Initial Trade Grade: B-, Elimination Trade Grade: B – While Cale Makar and Devon Toews played well, Josh Manson, Samuel Girard, and much of the Avalanche defense struggled this season.

Since Nazem Kadri’s departure in the 2022 offseason, the Avalanche have tried to fill the hole at second-line center with Casey Mittelstadt, J.T. Compher, Ryan Johansen, Alex Newhook, Nelson ...

The two best long-term candidates to be the No. 2 center behind MacKinnon — Casey Mittelstadt and Calum Ritchie — were both traded. The pickings on the free-agent market, after Nelson and John ...

“Listen, when you’ve got Cale Makar and Nathan MacKinnon, your window is open,” Sakic said. “You’re not going to have those players forever.

Johansen struggled in Denver, which led to the team trading him ahead of the deadline and acquiring Casey Mittlestadt from the Buffalo ... defensive tandems with 2020 Norris Trophy winner Cale Makar.

Additionally, with 92 points in 2024-25, Makar became the first defenseman to post consecutive 90-point campaigns since Paul Coffey from 1988-89 through 1990-91 and Al MacInnis from 1989-90 ...

Even so, the team finished 28th in the National League in goals scored, and might be tempted to seek immediate reinforcement up front. A player like Michael Misa, coming off a 134-point, 65-goal ...