What happens in Las Vegas on June 20 ties into what might happen before the NHL’s trade deadline March 1. Make no mistake, the expansion Vegas Golden Knights could dramatically dictate how trades play out this month, and in Colorado, the cellar-dwelling Avalanche must be careful how it rebuilds before March 1 then again before June 20.
Before those dates, teams aren’t going to trade for what they want if they can’t protect that acquisition or one of their own players of similar value. Colorado’s Matt Duchene, for example, won’t be traded to Washington, the NHL’s best team, if it causes the Capitals to lose another elite forward they can’t protect in the expansion draft.
It’s no secret, the Avs need to dramatically retool their blue line. But they likely won’t trade for a veteran 20-something defenseman until after the expansion draft. In the meantime, however, they will be looking to trade for a defenseman in his first or second year in the league or an unsigned draft pick — a player who is exempt from the expansion draft.
The Knights will be required to select one player from each team, so the Avs will lose somebody. They just don’t want it to be young defensemen Nikita Zadorov, 21, or Tyson Barrie, 25. Colorado can protect Zadorov and Barrie but it is required to protect defensemen Erik Johnson and Francois Beauchemin unless those players waive their no-trade clauses.
Like every team, the Avs can protect seven forwards, three defensemen and one goalie (11 players), or eight skaters and a goalie (nine players). All players with no-trade clauses must be protected and all first- and second-year players are exempt.
If Johnson and Beauchemin decline to waive their no-trade clauses, the Avs will protect them along with Zadorov and Barrie, plus four forwards and a goalie. Those forwards would be Duchene, Nathan MacKinnon, Gabe Landeskog and probably Matt Nieto, and the goalie would be Calvin Pickard.
By June 20, however, that example could be worthless. Duchene and/or Landeskog — or even MacKinnon — could be moved to a playoff-contending team for an elite up-and-coming defenseman such as Charlie McAvoy, the Boston University sophomore and 2016 first-round pick of the Boston Bruins. Or the Avs might move Zadorov or Barrie for a different kind of defenseman. Endless possibilities.
One thing is certain, the Avs’ roster will dramatically change. With the expansion draft looming, the question is how soon?
Colorado’s protected list includes Mikko Rantanen and Andreas Martinsen, forwards, and goalie Spencer Martin. Forward A.J. Greer, who made his NHL debut this season, also is protected along with defenseman Chris Bigras, who played part-time with Colorado last season.
Around the league, Minnesota is bound to lose someone special on its blue-line to Vegas, such as Matt Dumba, Jonas Brodin or Marco Scandella, and Anaheim might lose one of its fine young forwards in Jakob Silfverberg or Rickard Rakell because the Ducks are so deep at forward and defense.
The best teams have the most to lose, which is why they might not be interested in buying what Colorado and other non-playoff teams will be selling this month.
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Sidney Crosby: Spotlight on the Pittsburgh Penguins center
When: The Avalanche plays host to Crosby and the defending Stanley Cup champions Thursday at the Pepsi Center.
What’s up: Sid the Kid, who is turning 30 this summer, could produce his 1,000th career point in Denver. He entered the weekend with 994 points, and given that he’s averaging 1.30 points per game, he could reach the milestone in Pittsburgh’s annual visit to Denver. After Friday’s game against Columbus, the Penguins played at St. Louis on Saturday and will visit Calgary on Tuesday before coming to town. Crosby is vying to become the 86th NHL player to reach 1,000 points.
Background: The No. 1 pick from the 2005 draft still is the NHL’s best player. Crosby entered the weekend with a league-most 28 goals and is on pace to approach his career-high of 51 in 2009-10. The two-time Stanley Cup champion won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP last spring.
Chambers’ take: There are no Crosbys in the 2017 NHL draft in which the Avalanche might have the first pick, but there might never be another player with as much talent, drive and character as the likely future Hockey Hall of Fame center from Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia. To not like Crosby is to not appreciate human artistry and the will to win. The humble star will go down with Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux and Gordie Howe and the most gifted and appreciated ambassadors of the game.
