Could the Colorado Avalanche land a true offseason blockbuster?
That’s the question hanging over a team that has at least been mentioned in the same breath as big names like Connor Hellebuyck and Dylan Larkin. On paper, the idea is easy to dream on. In reality, it looks like a steep climb for Joe Sakic and the Avalanche to pull off anything that dramatic.
The appeal is obvious. Imagine a lineup with Nathan MacKinnon, then Larkin, then, say, Nazem Kadri.
That kind of top-end talent would change the conversation in a hurry. But the mechanics of getting there are another story, because Colorado doesn’t appear to have the cap space or the premium trade chips to make a deal of that size work cleanly.
If the Avalanche were going to swing for that level of player, the return package would almost certainly have to include one of the club’s veteran pieces. That’s the kind of starting point that would have to exist in any serious conversation. The source article floated examples such as Brock Nelson going to the Detroit Red Wings in a deal for Larkin, or Scott Wedgewood being part of a package for Hellebuyck with the Winnipeg Jets.
Those comparisons aren’t meant to suggest Nelson is on Larkin’s level or that Wedgewood stacks up to Hellebuyck. They’re simply the kind of framework that would have to be in place before a deal of that magnitude could even get off the ground.
Otherwise, the Avalanche would be forced to lean on younger assets, and the article makes clear that someone like Gavin Brindley probably wouldn’t move the needle in a trade for Hellebuyck or a player of that caliber.
Still, the idea shouldn’t be dismissed entirely. Sakic has a reputation for keeping things close to the vest, and the article points out that fans outside the front office can only guess at what conversations are happening behind the scenes. Rumors can also leak in strange ways, which means a quiet situation can suddenly look a lot more interesting than it did a day earlier.
The bottom line: a major Avalanche move this offseason doesn’t look likely, but the possibility is enough to keep the speculation alive. And if Colorado really is poking around on Hellebuyck, then maybe Sakic is working on something bigger than anyone expects.
In Other News...
Avalanche Risk Repeating A Brutal Problem If They Get This Wrong
The Avalanche have mostly settled their roster for the coming season, with only a few openings left to sort out on the fourth line and at the bottom of the defensive depth chart. Colorado also brought in depth help in Fyodor Svechkov, Zachary LHeureux, Vinnie Hinostroza and Noah Juulsen, giving the coaching staff more options as it tries to build a lineup that can survive the grind of an 82-game season.
The real test now is how those pieces are used. Colorado cannot afford to lean so hard on its veterans that younger players are boxed out of NHL minutes, because the whole point of adding depth is to keep everyone fresher and healthier when the schedule tightens and injuries start to pile up. If the Avalanche get that balance wrong, they risk turning a manageable roster decision into the kind of problem that shows up at the worst possible time. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Suddenly Face A Cap Squeeze They May Not Escape
The Avalanche are heading toward the 2026-27 season with a cap picture that already looks tight, and the margin gets even thinner once bonus overages are folded in. Colorado is projected to carry about $2.3 million in dead cap space, a hit that comes from Brent Burns bonus structure and leaves the club with very little room to maneuver before the roster even takes shape.
Burns had $4 million in incentives last season, and once those bonuses pushed past the threshold, the overage rolled into this years accounting. With only about $404,000 in available space after the carryover is included, the Avalanche may be forced into cap-clearing moves just to create flexibility, especially with the new waiver rules making simple paper shuffles far less useful than they used to be. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Forward Already Appears To Be Out Of Colorados Plans
Daniil Gushchins path through the Avalanche organization looks to have ended before it ever really got going. After arriving from San Jose in the deal for Oskar Olausson, the forward spent the most recent season with the Colorado Eagles, trying to carve out a place in a crowded system after already logging time in both the NHL and AHL since being drafted by the Sharks in 2020.
Now Gushchin is headed back to Russia, where he has not played in nearly a decade. The move leaves Colorado with one less depth option to sort through, and it also underscores how quickly a player can slip out of an NHL teams plans when the fit never quite solidifies at the top level. [Read more 🡒]