NHL Trade Deadline 2025: Desperate For Depth Scoring — Avalanche Trade Board 3.0

The March 7 trade deadline is quickly creeping up. For the Avalanche, the needs are aplenty as the depth forwards continue to struggle to produce.

It still feels like general manager Chris MacFarland is at a bit of a crossroads. The Mikko Rantanen trade felt like a move for the future more than this year’s playoff run when individually assessed. But given the long-term money going out with a star player of that caliber, it also sets the Avs up for an opportunity to swing for a player with term.

Do they find the right fit before the deadline?

READ MORE: Is This Avalanche Season Worth Saving?

There’s also an unsettled feeling among the forward group as a whole. This feels like the first time in a long time that several guys could be moved off the roster before the playoffs. Last year, the only forward that was traded around the deadline was Ryan Johansen. In 2023 there weren’t any and in 2022 Tyson Jost was moved.

This roster doesn’t quite have that stability. Will Casey Mittelstadt be traded? How about Ross Colton? Is this the last week of Miles Wood’s tenure with the Avs?

All three of them have term — but their production hasn’t matched their contracts.

With that being said, Trade Board Version 3.0 is here, 10 days ahead of the trade deadline.

(Forwards are listed first, then defensemen).

READ MORE: What Issues Plague the Avalanche Right Now? 

Brayden Schenn, C, St. Louis Blues

Age: 33

Contract: $6.5 million cap hit, UFA in 2028.

Brayden Schenn would be a gamble given his age and the fact that he has three more years remaining on his contract. But Schenn is one of Nathan MacKinnon’s closest friends and a proven winner with leadership qualities.

Acquiring him would change the dynamic of the Avs’ room — something desperately needed after several players admitted that team morale is low following the back-to-back losses coming out of the 4 Nations Face-Off break.  It’s also worth noting that MacKinnon hasn’t had a leader in the room that he looks up to since Erik Johnson left via free agency, Andrew Cogliano retired, and Gabriel Landeskog struggled with injuries.

Schenn provides that.

The Blues’ captain has 33 points in 58 games and is on pace for a second straight 46-point campaign. Have his numbers dropped because St. Louis isn’t as deep or because Father Time is catching up to him? It’s probably a bit of both. Figuring out which is a bigger factor is what MacFarland and the rest of the front office need to figure out if they go this route.

Ryan O’Reilly, C, Nashville Predators

Age: 34

Contract: $4.5 million cap hit, UFA in 2027.

For all the reasons Schenn makes sense, Ryan O’Reilly does not. His abilities, term remaining on his contract, and age are a perfect fit. He’s also got Stanley Cup pedigree, winning the Cup as Schenn’s teammate in 2019 while also winning the Conn Smythe Trophy.

The problem is, O’Reilly doesn’t have much of a relationship with Joe Sakic since the team and player went their separate ways a decade ago (can’t believe it’s already been that long). O’Reilly also doesn’t seem to be as close with MacKinnon as other former teammates. Given how this season has gone, and with Rantanen suddenly being sent away, chemistry with MacKinnon is crucial.

It’s too bad. O’Reilly fits exactly what the Avs need. Could you imagine a shutdown line with O’Reilly centering Artturi Lehkonen and Valeri Nichushkin? It would drive other teams absolutely bonkers.

I just don’t believe he’d ever want to come back here. Maybe things will change.

Brock Nelson, C, New York Islanders

Age: 33

Contract: $6 million cap hit, UFA in July.

This would be a very different approach to the trade deadline. Hear me out: What if MacFarland convinces Lou Lamoriello to accept Casey Mittelstadt as part of a package for Brock Nelson?

The Islanders veteran center would strictly be a rental and give the Avs the ability to reset this summer. Does it mean you ultimately have nothing left of the Bowen Byram trade tree just 14 months later? Sure, but it also opens up $5.75 million in cap space with a full offseason to find a better match for that 2C role.

Brad Marchand, LW, Boston Bruins

Age: 36

Contract: $6.125 million cap hit, UFA in July.

Bruins captain Brad Marchand is in the last year of his contract. We’ve seen Steve Stamkos move on after a lengthy tenure with Tampa Bay. We also saw O’Reilly get traded from St. Louis in his last year under contract with the Blues on the outside of the playoff picture.

Is this another example of that? Or do the Bruins see Marchand as a franchise legend who needs to finish his career with one team?

There’s no denying he’s an impactful playoff performer, even at this age. And the vibes and leadership he’d bring to a locker room should not be understated. He and a trio of Avs also had a great experience with Team Canada just last week.

Scott Laughton, C, Philadelphia Flyers

Age: 30

Contract: $3 million cap hit, UFA in 2026.

Feels like he’s brought up every year. Scott Laughton has another year remaining on his contract at a reasonable cap hit. Acquiring him would require the extra commitment from MacFarland in the sense that there would be a spot for him to remain in a top-nine role next season too. That means Wood or Colton would probably need to be included in a deal like this.

Laughton is a solid 35-40 point player who plays with an edge and would be a big addition to the PK. Bringing him in also means you’re committing to Laughton and Jack Drury as your bottom six centers. That’s not a bad route to take.

Lawson Crouse, LW, Utah Hockey Club

Age: 27

Contract: $4.3 million cap hit, UFA in 2027.

I was shocked to see how much Lawson Crouse has struggled this year. He has just eight goals and four assists in 57 games. It’s that bad.

But Crouse is coming off three consecutive strong seasons. He had 20 goals and 34 points in 65 games in 2022 before upping those numbers to 24 goals and 45 points in 77 games in 2023. Last season his production dipped a bit to 23 goals and 42 points in 81 games.

He’s a big body with a physical edge that can play in all situations.

Would the Avs and Utah both consider giving one of their guys a fresh start? If so, how about a 27-year-old Crouse making $4.3 million for two more seasons coming to Colorado for 28-year-old Colton, who is locked up for the same term at $4 million?

Yanni Gourde, C, Seattle Kraken

Age: 33

Contract: $5.1667 million cap hit, UFA in July.

Another pure rental. Gourde is the ideal third-line center who also has experience playing on the wing. Given the recent addition of Drury, the Avs could either shift Gourde to the wing or play him at center and Drury as 4C with Kelly getting moved to the wing.

Gourde’s been out since Jan. 2 with a lower-body injury but is skating again and is targeting March 4 as a return date, according to TSN’s Pierre LeBrun. He wants to play before the deadline to help entice other teams to trade for him.

He has Stanley Cup pedigree and would instantly give the Avalanche more of that tenacity on the third line that translates well in the playoffs.

Gourde’s salary is a bit high but retention could do the trick.

Jake Evans, C, Montreal Canadiens

Age: 28

Contract: $1.7 million, UFA in July

Jake Evans would be a good addition to the bottom six at a manageable cap hit. I’d steer clear of signing him to an extension beyond that because it seems like this season has been an outlier compared to years past. But all that matters is the playoff run for a rental and he’d be a solid addition.

It just depends on how high the asking price is and how aggressive the Avs want to be for a clear-cut fourth liner.

Seth Jones, LD, Chicago Blackhawks

Age: 30

Contract: $9.5 million cap hit, UFA in 2030.

Seth Jones was added to Version 2.0 of the Avalanche Trade Board last month. Since then, he’s publicly stated that he’d like to be moved to a contender. But he knows as much as the rest of us that his contract makes it tricky

Would Chicago retain that much for that long? I’m not quite sure. But Jones is a right-shot defenseman who would slot in nicely next to Samuel Girard on the second pair and could play big minutes if you ever deal with injuries to your top three blueliners.

Maybe the Avs trade Josh Manson, or maybe he’s relegated to the third pair and stays there for one more season until his contract expires. When Colorado acquired Manson, it pushed Erik Johnson and his $6 million cap hit to the third pair for a playoff run and one more season. Perhaps the same thing happens to Manson here.

What would it take to get Jones? The Avs recouped some picks from Carolina in the Rantanen trade. They also have a select number of prospects aside from Calum Ritchie that could interest Chicago. Would they be interested in a forward too, like Colton? Or Wood? I’m sure Malinski would also be an easy throw-in here as well. Other teams will be in on this as well. I’m curious to see how strong an offer they get from elsewhere — if at all.

Jones at $9.5 million doesn’t make sense. But what if Colorado gets him for $6 million?

Rasmus Ristolainen, RD, Philadelphia Flyers

Age: 32

Contract: $5.1 million cap hit, UFA in 2027.

Rasmus Ristolainen is one of those players that the analytic darlings would steer clear of. But this season his metrics look better and he’s been rewarded with a four-minute jump in average ice time per game. Ristolainen has molded over the years into a physical shutdown defenseman with a big body who plays on the PK, blocks shots, and can give you 20+ minutes per night.

Would the Avs acquire him at $5.1 million? Probably not. But a bit of retention could make him another one of those perfect fits who could alternate between the second and third pairs with Manson. It would also be the second straight season that the Avs turn to Philadelphia for a right-shot defenseman.

The Avs have a track record of developing these types of players into efficient stay-at-home defensemen. Look no further than Jack Johnson (in a lesser role), who was on the tail end of his career and had already been bought out by another team when the Avs brought him in on a PTO. They turned that player into three playoff runs.

Mario Ferraro, LD, San Jose Sharks

Age: 26

Contract: $3.25 million, UFA in 2026.

How about a longer-term pickup on the blue line? Unlike the other options, Mario Ferraro is under contract for another year after this season at a very manageable cap hit. He’s a minute-munching defenseman who plays a physical game and on the PK.

He’s also a left-shot defenseman, which means Girard would need to shift to the right if Ferraro was to be a part of the top four. He’d be a great fit on the third pair.

It would also be fun to bring him in because he played with Cale Makar on the top pair at UMass. He’s also a big personality and has the type of leadership qualities the Avs would love.

David Savard, RD, Montreal Canadiens

Age: 34

Contract: 3.5 million, UFA in July

Another piece of the 2021 Tampa Bay Lightning, David Savard has a Stanley Cup and is built for playoff hockey in a depth role. The biggest question with him is, does he still have it? Or would this be the defensive version of the Lars Eller trade two years ago?

Savard has seen his ice time drop to 18:07 per game with the Montreal Canadiens this year after playing at least 20 minutes per night for each of the previous five seasons.

He’s another right-shot defenseman and could slot in on the third pair and probably wouldn’t cost much.

Matt Grzelcyk, LD, Pittsburgh Penguins

Age: 31

Contract: $2.75 million cap hit, UFA in July.

Like Savard, Matt Grzelcyk could be an easy-to-acquire low-cost rental to shore up the Avs’ bottom pair — which could definitely use some help.

Honorable Mentions

• Sam Bennett, C, Florida Panthers — Is this one a bit of a dream pickup? Yes, of course. But after the Avs chose long-term certainty over keeping Rantanen as their own rental, I can’t help but ting other teams might do the same thing. Bennett is a UFA this summer and could be one of those guys Colorado targets if the Mittelstadt-for-Nelson scenario happens. The Florida Panthers are still hoping to re-sign him, though.
• Mathieu Olivier, RW, Columbus Blue Jackets — The perfect fourth liner for any team that wants to play a physical brand of hockey. He’s got offensive upside too.
• Nick Bjugstad, C, Utah Hockey Club — He was an offensive force in Arizona last year but that didn’t transition with the relocation to Utah quite as well.
• Ian Cole, RD, Utah Hockey Club — If Utah is still in the playoff race, they probably won’t want to unload a piece like this. But Cole has been pretty solid over the past three seasons and has familiarity with the organization. I’ll always remember how the 2021 Avs never recovered from trading Cole so early in the year. He was sorely missed and later replaced by Manson.

Removed from Trade Board

• Ivan Provorov — With Columbus well within the wildcard hunt, I find it hard to believe they’re still interested in trading Provorov. They’re also interested in re-signing him and continue to negotiate an extension. Perhaps a fall from the playoff race would change things.
• Rasmus Andersson — He was previously listed in the honorable mentions section for this exact reason: Calgary Flames general manager Craig Conroy has made it clear that the blueliner is among a group of three veterans he will not be trading this year.

Traded off the Board

• J.T. Miller, C, Acquired by NY Rangers (from Vancouver)
• Mikael Granlund, C, Acquired by Dallas Stars (from San Jose)
• Morgan Frost, C, Acquired by Calgary Flames (from Philadelphia)
• Marcus Pettersson, LD, Acquired by Vancouver Canucks (from Pittsburgh)