If you’re running a team that isn’t still active in the Stanley Cup playoffs, you’re actively preparing for the upcoming expansion draft and the 2017-18 season. Some GMs have begun making changes to their rosters – the Dallas Stars wisely got ahead of the goalie carousel and landed Ben Bishop from the Kings, while the Carolina Hurricanes did the same by acquiring Scott Darling from Chicago – but others are waiting for the post-season to conclude before delving into the trade market. …¨…¨
That makes sense on a lot of fronts, mainly because some franchises that have fallen short of high expectations in these playoffs now have even more pressure to avoid the status quo next year; as such, they could be prepared to meet the asking prices for on-the-block talent. Two of those talents can be found in Colorado: the Avalanche’s young stars Matt Duchene and Gabriel Landeskog have been rumored to be up for grabs since the team completely face-planted and wound up posting one of the worst seasons in the modern history of the league. And if I were Avs GM Joe Sakic, I’d be targeting two of the teams that were just eliminated – the Washington Capitals and New York Rangers – to maximize the return for one of the two forwards.
There could be better matches for Landeskog and Duchene. For example, the Hurricanes have an excess of defensemen, and the blueline has been a concern of Colorado’s for years. And given that defensemen at the start of their careers are at a premium, it may be extremely difficult for Colorado to address their primary need at this point in time with a youngster ready to step in and contribute big minutes right away. But if Sakic can play two Metropolitan Division rivals (and at that, two rivals in a much different place in their competitive cycle than the young and growing Canes) off each other to raise the price tag in any deal, he has to do exactly that.
The Rangers have an aging elite goalie in Henrik Lundqvist, one more season with veteran winger Rick Nash under contract, and a slew of young forwards, any one of which could be included in any potential trade with the Avs. If GM Jeff Gorton were to put together a package that included, say, center Derek Stepan (whose $6.5-million-per-season cap hit virtually matches Duchene’s $6-million salary) and defensive prospect Ryan Graves, Sakic would have to take a long, hard look at it. If the Blueshirts are able to add a player of Duchene’s calibre and add to that an unrestricted free agent signing such as blueliner Kevin Shattenkirk, they’d have to be one of the favorites to come out of the Eastern Conference next season – and with Lundqvist set to turn 36 next year, why not go for it?
Then there are the Capitals, who were in large part sunk by a sub-par performance from goalie Braden Holtby against Pittsburgh in the second round. GM Brian MacLellan has suggested notable change would come if Washington didn’t deliver this season, and the acquisition of a dynamic force such as Landeskog or Duchene would give the Caps a fresh new look for 2017-18.
Some might suggest the Capitals deal superstar winger Alex Ovechkin in a trade for Duchene or Landeskog, but he has a modified no-trade clause that likely would include Colorado. That said, Washington has depth on the back end – blueliner Nate Schmidt availed himself very well in the post-season and is only 25 years old – and dealing Schmidt in a package for a rugged winger like Landeskog (who ostensibly would replace a departing T.J. Oshie) would improve the Caps’ physical presence at a fixed cost for the next four years. Any trade for Landeskog would also mean saying goodbye to a young forward such as Marcus Johansson or Evgeny Kuznetsov, but again, we’re talking about a team with a closing window in which to win. If the current collection of Caps can’t get the job done, making a play for Duchene or Landeskog could be the jump-start they need to take the next step.
Both the Capitals and Rangers are in tight against the salary cap next year, so the Avalanche might need to retain some salary in a transaction involving Landeskog or Duchene. But Sakic’s job is to improve the team at all costs. And if that means paying a little bit of money to create a bidding war between two clubs that desperately want to win and win now, and the result is a better haul than Colorado would’ve received otherwise, he’d be well-advised to present the Blueshirts and Caps with the ultimate nightmare scenario: facing off against the other side with a rejuvenated, younger core capable of eliminating them well before the conference final.
It won’t be easy – and it might even take a third team participating in the deal – but sending either Duchene or Landeskog out of the West and into a high-pressure situation like the Metro Division boiler cooker may just be the best for the Avs, the player(s) they move, and the team with which they wind up.