Avalanche Potential Trade Targets

Should the Avalanche consider trading Matt Duchene...?

Amid the blockbuster trades done today by the Sabres and Jets, the floodgates have cracked, and we're all just waiting for the flood.

The Colorado Avalanche have a myriad of talent throughout their roster, yet aside from last year, they have been a bottom 16 team for the better part of the last 10 years.

This needs to change.

The Avs have had top draft picks that have been almost wasted on smaller skilled Canadian forwards. After taking Duchene 3rd overall in 2009 and MacKinnon 1st overall last year, you'd think that the Avalanche would aim to draft bigger, meaner players in order to protect them and work the corners. Roy & co. have fired their head of scouting Rick Pracey, and look to be trending positive as far as team depth goes. With this, let's take a look at who the Avs have on their roster, and some potential trade targets.

1. Ryan O'Reilly

O'Reilly is a tough one to try and speculate on, only because we all know how stubborn he and his agent are with contract negotiations. He is a UFA by 2016, so banking on re-signing him long term after a trade can possibly end up the same way the Stastny blunder played out. O'Reilly is statistically in the same playing field as Evander Kane, so he could easily garner a huge return for the Avs. He plays a disciplined 200ft. game, and could be a top 2 center anywhere in the league. If I were looking to trade him, I'd want to make it a bundle trade in order to get more in return. I like the idea of OEL or Yandle playing for the Avs, but if ROR is looking to get a long term contract, it's doubtful he'd want to stay in the west. Keep an eye out for trade talks with Ottawa. They have a glaring need for a top center to play with Bobby Ryan, and Colorado could sure as hell use a Jared Cowen.

2. Reto Berra

I'll take a washing machine and a box of Snickers in return. Get Berra out of here. Take Guenin with you.

3. Jan Hejda

Hejda is perplexing because he is the big journeyman that the Avs need, but he's 38 and getting slower. Hejda plays his role, he's the humble goaltender guardian, and he can lay a monstrous hit at any given moment. Package him or Stuart with Guenin, and there goes our biggest puckhandling liabilities in our own end. I'd do Hejda and Guenin for a 3rd/4th pair D man. If the other teams have a brain though, they'd see Guenin's name and vomit in their mouths a little bit.

4. Prospects

As previously stated, the Avs have lots of small skilled forwards. Sgarbossa won the OHL scoring title a couple years back before turning pro. We also have players like Paul Carey, Andrew Aggozino, Colin Smith, and Joey Hishon all stuck in the same rut, unable to earn a roster spot. Calvin Pickard looks to be the young stud backup Colorado needs to make a legit run in the future, so Olympian Sami Atitokallio could use a change of scenery too. Bundle them with a current bottom 6 forward/bottom 2 defenceman, and that could yield a solid puckmoving defenceman in return. A lot of teams could use depth skill, and the Avs have lots to deal.

5. Matt Duchene

Now, for me to say this about my favourite player says a lot about the state of defence in Denver. Duchene is the 2nd most point producing forward from the 2009 draft behind John Tavares, so to say that he would garner a huge return is an understatement. I bet the Leafs would be willing trade Phaneuf, Franson, and Bozak for him alone. Since nobody really wants those Leaf bums, you have to wonder what a Matt Duchene translates to on D. With Johnson and Barrie both nursing injuries, the Avalanche need a minute-muncher on the back end who can help ease the pain of injuries. When EJ and Barrie got hurt, the Avs were left with an AHL defensive corps aside from Stuart and Hejda, which aren't much better than AHL caliber. Duchene bleeds burgundy and blue, so trading him would have to be an absolute last option. 

6. Injured Players

There are a few players on the roster who have barely played this season due to injuries, if they even played at all. Winchester was an off-season pickup from Ottawa, and he suffered a concussion before the season started. He is supposedly a faceoff and PK guy. McGinn, Wilson, Bordeleau, and Rendulic all had season ending injuries, but they all offer size and grit to any team. Ginner is a prototypical 3rd or 2nd line winger that could fit on almost any roster in the NHL, so pairing him with either a prospect or even Hejda could be a great package deal to land that ever elusive reliable defence the Avs so desperately need.

The defensive situation in Colorado is an eye opener to say the least. Yet, there is still hope. Siemens is shaping up to be that mean Adam Foote-esque net front presence we have been missing since Foote retired, and Bigras has the potential to be an elite defender. Not to mention NCAA American Will Butcher showing exceptional promise as well. The fact remains though, the Avs need immediate help, and must stop relying on young prospects or random out-of-the-blue journeymen.They can't keep relying on Varlamov to be outstanding while giving up 35+ shots a game while only getting 18-22 of their own. Our roster is loaded with expendable skill, and it's about time we turned that skill into trade bait.

By: Brian