Dater’s Daily Links: Avs scouting Rangers again (or is it Winnipeg)?

The Avalanche had a scout at the New York Rangers’ game at Winnipeg last night. Make of that what you will.

With Nazem Kadri out for what I fear could be between 4-6 weeks and the NHL trade deadline here on Feb. 24, the Avs may have to explore a trade option to fill in the gap and/or add to the playoff roster.

The Avs have been linked with the Rangers’ Chris Kreider as a potential rental on the top six, but Kreider isn’t a center. He’s a left wing. I don’t think the Avs want to give up an expensive package of picks/prospects for any pretty much anything at the deadline. But sometimes injuries can force things.

We heard Kyle Connor’s name in rumors the other day from Winnipeg, but I weighed in on that already.

I think the Avs will scout a bunch of players in the coming week or so, and make their reports back to Joe Sakic for evaluation. No big scoop there. But I think the chances of a bigger deal have gone up because of the Kadri injury.

MORE LINKS

• This is TSN’s official “trade bait” list.
• Thursday’s game between Avs and Capitals has been moved from 7 to 7:30. Alex Ovechkin needs two goals for 700, so NBCSN wants to feature it as the official second half of their national doubleheader.
• Mark Rycroft’s take on the outdoor game.
• Peter Forsberg is signing autographs tonight in Denver.
• The Avalanche’s clearinghouse page for All Things Outdoor Game. Lots of useful info. in here.