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The Colorado Avalanche are approaching the end of a longer offseason than usual after a shocking Round 1 loss at the hand of the Seattle Kraken in the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs. After dominating the 2021-22 season and winning the franchise's third Stanley Cup against the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Avs were once again the team to beat in the Western Conference last year.
Colorado's Stanley Cup triumph in 2022 ended later than usual due to the season commencing later and the Avs didn't properly begin the summer until the first week of July — a lot of that was probably spent celebrating. It makes sense that the team is itching to get back on the ice after an unusual offseason that has stretched for over four months.
Despite the disappointing exit in the 2023 postseason, the Avalanche remain one of the teams to beat in the Western Conference. Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen are still at the top of their respective games, the blue line is elite and Alexandar Georgiev had a great first season between the pipes in Denver.
But it will be a new-look team in 2023-24; gone are the likes of JT Compher, Alex Newhook, Erik Johnson and Evan Rodrigues; they made room for the additions of Ryan Johansen, Miles Wood, Ross Colton and Jonathan Drouin. General manager Chris MacFarland might not be done after revamping the roster this summer, and with a tight salary cap to consider, there could be a few more players on the move approaching training camp.
Samuel Girard, D
Samuel Girard has seen his name swirling in the rumor mill for what seems like his entire Avalanche tenure. The team's left side is quite deep, and the 25-year-old would probably have more opportunity, especially on the powerplay, in a different market. He's capable of playing top-four minutes and is an outstanding all-around defenseman.
That was proven by the six goals and 37 points Girard managed in 2022-23, the best season of his career. The French Canadian's value is higher than it ever has been, and he isn't cheap at $5 million AAV for the next four seasons. With a few defensive prospects on their way up, including Sam Milinski and Mikhail Gulyayev, MacFarland could be looking to shed some salary. Girard is a prime trade candidate due to his elevated value and steep contract.
Josh Manson, D
A more under-the-radar defenseman that could be moved instead of Sam Girard is Josh Manson, who was traded to Denver from the Anaheim Ducks back in March of 2022. Manson is six years older than Girard, and is making just $500,000 less for the next three seasons. Manson is a solid top-four option when healthy, but that's been a key concern throughout his career.
The Illinois native hasn't played a full season since getting into 82 games with the Ducks in 2016-17. He only suited up for 27 contests for the Avs last year, which obviously isn't ideal for a player of his age. Manson's value probably isn't as high as Girard's, but his injury trouble could lead to MacFarland cutting the cord at some point during the 2023-24 season.
Pavel Francouz, G
The Avalanche are very soon going to have a three-goalie conundrum, as American Hockey League standout Justus Annunen seems poised to make the jump to the National Hockey League as soon as this season. Annunen was the backup goalie for a few games when the Avalanche won the Stanley Cup in 2022, and although he's still pretty green in terms of NHL starts, the future is bright for the 23-year-old Finn. He has the upside to be a starting NHL goalie at some point in his career.
For that reason, it just makes sense to trade Pavel Francouz. A solid goaltender in his own right, Francouz is now 33-years-old and entering the final season of a contract that will pay him $2 million next season. He likely will not figure into the future of the team, as Georgiev is just 27 and signed for at least two more seasons. Dealing Francouz and elevating Annunen would give the team some cap relief, and allow Annunen to get a few starts under his belt in the big leagues.
It's already been reported that captain Gabriel Landeskog will miss the entire 2023-24 season, but it's not impossible that the Swede could return at some point during the end of the year or playoffs. It's unlikely, but the team needs to put itself in the best possible position in terms of the salary cap, and that could lead to the departure of Sam Girard, Josh Manson or Pavel Francouz.
