The Colorado Avalanche are already a month into an offseason they didn’t want. Getting swept in the Western Conference Finals will do that. But the real chaos started after the handshake line.
General manager Chris MacFarland bolted for Nashville to become the Predators’ President of Hockey Operations. That left Joe Sakic back in charge of day-to-day roster decisions. And the first thing Sakic did? He traded Ross Colton to MacFarland’s new team for two picks and goalie Magnus Chrona. A little parting gift between old friends, I guess.
That trade cleared about $4 million in cap space. Combine that with what Colorado already had, and they’re sitting just under $7 million heading into free agency. That’s not a ton of room for a team that needs help in a few spots. Defense is a question mark, especially with Brett Kulak struggling and Brent Burns’s future unclear. But the most glaring issue might be the power play. It ranked 27th in the NHL last season. That’s not gonna cut it for a team that still thinks it can win now.
So here’s a name to watch: Patrik Laine.
The boom-or-bust winger who might actually fit
Laine’s career has been a roller coaster. He was the second overall pick in 2016. He carried the Jets to the 2018 Western Conference Finals. He’s scored 20 goals seven times, 30 goals three times, and hit 40 once. The talent has never been the question.
The problem is he can’t stay on the ice. In 2025-26 he played just five games for Montreal. Over the last three seasons combined, he’s been available for only 30 percent of his team’s regular-season games. That’s brutal. And it’s not just the physical stuff – he’s been open about the mental battles too.
But when he plays, he produces. In 2024-25 he suited up for 55 games and scored 20 goals. Fifteen of those came on the power play. That’s the third time in his career he’s hit 15 or more power-play goals in a single season. That’s not a fluke. That’s a skill set Colorado desperately needs.
The Avalanche are fine at even strength. They can score with anyone. But when the man advantage goes cold – and it went cold a lot last year – there’s no one to bail them out. Laine could be that guy. A power-play specialist who plays bottom-six minutes at even strength. A cheap prove-it deal. Something like $2 million or $3 million for one year. That fits the cap.
There’s risk. Obviously. He might get hurt again. But the Avalanche don’t have many ways to add high-end skill without spending money they don’t have. This is the kind of swing a contender takes in July. It might not work. But if it does, it changes their entire special teams outlook.
The asking price will likely be low. Teams are scared off by the injury history. That works in Colorado’s favor. They can offer Laine a role that’s clearly defined and a locker room that won’t put the weight of the world on him. He wouldn’t need to be the guy. He just needs to stand in the left circle and shoot pucks past goalies who are already worried about Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar.
Free agency opens soon. The Avalanche have a list of problems. A healthy Patrik Laine might solve one of them. And at this point, what do they have to lose?
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