The Colorado Avalanche won their third Stanley Cup in franchise history in 2022, defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning in a true clash of the titans to conclude the 2021-22 NHL season. The Avs are looking to defend their title and go back-to-back like the Lightning did in 2020 and 2021, and they'll need to make some important moves, like trading for Bo Horvat, at the NHL trade deadline to do so. Colorado is faced with an uphill battle to achieve something only the Lightning, Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins have done in the 21st century: win consecutive Stanley Cups.
Colorado has been heating up heading into the All-Star break after a tumultuous first half of the season that saw them lose all of their best players to injury. Cale Makar, Nathan MacKinnon, Gabriel Landeskog and Valeri Nichushkin have all missed time this campaign, as well as important defenseman in Bowen Byram and Josh Manson.
The No. 1 thing the Avs need to do if they want to repeat as NHL champions is stay healthy, but they're missing a game-breaking second-line centre like they had last year with Nazem Kadri, and could use a depth defenseman to bolster an oft-injured core. There's one centre who would look great in a Colorado Avalanche jersey, and a few defenseman who would move the needle for the team heading into the postseason.
Trade for C Bo Horvat
The Vancouver Canucks and star forward Bo Horvat simply could not get on the same page on a contract extension, and for that reason, he's one of the most coveted players on this year's NHL trade deadline board. He's a strong two-way forward who can penalty kill, win face-offs, and most importantly, score goals. He's on pace for the best goal scoring season of his career, already matching his career high of 31 goals in just 49 games. There's a great chance he'll get 50, if not 55, by season's end.
The Avalanche got huge contributions from Nazem Kadri in the 2C role last season, but they simply don't have that kind of player anymore after Kadri signed with the Calgary Flames in the offseason. J.T. Compher is a good but not great replacement to the important position, while Horvat is a fan favorite for his hard working nature and he's emerged into a true elite goal scorer in the NHL. Although the Avalanche don't want to sell the farm for a second line centre, general manager Chris MacFarland certainly should be checking in. That's especially true with team captain Landeskog reportedly nowhere near in game shape after undergoing knee surgery in the offseason.
An Avalanche trade could involve dangling a player like Jean-Luc Foudy, a 2020 third-rounder who was just named an AHL All-Star, or even their first-round selection in 2021 in Oskar Olausson, along with a pick or two, to try to get Horvat to the Mile High City. A healthy top six that boasts MacKinnon, Rantanen and Landeskog on the first line, to go with Horvat, Nichushkin and 2022 NHL deadline edition Artturi Lehkonen would be electric, and get the Avs right back where they need to be in terms of Stanley Cup aspirations.
Bring a depth defenseman to Denver
Besides their need for a second-line centre, the Avalanche D-core simply cannot stay healthy. When it is, it's one of the top units in the entire league, which was showcased in the playoffs last year. A Makar-Devon Toews pairing is one of the best in the league, and Josh Manson and Bowen Byram on the second pair is fantastic, while Samuel Girard and Erik Johnson round out a phenomenal top-six. But neither of Byram or Manson are healthy, and the Avalanche could trade for a seventh defenseman to shore up the blue line.
Enter a player like Canucks puck moving defenseman Luke Schenn, who is on a team-friendly deal and adds grit and toughness to the bottom of the lineup. Or a guy like Columbus Blue Jackets D-man Vladislav Gavrikov, who can play a ton of minutes, break up plays well, and withstand pressure on the forecheck. Even a bottom-pairing, minute-muncher like Joel Edmunson from the Montreal Canadiens could be a fit here.
The Avalanche have a strong group of defenseman when healthy, but realistically, they're going to need to trade for one or two fill-in blueliners over the course of the playoffs. If they can get someone like Schenn, Gavrikov or Edmunson, they'll be in much better shape if the injury bug comes for them again in the playoffs.
But if they can get a player like Bo Horvat to round out the top six at the NHL trade deadline, they'll be in fantastic shape to make another deep run in 2023.
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