The 2024 NHL Trade Deadline is now less than two weeks away (Mar. 8), but the Colorado Avalanche have yet to address the biggest hole in their lineup – second-line center. Any team running a quartet of Nathan MacKinnon, Ryan Johansen, Ross Colton, and Fredrik Olofsson (before being sent down) up the middle should be a comfortable playoff outfit, and the group has been true to form thus far.
The Avalanche have a 35-19-5 (75 points) record over 59 games and sit third in the Central Division, nine points ahead of the fourth-place Nashville Predators for the final automatic playoff spot. With only 23 games remaining, a playoff berth is all but assured. Still, addressing the second-line center spot could make the difference between a second-consecutive first-round exit or mounting a serious challenge for the second Stanley Cup of the MacKinnon era.
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While Colton has carved out a role centering a line of Miles Wood and Logan O’Connor, Johansen hasn’t found his niche in the Avalanche lineup. He’s scored 13 goals and 22 points in 59 games this season while seeing a rotating cast of wingers. The 31-year-old pivot has visibly struggled with the speed and pace of the team’s system, casting doubt on his short- and long-term future with the club.
Here’s a look at several recent trades involving centers, how they affect the Avalanche’s options going forward, and whether a trade for a top-six pivot is better suited to the NHL offseason.
Multiple Top-Six Center Options Already Taken off the Trade Block
If making a move before the trade deadline is the goal, Avalanche general manager Chris MacFarland will have to act quickly if they hope to successfully fill the hole at second-line center. Two proactive general managers have already completed deals well ahead of the cutoff date and taken a pair of center targets off the market.
The Vancouver Canucks and general manager Patrik Allvin captured one of the biggest names on the trade block when they acquired Elias Lindholm from the Calgary Flames in return for winger Andrei Kuzmenko, the rights to a pair of defensive prospects in Hunter Brzustewicz and Joni Jurmo, a 2024 first-round pick and a conditional pick in the 2024 NHL Draft.
Winnipeg Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff later acquired center Sean Monahan from the Montreal Canadiens for a 2024 first-rounder as well as a conditional third-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft. Monahan’s recent injury history may have scared some teams off, but there’s no doubt that the Jets are in a stronger position after the deal.
The Western Conference looks to be up for grabs this season, and the Canucks and Jets have capitalized on that ambiguity to bolster their lineup, rewarding their players for putting forth impressive showings to date.
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It’s not just about acquiring good players, but also keeping them away from potential contenders. The league is aware of the Avalanche’s desire to augment their center options, and the two Canadian clubs swiftly made MacFarland’s job that much more difficult in the lead-up to the deadline.
Remaining Center Options Better Suited for Depth Roles
The Avalanche are now in the unenviable position of having to fill a demanding role without having access to a bountiful field of capable candidates. The remaining centers available are either more suited for a third- or fourth-line role, are young and unproven, have split time on the wing, or some combination of all three.
Colorado’s high-octane system and strong top-six support wingers (such as Artturi Lehkonen and Valeri Nichushkin) could insulate a below-average second-line center, but a team with only a few assets to wield should use them on a bonafide top-six pivot. If adding to their depth, regardless of quality, is the goal, the Avalanche have several options to consider at the deadline.
Adam Henrique (Anaheim Ducks) has been rumored as a trade target dating back to last season’s deadline. The 34-year-old’s 38 points in 57 games ranks fourth on a rebuilding team, and his experience and positional versatility make him one of the most attractive players still on the market. He’s a pending unrestricted free agent (UFA), so fitting him in beyond this season isn’t a sticking point. A total of 28 career postseason appearances suggest he’d love the chance to make a deep run for the first time since the 2012 Playoffs when his New Jersey Devils reached the Stanley Cup Final.
Scott Laughton (Philadelphia Flyers) is another option, with 30 points in 59 games this season. He’s a regular on the penalty kill (sixth on the Flyers in average shorthanded ice time) and has won 49% of his 668 total face-offs (55th-most draws among all skaters). He’s owed $3 million through the 2025-26 season, so his cap hit and term could be a tad rich for an Avalanche team looking to find as much value as possible, especially since he’s more of a third-line center at even-strength.
Morgan Frost is a younger option from the Flyers (27 points in 48 games) who is owed $2.1 million through next season. Frost has shown flashes of offensive skills but may be too inexperienced to play serious top-nine minutes for a legitimate contender at this point.
NHL insider Elliotte Friedman recently mentioned the Arizona Coyotes as a potential trade partner for the Avalanche due to their collection of top-nine calibre centers. Beyond Nick Schmaltz (who is more of a winger), the Coyotes can also offer up Nick Bjugstad and Alexander Kerfoot as potential solutions.
Related: NHL Trade Bait List for 2024 Trade Deadline
All three still have at least one year remaining on their current deals, but only Schmaltz has consistently played top-six minutes over his NHL tenure. He scored at a near point-per-game pace during the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons but has seen his production dip despite finally staying healthy.
As is abundantly clear, the Avalanche may not be satisfied with the quality of centers available on the market. Teams looking for depth at the position have several options to choose from, but it’s unlikely that any legitimate top-six pivots will be made available ahead of the deadline. Instead, such a trade might have to be put on hold until the offseason when rosters are more in flux and cap space opens up in a way it doesn’t during the regular season.
Top-Six Trade May Have to Wait Until the 2024 Offseason
Judging by the current market and the uncertainty surrounding the Avalanche’s roster going forward, a more significant deal revolving around a potential top-six center may have to be put on hold until the offseason.
At that point, the future of Gabriel Landeskog’s playing career (his last game was Game 6 of the 2022 Stanley Cup Final) and his $7 million cap hit may become more clear. The Avalanche captain has been ramping up his on-ice participation, and it’s not outside the realm of possibility that he will suit up at some point during the 2024 Playoffs, however unlikely.
Bigger contracts like those belonging to defenseman Josh Manson ($4.5 million through 2025-26) and Johansen ($4 million through 2024-25) may be easier to move with the offseason salary cap buffer. Either could be traded as a salary makeweight in a bigger deal or simply to clear space going forward.
The organization may also decide what to do with 22-year-old defenseman Bowen Byram, especially with Samuel Girard playing well since returning from the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program and with Devon Toews’ contract extension (and $3 million raise) kicking in next season.
Byram’s potential is undeniable, but he’s struggled to reach the heights of his performance in the 2022 Stanley Cup Final, and the team could choose to trade from a position of strength to address a clear weakness. He becomes a restricted free agent (RFA) following the 2024-25 season, so both parties will soon be at a crossroads with no clear resolution in sight.
The Avalanche have plenty of options to assess as the deadline approaches. A team with a core of MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and Mikko Rantanen should take as many swings as possible before their stars age out of their primes. Whether that swing results in a single or a home run remains to be seen, but don’t expect the Avalanche to let the opportunity pass by and stand pat.
Data courtesy of Natural Stat Trick, and the NHL.