Aarif Deen
Things can always change, but after meeting with the media ahead of Friday’s opening round of the NHL Draft, Colorado Avalanche general manager Joe Sakic made it known that he has his sights set on free agency to add depth to his lineup.
“We’d still like to sign one or two forwards and a D-man,” Sakic said at Ball Arena.
Sakic often keeps his cards close to the vest, so it’s unclear if the Avs have more trades up their sleeves. Sakic also didn’t outright say they’ll use the draft picks they recently acquired, but it sure sounded like they’re leaning towards that route.
Colorado has the No. 43 pick in the second round and No. 74 in the third round. Those selections were part of the returns they received for Ross Colton and Valeri Nichushkin in separate deals.
Sakic also highlighted young players in the Avalanche’s system as players who could step up and step in. That list likely includes the likes of Gavin Brindley, T.J. Hughes, Zachary L’Heureux, and Fedor Svechkov.
“You always need some younger guys to bring the enthusiasm, the freshness,” Sakic said. “They bring their youth, and they give the older guys a boost. They see them playing and bring that energy, and it just brings everybody’s level up a little bit.”
The Avalanche signed Brett Kulak and Brent Burns on Friday morning, which, if no other trades are made, would bring back the entire six-man defense core they used to end last season.