THN.com/podcast. From THN American Pipeline: Avalanche Prospects, Hobey Baker and USHL News Artturi Lehkonen, Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar. [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MTk2MjQ4OTE0MTU4OTU0MDEx/usatsi_19494519.jpg] Artturi Lehkonen, Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar. The NHL’s trade deadline is tomorrow, and we’ve been seeing a steady stream of teams make notable roster moves well before the deadline. But there are teams out there that don’t need to feel any real pressure to make an acquisition in the next 24-hours-ish. And the team that probably has the least pressure to bring in new faces is – you may have guessed it – the defending Stanley Cup-champion Colorado Avalanche. Avs GM Chris MacFarland has tinkered with his lineup in recent days, first adding goaltending depth in the form of journeyman Keith Kinkaid – and, early Wednesday afternoon, he brought in some veteran depth up front with Cup-winning center Lars Eller. MacFarland didn’t have to pay a huge price for either Kinkaid (who came from the Bruins, in exchange for AHL forward Shane Bowers) or Eller (who was acquired from the Capitals for a second-round draft pick in 2025). And MacFarland doesn’t need to, as the Avalanche has thrived in the past six weeks and put the team in an excellent position to ascend to the top of the Central Division and lock up home ice advantage in the playoffs. Indeed, since Jan. 12, the Avalanche have been white-hot: in the 19 games they’ve played between Jan. 12 and today, Colorado has posted a superb 14-3-2 record. Consequently, they’re now just a single standings point behind Minnesota Wild for second place in the Central Division (and the Avs have two games in hand on Minny), and four points behind the Dallas Stars for first in the Central (with Colorado having two games in hand on the Stars). Not only is it entirely possible the Avalanche overtake the Stars and Wild for the top spot in the Central, it’s also possible that the Avs wind up with the best record in the Western Conference. Right now, they’re only five points behind the conference-leading Vegas Golden Knights, and they have two games in hand on Vegas as well. And what’s probably most impressive about the Avs is they’ve been this dominant while dealing with serious injuries to their best players. Star forward Gabriel Landeskog still hasn’t played a single game this season, star center Nathan MacKinnon has missed 11 games this year, and star defenseman Cale Makar has missed 13 games as well. There are many very good players on the Avalanche, but to have three of your very best talents out of the lineup for more than 10 percent of the regular season and still thrive – well, that’s a comment on the overall quality of the Avs’ attack. MacFarland has kept Colorado’s first-round draft picks in each of the next three entry drafts, and, as per CapFriendly [https://www.capfriendly.com/teams/avalanche], the Avs have just under $2.8 million in salary-cap space. They have the assets to do something by Friday afternoon, but why tinker with what is phenomenally successful of late? We know they will get a competitive bump up when Makar and Landeskog return to action, so why get into the zaniness of a bidding war for mid-tier talent? Don’t get it twisted – we’ve always said that depth matters in the playoffs, and it’s not the wrong thing for the Avs to continue bolstering their overall depth. And, of course, it’s fun for fan bases when teams go bananas on the trade front – see the Leafs’ giddy fans in the wake of their multiple roster alterations – but sometimes, going with what’s working for you is the best choice you can make. For six weeks now, the Avalanche have served notice they’re back in the race for the top spot in the West, and few teams want to face them in Round 1. That’s exactly what you want from them, and that’s exactly why they don’t have to feel any pressure to go trade-crazy the next day.
