Two years ago, the Colorado Avalanche won their third Stanley Cup in franchise history. They lost a chunk of strong roster players the summer following, and it proved too much to overcome in the following postseason. After a surprising first-round exit in the 2023 playoffs, Colorado knew they had to patch the holes a bit better if they expected to raise the Cup with this roster again. The work to do so began immediately in the summer but truly took shape at the trade deadline last week. After a strong chunk of deadline acquisitions, the Avalanche look geared up and prepared for a deep playoff run once again.
Colorado Avalanche Deadline Activity: Cup Run Ready
When Nazem Kadri left following the Cup Championship in 2022, a gaping void appeared for the Avs. No one successfully carried the mail as well as Kadri did in that second-line centre role. J.T. Compher stepped up last season, though just wasn’t able to produce at the rate Kadri did for Colorado. So, this year, they added Ryan Johansen in the offseason for next to nothing to try and improve that spot.
Unfortunately, Johansen did not see quite the resurgence the Avs hoped for. Rather than committing to a decision that wasn’t working, the Avalanche moved him at the deadline.
Two “Hockey Trades”, Two Positions Solved
The Johansen move sent him to the Philadelphia Flyers, in exchange for defenceman Sean Walker. This cleared $1.35 million in cap space and made a lot of sense later in the day when they completed a second trade. In the next deadline move, the Avalanche parted with promising young defenceman Bowen Byram. In return, they landed centre Casey Mittelstadt from the Buffalo Sabres. This move, too, cleared another $1.35 million in cap space.
In the two trades, the Avs replaced Johansen with a significant upgrade in Mittelstadt as their second-line centre. The cost, though, came in losing Byram; however, Walker enters as a competent replacement, though without Byram’s offensive ability or long-term upside.
Byram’s departure felt somewhat inevitable after Devon Toews received a seven-year extension. With Cale Makar and Samuel Girard also locked up another three seasons, their “big three” on the blue line look set in stone. Byram gets a chance to lead the way in Buffalo now, instead of getting stuck behind all of Colorado’s top dogs.
Potential Long-Term 2C Solution
Moving on from Byram stings, but again, looked likely to happen sooner or later. The fact that they ripped the bandaid off now enabled them to capitalize on his value. Now, Mittelstadt joins with a real opportunity to slot right behind Nathan MacKinnon down the centre of the Avs depth chart. A strong showing down the stretch and through the postseason could absolutely result in an extension, for significant term too if things really click.
Already, too, Mittelstadt scored his first goal and assist in an Avalanche uniform. His ice time looked modest initially, but in his third game, it ratcheted up to nearly 20 minutes. It’s a small sample size, but his double-digit Relative Corsi-for percentage demonstrates how strong the Avs look with him on the ice. That additional depth, on a team that has relied so heavily on MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, and Valeri Nichushkin for the last 12 months, could be the kicker they need to become a dynasty.
Avalanche Bolster Depth at Deadline
As mentioned, the two Avalanche deadline moves also freed up a combined $2.70 million in cap space. With the deadline still two days away, that cap space appeared destined for consumption. The very next day, they made two more deals to utilize those newly available funds.
First, they added Brandon Duhaime from the Minnesota Wild; the deal cost the Avs a third-round pick in 2026. Then, they added Yakov Trenin from the Nashville Predators. This move also brought over a prospect and cost the Avs another pick and a prospect too. The next day, the Avalanche wrapped their deadline with one final move. They parted with Ben Meyers, receiving back a fifth-round pick from the Anaheim Ducks in this summer’s draft.
Duhaime and Trenin bring strength, size and tenacity to the bottom six for the Avs. This levels up their depth chart significantly, especially when including the Zach Parise signing from earlier in the year. The experience, and the aggressive, relentless way they all play the game fits Colorado’s style perfectly. That’s exactly how MacKinnon, Nichushkin and Co. play on the top lines, albeit with more skill to post big numbers. Now, all four lines in Denver will roll.
What This Means for the Future
All in all, Colorado added five roster players + two late-round picks + one prospect. In return, it cost them three picks + two roster players + 2 prospects. By the way, the picks they shipped out were their first rounder in 2025, plus their third-rounders in both 2025 and 2026. With only three picks in the first three rounds across the next three drafts combined, this is a franchise very clearly in win-now mode.
None of the players acquired have contracts beyond this year, either. They will have money to retain players though as they see fit, so this doesn’t raise a major concern. Ultimately, the team’s core all sits under contract for at least the next three seasons, with Rantanen sticking out as the lone top player due an extension after next season. They get another $10 million to work with with players reaching free agency this summer, plus the cap increases another $4.2 million too.
This could mean Mittelstadt gets locked up, to round out their top six with tremendous depth. MacKinnon, Nichushkin, Rantanen, Mittelstadt, Artturi Lehkonen, and Ross Colton looks deadly, but if we’re being really optimistic, throw Gabriel Landeskog in there too. Just imagine if Landeskog returns at some point this postseason… Talk about an elite offence, their top four on the backend looks just as elite with Makar, Toews, Girard, and Josh Manson. They have plenty of wiggle room, plenty of options, and strike plenty of fear into the league around them.
Main Photo Credit: Bob Frid-USA TODAY Sports
