The Colorado Avalanche haven’t been able to replicate the success of their 2022 Stanley Cup victory. They looked poised to make a deep playoff run in back-to-back playoffs in 2022-23, but the Seattle Kraken pulled off one of the most massive upsets in recent history.
It looked like we could see the demise of the Avalanche after that moment, but Colorado proved the doubters wrong by defeating the Winnipeg Jets in the first round last season. They came up short against the Dallas Stars in the second round, but it put the Avalanche back into contenders status. However, there is one more trade the Avalanche must make before the 2024-25 NHL season to have a compliant roster.
The Avalanche expected to be moving forward without the services of their captain Gabriel Landeskog. Landeskog has been out of the lineup since the Stanley Cup win with a knee injury, and most expected his career to be over. However, all signs point to Landeskog giving it another try this season. The Avalanche have been lacking what Landeskog provides over the past two seasons, and if he can return to his form from the championship season, he’ll be a welcome addition to the lineup.
Samuel Girard trade would solve salary cap issues
Colorado Avalanche defenseman Samuel Girard (49) skates with the puck in the second period against the Ottawa Senators at the Canadian Tire Centre. © Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images
Samuel Girard has been a valuable player for the Avalanche since they acquired him from the Nashville Predators in 2017-18. He consistently tallies 25-40 points, plays acceptable levels of defense given his size, and adds even more speed to one of the most mobile defense cores in the league. The Avalanche awarded Girard a seven-year, $35 million deal before the 2020-21 season, which continues to add value. However, Girard does have some concerns that could make him a trade candidate.
The Avalanche finally won the Stanley Cup in 2021-22, with Girard playing only 67 games during the regular season. He claimed a spot in the lineup for the postseason until a massive hit caused him to fracture his sternum and miss the remainder of the playoffs after seven games. The Avalanche went the rest of the way without him, beginning a narrative that they may not need Girard to be successful.
Girard rebounded by tallying a career-high 37 points in the 2022-23 season. It looked like he was proving the haters wrong about his durability by missing just six games and staying a fixture in the lineup. However, Girard had a career-worst 18 points and played 59 games last season.
The Avalanche are up against the salary cap but thought they’d get some relief from Landeskog’s injury and Valeri Nichushkin’s uncertainty. They’ll be happy about the rumors of both returning this season, but it does force them to complete a move to create salary cap room. Girard’s $5 million per year looks like the logical trade candidate, as they are eight-deep on the blue line and have some excellent top-end talent with Cale Makar and Devon Toews.
Avalanche already brought in replacements
Some of the Avalanche’s offseason moves set the table for a Girard trade before the season begins. Their first signing this offseason was Erik Brannstrom, an undersized left-shot defenseman who can fill in on the powerplay and give acceptable levels of defense. Sound familiar? He is a less-effective version of Girard, who costs the team $4.1 million less on the salary cap. Brannstrom may not be as good as Girard, but he has room to grow with the correct opportunity and could pay off his value. Brannstrom played 76 and 74 games with the Ottawa Senators over the last two seasons, recording 20 and 18 points, respectively.
The Brannstrom addition made plenty of sense as a Girard replacement, but it might’ve been too risky to put their hopes in the defender. The Avalanche opted to add even more insurance at the beginning of August, signing former Calgary Flame Oliver Kylington to a one-year, $1.05 million deal. Kylington’s road in the NHL has been rocky after some personal issues over the past two seasons, but he would be a valuable piece for Colorado if he returns to his past form.
Kylington’s only extended season in the league was in 2021-22. He recorded 31 points in 73 games and had a 54% Corsi. These numbers are better than almost every season that Girard had as a member of the Avalanche, and like Brannstrom, costs roughly $4 million less on the salary cap.
The Avalanche don’t have much depth up front and they are happy with their forward core. It’d be more detrimental to their potential if they traded one of those forwards, so it makes more sense for them to trade Girard and hope either Kylington or Brannstrom can fill the void.
