Avalanche expected to pull off major move before next NHL season kicks off
Photo credit: Colleen Flynn / Colorado Hockey Now
It is no secret the Avalanche have had a less than exciting offseason, however recent reports suggest that we could see the head office finally address the depth issues needed to make them Stanley Cup contenders again for the upcoming NHL season.
With only approximately six weeks before the start of the season, several key moves could really bolster the current shaky bottom half of the roster.
Avalanche expected to make waves before start of season.
Nestor Quixtan of Mile High Sticking reports the Avs may not be resting on their laurels before the start of the NHL season. With a little cap space remaining the head office could be looking to plug a few holes we have all been discussing this summer.
"Now, we're not talking about a blockbuster ahead of training camp. While plausible, it's not something we expect. The Avs, at this point, are likely kicking the tires on Professional Tryout Contract (PTO) invitees. These are players who are essentially long shots at this point. But they could provide the club with plenty of value." -Quixtan
While this may not be as exciting as everyone hoped for we need to acknowledge that PTO's actually provide a lot of benefit to teams in the upper tier of the league.
"There are some interesting names out there who could jump at the idea of a PTO in hopes of another shot at the NHL. Someone like former San Jose Sharks blue liner Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Columbus Blue Jackets forward Luke Kunin, or veteran Craig Smith could give the Avalanche much-needed depth on a cheap contract. Contenders like the Avalanche rely on PTOs to bring in solid depth players to bolster the club at an affordable price point." -Quixtan
It's important to note the Avalanche only have around $2 million left in cap space entering this season, which is enough to afford a few PTO contracts. Therefore we could expect to see at least a forward added to help out the bottom six on a cheap contract and leave around 800k for emergency call up purposes.
All the news surrounded by the Avalanche this offseason has been their lack of depth on the bottom six as well as the bottom two defensemen. With little cap space remaining that concern will likely continue grow throughout the season if it is not addressed.
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