The Colorado Avalanche invested heavily in their top-end talent, resulting in a cap crunch that presents them with challenges heading into the offseason. They are also facing challenges when it comes to draft and prospect capital, especially after trading Callum Ritchie as part of the Brock Nelson deal.
With Nelson now re-signed, an important piece of the offseason puzzle has been put in place. The Avalanche have shown a penchant for being creative, quickly turning a massive hole in net into one of the best tandems in the NHL in the middle of the season. This front office has shown a willingness to be smartly aggressive in the past. It’s also important to keep in mind that either Miles Wood or Ross Colton (or both) would need to be moved to land two of these guys, but the offseason is still young.
Jean-Gabriel Pageau, C, New York Islanders
The Avalanche definitely have a need for depth defensemen, but the bottom six could use a bit of help, too. Even with Nelson coming back for three seasons, the Avalanche need to get better defensively and in the faceoff circle. A full season of Charlie Coyle may help that, but he could potentially be a piece that gets moved out because of his contract (one year left at $5.25 million). In any event, the Avalanche could be looking for a versatile forward to supplement the bottom part of the lineup.
Though there is a more preferable target (mentioned later), don’t sleep on Jean-Gabriel Pageau as a potential option. He’s excellent in the faceoff circle and a strong penalty killer, which should help with some of the team defense issues that ultimately got the Avalanche bounced in the first round.
Offensively, Pageau has been a consistent 40-ish-point player, but that’s been with a milquetoast Islanders outfit. Playing 82 games with players like Gabriel Landeskog and/or Valeri Nichushkin could see him achieve a nice bump. With the Islanders rebuilding, a package featuring a B-level and a longshot prospect could be enough to land the 2026 free agent.
Eeli Tolvanen, Winger, Seattle Kraken
Remember, these are trade targets that are not only creative in terms of cost, but in terms of what it might take to acquire them. Eeli Tolvanen’s name hasn’t been shopped, but he’s entering the final year of his contract at a very manageable $3.475 million cap hit.
Most importantly, he’s coming off a career-best season in terms of goals, netting 22. The Avalanche don’t have the draft picks/prospects to take a major swing, so Tolvanen could be an excellent boost to the bottom six with enough versatility to play higher up in the lineup. It isn’t the big swing that some hope for, but not every move can be.
The Avalanche showed early in the 2024-25 season that depth scoring was an issue. With Jonathan Drouin’s future likely being elsewhere, Tolvanen could step into that role thanks to an excellent shot, great instincts, and the ability to be elusive. A mid-round pick and an intriguing prospect like Zakhar Bardakov could be enough to secure Tolvanen’s services for 2025-26.
Nicholas Robertson, LW, Toronto Maple Leafs
The situation between Nicholas Robertson and the Maple Leafs bears watching as well. The 23-year-old winger expressed a desire to be traded, but nothing has come to fruition. Instead, he has been a regular healthy scratch, further adding to his frustration.
It looks clear that his future is not in Toronto, potentially opening the door for the Avalanche. In limited time, Robertson has shown the ability to be an effective scorer. His upside and low cap number could make him an attractive option for the Avalanche, especially with so few potential NHL-ready prospects in the wings.
Now that the Avalanche have Nelson under contract, finding supplemental scoring and defense will be crucial. Grabbing Robertson and plugging him into a deep, talented lineup could be the change of scenery that he has been looking for. Robertson is a restricted free agent but doesn’t have much in the way of negotiating power, so he could be had cheaply. Given his status with the Leafs, a mid-round pick and/or a prospect like Oskar Olausson could nab a young winger with big potential.
Avalanche Have to be Smart Shoppers
The Avalanche have shored up their second-line center spot with the signing of Nelson, but holes remain. They have taken calculated swings to make their roster better, though their potential assets are as limited as can be.
The Avalanche are contenders, at least on paper. They have one of the best top-six forward groups in the league, provided everyone remains healthy and in the lineup. Being able to supplement that lineup will only make them better, and any of these players would be a great fit.
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