The Tape: Trade targets

Trade deadline weekend is upon us and teams around the league have already started wheeling and dealing. The Avs have yet to make a move but rumors are swirling now more than ever. With all that in mind, it’s a good time to take a look at some potential deadline targets for the Avs with a few highlights thrown in as well.

Note: Players are listed alphabetically

Andreas Athanasiou

With high-end speed, Athanasiou would be a great fit for the Avs stylistically. He is a 25-year-old and will be an RFA at the end of the season which would allow the Avs to lock him up for the majority of their cup window. His production history is a bit spotty with just one 50 point season but he has been solid so far this season. Injuries are somewhat of a concern but he has a knack for putting pucks in the net. With a team struggling as much as Detroit you have to think they will at least be listening.

 

Max Domi

With the rumors heavily focusing on Montreal right now, the talk seems to have turned toward Max Domi. The versatile forward could be another cost-controlled forward on the younger side for the Avs. A 72 point season last year seems to be a bit of a fluke but he has been solid for 45+ points thus far through his career. He also brings that take no guff attitude that the Avs are often called out for lacking. In the immediate, he could replace Kadri as 2C. In the long haul, he could either move to wing in the top-six or slot in as an excellent 3C.

 

Ondrej Kase (Since traded to Boston)

A name that had been floated around in previous weeks, Kase would certainly be a more affordable option than Domi or Athanasiou but he also brings that element of youth and upside. With strong underlying numbers and solid points per game, there is a lot to like here. Like Athanasiou, the kid has struggled to stay healthy and has seen a bit of a scoring regression this year. While he could certainly be an upgrade it’s unclear if he fits the bill of a top-six forward.

 

Chris Kreider

One of the top names on everyone’s trade bait board. While the Avs connection seems to have cooled sometimes crazy things can happen on deadline day. He becomes a UFA at the end of the season and being a pure rental is not ideal for the Avs. On the other hand, At 28 Kreider is a known quantity and regular 50ish point producer with some sandpaper to his game. The on-ice product would not be a hard one for the Avs to fit.

Anthony Mantha

Relatively young? check. Plays for a bad team? check. Cost controlled in some way? check. Injury-prone? check. Are you sensing a theme yet? At 6-foot-5-inches, 234 pounds Mantha would bring another super-sized human being to the Avs wing. Already a multiple time 20-goal scorer he is more established than his teammate Athanasiou. If you are looking for help in your own end you may want to look elsewhere but he can certainly add finishing depth to the top-six. As a bonus, he is a Dallas Stars killer with seven goals in six games against them.

 

Vladislav Namestnikov

A long time interest of the Avs, Namestnikov doesn’t really fit with the rest of the players on this list. He’s not someone you are going to play in your top six and not someone to expect more than say 35 points a year out of either. He can play both center and wing plus he PKs so if that’s where the Avs are looking to improve there it starts to make more sense. As an expiring UFA his cost might be the cheapest of anyone on this list. Still, it would be an odd choice as strictly a rental.

 

Jean-Gabriel Pageau

Want a Kadri replacement at 2C in the immediate that can move to 3C later and be just fine, this is it. Pageau is on a career year in Ottawa in part because he is playing as their 1C. With realistic minutes his scoring will come down significantly but he can still be effective. He also plays PK and can help the Avs in that regard. The problem is he is a UFA at the end of the year and you can bet with his stat line he’s going to want to test the market unless the Avs give him what would be an expensive deal for ultimately a 3C.

 

Tomas Tatar

If Max Domi isn’t coming out of Montreal as much as everyone would love for it to be Jonathan Drouin, Tomas Tatar is far more realistic. Much like Kreider a consistent 50 point producer in his late twenties, he comes with an additional year on his deal so it wouldn’t be a pure rental. He is on the smaller side and won’t bring much when it comes to physicality but he has shown a knack for distribution in recent years recording back-to-back 30 assist seasons.

 

Joe Thornton

A dirt-cheap Kadri replacement with a bit of the do it for the old man flair. Come on, you know it would be fun seeing Jumbo make a ridiculous pass to Landeskog for the easiest goal of his career. He’s not going to give you much in the way of goal scoring but could probably get by as a 2C until Kadri returns. If San Jose is looking to give him a chance at a cup run for a late-round pick, why not?

This is far from a complete list of players or even forwards to watch but it’s a handful to keep your eye on over the weekend and up through Monday afternoon.