Colorado Avalanche Game Day: Going, Going, Back, Back, to Cali, Cali

The Colorado Avalanche are in California tonight to play the Anaheim Ducks, who just made a trade with the Boston Bruins this morning.

They sent winger Ondrej Kase to the Bruins in exchange for David Backes, defense prospect Axel Andersson, and their 2020 first round pick. The Bruins are keeping 25% of Backes’ salary in the deal and his contract expires at the end of next season.

Kase has continued his season of good play driving numbers while suffering from a slightly lower than normal shooting percentage. The 24-year-old Czech winger had been rumored to be on the trading block, and was almost dealt before the season began for defenseman Justin Faulk in a deal that fell apart. - Anaheim Calling

The Ducks got smoked in this trade, which is good because the Avalanche have to play them tonight and a weaker opponent is an easier game, especially considering the Avs are down a few guys at the moment as well. Hopefully things go to plan and it’s an open and shut case by 11pm MT.

Colorado Avalanche

Sheldon Dries called up, T.J. Tynan sent down

Forwards

Nathan MacKinnon - Gabriel Landeskog - Andre Burakovsky
Valeri Nichushkin - J.T. Compher - Joonas Donskoi
Matt Nieto - Pierre-Edouard Bellemare - Martin Kaut
Tyson Jost - Sheldon Dries - Vladislav Kamenev

Defense

Cale Makar - Ryan Graves
Samuel Girard - Erik Johnson
Ian Cole - Nikita Zadorov

Anaheim Ducks

Forwards

Max Jones - Ryan Getzlaf - Rickard Rakell
Devin Shore - Sam Steel - Jakob Silfverberg
Nick Ritchie - Adam Henrique - Troy Terry
Nicolas Deslauriers - Derek Grant - Carter Rowney

Defense

Hampus Lindholm - Josh Manson
Brendan Guhle - Michael Del Zotto
Jacob Larsson - Korbinian Holzer

Goalies

John Gibson will be in net at one end, while the newly re-signed Pavel Francouz is projected to get the start for the Avs. Gibson has been overwhelmed by Anaheim’s badness this season and only has a .904 save percentage this season. That’s 15 points below his career average.