Five pressing issues for Avalanche with late-july NHL fireworks looming
The next two Wednesdays will reshape 31 NHL rosters and create one for the expansion Seattle Kraken.
Between Wednesday’s expansion draft and the July 28 start to free agency, the NHL entry draft will unfold virtually July 23-24 from New Jersey.
We’re looking at two weeks of fireworks before the dead period begins around the start of August — a stretch that could go a long way toward determining whether the Avalanche lives up to its billing as early favorites to hoist the Stanley Cup.
The Avs are off to a good start in preparing for the busy offseason events. Last week’s trade of defenseman Ryan Graves to New Jersey for bright forward prospect Mikhail Maltsev and a second-round draft pick was a terrific move by the club. The Avs traded a player they couldn’t protect in the expansion draft for two assets, including a draft pick that fills a void.
Before the Graves trade, Colorado only had three selections in the upcoming draft — a first, third and seventh. Now it has the 61st overall pick between the
28th and the 90th, and Maltsev is a 6-foot-3 left wing who is exempt from the expansion draft and someone the Avs could use next season.
The Avs traded their original 2021 second-round draft pick, which turned out to be No. 60, for defenseman Devon Toews before last season. They also gave the New York Islanders their 2022 second-round draft pick for Toews, who led Colorado in average ice time last season at 24:46.
Say what you want about the Avalanche’s perceived lack of playoff grit, general manager Joe Sakic and his staff — particularly top assistant Chris Macfarland — continue to make shrewd offseason moves for a team coming off its first Presidents’ Trophy in 20 years.
In order to maintain that trend, Sakic and company must successfully navigate the following pressing issues:
Prepare to lose a good player in Wednesday’s expansion draft. The Avs’ protected list was submitted Saturday and will become public at 8 a.m. MT Sunday after Central Registry approves it. This list will not include left wing and team captain Gabe Landeskog, an unrestricted free agent, and my guess is they will lose a forward (J.T. Compher, Valeri Nichushkin or Tyson Jost) or defenseman Jacob Macdonald.
Have faith in director of amateur scouting director Wade Klippenstein. New to his job this offseason, it is critical Klippenstein and his eight-man support staff identify the best player available late in the first, second and third rounds on July 23-24. While it’s unlikely whoever they select makes an immediate impact (especially the seventhrounder on Day 2), organizational depth is critical for a team
scraping up against the salary cap. Klippenstein is taking over for Alan Hepple, now the pro scouting director for Arizona.
Identify what it’s going to take to re-sign restricted free agent defenseman Cale Makar. Based on Saturday’s signing of comparable Dallas defenseman Miro Heiskanen (eight years, $67.6 million, for an $8.45 million annual cap hit), the Avs might have to devote $9 million or more annually to Makar to avoid an ugly RFA offer sheet from another team. Once the first big domino falls, or the price is set, the
Avs will know how much money they have to work with next week in free agency. The 2021 Norris Trophy finalist, who is not arbitration-eligible, could agree to a deal at any time leading up to the October season-opener.
Re-sign or move on from Landeskog. The captain hits the Kraken free-agent market Sunday morning and then could reach the entire free-agent market July 28. But the Avs can make a decision prior to that. I believe
Landeskog wants a long-term deal (six to eight years) with an $8 million annual cap hit. I think $7 million at five years could keep Landy in Denver and prevent him from becoming Seattle’s captain or also getting $8 million a year from a team like St. Louis.
Finalize your goaltending plans behind or in front of the surgically repaired Pavel Francouz. That starts with re-signing or moving on from UFA goalie Philipp Grubauer. If you move on and don’t believe Francouz and a young prospect can do the job, you’ll have to sign another UFA or perhaps trade and sign for a guy like Arizona’s Darcy Kuemper, who is entering the final year of his contract with a $4.5 million cap hit.
The Avs’ extensive to-do list appears exhausting. But August is just around the corner.