During the 2022-23 season, the Colorado Avalanche found out the hard way how important it is to have depth and center. The Avs juggled centers on the second line all season and never found a fit. They’re doing their best not to have those problems again, zeroing in on the center position this offseason.
Once Nazem Kadri left in free agency for the Calgary Flames, the Avalanche entered last season in the hopes of filling his spot on the second line with one of their prospects. The problem was they weren’t ready. J.T. Compher was the most admirable fill-in, but his performance over the past two seasons pushed him into testing free agency.
Here’s a look at the moves Colorado has made to shore up the position:
Trading for Ryan Johansen
This move was the first one the Avalanche made to help bolster the center position, and it could be their best. Johansen came to the Avalanche for Alex Galchenyuk – a player who scored zero points in 11 games in Colorado. The best part of this deal? Nashville is eating half of Johansen’s $8 million annual salary to send him here. That’s especially notable since Colorado’s battling the salary cap.
Johansen is 30 years old and battled some injuries last season while posting just 28 points in 55 games. That put him in the bargain bin for Nashville, and Colorado’s hoping the change of scenery will boost those numbers. He’s battled injuries over the past few seasons, playing in 55 games or less in two of the last three campaigns. However, he has been a consistent scoring force when he’s been healthy.
Related: Johansen Trade Fills Avalanche’s Glaring Need at Center
The 12-year veteran is just one year removed from a 26-goal campaign in 2021-22, and that’s the type of output Colorado is hoping for. If he can stay healthy and notch between 50 and 60 points, they will be tickled to have him centering the second line. This move is a gamble, but not as big of a gamble as Colorado took on Alex Newhook filling that role last season.
Trading for Ross Colton
There were a few more moving parts to Colorado’s move to acquire Ross Colton from the Tampa Bay Lightning. First, they sent Newhook to the Montreal Canadiens for a first- and second-round pick in this year’s draft, along with prospect Gianni Fairbrother. The Avs then turned around and swapped the second-rounder from that trade for Colton.
Time just ran out on the Newhook experiment. He scored just 27 goals in 159 games across three seasons in Colorado and managed just 30 points while playing all 82 games last season. Colton has scored 38 goals over the last two seasons but will likely be slotted into the third-line center spot. He’s only 26 years old and has a 22-goal season under his belt despite playing just two full NHL seasons.
This feels like a great trade for Colorado. They get a player who has shown he can score in this league, and he’ll likely be slotted into that third-line center spot. He is a solid all-around player who should fill in nicely in that role and can give the Avs some confidence to move him up to the second line if Johansen has to sit with injuries for a spell. Colton is a talented forward who keeps improving his game and will really give the team depth in a spot where it’s desperately needed.
Drafting Calum Ritchie
While the first two moves were trying to fill leaks in their depth right now, Colorado’s first-round selection of Calum Ritchie shows they were prepared to use resources to bolster the position in the future. The 18-year-old Ritchie played with the Oshawa Generals in the OHL last season, racking up 59 points behind 24 goals in 59 games.
He’s not an electrifying project, as he’s more of a deliberate, patient player. However, his two-way play really began to turn heads – particularly with a standout performance at the U18s, where he helped Canada take home a bronze medal. He’s very good on offense and makes a lot of good decisions. The Avs are hoping he continues his current trajectory, which could turn him into one of the gems of the draft.
Related: Colorado Avalanche Draft Calum Ritchie 27th Overall
The team’s depth at center needed to be addressed, and general manager Chris MacFarland definitely addressed that need. Johansen and Colton immediately shore that up, and Ritchie could make his Avs debut sooner rather than later. The games still have to be played, of course, but these were some fantastic moves for Colorado’s depth entering the 2023-24 campaign.