As we enter the middle of March, the trade deadline is inching closer. Where does each team stand and what moves should they be looking to make?  We continue our look around the league with the Colorado Avalanche.

Avalanche general manager Joe Sakic is widely heralded as one of the best in the league, and it’s easy to see why. His squad is once again in contention for a President’s Trophy and/or deep Stanley Cup Playoffs run despite some tough injury luck throughout the season. He truly hit it out of the park again this offseason, signing franchise cornerstones Gabriel Landeskog and Cale Makar to cap-friendly long-term contracts (and, while the cost of acquisition was steep, the Darcy Kuemper trade is starting to pay off). With a tad more salary-cap flexibility than some other contenders, Sakic has the chance now to add another player to the mix to push the squad over the top. After that point, though, it’s up to head coach Jared Bednar and the players to ensure the Avalanche get past the second round for the first time in 20 years.

Record

41-13-5, 1st in the Central

NHL

Avalanche Sign Pavel Francouz To A Two-Year Extension

Deadline Status

Buyers

 

Deadline Cap Space

$3.17MM today, $3.89MM in full-season space by the deadline, 0/3 retention slots used, 45/50 contracts used per CapFriendly

 

Upcoming Draft Picks

2022: COL 3rd, COL 5th, COL 6th, COL 7th
2023: COL 1st, COL 2nd, COL 3rd, COL 5th, COL 6th, COL 7th

 

Trade Chips

Building an elite team doesn’t come cheap. That’s evidenced by an empty cupboard of upcoming draft picks, especially in the upcoming 2022 NHL Draft with just four selections. The asset pool Colorado has to deal from likely revolves mainly around their prospect pool in order to keep their active roster intact.