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What are the best options for Avalanche in the defensemen market? The good news for the Colorado Avalanche is the most important pieces of a strong defense corps are already in place.
Sam Malinski and Brett Kulak of the Colorado Avalanche talk during the first period against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Ball Arena in Denver on Monday, March 16, 2026.
, Devon Toews, Josh Manson and Malinski.
They also have one of the best right-side depth charts in the NHL, and typically the starboard side is tougher to fill out.
The less good news is the next four guys on the depth chart are all unrestricted free agents and the Avs are still pretty tight on salary cap space even Colorado played with four right-handed defensemen for most of last season.Its a rarity, but the Avs made it work.
Right now, three of their top four are righties.
In an ideal world, the Avs will add at least two left-handed defensemen this offseason, and at least one that can regularly play top-four minutes.Doing so on a limited budget could be tricky, but trading one of the veteran forwards could also help with that endeavor.1 goal, 12 points, 18:58 time on ice/contest in 83 games Kulak was a really nice fit for the Avs after arriving in a trade from the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Avs needed a more defensive-minded defenseman and he provided that.
His underlying numbers in the regular season, particularly before arriving in Denver, were not great.And hell be 33 years old in January.
Hed be a solid fit for this team as the No.
5 guy, but its certainly plausible that another team would be willing to pay him more if he gets to July 1.Brent Burns of the Colorado Avalanche reacts to a stoppage in action against the Vegas Golden Knights during the third period of the Golden Knights 2-1 win in Game 4 of the NHL Western Conference Final at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on Tuesday, May 26, 2026.
Vegas finished the series with a 4-0 sweep and will advance to the Stanley Cup Final.
Does he want to play another year?Does he want to stay in Denver? Do the Avs want to bring him back? Burns repeatedly said he wasnt thinking beyond this year during this past season, but he certainly looked like a player who has at least one more year of competent hockey in him.
Given the Avs cap issues, bringing him back on another one-year deal with incentives that can be pushed to the 2027-28 cap if needed does make some sense.Will they want to have four righties in the top six again? Feels like an obvious match, particularly if hed accept another two-way contract.
Not sure hed find a one-way deal on the open market, but hes shown he can play in a limited role in the NHL.The Avs would probably be comfortable starting the season with him as the No.
7 guy, but just like this past year, theyd also very likely be looking for an NHL veteran or two ahead of the deadline for more insurance.
Blankenburgs pre-Colorado numbers seem very likely to earn him a contract that doesnt work for the Avs.
It makes sense for him to look for a regular role, perhaps even as a No.
4/5 guy.The Avs are more likely to see him as a No.
6/7 guy, particularly with all the righties in front of him.
Darren Raddysh just signed an 8-year, $68 million deal after one wildly successful NHL season.
Shea is going to be a smaller version of that.
He had 70 NHL games before last year, but was a very solid second-pairing guy for a playoff team.The offense was definitely helped by Pittsburgh shooting better than 13% when he was on the ice at 5-on-5.
Hes a medium-sized lefty who is a strong penalty killer and he doesnt turn 30 until midseason.
He is also probably the best lefty on the market right now.
Lauzon could be an alternative to Kulak, if he finds greener pastures elsewhere.Not as dependable from an availability standpoint in recent years, but Lauzon would add size and defensive solidity.
Hed fit better as the No.
3 guy on the left side, if possible.
He could give Jared Bednar the option of a true shutdown pairing with Manson, or an offense-defense duo with Malinski.
Reilly has had solid underlying numbers for years, but hes also played only 60 games over the past two seasons.Hes listed at 6-foot-2, can play both sides and handles sheltered minutes quite well.
He played 42 games for the Carolina Hurricanes this season, but only twice during the clubs title run.
He could be that type of player for the Avs a regular for much of the season in a third-pairing role, then potentially the No.
7 come playoff time if they add another defenseman before the trade deadline.
Soucy is very tall, at 6-foot-5.He had a solid start to his season with the New York Rangers.
Most of his underlying numbers were pretty similar with the New York Islanders, but the latter was outscored 21-10 with him on the ice at 5-on-5 in just 30 games.
The Isles collapsed near the end of the season.
Other front offices will need to do their homework to understand what went wrong there.He should be a No.
6 on the Avs, but might get paid to be more elsewhere.
Desharnais is very tall and offers almost no offense.
But hes also a better defensive player than a couple of the other size XL defensemen in this market.
He is right-handed, so hed only be an option if Burns doesnt return and the Avs are OK with rolling out four righties at times again next year.White is a medium-sized guy who can move the puck and hold his own in sheltered minutes.
Now that hes 29 years old, getting a full-time gig might never happen.
But as a potential No.
7, he could be a solid depth addition.
The Avs could do worse than White/Ahcan as their No.
7/8 defensemen.Here are the two best left-handed defensemen whose names are squarely in the trade market discussion.
Its hard to see a reunion with Byram.
Samuel Girard is gone, but the top-two guys and a blocked path to the power play are still here.
Rielly is an offense-first guy that doesnt really fit what the Avs need, given both the acquisition cost and his cap number.The Anaheim Ducks have about $43 million in cap space this summer, and basically an entire defense corps behind Jackson Lacombe to re-sign or rebuild.
Any of all of the old guys could leave, but the Ducks could also move one of their young RFAs Mintyukov or Zellweger if the negotiations dont go well or the available space starts to dry up .John Tavares #91 of the Toronto Maple Leafs checks Jonas Siegenthaler #71 of the New Jersey Devils during the second period at Prudential Center on March 04, 2026 in Newark, New Jersey.
The Devils defeated the Maple Leafs 4-3 in the shootout.Siegenthaler has been a bit up and down with the New Jersey Devils, but when hes in form, hes a solid defense-only guy on a very reasonable contract two years left with a $3.4 million cap hit.
The Devils have a new GM, and a bit of a logjam in the defense corps.
Lohrei is a 6-foot-5 defenseman with some offensive acumen who turns 26 in January.His future value lies in the answer to one question: What improvements did he actually make on the defensive side of things last season? Two seasons ago, the Boston Bruins were outscored 72-52 with Lohrei on the ice at 5-on-5.
This past season, with very similar underlying numbers, Boston outscored foes 47-30.
Whether or not hes an intriguing trade target, or why the Bruins might be willing to move him, is somewhere in the answer to that question.The Avs announced their four-game preseason schedule Monday.
It is reduced from the typical six or seven in years past because the NHL is moving to an 84-game regular season in 2026-27.
Colorado will play Utah at home on Sept.
20 and Winnipeg at Ball Arena on Sept.
25.
The Avs will travel to Manitoba to face the Jets on Sept.
21 and to Salt Lake City to play the Mammoth on Sept.
26.