The trade market has opened a bit early in the NHL this season, which probably shouldn’t be a surprise considering this could be the worst free agent class in league history.
There have been six trades involving NHL players in the past week, including one by the Colorado Avalanche to free up more space below the salary cap ceiling. The first big move of Joe Sakic’s second term as the Avalanche general manager sent Ross Colton to the Nashville Predators for a pair of third-round draft picks.
What further moves will Sakic and Co. make? Who are some options that might be available?
We dug into the current state of the roster in a four-part series. The Avs look pretty set in goal.
Moving Colton also creates a hole in the forward group. The Avs have a few young players who could make a push for a full-time job during training camp, but one path forward for the club this offseason could include another forward or two on the move to refresh the roster a bit, even if Sakic said at his year-end press conference that this current group was put together with a 2-3 year run in mind.
Let’s take a look the forwards that could be available, either on July 1 in free agency or via trade. One thing to remember: There are lots of NHL teams with lots of cap space, and few impact players to spend it on. That could lead to some crazy-looking free agent contracts in July.
As an example, Bobby McMann was one of the first names on this list before he signed a six-year contract worth $5.75 million per season to stay with the Seattle Kraken. The Avs aren’t going to be able to afford that type of contract with any player unless someone else beyond Colton is moved off the current roster.
Unrestricted free agents
Oliver Bjorkstrand
2025-26: 12 goals, 32 points in 80 games
Bjorkstrand has spent most of his career as a really solid, sometimes underrated player. He wasn’t that guy last season with the Tampa Bay Lightning. He also turned 31 in April. Bjorstrand just wrapped up a contract at $5.4 million per season, but could his dip last season make him a more affordable bounce-back candidate?
Andrei Kuzmenko
2025-26: 13 goals, 25 points in 52 games
Kuzmenko had an out-of-body experience with 39 goals four years ago, but he’s settled in as a solid player who would likely produce at the same level that Colton did with the Avs. He’s bounced around a bit, but a fresh start with a better team could give Kuzmenko a boost. Given other needs, the Avs aren’t likely to replace Cotlon with a similarly-paid depth wing, though. They’d likely need a cooler-than-expected market, though Kuzmenko might thread the needle and be that player in this class.
Jack Roslovic
2025-26: 21 goals, 36 points in 69 games
Back-to-back solid seasons on cheap, one-year contracts. He will also be 29 when the season begins, which makes him one of the younger UFAs who can produce in a middle-six role. The red flags? Four teams in three years isn’t one on its own, but combine that with three goals in 51 career playoff games, and teams are probably doing a little extra homework here.
A.J. Greer
2025-26: 17 goals, 32 points in 78 games
Ex-Avs journeyman who found a home with the Florida Panthers and had a breakout year in a bigger role because of all the injuries. Did he finally get the extra opportunity needed to show he’s more than just a fourth-line energy guy? He’s a big, rugged guy who still has some championship glitter on him, so there might be a team out there that really overpays if last year was a one-hit wonder offensively.
Beck Malenstyn
2025-26: 7 goals, 14 points in 81 games
Malenstyn is big and fast. He has some of the same traits as Greer, minus the one outlier year on offense. In a normal offseason with a deeper pool of players and less collective cap space available, Malenstyn could be a nice under-the-radar pickup for a club like the Avs that might like to add someone of his profile. It’s going to be hard for anyone to make any under-the-radar value signings in early July 2026, though.
Trade candidates
Mason McTavish
2025-26: 17 goals, 41 points in 75 games
Dylan Larkin has received the most attention because of his trade request, but the chances of the Avs getting into that sweepstakes are pretty slim. McTavish is also a high-profile name in trade speculation. He’s young, and he was the No. 3 pick in the 2021 NHL draft, but he and Joel Quenneville were not simpatico this past season. Does he just need a change of scenery to fulfill his potential, or is Quenneville’s deployment a harbinger of what’s to come? Would one of the Avs’ veteran wings be enough to get a package started for McTavish, who turns 24 in January?
Warren Foegele
2025-26: 13 goals, 17 points in 68 games
Foegele scored 44 goals in the previous two seasons combined before a step back last year. He’s a UFA after next season, plus the Ottawa Senators could look a lot different with captain Brady Tkachuk reportedly on his way to Florida to play with his brother. Foegele is only $500K cheaper than Colton, but would add a little more size and has been a similar, but slightly more productive player.
Jesperi Kotkaniemi
2025-26: 2 goals, 9 points in 42 games
Kotkaniemi has size, draft pedigree and fell out of favor with a one of the other top organizations in the sport. Sound familiar? Could he be the next Avs reclamation project? He turns 26 next month. There is a chance the Carolina Hurricanes will buy out Kotkaniemi, which would make him potentially available on a shorter, cheaper contract. There could be several teams intrigued if that is what happens.
