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Avalanche Mailbag 1.0: Stanley Cup Window, Offseason vs Mid-Season Trades, and the Landeskog Effect

Aarif Deen — Tue, 15 Jul 2025 23:07:54 +0000

This one was a whopper of a mailbag that I’ve decided to split it into two parts. The second half will be released Wednesday morning.

Thanks to all who asked questions! Enjoy.

Question from Sasha Landprecht

From 2020-2025, the Avs could’ve had 3 Cups. But after their Cup win, It seems like it went downhill with Gabe Landeskog’s injury and Valeri Nichuhskin’s issues. Do you think their cup window has shut?

Aarif’s Response

This upcoming season is going to tell us a lot about where this team currently stands.

They played a great series against Dallas but fell short on the PP and couldn’t hold third period leads. It was a frustrating loss that’ll sit with them for a while. But with No. 92 and No. 13 seemingly figured out now, we’re going to see what they’re made of.

In short, no, I don’t believe their Cup window has shut. They have more in them with this group. And then they can extend it if the pieces around Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Devon Toews, and Landeskog, etc. are refreshed in the next few years.

This is going to be their roster to open a season since 2021.

Question from Stephen Moss

I do not expect the Avs to make any significant trades until after the season starts. None of the teams in the NHL are prepared to let go of any quality centers before the season starts. Once players start under-performing or out play their current contacts and appear to be unable to be extended (contracts) with their current teams, the trades will begin. Then the available cap space will be used on incoming quality players. What do you think?

Aarif’s Response

As much as I’m trying to bring a center trade to life, your scenario is probably more likely. It’s not any harder to add a middle six center mid season, and there’s nothing wrong with fixing that part of your lineup later on.

Right now, the Avalanche have a solid top six. Like, a really good one. One of the best in the NHL. They also have a great top pair on the blueline, a bunch of really good middle pair defensemen (albeit the puzzle pieces are still being figured out), and their goaltending tandem is top notch. Those are all things that are going to lead this team right out of the gate.

The third line looks shoddy right now, and Logan O’Connor’s injury adds more holes in the bottom six in general. But these are easier spots to fill mid-season than what they had to deal with this past year. Or even in 2023-24.

When they won the Stanley Cup, they added a top four defenseman in Josh Manson, they added a top-six forward in Artturi Lehkonen, who ended up bumping Andre Burakovsky down, and they added two pieces to their bottom six in Andrew Cogliano and Nico Sturm. Don’t forget, when they first got Sturm, he was expected to be the full-time 4C in the postseason. Darren Helm doing what he did sort of came out of nowhere.

It’s not abnormal to add that many guys around the core. But they’ve been so stuck for years now with Landeskog’s uncertainty, no 2C, goaltending issues, etc. Those all seem to be fixed now. Hopefully.

So yes, I agree. Pieces will become more available, and the Avs can scour the market after seeing what they have in house first.

Question from Jared Williss

Who is the most realistic trade target to address the open slot on the third line?

Aarif’s Response

I keep going back to J.T. Compher as the most likely option because the Red Wings would like to get out from under that contract. They’d have to retain to do it, though. There are plenty of wingers around the NHL that can also fit. Even free agents.

One guy I’d like to see Avs keep an eye on is Lawson Crouse. He’s got two years remaining on his deal at $4.3 million, but he could be someone worth taking a chance on to bounce back from a bad year.

Question from Donald Cooley

Will there be a “Landeskog effect” this year? Will having the captain back help get this team back to the mindset required to win the cup?

Aarif’s Response

I don’t want to over or undervalue how big a deal this is. I’m trying not to. But there was a calm in Chris MacFarland’s demeanor after the draft because he knows he can plan for Landeskog being back in the lineup. That in itself is huge.

Then when you add in having him for an entire season in the dressing room? You can’t put a price on that. It’s going to be massive for this team. If you followed along all year, you probably saw me write quite a bit about the sometimes missing leadership in the room after a tough loss.

Question from PhatMatt

With all the hype talk around Joel Kiviranta and now Nikolai Kovalenko back in Russia, why haven’t they signed Kiviranta? Are they not happy with his play? Are they playing hardball?

Aarif’s Response

I actually do think they’re playing a little bit of hardball. MacFarland mentioned two weeks ago that he was still in touch with his pending UFA’s but wanted to let the market breathe a little bit. That says to me that they want Kiviranta back and he probably wants to stay, but they want to make sure they aren’t overpaying him.

This allows him to see what other teams feel his value is before circling back with the Avs. I still think he returns, I’m just curious if the Avs can keep him on a one-year deal, which I suspect is their preference.

Question from Ty Hall

I like the RFA options for replacing the 3C, but realistically they probably won’t be available. When I think of a Cup contender I think of a shutdown veteran third line especially at center for D zone draws. What are the best options to fit that build?

Aarif’s Response

Thanks for reading my trade targets piece! Those RFA options were somewhat a pipe dream.

I already answered a previous question similar to this and mentioned Compher. But, I think names we aren’t thinking of will become available as the season goes on. I tried my best at identifying someone like Jean-Gabriel Pageau in a previous article. So that’s someone to keep an eye on, if the Islanders don’t bounce back the way they’re hoping to. Players of that ilk will probably be who they’d want if not Compher.

I really thought Nic Roy would be a great fit but understood why Vegas was never going to trade him to Colorado.

Question from Kathrynn Bartlett

Do you think Jack Drury will start the season as the Avs 3C or their 4C?

Aarif’s Response

As things currently stand, he’ll start as the third-line center. This would allow Jared Bednar an opportunity to try guys like Zakhar Bardakov to see what he has in the early months of the season. Mid-season trades are easy for this team to make — they proved that last year. If you’re using the middle of the season to fill out complementary roles, rather than a starting goalie or a 2C like last season, then it should be easier than what this front office is used to.

Question from Reece

Do you think dumping Charlie Coyle just to get rid of wood was worth it? I know the idea was to get more cap space but having Coyle as 3C just made the Avs feel more dangerous than they have since the cup run.

Aarif’s Response

Charlie Coyle as a 3C looked insanely strong on this team. Unfortunately, the $5.25 million was tough to make work. Avs have cap flexibility right now and it’s a great thing to have, especially going towards the trade deadline.

I think they just felt that clearing Coyle’s large salary in addition to Wood’s $2.5 million was worthwhile for that flexibility and ability to do things later. I agree with it because I think they’re also taking into account how Coyle will be used, and perhaps they just didn’t think he was going to be used enough to justify his cap hit and keeping Wood.

Question from Caleb

Do the Avs really not have a contingency plan for Landeskog? There are multiple holes to fill, and the chances of him being healthy for an entire 82 game season are slim to none. Having no depth seems extremely risky?

Aarif’s Response

The short answer is, no, there is no contingency plan. They waited three years to see if he can get healthy, and having that four-game playoff stint went a long way in feeling a lot better about him moving forward. He looked great and entered right in the middle of a heated series against another strong team. And played a ton of minutes.

Are his chances of playing 82 games, or close to it, slim to none? I wouldn’t say that. But I think the contingency plan for him is the same as if they were planning for a Lehkonen, Nichushkin, or Necas injury.

Someone like Colton. Or other middle six forwards.

Colton is on the third line, and he’s a viable option to play in the top six when someone else is absent. And I’m sure they’ll have another addition to replace one of Wood or Coyle too, who could be a viable option to step in as needed.

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Deen’s Daily: Avs Took Advantage of Coyle’s Market Value; Devils Dealing Top Defenseman?

Aarif Deen — Sun, 06 Jul 2025 22:30:15 +0000

The Avs have cap flexibility thanks to their center depth entering the draft. Also, the New Jersey Devils might be looking to move a massive piece off of their blueline.

All that and more on this edition of Deen’s Daily — July 6.

Colorado Hockey Now

This feels like the type of summer that’s going to drag out a little bit longer than usual. At least when it comes to roster movement.

Many of you are confused as to why the Avalanche shed Charlie Coyle and Miles Wood off the roster without replacing them. The short answer is, the UFA market wasn’t as strong as years past, and it’ll likely take a late signing or more importantly, a trade, to fill those spots.

I released a UFA Board that targets five forwards the Avs could look at. But I also do believe Chris MacFarland is keeping a closer eye on the trade market. He admitted that much on July 3 when he spoke to media after the Brent Burns signing.

Also, the Coyle trade was more than just about recouping assets. Colorado used the value of their third-line center to strategically move off of a bad contract. It’s the second time they were able to do that in a short span with Coyle.

And it was well worth it to gain the flexibility and assets they got for future moves. Even if those moves don’t happen right away.

Around The NHL

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Three teams that could use Rickard Rakell.

New Jersey Hockey Now: The Devils had a prominent defenseman on the market last week. Could he still be moved?

San Jose Hockey Now: Alex Nedeljkovic was not expecting a trade this summer. He’s now part of the Sharks’ new tandem with Yaroslav Askarov.

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Report: Avalanche Used Charlie Coyle to Solve Their Miles Wood Problem

Aarif Deen — Sun, 06 Jul 2025 20:20:13 +0000

The Avalanche weren’t going to trade Charlie Coyle unless they were absolutely blown away by an offer.

That was the message from the start of the offseason, as soon as teams started to call for Colorado’s veteran third-line center. Given the lack of options on the market, any team needing depth at the position was going to need to overpay for what would usually be the cost for someone of Coyle’s caliber.

But there was more to it.

NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman recently said on Sportsnet’s 32 Thoughts podcast that the Avalanche were leveraging Coyle to clear another contract off the books.

“The thing I heard about Coyle is that, Colorado made it very clear that if you were going to get him, you were probably going to have to take Miles Wood, too,” Friedman said. “Wood needed a change of scenery, it just didn’t work out in Colorado.

“Columbus could do that. That is one way that Columbus’ cap flexibility won the day for them. They got Coyle because they were willing to take Wood.”

Ultimately, in the span of three months, the Avalanche used Coyle’s value to rid themselves of two contracts that weren’t working out for them. Colorado got Coyle and a fifth-round draft pick from the Boston Bruins in a deal for Will Zellers, a second-round draft pick, and Casey Mittelstadt, who was on the first of a three-year deal paying him $5.75 million per season. Mittelstadt is already slotted in as the third-best center on Boston’s depth chart, behind Elias Lindholm and Pavel Zacha. There’s no saying if he’ll fit in on that team.

Was it an overpay? Sure, if you consider who Colorado gave up to get Mittelstadt in the first place. But selling off a mid-level prospect and a second-round draft pick was great to get off a player that wasn’t working for them, and eating a large portion of their cap.

Wood was in a similar situation. His first year with the Avs was fine, but last season was a mess. He’s now dealing with back issues and might never be the same player, at least not in Colorado. With four years remaining at $2.5 million per season, getting off of his deal without having to pay to do so, was something Chris MacFarland needed to do.

When you consider that Columbus gave up a prospect better than Zellers in Gavin Brindley, in addition to a second-round draft pick and a third-round draft pick, it’s a great deal for Coyle, who was slotted in as a third-line center. And it also meant moving on from Wood.

If you combine all the trades, the Avs basically swapped Zellers for Brindley, swapped second-round draft picks, and gained a third and fifth round pick to get off of Mittelstadt and Wood’s combined $8.25 million in cap space, and in the process they got Coyle for a playoff run that admittedly should’ve gone better than it did this past season.

It’s a tidy bit of business that finally gives Colorado cap flexibility for the first time since they won the Stanley Cup in 2022.

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

Aarif Deen — Sat, 28 Jun 2025 12:00:07 +0000

The Avalanche didn’t want to trade Charlie Coyle. They liked having a strong core down the middle that rivals the best teams in the league. But an opportunity to clear cap space came, and general manager Chris MacFarland plucked one of his centers off a roster that he really wanted to bring back. “We believed […]

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

Colleen Flynn — Sat, 28 Jun 2025 02:02:00 +0000

The Colorado Avalanche didn’t have a first-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, but they still made an impact on Draft Day. Miles Wood and Charlie Coyle were traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets for forward Gavin Brindley, a third-round pick in this year’s draft and a conditional 2027 second-round pick.

“Going back to his draft year, he’s a high-motor, tenacious player that plays with really good pace. That book has just traveled and followed him to pro hockey,” Avs GM Chris MacFarland said about the 20-year-old Florida native on Friday at a media conference. “When we were talking with them, he was a player that our pro scouts piggybacked on to what our amateur side was seeing and thought it was a good player that plays the way we like to play.”

The move freed up $7.75 million and added a highly-touted prospect to the development pool. But there are still moves to be made for the team to solidify its bottom six. The top six are locked in with Gabe Landeskog’s return and multi-year contracts for Nathan MacKinnon, Valeri Nichushkin, Artturi Lehkonen and Brock Nelson. Martin Necas is in the final year of his contract this upcoming season. The unknown is Jonathan Drouin, who is an unrestricted free agent come July 1.

The Avs were eliminated in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in seven games by the Dallas Stars. MacFarland and president of hockey operations, Joe Sakic, said in their end-of-the-season exit conference that they felt they had the team to win a Stanley Cup. Offseason changes were undoubtedly going to be made.

“When you have expectations to try and win, you’re going to make decisions on trying to win. I think that’s what we’ve done and this year it didn’t work,” MacFarland said. “We all still feel the sting of that, but we feel we have a good hockey team and a competitive team, and it just didn’t work.”

Avalanche management still has work to do. MacFarland mentioned that a qualifying offer needed to be made to defenseman Sam Malinski, along with “holes” in the roster requiring attention.

“We’ve got (Zakhar) Bardakov coming over, so we’re excited to see what he can do in that mix in training camp. We know what we’ve got in terms of cap space and roster holes, so you do the math, you try and figure out what’s the average that we can spend and how do we put it together and make the math work,” MacFarland said. “We’ll look at anything we can to improve, including the back end. The only area really that we’re probably set as we sit tonight is in net.”

Colorado has one pick each in the third, fourth, and seventh rounds in this year’s draft. Stay tuned for more action in the near future.

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Deen’s Daily: Habs Land Dobson; Coyle, Wood Traded Away; Avs Making Space — Is Byram Returning?

Aarif Deen — Sat, 28 Jun 2025 00:43:17 +0000

The hours leading up to the draft had two notable trades and a re-signing. The Avs traded away Charlie Coyle and Miles Wood. Are they making space to possibly bring back Bowen Byram?

All that and more on this edition of Deen’s Daily — June 27.

Colorado Hockey Now

The Avs made one of two trades that broke before the NHL Draft on Friday. And they cleared a whole heap of cap space in the process.

Heading to Columbus are Charlie Coyle and Miles Wood. Heading to Colorado is prospect Gavin Brindley, and two draft picks. Get the full details of the trade below.

Before the trade was announced, I answered questions in a quick pre-draft mailbag. And yes, clearing cap space was among those questions.

There have been rumors for weeks that a Coyle trade might happen. I still didn’t know if it would, but here we are.

What are the Avs’ next moves? One report has them linked to Bowen Byram. I still don’t think Byram would want to return and play behind Devon Toews and Cale Makar. But the report is out there.

Around The NHL

The NHL Draft is currently in process, and oh boy is it a slog. I’d take The Sphere over this any day of the week. I’d take anything over this.

Anyway, we’ll save draft recap stuff for tomorrow. But first, we’ve got another trade and a big extension to talk about.

NYI Hockey Now: The Islanders obviously selected Matthew Schaefer No. 1 overall. But before that, they acquired the No. 16 and No. 17 overall draft picks from the Montreal Canadiens. Noah Dobson was obviously the big piece going the other why. Here’s why he didn’t re-sign with the Islanders.

Montreal Hockey Now: It’s an incredible move for a team that just qualified for the playoffs and took that next step in their rebuild. Here’s why the Habs were smart to sell off assets for Dobson.

Florida Hockey Now: It’s official. Conn Smythe Trophy Winner Sam Bennett is re-signing with the Florida Panthers. I will say, he didn’t take as big a pay cut as I thought he would. The details of his contract are here.

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Here’s the latest on the Pens trade rumors.

Also, the CBA extension became official on Friday, pending a vote from the teams and players. Here are details of what’s coming in 12 months.

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Avalanche Clear Cap Space, Trade Coyle and Wood to Columbus For Prospect, Two Draft Picks

Aarif Deen — Fri, 27 Jun 2025 19:22:36 +0000

The Avalanche traded center Charlie Coyle and winger Miles Wood to the Columbus Blue Jackets in a cap-clearing move on Friday. In return, they received a 2027 second-round draft pick, a 2025 third-round draft pick (77th overall), and prospect Gavin Brindley.

Brindley, was drafted No. 34 overall in 2023. The 20-year-old was available when the Avs selected Calum Ritchie and Mikhail Gulyayev late in the first round that year, and Colorado was very interested.

Listed at 5’9, 168 lbs, Brindley spent two years with the Michigan Wolverines, capped off with a 53-point season in 40 games in 2024. He played one NHL game for the Jackets after signing his entry level deal.

Last season, Brindley played 53 games for the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters and had 17 points. He spent the majority of the year as a right-winger but played center a handful of games, too.

So basically…

OUT:
Casey Mittelstadt
Miles Wood
Will Zellers
2nd Round Pick

IN:
Gavin Brindley
2nd Round Pick
3rd Round Pick
(Coyle for one playoff run)

5 months ago the Avs had a struggling $5.75 million center and a $2.5 million winger. Both now off the books.

— Aarif Deen (@runwriteAarif) June 27, 2025

Coyle, 33, is in the final year of a contract paying him $5.25 million. He was acquired by the Avs at the March 7 trade deadline in a deal that sent Casey Mittelstadt, prospect Will Zellers and a second-round draft pick to the Boston Bruins.

Coyle finished the regular season strong after a slow offensive start with the Avs. He had two goals and 13 points in 19 regular-season games before scoring just one goal in a seven-game series loss to the Dallas Stars.

The Avs locked up Brock Nelson for $7.5 million earlier in the month to center the second line, and Coyle’s salary was likely too much of a luxury. Before the trade, Colorado had just $1.2 million in available cap space and still had a handful of spots that needed to be filled.

With Nelson and eventually John Tavares both signing before the first day of free agency, a weak center market become even weaker. Coyle, who is a strong middle-six center, likely became an asset that the Avs could cash in on.

And they did. They used Coyle’s value to rid themselves of Wood’s contract. Wood has four years and a $2.5 million AAV remaining on his deal. He struggled with injuries for most of the 2024-25 season, and was a healthy scratch in the playoffs for all but one game.

The Avs are clearing $7.75 million of cap space with this trade, which means they have nearly $9 million in space heading into tonight’s NHL Draft.

The second-round pick in 2027 will be the lower of the two picks the Jackets own that year.

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Avalanche Mailbag: Defense Upgrades, Necas Extension, Offloading Salary, & More

Aarif Deen — Fri, 27 Jun 2025 18:08:21 +0000

Here are my responses from a quick Avalanche Mailbag ahead of the NHL Draft.

Question From Scott

Do you think the Avs make a trade before the end of the NHL Draft and if so who do you think gets traded?

Aarif’s Response

I do think there will be a trade this weekend at some point. Whether it’s for roster players, or cap-clearing moves to set them up for additions on July 1. The Avs have two picks in the draft, and I don’t think they’re going to trade for additional picks. That means their priority this weekend is mostly the trade market and figuring out ways to maneuver off cap space.

So in short, yes. I do see at least one trade happening this weekend. If I had to predict one name right now, I’d say it’s Samuel Girard.

Question From Gabriel Gingras

I really like Jordan Kyrou as a player, with Martin Necas rumored to seek a big deal, do you think a deal between division rivals of Necas for Kyrou would make sense ?

Aarif’s Response

Kyrou is a fine player, but this type of trade wouldn’t make sense for the Blues. They’d be trading a young forward with cost certainty for one who needs a new contract and will more than likely make more than Kyrou.

The Blues need help on defense, and they’re rumored to be interested in Bowen Byram. They were also in on Noah Dobson. If they deal Kyrou, I’d imagine it’s for help on the blueline.

Question From Alex

What are the odds that Miles Wood is attached to a trade deal before or during the draft?

Aarif’s Response

I’d say it’s pretty low odds this weekend, but those odds can go up after the first few days of free agency. This is strictly speculation on my behalf, though.

The contracts handed out on July 1 are going to shock a lot of people. There will be a new standard for player salaries that we all need to get used to.

So basically, I feel like once teams see what depth players sign for, the ones that miss out would be more inclined to circle back to Colorado and ask for Wood, even if it’s for free — for future considerations. The general thought is, if Wood was a UFA on Tuesday, would a team sign him to a four-year deal worth $10 million? Perhaps. The new salaries handed out might make that more of a reality and easier to stomach for an acquiring team.

Question From Ryan

On a scale of 1-to-10 what do you think the likelihood of Necas signing a contract extension before the season is? If so, what do you think the AAV would come in at?

Aarif’s Response

I don’t know how to put a number on this one. I’ve said before, and I still believe that the front office would be crazy to let the season start without clarity on a Necas contract. If it’s not signed, then it needs to at least be close.

I just don’t have a good feeling about it in general, and haven’t since the Avs lost Game 7. If you’re trading Mikko Rantanen to clear cap space and not be top-heavy, then you should’ve gotten a player back with cost certainty. If, for example, Necas had the Tage Thompson contract (five more years at $7.14 million), then I’d understand their thought process a lot more.

Necas wants to get paid, and he’s going to want a massive raise off the $6.5 million he currently makes. I shudder at the thought of him making even $9.5 million and only saving roughly $3 million off what you could’ve probably signed Rantanen for.

All that’s to say, if Necas loves it here enough to sign long-term now, he’ll do it. But I think he wants to bet on himself if he’s not getting a massive payday this summer. Which is why I still believe they should trade him. And they should acquire a player who has term on his deal.

For all we know, they might already have a reasonable extension prepared with Necas and ready to sign in July. We’ll find out soon, I guess.

Question From Jeffrey Anderson

Aarif, do you see Nick Hague or K’Andre Miller helping Avs second pairing? If so, do you think that the Avs could be successful including Girard or Josh Manson in a 1-for-1 trade with Vegas or New York for either player? Do you see any realistic scenario where they could land Vladislav Gavrikov or Ivan Provorov to vastly improve the D?

Aarif’s Response

I’d much rather prefer Miller, but I’m well aware he would require a bigger contract than Hague. I don’t think Vegas wants money back for Hague, anyway. But I do think you can entice the Rangers with one of Girard or Manson (plus more) for Miller.

I’ve gone back and forth on whether they should go the trade route (Byram or Miller, etc.) or free agency (Gavrikov or Provorov) but if there truly is a market for Girard (even if it’s just draft picks), I’d love to see the Avs get Provorov, for example, and then use their trade chips like Girard to restock the cupboards ahead of the trade deadline. Provorov might get a bigger payday, but you don’t have to trade for him. You keep those assets and can use them for other stuff.

Question From Jeremy

On the record as saying the Avs center depth 1-4 is as good as any team outside the Panthers, maybe. Assuming Sam Bennett re-signs there.

But if they do decide to move Charlie Coyle, I’m sure the Leafs would be interested. Thoughts on Coyle for Brendan Carlo straight up? He checks a lot of boxes for the Avs. He’s signed for two more years at a very, very modest $3.4 million. He’s big, tough to play against with plenty of postseason experience & is a legit top-four D.

Aarif’s Response

With John Tavares officially locked up, I wonder if the Leafs would even want Coyle. I think their top choice might be Brad Marchand, but they do want to shore up their center depth. Carlo would be an interesting acquisition and one that makes sense. I just hate the thought of losing Coyle unless you have a clear replacement for him.

The best part about Coyle is, he’s only got one year remaining on his contract. I’m of the belief that it’s too early to upgrade Jack Drury to 3C, but that thought could change next summer after seeing a full season of Drury here. Coyle gives you time to see what you really have with Drury before he’s due a raise, and perhaps even an upgrade to the third line.

It’s somewhat comparable to having Scott Wedgewood for another year before rushing Ilya Nabokov into a full-time NHL role. If you’re trading Coyle, you need another one-year stop gap. And one that can also help you win in that one year.

Question From Balon

Is there a chance the Avs make a competitive offer for Mitch Marner?

Aarif’s Response

There’s always a chance. But they’d have to clear a ton of cap space beforehand, which is risky, unless you know you’re going to get him. So I’d say it’s a very low chance. I think Marner might be the first big-name free agent the Avs won’t be circling around as much.

Question From ourpetsheadsarefallingoff

How do performance bonuses work against the salary cap? Jonathan Toews and Jamie Benn are both on deals that pay bonuses for games played and for winning the Stanley Cup. It seems like the bonuses aren’t paid this year if it means it pushes the team over the cap and instead get paid next year. This seems like clever cap circumvention especially with the cap going up so much each year right now, deferring these payments and AAV could be really helpful. Could the Avs go the same approach for a contract with someone like Jonathan Drouin?

Aarif’s Response

You’re somewhat accurate here with the first part of your question. The bonuses still get paid this year, but their additional cap hit is carried over to next season. For example, Toews can make up to $5 million in additional bonuses. If he hits $3 million of it, but the Jets end the season with only $1 million in cap space to spare, it means the extra $2 million will be deducted from next year’s cap.

It’s definitely a clever way to somewhat circumvent the cap, but it’s not as prevalent as you’d think. The Avs can’t sign Drouin to a contract like that because it’s only available to players above a certain age, or one’s coming off a severe injury (Landeskog, for example, would be eligible for this if he was a UFA this summer).

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Trade Target: If Available, Reunion With Evan Rodrigues Makes Sense For Avalanche

Aarif Deen — Thu, 26 Jun 2025 12:00:56 +0000

Evan Rodrigues is reportedly available for trade after a two-year stint with the Florida Panthers. The former Avs winger never wanted to leave Colorado following his one-year stint with the team in 2023, but it ended up being the best decision of his career.

The Panthers are back-to-back Stanley Cup champions, and Rodrigues, who signed a four-year deal with them two summers ago, was a key piece of their top six both times.

Now that Florida is up against the cap and pushing to bring back at least two of their big three free agents, the Avs should try to pry Rodrigues out of Florida to fill in as a depth forward. The now 31-year-old has chemistry with the core, has versatility to play on any line, and can provide an added veteran presence for a team itching to make another Stanley Cup run.

Nick Kypreos: Panthers' Evan Rodrigues is "one to watch as a potential cap casualty" – Sportsnet

— NHL Rumour Report (@NHLRumourReport) June 25, 2025

The Avs have a mostly complete forward group already, but the third line could use some help. Assuming Charlie Coyle sticks around, it’s looking more like one or both of his wingers from the postseason will be gone. The line ultimately wasn’t all that effective.

Both Jonathan Drouin and Joel Kiviranta are pending unrestricted free agents.

Ross Colton is currently slotted in as the third-line right-winger on the depth chart — a position he held before suffering an injury in Game 1 against Dallas. The left wing spot is Miles Wood, who only played one game in the playoffs. At least one, if not both, of those spots are up for grabs and Rodrigues for two more years at $3 million per would be a great add.

Wood should, and probably will, be shipped out in a cap dump deal of some sort. Once that’s taken care of, the team should still trade Colton and his $4 million salary and replace him with Rodrigues and another cheaper forward, perhaps even Kiviranta.

Colton is a luxury the team can’t afford anymore. In order for the Avs to remake their defense, they’ll need extra cap space. If you can find a way to trade Colton and Wood and replace them with Rodrigues for a million less than Colton and someone else, you’ll have the space you need to shuffle the blueline.

I’ve spent most of the offseason wondering if the team would bring back Drouin. He’s not the best fit on the third line, but he would give the team much-needed top-six security. However, I wrote yesterday about the issue with this logic. Drouin is a great fit on the top line when he’s healthy. He has great chemistry with Nathan MacKinnon. We know this.

But his playoff performance in a depth role left a lot to be desired.

You can’t re-sign him for top-six security if he’s not going to get the job done in his more permanent third-line role.

Rodrigues would be a much better fit. We know versatility is one of his strengths, and we’ve seen him produce with MacKinnon before.

When he spent a year in Colorado, he had 39 points in 69 games and played a career-high 17:51 per game. In the playoffs, Rodrigues had five points in seven games, playing mostly with MacKinnon and the now departed Mikko Rantanen. But more importantly, he’d be an excellent third liner that can both provide energy and produce offensively.

That’s the type of top-six security the Avs need.

I’m not sure what it would take to get him out of Florida but given the deals we’ve seen for Mason Marchment and Evander Kane, I wouldn’t expect it to be much. The biggest hurdle for the Avs would be clearing space for him. Whether it’s Wood, Colton, or both, those would be the guys to trade to make this happen.

Rodrigues had 15 points in 21 games in this most recent Cup run, after recording 15 in 24 in 2024.

I remember speaking to Rodrigues in the dressing room after the Game 7 loss to Seattle. He was very open and honest about wanting to stay in Colorado. But the Avs decided to look elsewhere, and revamped their forward group with the likes of Colton, Wood, Drouin, and Ryan Johansen, among others.

That same night, I tried to ask J.T. Compher about his pending unrestricted free agent status, but he avoided the question.

Rodrigues liked it here, and I don’t have any reason to believe he wouldn’t want to come back. If you’re the Panthers and you have to move him to clear space, sending him to the Western Conference should be your priority.

The post Trade Target: If Available, Reunion With Evan Rodrigues Makes Sense For Avalanche appeared first on Colorado Hockey Now.

Deen’s View: Nelson Deal Sets the Table — Now the Real Work Begins for the Avalanche (+)

Aarif Deen — Wed, 04 Jun 2025 17:37:58 +0000

The biggest question surrounding the Avalanche heading into the offseason was the lack of uncertainty at the second-line center position. But not anymore. Colorado announced on Wednesday that Brock Nelson, the centerman they acquired from the New York Islanders for Calum Ritchie and a first-round draft pick on March 6, is staying. Nelson signed a […]

The post Deen’s View: Nelson Deal Sets the Table — Now the Real Work Begins for the Avalanche (+) appeared first on Colorado Hockey Now.