BSN Exclusive: Joe Sakic talks about Avs' trade deadline plans

In an exclusive interview with BSN Denver, right after his Colorado Avalanche lost 5-1 to the Calgary Flames at the Saddledome, Joe Sakic took some time to give a blueprint of sorts for his team’s philosophy entering the NHL trade deadline less than 48 hours away.

The gist: Don’t expect the Avs to be major players.

“We’re still looking to build. We certainly won’t be giving up any prospects or picks for any rental players,” Sakic told BSN Denver. “I’m not looking to make any significant changes to the roster.”

Sakic did allow that, “if something makes sense” for the future of the club, i.e. dealing off a veteran in the final year or close to the end of his deal, he’d consider it.

“We’ll see what happens in the next 48 hours, but I like how this club competes, I like how it’s looking moving forward and we’re going to stick with that plan,” Sakic said.

The Avs are highly unlikely to trade away any of their younger core players, which includes defenseman Tyson Barrie.

“He’s a great hockey player,” Sakic said of Barrie.

The Avs, of course, already made what arguably was the NHL’s biggest trade of the season, back in November with the Matt Duchene deal. The Avs still are due to make three draft choices from that deal, including getting Ottawa’s first-round pick either this year or in 2019.

Under NHL bylaws, Ottawa can wait as late as the pick right before their first-round selection in this year’s draft before notifying the Avs which year they choose to give Colorado for that pick. In other words, the Avs might have very little time with which to ponder that pick should it be this year’s. It’s likely the Senators would let the Avs know before that, but that’s the rule.’

“Either way, we’ll be ready,” Sakic said.

Sakic also said he plans to talk with 2017 first-round pick (fourth overall) Cale Makar about his plans moving forward, whether he plans to stay at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst for a sophomore season or whether he might, as has been whispered about some, transfer his rights to a junior team. Either way, the Avs will not play Makar with their club this season, as he technically would be eligible to do. The Avs will not “burn” a year off his entry-level contract for any rushed NHL debut.

The Avs also will be signing 2017 second-round pick Conor Timmins to his entry-level deal in a few days.