The Avalanche Trade Deadline Moves
Read Time:6 Minute, 1 Second
Most of the Avalanche fanbase were expecting something major this trade deadline. Something huge, like Claude Giroux, JT Miller, Patrick Kane, Joe Pavelski… well we didn’t get that, instead we go four players that likely better address other teams’ needs over adding another star rental player to ther roster for the next three months. What players did the Avalanche acquire, what value do they add to the team, what are their strengths and weaknesses and how did the team fair at the trade deadline?
Josh Manson
Acquired from the Ducks for farm system prospect Drew Helleson and a 2023 2nd round selection on March 14th before the trade deadline. This guy comes to the Avalanche as a Physical Defenseman and Veteran who can be punishing to play against and has the type of physicality that is needed to win tough playoff series versus the Dallas Stars and the Vegas Golden Knights.
If video game ratings are anything to help detail his style of play, he’s an 84 overall in NHL 2022, and his only real issues on his player stats are on his discipline (70/100) and his Faceoffs (55/100). Everything else is a 79 and above with his Shot Blocking, Stick Checking, Strength, and Body Checking all 89+.
He comes to Denver as a rotational defenseman who will help the team lean hard into the playoff hockey style to prevent losing to more physical, but lesser talented squads. It seems that he has the traits that help the team impose their will and not be the victims in physical series. In his three games since joining the squad, the Avs are 3-0, he has a +/- of -1, with ~17 minutes per game, and logged four penalty minutes. I think we have noticed him make some questionable decisions, but we have also seen him dump and punish to help secure a lead.
Nico Strum
In the more fan dividing move of trade deadline shenanigans, the Avs sent Tyson Jost to the division rival Minnesota Wild for their 26-year-old center, Nico Sturm. Sturm will slot in as a Bottom 6 two-way Center that will likely fill in for the role that Jost use to, centering the third line. Sturm has a career 55% faceoff percentage that seems to be the major benefit of this addition as faceoffs are a weak spot of the current roster.
His NHL 2022 ratings place him as a 75 Overall and his lowest ratings being shot blocking, Fighting Skill, and Poise. All Sturm’s other attributes rate as an 80 or above with his durability, strength, slap shot power, and balance all being 85+. On the Minnesota Wild he was a member of their first line penalty kill, and even tallied a shorthanded goal as well as a power play goal for the wild.
Artturi Lehkonen
Was acquired from the Montreal Canadians for a 2024 2nd round pick and farm system prospect Justin Barron and will likely serve as a bottom six left winger. Lehkonen is a 26-year-old Finnish player who has been in the NHL since he was 21-years old. He has been a career 10-18 goal scorer in the five seasons he has played, he has scored seven career shorthanded goals, and six career power play goals, proving that he will help the special teams’ units.
Arrturi appears in NHL 2022 to be only a 79 Overall, but his attributes appear to tell a story of a player that has elite discipline (95/100), high end slap shot and wrist shot power (both at 87/100) and showcases a physical left winger that also has strong puck and skating skills. Lehkonen is punished in the rating system for his poor career faceoff skills, his average shot blocking acumen, and his poor fighting skills. I don’t think those three things should anchor his overall to below an 80, but they do.
Lehkonen will come in and be immediately impactful on the bottom 6, adding additional goal-scoring skill, physicality, and additional overall depth for a roster hoping to make a deep playoff push ending in a Stanley Cup Championshop.
Andrew Cogliano
Acquired from the San Jose Sharks, Cogliano is on the back end of his career but comes to Denver as a bottom six speedster, that can fly up and down the ice. Cogliano has his best years behind him, but he also has 100 career playoff games, and will help serve as a veteran that can be a depth guy. He was acquired for a 2024 5th round selection.
Andrew is considered a two-way player with elite discipline, acceleration, and speed all ranking as a 90/100 or higher on NHL 2022 player rating system. His lowest rated attributes were his faceoff and fighting skills, but every other measurable statistic ranks him as above an 80/100. At 34-years old, he will likely be a fourth line left winger and will help bring an element of veteran leadership and speed to the bottom of the rotation.
Themes/Trends
I think the clear mission with the first two additions of the trade deadline were to get a more physical defensive defenseman, a well-rounded two-way Center who is better in the face-off circle, and to get tougher and more aggressive defensively on both the forwards and defensemen cores. Manson and Sturm cover the bill and improve what they were brought in for.
With the Lehkonen pickup, I think the team got another young, all-around player, that can score goals, play defense, be physical, and make plays. It seems that both Sturm and Lehkonen are specialists, where both played on the power play and penalty kill in their past roles and could help improve those units on the Avalanche.
Finally, it appears they wanted to bring in additional playoff experience and speed for the bottom of the rotation, and Cogliano bring that element along with a career of being a consistent defensive forward with excellent skating and above average scoring ability. Most of the Avalanche’s moves at the trade deadline brought in physical, well-rounded, aggressive, two-way hockey players to help improve the bottom of the lineup and help support the super-star cast at the top of the rotations.
Overall Grade – B+
Reasoning, I didn’t think that any of these players were absolute must have big name targets like a Claude Giroux or Patrick Kane, that the community seemed to think the Avalanche were targeting, but they got some absolute strong talent and got young physical guys to make a late season push with. I think the expectation of the caliber of moves versus reality were simply disappointing, but I do love the dudes they brought in as well as the reasoning for bringing them all in. The type of players that were brought in were all playoff style guys, depth guys, and guys that improve the chances of winning those gritty series against the other western conference teams.
This roster can go get a Stanley Cup, the journey starts now, and this is the roster that Joe Sakic has chosen to complete the task. Go Avs!
Happy
0 %
Sad
0 %
Excited
0 %
Sleepy
0 %
Angry
0 %
Surprise
0 %
0
0
Average Rating