The Colorado Avalanche entered the 2023-24 season as the odds-on favorites to win the Stanley Cup, and for good reason.

For starters, Nathan MacKinnon and company are just 16 months removed from a 2022 Stanley Cup victory. Despite a rash of injuries to key players last season, the Avalanche finished with 109 points and fell just one game short of reaching the elite eight, losing to the Seattle Kraken in the opening round.

A healthier Avs team is undoubtedly the club to beat for the Stanley Cup this year. No team can match their combination of star power (MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, Cale Makar, Devon Toews, Arturri Lehkonen, Bowen Byram and Valeri Nichushkin), speed or skill.

Colorado will definitely be a buyer leading up to the trade deadline, and there’s one player specifically that they should have their eyes on: Former Hart Trophy winner and current Chicago Blackhawks’ winger Taylor Hall.

The Blackhawks are in rebuilding mode and should prioritize draft picks and assets for serviceable veterans like Hall, who’s only under contract through 2024-25. Thus, it makes sense for Chicago to trade Hall now rather than wait until next year, when he’d merely be a rental.

A healthy Hall is good for 20-plus goals and around 50 points a season. Given his consistency and experience, he’d likely cost at least two early-round selections. Colorado could offer a 2024 first-rounder and a 2025 third-rounder to their Central Division rivals for Hall, who would surely be thrilled about the opportunity to chase a cup with a perennial contender.

Hall would be a nice weapon on the second line anchored by center Ryan Johansen. His tremendous set of wheels would make Hall the perfect acquisition for a Colorado team looking to become a dynasty.