A lot of questions sent my way about Josh Manson, so we might as well start there.
I don't get the sense Manson is on his way out. If anything they'd probably like to add a defenseman to push Manson down the depth chart a little bit. Any trade involving Manson would be complicated because he has a 12-team no-trade clause. I can't see him accepting a deal to any non-playoff team in the middle of the season. That doesn't mean it's impossible and Chris MacFarland is clearly a creative general manager, but it seems unlikely.
That being said, Manson hasn't been good this season. His wrist injury could still be a lingering issue, but like Jared Bednar said, that doesn't excuse some of his decision making. He's stepping up into the play when he shouldn't, which is leading to odd-man rushes the other way, and he's turning the puck over way too much. Sam Girard is being forced to cover for a lot of his mistakes. Manson's underlying metrics are not great, as he's well below 50% in expected goals-for percentage and has been on the ice for far more high-danger chances against than for.
Again, I'd be surprised if they dealt him, but finding an upgrade would be an ideal scenario.
When does the team finally abandon the idea of Landeskog returning and playing like he did three years ago? It’s impossible to plan for the future of the team with him hanging on like this.
I think the team has long abandoned the idea of Landeskog being the same player if he returns. That's just not realistic. As for the future, in my opinion, a decision has to be made this summer. The Avalanche have been patient and they want their Captain back, but they need some clarity so they can properly plan moving forward.
Do the Avs get (Jonathan) Drouin signed soon?
With Mikko Rantanen now gone, I'd be surprised if the Avalanche let Jonathan Drouin hit the open market. They have a little bit of money to work with over the summer and Drouin has been a nice fit in the system.
Your daily report on everything sports in Colorado - covering the Denver Broncos, Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche, and columns from Woody Paige and Paul Klee.
My understanding is there was a bit of a handshake deal in place between both parties when Drouin signed a cheap one-year contract last summer that a larger deal would be coming in due time. Drouin's injury troubles this year may have complicated that a little, but I still expect him to come back on a deal with a little bit of term.
Any word on how (Zakhar) Bardakov is playing and a potential option for the Avs?
For those that don't know, Bardakov was acquired by the Avalanche in the Kurtis MacDermid trade last season. He's not a big name, but he could be a potential option in the bottom six.
I spoke to his agent last summer and he told me Bardakov had plans to come to North America in the summer of 2025. He signed a one-year extension in the KHL last summer and is having the best season of his career (30 points in 44 games), so this may be the right time for him to give the NHL a shot.
Bardakov is the type of player who can play in the bottom six. He's only 23, is a big boy at 6-foot-3, has some nasty to his game and kills a lot of penalties in the KHL. He has a tendency to take some dumb penalties, but he likes to get under the skin of the opposition. You can never have enough centers at your disposal, and the Avalanche haven't had many with his size over the years.
Thanks, Evan. Do you have an enforcer candidate we could add at the deadline? Someone who can stand up to the Vegas goons?
It depends on your definition of an enforcer. Would the Avalanche like to add a bit more size to their team? Yes, I think they do, but that player must be able to play. There's no point in adding a fighter who can't keep up and wouldn't crack the lineup in the postseason.
Keaton Middleton seems to be handling his role pretty well and the organization is very happy with him. He's the de-facto enforcer for now, but I'm not sure he's someone you want to play every night in the playoffs.
Was Mikko the issue on the power play? Kinda seems that way. The way 29 and 88 can swing spots has had opposing teams really scramble. The entire system looks completely different.
I'm not going to blame Rantanen because there are four other players on the ice and it's been the same coach for several years now. The reality is that the trade forced the Avalanche to try something different. Martin Necas is a very different player compared to Rantanen and he's a right shot as opposed to a left shot. The team had no choice but to adjust and maybe that's just what they needed.
