Three Areas For New-Look Colorado Avalanche To Address Via Trades

In basically half of an NHL regular-season, the Colorado Avalanche have made more significant trades than many teams do in more than a year. Whether it’s completely revamping their goaltending situation, or pulling off the biggest blockbuster trade in recent memory, the Avs have conducted major surgery on their lineup – and they might not be done yet.

Here are three areas the Avalanche can look to for improvement:

1. Depth at center

Like more than a few teams, the Avalanche do not have a wealth of talent down the middle. They do have one of the best centers on the planet in Nathan MacKinnon, but after that, the drop-off in talent is considerable. The Avs currently have $3.96-million in cap space, and they could devote much or all of that amount to adding talent at center.

Whether that’s in the form of veteran star Jonathan Toews, New York Islanders pivot Brock Nelson, or Nashville Predators center (and former Av) Ryan O’Reilly, the Avalanche have the opportunity to bulk up in a big way at a key position. There’s not enough high-end skill on the vs at the moment, and some of that is by design, but there will come a day when the Avs splurge on another quality talent or two, and the biggest need for them is at center.

2. Draft picks

Every NHL team needs inexpensive young players to allow them to pay a select few veterans the big bucks, and Colorado is no different. They don’t have a first-round pick in this summer’s entry draft, but they do have two second-rounders and two fourth-rounders, and there could be a way the Avs convert those picks into a first-rounder.

Related: What the Avalanche's 2024 highest draft selection brings to the prospect pool

But as they wonder about the future of captain Gabriel Landeskog, the Avalanche would be well-advised to figure out a way to add draft capital. They’re going to have to give up something significant to get a first-round pick, but that’s the challenge in front of GM Chris MacFarland. He has to balance his team’s immediate needs with its long-term focus, and adding a top pick would serve them well for the future.

3. Third-Pair Defenseman

Colorado’s top-four group of blueliners is one of the better ones in the league, with minute-munching stars Cale Makar and Devon Toews each averaging more than minutes per game, and Josh Manson and Samuel Girard also playing solid minutes. But for the Avalanche’s final ‘D’ pair, there’s a sense they could add an experienced hand to shore up the back end.

Related: Makar, MacKinnon, Rantanen Lead List Of Avs Who Made Colorado's Quarter-Century Teams

Would that be someone like Canadiens D-man David Savard? Or how about Rangers defensemen Zac Jones or Ryan Lindgren? Neither are perfect defenders, but on this Avs team, they wouldn’t have to be. Jones is an RFA at season’s end, while Savard and Lindgren are pure rentals and pending UFAs. But they’d be an upgrade over what the Avs have on the third pair right now.