The Colorado Avalanche are looked at as a Stanley Cup contender.
General manager Chris MacFarland has been aggressive so far this season with improving the Avs’ roster.
For the Avs to win the Stanley Cup, MacFarland has to stay aggressive.
Colorado’s offense has sputtered a bit recently. The Avs are not scoring at the same rate they were last season. And it’s not even close.
The Avalanche led the league last season with 3.68 goals per game. Currently, they are ninth in the league at 3.24 goals per game.
The best way to improve goal scoring is by improving the power play. The Avs’ power play has struggled as of late. They have converted five of their last 48 man-advantage opportunities.
The one big name connected with the Avs right now is Florida Panthers centerman Sam Bennett. Bennett is in the last year of a four-year contract with the defending Stanley Cup champions. There is speculation that the Panthers could be willing to trade him, as it’s not likely they will reach a contract extension with the Panthers’ lack of cap space.
The Avalanche, on the other hand, have actually opened up some cap space. They could have even more cap space with Miles Wood on the long-term injured reserve.
If the Avs utilize the LTIR pool (which also includes Gabriel Landeskog), that could amount to over $11 million in cap space. They could theoretically acquire Bennett as a half-season rental.
Bennett tallied 100 points in 69 games last season. He has 39 points in 30 games this season. He plays on the left side of the Panthers’ power play which is typically MacKinnon’s spot but no matter where he is placed, he has proven that he can produce.
There is an NHL roster freeze from Dec. 20 to Dec. 27 which means a trade is more likely to be completed after the holiday.
Is it more likely they trade for a bottom-six center or big defenseman? Yes, but there is room to be more aggressive and acquire one of the top forwards in the NHL. The window is closing, now is the time to sell the farm and capitalize.
