CENTENNIAL, Colo. — The Avalanche are bringing in more depth at forward, acquiring Brandon Duhaime from the Minnesota Wild in exchange for a 2026 third-round draft pick. Duhaime, 26, has four goals and four assists in 62 games this season. He also has a shorthanded goal and averages 10:40 of ice time per game.
They also traded recently signed prospect defenseman Jeremy Hanzel and a third-round pick in 2025 to the Nashville Predators for forward Yakov Trenin and unsigned prospect defenseman Graham Sward. Trenin has 10 goals and 14 points in 60 games this season while averaging 15:03. Like Duhaime, he gives the Avalanche another forward depth option.
“You look at what it takes to get to where we’re trying to go. It takes a lot of players,” head coach Jared Bednar said. “It takes a lot of luck to stay healthy. We’ve been talking about it all year, we’re a little light on our forward-depth. We’ve made the moves now to make us deep there.”
Sward, a 2022 fifth-round draft pick, has 73 points in 58 games in the WHL.
Jared Bednar shares his thoughts on Duhaime and Trenin. Both could possibly play tomorrow as well. pic.twitter.com/nK0eoXUNF1
— Aarif Deen (@runwriteAarif) March 7, 2024
The Avs felt it was necessary to shore up their depth and bring in more grit and energy. Duhaime is among the top 10 in fighting majors this season with seven. He plays with high energy and could provide the Avs with the type of energy the team got from veteran center Darren Helm in the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs.
Trenin, 27, also uses his size and plays a heavy game. He has more of a scoring touch than Duhaime but will also slot in on the bottom six. Bednar said Duhaime and Trenin could make their debuts on Friday against Duhaime’s former team.
“The two we added today are big, heavy bodies. They play a man’s game and do a lot of dirty work but they’re big physical guys that play hard,” Bednar said. “If you look at some of the teams that play out West, they play hard and have a lot of the same attributes, especially in their bottom 6.”
The Duhaime trade was made official just as the Avalanche’s optional practice was scheduled to begin at Family Sports Center. The Trenin deal came through the pipeline after practice.
Yesterday’s two acquisitions were also in the building. Defenseman Sean Walker, acquired from Philadelphia, skated with a handful of his teammates. Center Casey Mittelstadt landed in Denver earlier in the day and did not skate. He was made available to the media after practice.
#Avs center Casey Mittelstadt chats with media shortly after arriving. He's expecting to make his debut tomorrow and says contract extension talks are in his agents hands pic.twitter.com/VkAplWl43f
— Aarif Deen (@runwriteAarif) March 7, 2024
Both Walker and Mittelstadt will make their debuts on Friday, Bednar said. The Wild are in Arizona Thursday night before taking on the Avs in the second leg of a back-to-back. Colorado is 25-6-0 on home ice.
Defenseman Sean Walker on his move to the #Avs pic.twitter.com/WnU7hr0exX
— Aarif Deen (@runwriteAarif) March 7, 2024
Bednar also said that forward Chris Wagner is undergoing further testing to determine the extent of his recovery from an upper-body injury suffered Wednesday against Detroit. Wagner has played center for the Avs in the last nine games since returning from an Achilles injury he suffered in the offseason. He will not be available against Minnesota.