The Colorado Avalanche are wrapping up their New York road trip with a matchup against the New York Islanders on Jan. 28, a game where the two teams made plenty of headlines off the ice. The Islanders signed Anthony DeAngelo and acquired Scott Perunovich to add depth to the defense and that is small potatoes compared to what the Avalanche did.
Related: Avalanche’s Necas Making Good Impression After Rantanen Trade
They traded Mikko Rantanen in a blockbuster trade with the Carolina Hurricanes, a move that sent shockwaves around the NHL. The Avalanche made this trade well before the trade deadline and the Islanders could be the next team to move an elite talent, with all eyes on their general manager (GM) Lou Lamoriello.
Both teams are coming to the same realization that they can’t win with the cores they assembled and a pivot is needed as a result. It’s a problem that the Avalanche and Islanders are solving in real-time and not waiting until the offseason. Both teams are looking to compete but must change to do so.
Avalanche Were Too Top-Heavy
It’s hard to win the Stanley Cup when three players take up most of the team’s salary cap. That’s what happened with the Avalanche. They won the Cup in 2022 with a complete roster and once they started to pay Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar, the depth fell apart. They still made the playoffs with their star players leading the way but wouldn’t go much further.
The Avalanche knew they wouldn’t have the money to keep Rantanen, who is sure to be in the $14 million average annual value (AAV) range. It’s why they made the best pivot possible and traded him. Not only did the trade open up some cap space but it also gave the Avalanche Martin Necas and Jack Drury in return, two forwards who will add star power and depth to the lineup.
This team might take a step back in the short term. It’s possible they will struggle this season and won’t make a playoff run. However, in the long run, the Avalanche will be better off. They still have MacKinnon and Makar, two top-five players in the NHL, to build around, and for the first time since the 2021-22 season, they have some depth.
Islanders’ Core Isn’t Good Enough
The Islanders have a handful of players they can build around, but as the past few seasons have proved, it can only do so much. Mathew Barzal, Bo Horvat, and Brock Nelson are on the forward unit with Noah Dobson and Alexander Romanov on the defense, and…
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