Team: 2023-24 Colorado Avalanche

Initial Creation Date: Jun. 22, 2023

Published: Jun. 22, 2023

Salary Cap Mode: Basic

As of approximately 4:30PM, it looks like the Flames are about to go full nuclear as no one wants to re-sign there from the current core. This may be the Avs time to pounce on Elias Lindholm.

The Flames could be without all of Elias Lindholm, Tyler Toffoli, Mikael Backlund, and Noah Hanifin on opening night next season. If Lindholm doesn't want to stay, Colorado should obviously be all over that, and Devon Toews should be the center of the return for Calgary. There's still a core in Calgary in the form of Nazem Kadri, Jonathan Huberdeau, Mackenzie Weegar, Rasmus Andersson, and Andrew Mangiapane. Calgary can still recoup with all these out-the-door assets and try to field a competitive team. Devon Toews can be a staple next to Rasmus Andersson on the top pair if Calgary can convince him to re-sign, and as an Abbotsford, BC native, he would be reasonably close to home in Calgary, which could be the kind of perks Calgary needs for players to sign there right now.

As you guys have mentioned on the pod, this could finally be the summer where Jonathan Drouin makes sense for the Avs, as he's a prime candidate for a one-year prove it deal in a team's middle 6.

Connor Brown played 4 games for the Washington Capitals before tearing his ACL, and I think he could be a perfect fit in Colorado's top 9 with his two-way game.

Troy Stecher is a fine option for the Avs bottom pairing with the kind of game they like to play, and De Haan is around just to tickle AJ's hockey brain/make Jack Johnson the 7th.