Avalanche News
TRADE ALERT: Avs Make Deal with Islanders for Brock Nelson
The Colorado Avalanche traded forward Calum Ritchie, a first-round selection in the 2026 or 2027 NHL Draft, a conditional third-round pick in the 2028 NHL Draft, and defenseman Oliver Kylington to the New York Islanders for Brock Nelson and William Dufour.
Avs GM Chris MacFarland said, “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,” on Monday.
Nelson has 43 points in 61 games with the Islanders this season. He has 11 multi-point games and a career-high 52.8% in the face-off dot. He’s spent the entirety of his career with the franchise that drafted him in the first round in 2010.
Dufour, 23, has played in 45 games this season for the Bridgeport Islanders (AHL), registering 18 points. His goals and points total both rank seventh on the club.
The 6-foot-3, 212-pound forward has 91 points in the 169 career AHL games all with Bridgeport played from 2022-25. He played one game with the Islanders on Jan. 18, 2023.
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Wow
Genuinely shocked we shipped out Ritchie… Traded a 20-year-old future franchise pillar for a 33-year-old rental who will sign with Minnesota in the off-season. If the Avs don’t win the Cup this year, this will likely be looked back on as one of the worst deadline trades of all time. I hope I’m wrong.
Would not have let Ritchie go.
A future pillar of the franchise could be hyperbole. Maybe yes, maybe no. Lots of major junior studs are average NHLers. Nobody can predict his future
You are not wrong, but he is the only strong forward of our prospects.
The highway to the NHL is littered with can’t miss prospects
Steeeeeep price for a UFA rental, but the cup window is now, Ritchie was 2-3 years away. Go Avs Go
Wow of the worse trades ever.
Nelson 50% retained.
Basically Ritchie 1st and 3rd.
Kylington for whatever prospect.
The avs should have gotten Tsyplakov in that deal. I mean they have up alot for Nelson unless they extend him but even then that’s one steep price to pay. This just begs the question. Does Nelson play in top 6 and bump mittelstadt or does mittelstadt get traded for D help(carlo)
Mitts has to go.
How on earth is Mitts still on this team?
What would you do with him if no one wants him?
First, I would make him change his name to MittsKinnon. Then I would see if nobody’s paying attention.
Because his trade value is low now. Avs need to find a depth D on Friday so you may still get your wish
Mittlestadt to bruins for carlo and geekie.
Carlo a top 4 Dmen and geekie a solid middle six player.
Wow is that an overpay…no clue how you make that deal for a 3 month rental of a 33 year old…just crazy unless they resign him.
To put Nelson’s age in perspective, there were lots of disappointed Avs fans when Kadri turned down a 5 yr deal. Kadri is a year older than Nelson.
The 50% retention is what cost the 1st round pick
50% salary retention for 20 games does not cost a first-round pick.
My point about his age, is that already having turned down a 3 year offer from NY, a team he loves, it will take even more term to resign him. Can’t see us committing $7-8m to a guy that will be in late 30s at then end. If they are, should have just kept Kadri. Don’t mind the first or moving Ritchie, just needed to target someone with term or at least where we have the ability to resign them. Because to me, this trade only makes sense if we win it all or solve our 2C problem for more… Read more »
Lots of unknowns. Do you know whether he turned down a 3 year deal because of the term or the money? Not saying he won’t walk. But my sense is the Avs might have a sense of why he turned down an Isles offer. The Athletic had him rated the top center available at the deadline. You talk like there were comparable centers out there with term. Trades that happen get in the news but the misses don’t. From what I understand the Avs have been trying to swing big on a few deals that missed. One that fell through… Read more »
Not the term it’s the age. No issue signing a guy on an expiring contract, but there should be a forward look at the ability to resign because we need a 2C in October. The Avs aren’t going to give him more than 3 years, that he already turned down from NY. Just hate dealing with the same position every season. I’d have gone after McCleod or Cozens.
Nooool!!! The Avs just traded the second coming of Joe Sakic, Calum Ritchie!!
I thought under no circumstances would he EVER be traded for a rental?? I was lied to.
MacFarland is playing big with this transaction. MacFarland is more desperate than I thought.
I agree with all, way to much leaving. If we win cup, we all happily eat crow. Ritchie and a 1st. Not sure our young assets will recover in the next 10 years. This is pretty much our team for awhile. No money to get UFA, no more assets to trade really. I like Nelson, but OMFG!!
Avs fans admire Vegas and Tampa for always going big and emptying their asset cupboard during their windows but are angsty when then Avs do the same. Did you see what Tampa gave up for an injured, aging 3c and a scoring winger? Let’s see how it all plays out.
Well – you can’t accuse CMac of not swinging for the fences. Losing Ritchie hurts and the only way to soften that blow is to sign Nelson long term. Should be fun to watch Nelson with the Avs.
I like getting Nelson, I dont like giving up Ritchie. Cup or Bust now! maybe they have an extension in place to the surprise of everyone….I thought this was a fantasy trade!
This transaction casts a shadow over Rantanen’s transaction.
Totally. You may as well have just kept moose.
MacFarland must have agreed to abandon Ritchie because he necessarily has a plan. I don’t see any other possibilities. Would that plan be to get Rantanen back on the free agent market??
People on here are seriously more depressed & upset about trading away Cal Ritchie. Than when they traded Mikko Rantanen. Jesus..lol
If anything it makes the Mikko trade ever dumber. They could’ve acquired Nelson at 50% retained even with Mikko’s cap hit. But hey they got Jack Drury!
I’ll be fair though. I like this trade even if he is a rental. All the people crying about Cal Ritchie. I would love to specifically know why they feel so strongly about his potential? That his lighting up the OHL? Every high draft pick does.
Ritchie was by a large margin the best prospect in our system. His NHL potential is a matter of discussion, what isn’t is his value as a trade piece. Giving him and a first should have yielded a player that either has term or one we realistically can resign. Quite obvious Mittelstadt isn’t our 2C. So if he gets dealt tomorrow or is still here next season, he’s not the guy. When Nelson leaves after his 3 months, the Avs are right back where they were at the center position 2 years ago. Obviously if they win the cup who… Read more »
I’m not convinced Mittelstadt goes. Part of the reason he’s still on the roster might be they know Nelson is a rental. And they don’t want to be back to square 1 in the off – season looking for not only another 2C but a 3C.
And absolutely someone with term would’ve been preferably. But who? Outside of JT Miller there were no impact centers available. I don’t think ROR was ever a realistic option. Nor do I think he even gets moved.
Did MacFarland do Lou a favor given that he was screwed with the two 2nd round picks for Devon Toews?
I don’t understand how a GM can give up his best prospect for a rental player who isn’t Crosby. Can someone explain to me?
Because he was a late 1st Rd pick that could very likely never materialize into a good NHL player. Far from the sure thing many on here would lead you to believe.
And they are trying to win a Stanley cup this season. How would Cal Ritchie realistically have made them any better in the next 2 – 3 years?
It seems obvious that Calum Ritchie won’t be able to help the team for a few years. But even if Ritchie was a late-first-round pick, I tend to believe that this pick was increasing in value because Ritchie was burning the league he was playing in. His potential was immense. If the Avalanche had lost Ritchie in a trade to acquire Dylan Cozens, I would have been perfectly fine with that.
I’m not saying Ritchie won’t turn out to be a stud but draft position has to be taken in context with the draft year. Jost was a mid 1st round pick. Both Kaut and Justin Barron supposedly slipped because of health reasons. Kaut was a bust and Barron has been traded again to the Preds and has yet to really pop
He only slipped to the late first round due to injury concerns, specifically his shoulder. Talent-wise, many draft experts had him pegged as a top ten pick. He proved he could stay healthy, and he hasn’t just been dominating the OHL the last two years, he’s been absolutely decimating that league. I’m predicting he makes the Isles out of camp – because they’re now officially in rebuild mode – and will be in the Calder conversation. Meanwhile, Nelson will be playing for his hometown Wild next year. That’s why people are upset. It’s essentially Cup or bust this season, because… Read more »
I agree this is 99.9% a rental. And for as much as I’m needling the “Ritchie will never be traded for a rental crowd”. I can’t say for certain whether or not he’s going to be an average, good, elite, or nothing at all at the NHL level player. Nobody can. He’s got talent but all first round picks do. The bottom line is he looked nowhere near ready at the start of the season for NHL hockey. And the OHL is a far cry from even the AHL. The Avs are not in a position to wait around &… Read more »
I’m not saying Ritchie won’t turn out to be a stud but draft position has to be taken in context with the draft year. Jost was a mid 1st round pick. Both Kaut and Justin Barron supposedly slipped because of health reasons. Kaut was a bust and Barron has been traded again to the Preds and has yet to really pop
I thought Kovalenko was the better prospect and not as many people minded that trade.
People lost their minds when they traded Kovalenko. He’s a 3rd line player on a bad team
Nelson’s arrival is not enough. The Avalanche’s 3rd line with Mittelstadt needs to be stronger to compete on equal terms with Vegas, Dallas, Edmonton, Tampa Bay and Florida. MacFarland still has work to do.
Mitts is perma-garbage.
No Calum Ritchie? Oh shit!!!
We need to trade Mitts, Woods, Manson, and season tickets to the Mammoth to get Moose back.
Is it possible to extend the trade deadline? I need time to recover from my emotions. It’s Calum Ritchie after all.
I’m starting to think that Rantanen will be needed again. Hold on Rantanen, we’ll pick you up on July 1st.
I don’t care about future prospects. We need to win the cup now!! We have the best offensive and best defensive player on the planet, great goalie pair, and some awesome supporting players. Let’s go for it all and win some cups over the next 5 years!!
Hopefully Nelson becomes our awesome 2C and we resign him…
The Avalanche are short of assets (prospects, draft picks). Assets represent money to trade. But if the Avalanche fail to re-hire Nelson, the team will dig a solid hole for itself as it will have to use assets again to fill the gaps while assets will be scarce.
Worth the risk.
An extension is a possibility and sounds like they might be dangling Mitts still as well. If they keep Mitts it’s kind of like getting a high end 3C as well but another 4-6 D would be great too
Remember how upset the fan base was when Rantanen was traded, looks like it worked out for Colorado. I think the front office knows what they are doing.
It worked out? Lol..dude is about to be playing for their biggest rival. But hey! At least they got some cap flexibility for one season & the otherworldly talents of one Jack Drury! 4C extrodanaire.
Good point. Our front office is pretty dang good.
Necas is awesome and I don’t miss Rantanen at all! If we see him in the playoffs, we’ll just knock him on his butt like everyone else did come playoff time (or the 4 nations). He is a point producing cream puff. I’d rather have someone tough.
I couldn’t agree more. Most just need to take CMac out of their f&%$+! mouths. Because of the Landy and Val situation, he’s doing all of this with 1,5 hands tied behind his back. With all of salary retention, he’s gotten Nelson, Necas, Lindgren AND f&%$w+ Blackwood for what he was paying for Mikko…this guy is an absolute GENIUS! (Didn’t Hawks take on .5 of Necas? OK, if they are paying him 6.5 this year, then take him off that list, and for 2.5 less than Mikko $, we’re getting all other mofos) And back to Landy… anyone who has… Read more »
I’m eating some crow about my comments yesterday about this years trades being a “refining rebuild” for next year. I didn’t expect this but am also impressed with MacFarland’s go for broke swing at a deep run this year. People are pretty upset about losing Ritchie and the lack of prospects but Tampa and Vegas have proved that with a good front office you can stay in contention with trades. Prospects that are2-3 years out are trade assets when you have an elite core, a narrowing window and need play-off style, heavier depth. Now we need to replace Kylington who… Read more »
It’s now an old movie but liked William Dufour in Platoon
The Avs are simply a better team now than we were to start the season. We are deeper, a bit meaner, and hopefully getting mindset to grind. I feel much better today about our cup chances.