Traded by Sharks, veteran Cogliano gets another shot with Avalanche
Andrew Cogliano was entering his 15th season in the NHL and had played in the Western Conference throughout his professional career. Still, some Sharks players and coaches needed to get to know him after the longtime winger signed a one-year contract with San Jose in July 2021.
It didn't take much time for everyone in teal to find out what kind of player they had on their hands.
“Well, Cogs, he had a little bit of old school in him,” Sharks goalie coach Evgeni Nabokov said this week. “The professionalism, the discipline, and preparation were off the charts, and the way he cared for his teammates and for the result of the game.
“Not many players these days when we lose will get pissed off. He literally would get pissed off, and I guess that's what I liked about him.”
The Colorado Avalanche have also gotten to know Cogliano in recent months after they acquired him from the Sharks at the trade deadline in March. The same qualities he showed in the South Bay have been evident in the Mile High City as the Avs marched toward the Stanley Cup Final.
Although Cogliano, who turned 35 on Tuesday, has only averaged about 10 minutes of ice time per game between the regular season and playoffs, he's made contributions to the talented Avalanche with his speed and heady play at both even strength and on the penalty kill.
Playing on the fourth line, at times with Darren Helm and Logan O'connor, Cogliano has two gamewinning goals and an assist in 11 playoff games.
Now Cogliano can become the 18th player in NHL history to win his first Stanley Cup after appearing in 1,000 career games or more.
Cogliano, who has played in 1,140 games, including 56 with the Sharks, advanced to the final in 2020 with Dallas, but the Stars lost to the Lightning in six games.
“He leads by example every day,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said of Cogliano earlier this month. “Pre-practice, pre-game, the work that he puts in. He's a wealth of knowledge, he's been around a long time, has a nice calming presence and demeanor to him and he's highly competitive when he steps on the ice.”
Cogliano injured his finger in Game 4 of the Western Conference Final against the Edmonton Oilers on June 6 and is questionable to play in Game 1 of the Cup final Wednesday night against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Still, even if Cogliano has to miss the start of the series, being part of a Cup run is preferable to watching from home, as the Sharks were realistically out of the playoff chase by the middle of February.
With the March 21 trade deadline nearing and the Sharks out of the hunt, a few teams reached out to the Sharks about Cogliano, the type of responsible and disciplined depth player playoff contenders covet.
When Cogliano heard Colorado was among the teams that had interest, there wasn't much of a need — from his perspective, at least — to explore other possible destinations. “(The Sharks) mentioned Colorado (as a possibility),” Cogliano said on March 23, two days after he was dealt to the Avalanche for a 2024 fifthround draft pick, “and from my perspective, that was basically the best option I think in terms of fit and opportunity.”
The trade, from San Jose's perspective, was less about the return than it was about getting one of its respected veterans to a contender. The Sharks did the same with Patrick Marleau in 2020 when they dealt him to Pittsburgh, and with goalie Devyn Dubnyk last season, sending him to the Avalanche.
“First class,” Cogliano said of the Sharks. “They were great all the way through the year. I have a great relationship with them.”
Now, nearly three months after the trade, Cogliano and the Avalanche are facing the Lightning in a compelling matchup. Colorado is the NHL'S best team right now and Tampa Bay is looking to become the first team to win three straight titles since the New York Islanders won four straight from 1980 to 1983.
“The (Sharks) approached me saying there's a couple of teams that were asking and if I would like the opportunity,” Cogliano said of going elsewhere. “I've played 15 years and you play to play in the playoffs, simple as that.
“This was the first year (in close to) 10 years where (we were) in a tough spot to make the playoffs. It was a situation for me that I'd never been used to and it wasn't enjoyable. So if I got the opportunity, I was going to take it.”