Colorado Avalanche 2013 Trade Deadline Preview and Open Thread

The 2013 trade deadline is here, and Greg Sherman has kicked things off with a - my apologies to AJ here - minor deal, sending Cameron Gaunce to Dallas for forward Tomas Vincour. So, what happens now?

I'll admit, I don't have a freaking clue. The Avalanche are obviously a mess right now and we could see anything from some minor sell offs to a wholesale explosion. We know this: Ryan O'Reilly can't be traded at all and Milan Hejduk can't be moved unless he waives his no trade clause, which doesn't seem like something he would do. After that, all bets are off. Hell, I don't even know if the Avs can trade players on the IR as several people have claimed on Twitter (if that restriction is in the CBA, I could not find it).

Realistically, we know that Matt Duchene, Gabe Landeskog and PA Parenteau are not going anywhere and, honestly, that's about it. A year ago, it would have been inconceivable to even think that the Avalanche might trade a cornerstone like Erik Johnson or even Semyon Varlamov but you never know. I personally think this may be a quiet day for the Avalanche, but this is a franchise that likes to swing for the fences (sadly, that's resulted in a few too many whiffs).

Most Likely On the Block (per unnamed sources, aka me)

C Paul Stastny

F Chuck Kobasew (pending UFA)

D Ryan O'Byrne (pending UFA)

D Greg Zanon

D Shane O'Brien

G J.S. Giguere

Avalanche Trades:

D Cameron Gaunce to Dallas for F Tomas Vincour