Don’t look now, but the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline is less than a month away (Mar. 8). As a result, it’s an appropriate time to evaluate where the Colorado Avalanche – currently vying for the Central Division crown – stand heading into the final three months and change of the 2023-24 season. As of this writing, they own a record of 33-18-4 (70 points) in 55 games and sit third in the Central by points percentage (PTS%).
The Dallas Stars (first with 75 points in 55 games) and the Winnipeg Jets (second with 71 in 52) make up the rest of the main division challengers, with all three sitting within five points of one another. The final stretch of the season is sure to be an unpredictable affair as the division remains very much up for grabs, as does the all-important prize of home-ice advantage in the playoffs.
For the Avalanche, the need to make a move at the deadline is two-fold. The team’s immediate goals are to avenge a disappointing first-round loss at the hands of the Seattle Kraken last season while continuing to capitalize on their star-studded core headlined by Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and Mikko Rantanen.
Related: NHL Trade Bait List for 2024 Trade Deadline
Winning a second Stanley Cup championship in three seasons is within the realm of possibility, and general manager Chris MacFarland should do everything in his power to accomplish that goal, with a second-line center and a reliable backup goaltender likely his key targets.
With that context in mind, let’s dive into the assets that the Avalanche will have at their disposal as they navigate the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline. The assets are ordered by value rather than the likelihood that they will be dealt at the deadline, though it’s within the realm of possibility that any one (or more) of these five bargaining chips are cashed in over the next month.
5. 2025 First-Round Draft Pick
When a team is in win-now mode, first-round draft picks are almost always made available in trade discussions as one of the most valuable forms of currency around the deadline. Research on draft pick value has suggested that late first-round picks are closer in value to early-to-mid-round second-round picks, spurring organizations to become more willing to part with them in trade talks.
Across the first three rounds of the next three drafts, the Avalanche own their first-round picks from 2024 to 2026, a second-round pick in 2026, and third-round selections in 2025 and 2026.
The Avalanche traded their first-round…
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