Avs trade talk: Is Tuukka Rask now an option?

With the NHL draft just a few days away (Tuesday and Wednesday) and free agency right after that (Oct. 9) and lots and lots of uncertainty about just how much teams will be able to afford to spend in these Covid-19 times, there are expected to be lots of players swapping teams very soon. One of the bigger names to suddenly appear on the “available for trade” boards is Boston Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask. Could he interest the Avs?

The good folks over at Boston Hockey Now laid out a scenario in which Rask could become a member of the Colorado Avalanche. Mind you, it’s their trade proposal, not necessarily that of the Bruins or Avs.

Even Frank Seravalli of TSN had this to say about the Avs and their salary-cap situation in a recent “Trade Bait” piece: “Colorado Avalanche: Life is good when you’ve got all-world Nathan MacKinnon locked up for three more years at $6.3 million. GM Joe Sakic has a blank canvas and more than $20 million in space to spend, starting with a starting netminder.”

A couple things about Tuukka Rask: Bruins fans are tired of him, for the most part. He has yet to deliver a second Stanley Cup, after Tim Thomas gave Bs fans one in 2011. He left the playoff bubble in Toronto to spend more time with his family, which may or may not have soured relations with management some and partially why he may or may not be on the block right now.

In fact, Seravalli also wrote this: “Many were wondering if there would be fallout from Rask’s decision to leave the bubble for family reasons, a decision that was certainly supported by teammates. But multiple sources indicate that Bruins GM Don Sweeney has initiated conversations with teams about Rask’s market value over the last number of weeks.”

Rask is 33 years old and has a modified no-trade clause. He’s got some miles on him and some wonder just how long he wants to keep playing. He also is entering the final year of a contract that pays $7 million, then he’d become an unrestricted free agent. To get Rask, the Avs would almost certainly have to part with a pretty good roster player and maybe a high draft pick or two as well. The Avs have the 25th pick in Tuesday’s first round, which isn’t exactly a headline-grabber as trade bait, but add nicely in a package with another established player. How about Tyson Jost, NIkita Zadorov and a first for Rask?

What say you on Rask, Avs Nation?

Rask was the runner-up in the Vezina Trophy voting this season, posting a 26-8-6 record with five shutouts and a .929 save percentage (second-best in the NHL), and has a 291-158-64 record and .922 save percentage in 536 career games since 2007.