Things are not going well in Colorado right now and they haven't been for years. In this edition of the hotstove we discuss which core player the Avalanche should move if they decide to shake things up and trade one.
Todd Cordell
If the Avs were to trade a core player (likely a forward for a defenseman) I would say Gabriel Landeskog is the guy to move. Matt Duchene has been one of the best 5v5 players in the league over the last few years. His perceived value seems to have taken a bit of a hit, for whatever reason, so I feel like the Avs wouldn't get bang for their buck if they trade him. I think Nathan MacKinnon would be untouchable, as he should be.
That leaves Landeskog. He can score goals, he's a solid 5v5 producer, he is physical and he has worn the 'C' for years. We know how much hockey people love leadership, so captaining a team will probably hold weight for some GMs.
I believe the Avs would be most likely to get full value for Landeskog and generally wingers are easier to replace than centers. If the Avs are going to trade a core piece, I think Landeskog would be my choice.
James Tanner One thing about the Avs is they have the lowest PDO in the league, so they are almost certainly better than they seem. They have a much better future roster than most teams. Trade none of those guys.
Every team who fails expectations supposedly always has to trade a core player, but that is because it's always fun to talk about.
The Oilers bought into this narrative and traded Hall. But last season they didn't dress their optimal line-up for a single game. Despite that, they punted Yakupov and traded Hall, making themselves a much worse team in the process.
Sure; they are good now, but they could have been stacked.
With Rantanen and Varlamov the Avs have one of the best young 6 player cores in the league. They should learn a lesson from the Oilers, and surround the good players with an actual team.
Half their team is duds. Like the Oilers, it's not the star players that are the problem. The NHL is a team sport and even with two legit superstars you can't win if most of your cheap players suck.
Recent posts: Should the NHL change its point system?