Aarif Deen
The three players I identified as the most likely trade candidates entering the Colorado Avalanche’s offseason are all gone.
In the span of nine days, general manager Joe Sakic traded Ross Colton and Jack Drury to the Nashville Predators in separate deals before making the biggest move of the bunch on Thursday, sending Valeri Nichushkin to the Columbus Blue Jackets for three draft picks.
The Avalanche entered the offseason with 11 of their top 12 forwards under contract. The only remaining regular not signed was restricted free agent Jack Drury, while Zakhar Bardakov (RFA) and Joel Kiviranta (UFA) were free agents.
That picture has changed dramatically.
Colton, Drury, and Nichushkin are gone. Bardakov has elected to return to Russia, and it’s unclear whether Kiviranta still has a place in Colorado’s plans. I’d assume he’ll likely test the market on July 1.
In the Drury trade, Sakic acquired Fedor Svechkov and Zachary L’Heureux, two 23-year-old former first-round picks from 2021 who are both under contract for the next two seasons. Neither has played a full NHL campaign, but both have an opportunity to carve out permanent roles beginning in training camp.
So what’s next?
The Avalanche still have work to do on the blue line.
Colorado has three right-shot defensemen under contract in Cale Makar, Sam Malinski, and Josh Manson. On the left side, only Devon Toews remains. Brett Kulak is still an option to return, whether on the second or third pair. Either way, could the Avalanche also be targetting someone like Mario Ferraro?
After these moves, Colorado has just under $11 million in cap space.
The club still needs to add at least two defensemen and address a glaring hole in its top six. For now, that opening could be filled internally by shifting either Nicolas Roy or Nazem Kadri to the wing. The departures also create opportunities for Gavin Brindley to establish himself and for T.J. Hughes to earn his first NHL look.
There’s also a realistic scenario where Sakic strengthens the blue line, enters the season with the current forward group, and follows the same blueprint he’s used the past two years by adding impact forwards at the trade deadline.
If that’s the route they take, the lineup could look something like this:
Artturi Lehkonen — Nathan MacKinnon — Martin Necas
Gabriel Landeskog — Brock Nelson — Nicolas Roy
Gavin Brindley — Nazem Kadri — Logan O’Connor
Parker Kelly — Fedor Svechkov — Zachary L’Heureux
T.J. Hughes
Is it perfect? No.
But neither was the initial lineup that lost just twice in regulation over the first 40 games of the 2025-26 season.
My guess is Sakic isn’t finished.
Whether it’s through free agency or by using some of the draft capital he accumulated in these trades, I can see at least one more forward to join this roster over the next week.
On defense, Ferraro continues to make plenty of sense. The downside is that the free-agent market is thin, which could drive his price above market value. Still, with the cap flexibility they’ve created, the Avalanche are in a position to offer something in the neighborhood of $5 million annually on a long-term deal if they believe he’s the right fit. If that’s even enough to sign Ferraro.
If they instead pursue a trade, it’ll require some creativity. Colorado added several draft picks over the past week, but it’s fair to question whether that package alone is enough to land an established top-four defenseman.
Combined together, these three trades have reshaped the Avalanche’s assets while creating significantly more financial flexibility.
The next week will determine whether this was simply Phase 1 of Sakic’s offseason or the bulk of his summer work.
The NHL Draft begins Friday and concludes Saturday. Free agency opens Wednesday at 10 a.m. MT.
Acquired
- Zachary L’Heureux
- Fedor Svechkov
- Magnus Chrona (signed in Europe)
- 2026 second-round pick (43rd overall)
- 2026 third-round pick (74th overall)
- 2027 third-round pick
- 2027 third-round pick
- 2028 fifth-round pick
Traded
- Valeri Nichushkin
- Ross Colton
- Jack Drury
- Isak Posch
- Chase Bradley
- 2029 third-round pick