heading into July.

“We’re going to look at all options. It may not be free agency. We’ll do our assessments, and we’ll see where those markets go, in terms of the terms and the dollars, and maybe a trade is the better way to go,” MacFarland said. “I think we’ve got to look to add at forward and on the back end. So we’ll look at every avenue possible until we find the right fits.”

Martin Necas Extension? Maybe?

MacFarland is well versed at saying a lot, but also not saying much at the same time. Sometimes it’s unnecessary to read too much into what he says. But other times it’s smarter to grab onto clues to really figure out what he’s saying. Is this one of those times? Maybe.

Here’s what he said when I asked him about Necas being eligible for an extension on July 1, and if he has confidence that a new deal can be signed before the season begins.

“I’m not going to comment on any pending contracts or anything like that today, but we’ll chat with a bunch of our guys that are going into the last year in the weeks ahead, and we’ll see if we can find common ground,” MacFarland said. “But Marty played very well for us. He’s a he’s a dynamic winger. I think he was top 20 in the league in scoring, so we’re super excited to have him.”

Is this a non answer? Or is the lack of clarity in his response code for “we have no idea how this is going to turn out.”

I guess we’ll find out soon. This remains the biggest story of the summer for the Avs, in my opinion.

Read More: Avs Still Have Work to Do After Coyle, Wood, and Brindley Trade

Is Drouin Returning? How about Lindgren or Kiviranta?

The Avalanche have three notable pending UFA’s. Technically four, but I’ll get to that shortly.

I asked MacFarland specifically about Jonathan Drouin, and he touched on all three guys. It sounds like there’s a possibility that any one of them could be signed before Tuesday. Here’s what the GM had to say.

“We obviously have a plethora of our own free agents, with Kiviranta, Drouin, and Lindgren,” he said. “We’ll never say never on any of those guys. But I think we’re going to breathe a little bit here and see what shakes off the tree. And if we decide to see if there’s a deal over the next two days before July 1 hits, and it makes sense, maybe we will. But on Tuesday, we’ll be looking to improve the team.”

The fourth free agent I hinted at, is, of course, Erik Johnson. Should I be reading between the lines, or did MacFarland simply forget to mention him when he began his response?

Defense Changes Are Coming

Going back to reading between the lines, it sure sounds like MacFarland wants to shake up the blueline. I’ll drop the full quote of what he had to say when he was asked about changes on defense after the top pair.

“We’re very fortunate, obviously, to have Taser and Cale and Sam Girard and Josh Manson. Sam Malinski also played very well. I’d be very curious to see Keaton Middleton’s continued evolvement as training camp comes,” MacFarland said. “But whether (we add) a second pair guy, or a number five type of guy hat can be paired with Malinski, I think we have guys that can play decent minutes throughout our lineup.

“If you’re just looking at the obvious, to continue the left-right theme, a left shot would go a long way. And if he was 6’3, 220 lbs and skates like the wind and pounds people, we’d love to find that. But those are unicorns. I don’t think we have these specifics. Just, does it make us better, and how do we get it? Is it a trade? Is there a UFA that makes us better? And if we can’t find it, then we’re gonna have great competition with some of the depth with the Eagles.

“We’ll definitely look at improving that slot one way or the other here.”

Read More: Avalanche Select UMass Defenseman Francesco Dell’Elce, Two Others in 2025 NHL Entry Draft

O’Connor’s Hip Surgery

Speaking of O’Connor, the hip surgery he had was not on the same hip as the one he operated on in 2024. So, thankfully, it’s not a re-aggravated injury.

Coaching Staff Hires

The Avs still need a new power-play coach to assist on Jared Bednar’s staff. They also need to replace Aaron Schneekloth and Dan Hinote, who departed the AHL Colorado Eagles for NHL jobs this summer.

“We have got a lot of great candidates, and that process is ongoing,” MacFarland said of the AHL openings. “Similar here with our assistant coach position. I don’t know exactly the timeline, but I would like it to be sooner, rather than later, that we get those three positions filled.”

The Sidney Crosby Rumors Reached The Front Office

MacFarland was jokingly asked about how Georges Laraque’s tweet, and eventually Kevin Weekes’ coded comments on live television sort of led to this crazy idea that Sidney Crosby could be heading to Colorado. Did he hear about it? And if so, what was the reaction?

“You get texts. I think Joe (Sakic) got something,” he said. “You get used to it. Like most of the time it’s just good fodder, right? It’s good chatter. So obviously I’m not going to comment on rumors or other teams (players), but it makes for good hockey talk, that’s for sure.”

Somebody texting Sakic to ask if the Avs are actually getting Crosby is hilarious. Imagine trying to work through an NHL Draft and suddenly being blindsided with something like that.

The post Chris MacFarland Ahead of Free Agency: ‘We’ll Look At Every Avenue’ to Improve Roster appeared first on Colorado Hockey Now.

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