1 trade Avalanche must make before NHL Olympic break

The Colorado Avalanche are the best team in hockey, and it might not be close. Colorado made easy work of the Detroit Red Wings on the road in their last game, defeating one of the Atlantic Division’s best by a score of 5-0. This sort of dominance has made Colorado an easy favorite to win the Stanley Cup this season.

Teams like Colorado don’t like resting on their laurels, though. In fact, the Avalanche have been quite aggressive on the trade market over the last few seasons. They traded for Charlie Coyle and Brock Nelson last year. And before that, they swung a one-for-one deal for Casey Mittelstadt. General manager Chris MacFarland is not shy about making a move if he feels it’ll help his team.

This year, he’ll need to be quite creative. Colorado has a little more than $3.6 million in cap space. They do have some draft-pick capital, with a first-round pick in 2027 and 2028, as well as two second-rounders next season. However, all of their picks this season are in the fourth round or later. Additionally, any future early-round picks are low-value given Colorado’s status as a contender.

It’s going to be difficult to make a move this year. Thankfully, all the Avalanche really need is a bit of stability. Added depth to give them cover in the event of injuries during the postseason. With this in mind, here is one trade Colorado should make before the NHL’s Olympic freeze.

A Charlie Coyle reunion could benefit Avalanche

The Avalanche shouldn’t be too worried about their inability to swing a blockbuster deal. It’s hard to imagine a major player on the move, save for an Artemi Panarin trade, before the rosters freeze on Wednesday. Colorado’s talent level is quite high, so the name of the game for them should be depth regardless.

To that end, there are a few players who make sense. Colorado could stand to upgrade its third line if it were to target a single need. Jack Drury has chipped in 18 points this season, but they could use a bit more from their third-line pivot. He does play well defensively at 5v5, though, so he isn’t entirely replaceable.

The Columbus Blue Jackets are a fit, as they have two veteran centers who could make sense. Boone Jenner is a true heart and soul sort of player who could provide additional energy and leadership. And the Avs are already familiar with Charlie Coyle following last year’s trade.

Colorado should focus on Coyle for a number of reasons. First, he brings more than enough offense to the role. In fact, he’s third on the Blue Jackets in points, and he is one of four players with 15 or more goals.

His defensive metrics are also better in key areas. Coyle has a higher on-ice save percentage, goals for percentage, and Corsi against per 60 minutes than Drury at 5v5, according to Evolving Hockey. Coyle represents an upgrade on both sides of the puck, and the gap between their offensive productions makes this sort of deal worth it.

There’s also an off-ice reason at play. The Avalanche know what they are getting in Coyle. More importantly, the veteran pivot won’t need a major adjustment period if he were to be traded to Colorado. He understands what the organization wants from him. With so little time to get acclimated post-trade deadline, familiarity is important.

Colorado will need the Blue Jackets to retain some of the $5.25 million cap hit, which could increase the acquisition cost. In any event, the Avalanche are looking to win the Stanley Cup in 2026. A trade for Coyle could help bring the Cup back to Denver this summer.

The post 1 trade Avalanche must make before NHL Olympic break appeared first on ClutchPoints.