Aarif Deen
Question from USChockey
Why did the Avs decide to run it back with Brent Burns & Brett Kulak and then sign Jaden Schwartz? Why not get younger? Is it just me, or did C-Mac really mortgage the future by acquiring Nazem Kadri & Nic Roy? I don’t think any other teams would’ve given up that compensation.
Aarif’s Response
I do believe getting younger was and still is a priority for the Avalanche. But you can’t force it. They felt this was the right time to move on from Valeri Nichushkin before his value diminishes with another (potentially) tough season for his standards. I’m sure they would’ve wanted to replace him with a younger option, like, for example, someone the age of Eeli Tolvanen (27). But if they didn’t feel Tolvanen would fit in with this group, what’s the point?
Schwartz gives them an option in the top nine that fits with the roster in a year where Roy is entering the final season of his contract.
Brent Burns, I’ll admit, wasn’t my first choice, but his low AAV and the minimal cap space the Avs had to work with made it make sense for another year. With his contract also coming off the books next summer, it’ll open up another spot for someone younger.
I’m not going to bash the Kadri and Roy trades because, at the time, I thought they were the right moves. I didn’t love giving up a first for Roy, but I truly believe we sometimes overvalue what a low first-round pick is worth. Having someone like Roy for what could’ve been a Stanley Cup in 2026, and another crack at it in 2027 (assuming he doesn’t get traded before the playoffs), is well worth a first-round pick in the 22-32 range.
The Kadri trade was pretty on par with what he was worth at the deadline. Assuming he doesn’t slow way down this year (which wasn’t really the case last year), he’ll very much be worth the $5.6 million he makes for three more seasons. Don’t forget that starting this season, the San Jose Sharks are paying Alex Wennberg $6 million, and the Philadelphia Flyers are paying Christian Dvorak $5.15 million.
And don’t forget that Calgary was playing Kadri a ton, and that’s not something he’ll have to do leading into the playoffs this year. He’ll have more gas left in the tank in April than he did last year.
All that’s to say, I’m completely okay with what Colorado has for this season, all the while knowing that they will need to adjust some key pieces in the next 12 to 24 months. Take Brock Nelson, for example. He’s entering the second of a three-year deal. He will have a full no-trade until July 1, 2027, before it converts to a 15-team no-trade. That allows the Avs the ability to move on from him next summer if they feel it’s time. They structured the contract like this to allow for that flexibility in the third year.
The additions of Zachary L’Heureux, Fedor Svechkov, Fabian Lysell, and T.J. Hughes, along with another year of Gavin Brindley, should be the first step towards developing a younger secondary core in the coming years.
Question from AskingForAFriend
The Avs proved they are a good regular-season team, especially early when they were rolling four lines. But towards the end of the season and in the playoffs, they went back to playing the top lines more and paid for it in the Vegas series when they weren’t producing. Does the strategy change to roll four lines throughout the year like Carolina does, and get young guys experience, more than 3 min a game, and go into the playoffs fresher? Or will it be more of the same with an older team?
Aarif’s Response
I think this is something Jared Bednar needs to adjust to and follow through with this season. Elliotte Friedman said on the recent 32 Thoughts podcast episode that he does believe Joe Sakic and the front office want this to be a priority. Friedman said younger players have probably felt intimidated in the past to play with MacKinnon, but that the Avs need to course-correct and get them more ice time.
That’s why I have no issues with their offseason to date. I like that they’ve kept spots open for the aforementioned younger group of five forwards to get a look. I like that at least one or two of them are likely going to get an opportunity in the top nine. That’s something they have to do. They have to experiment more and use the offseason as an opportunity to develop some of these guys.
I very much do believe they ran out of gas late, and it’s in part because Bednar relies heavily on the top guys. As soon as injuries started to hit, you felt it right away. That needs to change. It should never be the same as the way Carolina rolls four lines, given the talent the Avs have at the top of the lineup. But there’s still more you can get from the bottom six.