On the Colorado Avalanche …
Mike Chambers of the Denver Post: Avs forward Cody McLeod has been a healthy scratch this season and is averaging under six minutes a game. He carries a $1.33 million cap through next season and would welcome a trade to a contender.
“We’ll see when that time comes,” McLeod said of the Feb. 28 trade deadline. “But I love Denver and my family is here. We love the fans and we’ll probably stay here when I retire. But at the end of the day, I want to win. I want a chance to win the Stanley Cup.”
Terry Frei of the Denver Post: The Avs are close to the salary cap ceiling and their short-term options are limited. There has been talk for weeks of a shakeup or a blow up.
They have about $52 million committed next year with UFA coming off the books – Jarome Iginla, Fedor Tyutin, John Mitchell, Rene Bourque, Andreas Martinsen, Cody Goloubef and Jeremy Smith. RFAs include Eric Gelinas, Mikhail Grigorenko, Nikitka Zadorov and Patrick Wiercioch.
Brad Stuart‘s buyout comes off the books and other buyouts are possible.
Joe Pack of Sportsnet: Sportsnet Headlines. Teams are calling the Colorado Avalanche to see what they are thinking of doing going forward.
“A lot of teams are calling saying, ‘What do you want to do?’” said Elliotte Friedman on Saturday’s Headlines segment. “And as you know, when teams are struggling, don’t send you a life preserver, they send you an anvil. What Colorado has told people is, ‘Don’t ask us about Nathan MacKinnon and don’t ask us about Mikko Rantanen,’ who was their pick last year.”
Friedman adds that the Avs won’t be giving Matt Duchene or Gabriel Landeskog away and are interested in good, young defensemen or prospects.
“Now, if you’re asking about Matt Duchene or Gabriel Landeskog, from what I understand, teams have been told they’re not giving these guys because they’re panicking,” said Friedman. “If you want to come at with good, young defencemen or prospects, are prepared to listen. But the packages are going to have to be big because they look at both and see good players signed to good contracts.”
Outside of Tyson Barrie, the Avs don’t really have a skilled, puck-moving defenseman.