Should the Avalanche Entertain Offers for Charlie Coyle?

“You’re going to see some situations where teams who may not need to do anything see offers for their players get better and better due to limited supply and so much demand,” Friedman wrote.

“One example: Charlie Coyle, Colorado. Because Logan O’Connor is expected to start the season on LTIR, the Avalanche made it clear they don’t need to do anything. Other teams keep calling, though. The more you say no, the more you see how far other teams are willing to go.”

The Avs love their center depth. We know that much. After winning the Cup, they lost Nazem Kadri and Darren Helm (he was mostly injured in 2023). They had just one more season with J.T. Compher before he walked as a free agent.

And the many, many replacements they’ve tried to acquire since haven’t worked all that well. The long list includes Lars Eller, Ryan Johansen, Ross Colton (specifically at center), Fredrik Olofsson, Yakov Trenin, and Casey Mittelstadt. None of them fit quite as well as Brock Nelson, Coyle, and Jack Drury, albeit a full season with them playing behind Nathan MacKinnon will help truly determine what they have.

Given how important center depth is in this league, something the Avs are aware of, there really is no reason to trade Coyle.

But Friedman makes an excellent point. What if the offers get way too good? What if something comes your way that becomes too hard to pass up?

I wonder if something entices Chris MacFarland. The reality is, the center market is bare, and Coyle could fill a second-line center void for several teams. What if Toronto doesn’t bring back John Tavares, for example?

The only issue you’re facing if you’re the Avs, is that one of the strengths of having this kind of depth is ensuring (as much as you can) that you won’t be searching for yet another center at next year’s deadline. Coyle slots very well on the third line and can also serve as Nelson insurance. But if the Avalanche have a different 3C in mind on the market, why not make the most of a Coyle trade?

A lot of this depends on two things. First, do the Avs need that extra cap space? And if so, what for? Coyle makes $5.25 million. Perhaps the Avs can get a massive return for him and use that cap space to really shore up their blueline.

The NHL Draft is less than a week away and free agency follows shortly after. We’ll find out what other teams are willing to give up pretty soon.