MacFarland is Not ‘Totally Satisfied’ Ahead of the Trade Deadline

Avalanche GM Chris MacFarland has been busy getting his team where he wants it, but he is not quite there yet. The latest trade, which brought defenseman Ryan Lindgren and forward Jimmy Vesey to the team, added depth but MacFarland may not be done.

With the trade deadline quickly approaching, there may be more moves made.

“It’s no secret that we had to try and get deeper, both upfront and on the backend. I don’t think we’re totally satisfied,” MacFarland said. “If we can still find a way to improve the team, we’ll try. How, I don’t know. We’ve obviously used some draft capital and things of that sort, but I think we’re deeper.”

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Lindgren adds depth to the D-core and can move around pairings. He is versatile and used to playing big minutes which should give Cale Makar and Devon Toews a little relief in time on the ice.

“The bite that he adds, the sandpaper, the hard to play against, a little bit of the ratty component, is something that our sauce needed. And Bedsy’s (head coach Jared Bednar) got a lot of ways he can use him,” MacFarland said.

The 31-year-old blueliner participated in his second Avs practice and seems to be acclimating quickly. Josh Manson was on the ice for the full practice but Bednar is not expecting him to play on Tuesday. It’s not confirmed who Lindgren will pair with.

“He’s just a really good defenseman all around, strong defensively, and I know he’s got the tough side to him too. So he’s kind of got
everything,” defenseman Sam Malinski said.

Vesey is also a versatile player who MacFarland expects to make an impact anywhere from the second to the fourth line.

“He can plug and mix and match and penalty kill. He’s a decent-sized guy too, and he’s got some big game experience as well. He’s a good depth add for us,” MacFarland said. ” You’re going to need it. If you’re fortunate enough to grab a spot and try and get through the battle that we all know the playoffs can be.”

Both new players are expected in the lineup against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday at Ball Arena.