With only a few days remaining before the NHL Trade deadline, it sounds as though Colorado Avalanche General Manager Joe Sakic is ready to start wheeling and dealing. By now, everyone knows about his rendezvous with his counterpart from Montreal over the past week. Marc Bergevin spent a very public few days in Denver watching the Avalanche and while both he and Sakic downplayed the significance of the trip, it’s not a coincidence that Montreal’s Director of Hockey Operations Scott Mellanby was there as well.
This was very obviously a scouting trip for the Canadiens executive, leading to speculation that the two teams are working on a trade of significance before the deadline.
With Montreal unlikely to make a push for the playoffs, many believe Bergevin is operating in a way that would sell off assets in order to build a competitive team quickly. This has led to a number of players being thrown out as potential targets for the Avs. Tomas Tatar, Max Domi, Phillip Danault, Jeff Petry, Jonathan Drouin and even Carey Price have all been tossed around as names that could be of interest to the Avalanche.
Let’s get this out of the way; the Avalanche won’t be trading for Carey Price. It’s as simple as that.
Tatar’s name has come up a lot in the rumor mill lately. He’s under control for another season on a decent contract and has the speed that would fit in perfectly in Colorado’s top-six. A defensively responsible left winger who can supplement the offense until Mikko Rantanen returns to the lineup. It would make a lot of sense that the Sakic would be targeting him as an acquisition before the deadline. That said, it’s starting to sound as though he is Plan B for the Avalanche.
Late this week, whispers have begun to intensify that Sakic’s dream scenario would be to get Phillip Danault out of Montreal. Danault is a 26-year old centerman who has quietly become one of the best defensive centers in the NHL. On the offensive side, he is a very good playmaker who forechecks hard and would be able to fill in while Nazem Kadri is out of the lineup.
Danault would give the Avalanche would give the Avalanche unmatched depth at the center position going into the playoffs. Playing behind Nathan MacKinnon and Kadri, Danault would be able to focus on a shutdown role against the opponent’s top lines. Coach Bednar would also have the option of moving Kadri over to Danault’s wing when he really wants to get nasty in a playoff series.
He’s young, under contract for another season and a very good player - Danualt won’t be cheap. He’d likely come at the expense of Colorado’s 2020 first-round pick, a roster defenseman and possibly another asset. That said, he is exactly the type of player Sakic should be giving up this kind of package for. Danault would be a huge addition to the Avalanche lineup and would quickly become a favorite of both the fans and his new teammates.
Apparently the Avs also have some interest in Drouin as well but it’s minimal and likely not at the price the Canadiens would demand. Whether it’s smart to move on from Drouin or not, Bergevin is highly invested in him and his stubbornness is likely preventing him from moving on – for now.
Whatever comes of these discussion, one thing is for certain. The Avalanche are looking to improve their lineup at the expense of a struggling team.
Joe Sakic knows the window for his team to contend is open now. He won’t mortgage the future for short-term help but at the same time, he knows you can’t wait too long to take advantage of Nathan MacKinnon’s prime. Montreal and Colorado are working on something. Whether it’s big or small, the likelihood is that these two teams will swing a trade before Monday’s NHL trade deadline.