1 trade every NHL team should make

Colorado Avalanche

The Colorado Avalanche desperately need to rebuild. Their core is simply not working out and it must be shaken up. While they have numerous needs all across their lineup, their blue line is significantly hurting. Colorado might have the worst blue line depth of any team in the NHL. How can they fix it? Well, the Taylor Hall trade set the price tag for a good young defenseman. But they can still get an excellent return from the New York Islanders, who would love to add Matt Duchene to their lineup.

Travis Hamonic is having a very rough season for the Islanders, but his resume suggests he’s better than what he has shown this season. Colorado would be buying low on him, which isn’t a terrible idea. Hamonic is also a logical option because the Islanders would need to clear a bit of space to fit Duchene under the salary cap. He was very good as recently as last season.

There are any number of young forwards the Avalanche could target as well. Ryan Strome is mighty tempting, but Mathew Barzal has a much higher ceiling. At this stage in his career, he needs consistent playing time, something the Avalanche are in a position to provide. Barzal could potentially replace Duchene down the road.

The Islanders’ 2017 first round pick is the final throw in. It’s a hefty price to pay, but both sides benefit from the trade. This might be enough to persuade John Tavares to stay in blue and orange past 2018, which is what this trade is all about.