Avalanche trades Cole to Minnesota for Pateryn
DENVER — The Avalanche traded veteran defenseman Ian Cole for Minnesota Wild defenseman Greg Pateryn on Tuesday.
Cole, 31, is a pending unrestricted free agent with a $4.25 million cap hit. Pateryn, 30, who has a $2.25 million cap hit, can also be an unrestricted free agent after this season. The Avs will retain $800,00 of Cole’s cap, but save $1.2 million overall on the trade, per a league source.
Cole and the Avalanche were in Los Angeles preparing for Tuesday’s game against the Kings. Pateryn and the Wild were traveling to Anaheim Tuesday for Wednesday’s game against the Ducks.
Cole and Pateryn will swap roster spots in the L.A. area by team-issued transportation.
“Greg is a strong, veteran defenseman who plays a heavy game,” said Avalanche executive vice president and general manager Joe Sakic in a statement. “He’s a hard-nosed, competitive player who can kill penalties, block shots and brings some additional grit to our back line.
“We thank Ian for his two years with the Avalanche, for his efforts both on the ice as well as in the community. We wish him the best of luck.”
Defensive logjam a good problem to have
Through training camp and the first two regular-season games, the Avalanche’s defensive corps was obvious. The top six defensemen played and the seventh guy understandably was on the outside looking in.
But then veteran Erik Johnson, an alternate captain, and top prospect Bo Byram completed quarantine, and suddenly, they will soon have eight excellent options with just six available spots when Johnson and Byram catch up to speed.
The picture changed a bit Tuesday afternoon when the Avs traded Cole to the Wild for Pateryn, a similar-style defenseman. Both are pending unrestricted free agents who likely aren’t part of the Avs’ future plans.
Before the trade, Colorado coach Jared Bednar said the defensive logjam is not a concern internally.
Rather, he said it’s a good problem to have if those involved have a good attitude.
“Sometimes things just iron themselves out,” Bednar said after the morning skate at Staples Center in Los Angeles. “I don’t see it as an issue. It’s a strength of our team. I guess it’s only a strength of our team if we have the buy-in from all of our players — if they’re willing to sacrifice a little bit of themselves for what’s best for the team.
“If we have that mentality and they understand it and I’m good enough at explaining why we’re doing certain things to our lineup, then I think we’ll have the buy-in because, again, it’s all about the end-goal here. Eventually, our lineup will kind of set itself.”