3 Names to Watch: Big Decisions Loom for the Avalanche Heading Into NHL Draft

What a difference a year makes. Last summer Chris MacFarland was handcuffed by uncertainty with Gabe Landeskog and Valeri Nichushkin. One hadn’t played in two years and was questionable to return, and the other was in the midst of a six-month suspension and had a murky future with the club.

The two combined to make over $13 million and the Avs had very little space to maneuver.

But this year feels different. Landeskog and Nichushkin are healthy and ready for the upcoming season. But that’s not all.

Even though they currently have only $1.2 million in cap space, the Avalanche, who have a strong forward group already under contract, continue to get mentioned around NHL circles as a team to watch.

They have three names that are appearing on trade boards and mentioned among NHL Insiders. They’re all under contract, all have value, and any one of them can shake up the roster if dealt.

Here are the three names to watch just 48 hours away from the start of the NHL Draft.

Martin Necas

This is more under the radar, but it hasn’t entirely gone away. Even though Martin Necas isn’t top of mind as a player to watch this offseason, he’s still often mentioned as someone that could be moved. Why? It’s simple. Necas is a year away from unrestricted free agency, and it’s entirely possible that he’s seeking a contract value that the Avs don’t want to pay.

Necas was the main piece that was acquired in the blockbuster Mikko Rantanen trade last January. Rantanen was dealt because he was eligible to be a UFA on July 1 and contract talks were seemingly going nowhere. I still stand by the thought that the Avs can’t possibly start the season without Necas either locked in to a new deal or traded. You can’t let this linger like you did with Rantanen.

You can’t do that to your core again.

Charlie Coyle

The Avs have one of the deepest center groups in the NHL. Having Jack Drury on the fourth line for one more season is, at least to me, the right move. You know for sure he can handle that role and overachieve in it. You don’t want to thrust him into a permanent 3C role just yet. That’s why Charlie Coyle is such a valuable piece right now.

With that being said, if the right offer comes around for Coyle — an overpayment from a desperate team — then perhaps the front office will actually entertain moving him. But only if they have their sights set on a replacement. I’d still prefer they have Drury on the fourth line.

The UFA center market is bare, and teams that miss out on John Tavares might be desperate enough to overpay for Coyle as a 2C. I look at Toronto as an example of a team that could use him. If they don’t sign Tavares, they’ll need help. And Coyle is the type of locker room presence that they need.

Montreal is another team to watch. The Habs need help at 2C and Coyle is very much a Martin St. Louis type of guy.

Samuel Girard

Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff has been all over this one. Seravalli has mentioned multiple times on Daily Faceoff Live and on the DFO Rundown podcast that the Avs have been trying to trade Samuel Girard for three summers.

What’s holding up a deal? Teams are putting a limit on the number of undersized defensemen they’d like to have on their roster, according to Seravalli.

Girard is a valuable top-four blueliner who can play upwards of 20 minutes per game with ease. There’s a place for him somewhere, maybe even with the Avs for another year, but we’ll have to see what the offers look like first.

I do believe the Avs need a major shakeup to their defense core after the top pair. Moving Girard would be the first step.