General Manager Chris MacFarland was aggressive in reshaping the lineup this deadline, adding both defensive stability and offensive firepower. Colorado acquired Ryan Lindgren and Jimmy Vesey from the New York Rangers, landed Brock Nelson in a major deal with the Islanders, swapped Casey Mittelstadt for Charlie Coyle, and brought back franchise legend Erik Johnson from the Flyers. Each of these trades had unique implications for the present and future.
How did the Avs do at the deadline? Let’s break it down and grade each move.
Ryan Lindgren Trade (New York Rangers) | March 1st
Avalanche receive:
- D Ryan Lindgren
- F Jimmy Vesey
- Rights to D Hank Kempf
Rangers receive:
- D Calvin de Haan
- F Juuso Parssinen
- 2025 2nd-round pick
- 2025 4th-round pick
The biggest piece in this trade is Ryan Lindgren: a 27-year-old shutdown defenseman with a hard-nosed playing style. Lindgren was a key part of the Rangers' blue line, playing nearly 20 minutes per game and leading the team in PK minutes. He brings playoff experience, physicality, and the heart of a warrior to an Avs back end which needed reinforcements after struggling with uncertainty this season.
Lindgren’s offensive game has taken a personal step forward with a career-high 20 points (2 goals, 18 assists) in 57 games, but some of that can be attributed to his opportunity alongside Adam Fox.
At 6’0” and 194 pounds, he’s not the biggest defenseman, but his gritty, fearless style makes up for it. Lindgren is in the final year of his contract ($4.5M AAV) and will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. Notably, the Rangers retained 50% of his salary making his cap hit $2.25M.
Analytically, Lindgren’s defensive metrics have been on a two-year decline in New York. There are some factors that account for it: his role was elevated after Jacob Trouba was traded.
Losing their captain, Lindgren became the veteran presence on the backend. He assumed top pair minutes with Adam Fox, taking on tougher match ups on a nightly basis. The Rangers have struggled defensively as a whole this season giving up the fourth most shots against and fifth most scoring chances against in the league at 5v5 - even in Lindgren’s absence defense remains a concern. I expect Lindgren’s analytics to be regulated in Colorado.
It’s been said that his rough, unselfish playing style has worn his body down and can account for his regression, so let’s talk about health for a moment.
Josh Manson has played 103 of 164 games the last two seasons with a 2022-23 season ravaged by injury. He bounced back in ‘24, but this year has been marred by absences set to make him available for just 63 of 82 games. When he’s been in the lineup, his play has been a bit unpredictable with uncharacteristic mistakes at times.
Lindgren missed five games this season and six the year before. In Colorado, Lindgren does not need to be a top-pair guy. He can eat minutes on the PK and round out the third pair, leveraging his experience and absorbing easier matchups.
Lindgren provides some security behind Manson should he need to spot-shift up in the lineup, but more importantly, Lindgren offers a serious, consistent solution for the third pairing instead of rotating a cast of Keaton Middleton, Calvin de Haan, and Sam Malinski who - together - did not inspire confidence. Malinski’s game was stunted after encouraging results in his debut season and coming out of camp this year.
Since the trade, Manson and Lindgren have been an intriguing pair with decent early returns. More excitingly, Sam Girard and Sam Malinski are a pair with promise and it points to more compatibility all around. Calvin de Haan’s impact was neutral and arguably held others back due to his limitations (primarily puck skill and mobility which led to less effective breakouts, missed coverages, and slower exits).
Lindgren can get up ice with Manson and throw the body around in his own end, and the Sam’s have complementary tool kits to be more involved in the attack together. Whether or not those pairs stick, the options feel more open than before.
Jimmy Vesey, 31, is a depth forward who has chipped in 100 goals over his nine-year NHL career. He provides veteran experience and presents as a depth piece at the moment. The rights to Hank Kempf, a 22-year-old Cornell defenseman, are more of a long-term project.
The Avalanche gave up Calvin de Haan (a veteran depth defenseman), Juuso Parssinen (a promising but unproven forward scratched for two games prior to the trade due to the return of Val Nichushkin), and two draft picks. Given Lindgren’s immediate impact and the Avs' win-now approach, this trade makes sense, though losing a second-round pick feels a bit rich. If they can recoup draft capital down the line as the Avs tend to do, I’ll be even happier.
It’s not the slam-dunk Josh Manson insurance I wanted to shore up the backend, but it is an improvement on de Haan who just didn’t have full trust from the coaching staff. Plus, the Avs get heavier and pack more of a punch.
Grade: B-
Brock Nelson Trade (New York Islanders) | March 6th
Avalanche receive:
- F Brock Nelson
- F William Dufour
Islanders receive:
- D Oliver Kylington
- F Calum Ritchie
- 2026 1st-round pick
- Conditional 2028 3rd-round pick
The addition of Brock Nelson is a game-changer for Colorado’s center depth. At 33-years-old, Nelson remains a top-tier offensive threat, with 20 goals and 44 points in 62 games this season.
Standing 6’4” and 205 pounds, Nelson provides size, scoring, and reliability. His faceoff percentage (52.8%) is a career-high, which is a major boost for a Colorado team that has struggled in the dot.
Nelson has been one of the NHL’s most underrated goal scorers, with three 30-goal seasons in the past four years. His playoff experience is another plus, with 27 goals in 78 career postseason games.
Nathan MacKinnon has been pretty candid about the value of veterans, “I really don’t think you can win with young players,” he told the media. After Colorado vs Toronto, MacKinnon attributed Charlie Coyle and Brock Nelsons’ instant success to their age and experience.
Casey Mittelstadt had a hot start this season but struggled to find consistency afterward. At 26-years-old, Mittelstadt is in the first year of a three-year, $5.75M contract. The contract includes a nine-team no-move clause that begins next year - only making a future trade more difficult.
Although Mittelstadt was a deadline success last year and had a solid playoff debut, moving on from him would only get harder.
Colorado had to decide on a future ‘what-if’ in Mittelstadt or a sure thing right now in Nelson.
Their 20-game stretch starting in January saw a huge dip in the team’s overall goal-share.
Nearly 75% of their goals over that time (39 of 52) came from just one five-man unit: the top line and the top pair of Cale Makar and Devon Toews.
Depth scoring emerged as a clear issue with key secondary contributors like Mittelstadt struggling to produce consistently. Meanwhile, bottom-six forwards and depth defensemen provided minimal offensive support, further emphasizing the team’s reliance on its stars.
This turned up the heat on the importance of jumpstarting the second line, and Brock Nelson was a bold way to ensure it. The Islanders retained 50% of Nelson’s salary, so his cap hit is less than Mittelstadt’s at $3M.
The Avs also received 23-year-old prospect William Dufour, a right-wing who has put up solid AHL numbers and will remain a Colorado Eagle for now.
The downside? The price to acquire Nelson - a rental - was steep. Cal Ritchie was Colorado’s top prospect, projected to be a future top-six center in the league. Throw in a first-round pick in 2026 and a conditional third in 2028, and this is a significant investment in a win-now move.
Still, Nelson’s ability to strengthen the second-line is not to be understated. We all know the significance Nazem Kadri had in 2022 providing a one-two punch down the middle.
Nelson’s instinct compliments the playmaking of Jonathan Drouin and his size and reach improves possession to support a line driver like Val Nichushkin. He’s the perfect, highly skilled, complementary piece for Colorado’s top-six. This one is boom or bust.
Grade: A-
Charlie Coyle Trade (Boston Bruins) | March 7th
Avalanche receive:
- F Charlie Coyle
- 2026 5th-round pick
Bruins receive:
- F Casey Mittelstadt
- F William Zellers
- Conditional 2025 2nd-round pick
The Avs made a surprising move by adding even more center depth after acquiring Brock Nelson. The Avs could have kept Mittelstadt as a 3C, but it’d tie up a lot of money on the third line and would be a risk after Mittelstadt’s struggles this season. Plus, Mittelstadt’s game is more skill and finesse and Jared Bednar likes his third line to have a little sandpaper.
In return, Colorado swapped Mittelstadt for Charlie Coyle: a 33-year-old veteran center/wing known for his size, shoot-first instinct, and an ability to drive inside ice with many of his goals coming from the slot.
Coyle had 15 goals and 22 points in 64 games with the Boston Bruins this season. His production waned a bit this year, but at 6’3” and 215 pounds, he brings size and versatility and had a 60-point/25-goal season last year in addition to two 40+ point seasons prior. Coyle has also played 119 career playoff games, including a run to the Stanley Cup Final with Boston in 2019.
Mittelstadt, 26, had 44 points (15 goals, 29 assists) in 81 games with Colorado, which sounds decent on paper, but inconsistency and a lack of confidence troubled him. Mittelstadt showed hesitancy and plays died on his stick. He could be weak on pucks some nights and lose possession. His inconsistency led to an ineffective second line no matter the personnel. Some nights it worked with a combination of Ross Colton, Artturi Lehkonen, Nichushkin, and Drouin… but when it didn’t work, everyone suffered.
Mittelstadt is younger, more dynamic offensively, and had a similar cap hit to Coyle, so his future ceiling is high, but it just wasn’t working in Colorado. The inclusion of a conditional second-round pick and highly touted prospect in Will Zellers makes the deal even more costly for the Avs. Zellers was a 2024 third round pick who’s tearing it up in the USHL this season.
Ultimately it came down to beefing up the third line and providing Ross Colton with the right dance partner. Colton’s own season has been a bit up and down with injury and dry spells.
Colton proved he could play in Colorado’s top-six earlier this season with untapped puck skill that demonstrated his shooting threat. Additionally, Colton thrived on the wing. On the third line, his minutes are limited and his linemates aren’t as offensively minded. Coyle can help Colton while better matching his energy, peskiness, and skill.
Coyle’s playoff experience and defensive reliability fit Colorado’s style. At first glance, he’s a little expensive for what he’ll be in Colorado.
But there’s one quiet reason Coyle is a huge add for Colorado… and it’s Val Nichushkin. There’s no way around it, Nichushkin has missed the last two postseasons.
He leaves impossible shoes to fill in the top-six as one of the best two-way wingers in the league. He’s a freight train on skates.
Coyle’s own size, strength, and reach alongside his versatility on wing and experience in a top-six role in Boston provide Nichushkin insurance. Plus, Coyle can PK. Break glass in case of emergency.
Grade: B+
Erik Johnson Trade (Philadelphia Flyers) | March 7th
Avalanche receive:
- D Erik Johnson
Flyers receive:
- F Givani Smith
The Avs made a sentimental move by bringing back Erik Johnson, the longest-tenured defenseman in franchise history. Johnson, 36, spent 13 seasons in Colorado and was a key part of the 2022 Stanley Cup-winning team.
This season, Johnson had just one goal and two assists in 22 games with the Flyers. He’s no longer the top-pairing defenseman he once was, but he still provides leadership, experience, and depth on the blue line. At 6’4” and 225 pounds, he remains a physical presence.
Givani Smith, a depth forward, was the only asset given up in this deal. The trade is low-risk and adds a veteran voice to the locker room. However, Johnson’s impact on the ice will likely be minimal.
It’s worth noting that pieces from the 2022 team stick around for a reason. Andrew Cogliano moved to a development role and has been present all season… and he’s not just helping the prospects. Cogliano has also worked one-on-one with players like Parker Kelly this year.
Pavel Francouz has taken on a scouting role in their goaltending department and has returned around the team this deadline as well.
There was a very special mix of players that helped to win the Cup in 2022, and Erik Johnson was a key part of that. The front office recognizes their value on and off the ice. Johnson likely resumes a sheltered role, but nobody understands Colorado’s systems better. His fit in the room is a huge boost in levity after the Mikko Rantanen departure too.
Grade: B-
The Avalanche made several aggressive moves at the deadline, reinforcing their lineup for another deep playoff run. The Brock Nelson trade stands out as the most impactful, giving Colorado a proven goal scorer and reliable center at a great cost. The Ryan Lindgren deal steadies the defense in an unsexy way, while the return of Erik Johnson is more about leadership than anything else.
The most surprising move was swapping Casey Mittelstadt for Charlie Coyle. On one hand, the Avs got out of a miss on Mittelstadt - who will in all likelihood benefit from a new environment, though Boston seems like a weird home for him.
Coyle is a bonafide Av, but one more year at $5.25M for a 3C is a little rich on top of the pick and Zellers. Paying a premium for the security he brings on the other hand… is totally worth it. Coyle hasn’t missed a game in three seasons.
Going back to the goaltending trades, Colorado’s moves reflect an aggressive and bold commitment to winning now. While they sacrificed future assets, they’ve certainly built a roster that can compete for another Stanley Cup.
Final Grade: A-
