We’re back for the final Meet the Buyers ahead of the 2026 NHL trade deadline, and for this one, we’re heading into the Rocky mountains of Colorado to showcase the Central Division-leading Avalanche.
After stops in Edmonton, Minnesota, Carolina, and Utah, it’s time to showcase what the Avs’ intentions will be ahead of the 3pm est trade deadline on Friday, and see exactly where the Toronto Maple Leafs can fit into those plans. Colorado is going for it this season, as they should, considering their hockey team, so general manager Chris MacFarland is going to be a busy man this week.
MacFarland set himself up nicely last week by moving Samuel Girard to the Pittsburgh Penguins for Brett Kulak, in a move that gives the Avs a different look and feel to their blueline, meanwhile, also frees up some significant cap space moving forward. MacFarland entered deadline week with a wealth of cap space and lots of room to add, which will be music to the ears of Nathan MacKinnon and company.
Off the Maple Leafs roster, there’s several players who make sense as trade targets, including Bobby McMann and Scott Laughton leading the charge. Both pending free agents who could play a significant role for the Avs heading into what they hope is a very long Stanley Cup Playoff run. McMann’s speed would be a massive add to an already freakishly fast team. They could use him in multiple roles on either wing within their top-three lines. McMann’s only downfall is the fact hasn’t had a ton of playoff success offensively in the past, with just three assists in 13 postseason games. Because McMann also plays a physical game and brings intangibles to the table, it would interesting to see if the Avs use him more on the penalty kill than Craig Berube currently does.
Laughton is an intense gamer, and feels like a perfect complement to the Avalanche’s dressing room. He plays with the same fire as MacKinnon and with his leadership qualities and defensive-minded approach to the game, Laughton makes sense as a perfect third-line shut-down centre in Colorado. With Laughton at just $1.5 million cap hit, and McMann at $1.3 million, these are the type of ‘cheap’, impactful versatile forwards that the Avalanche will be after before the deadline.
One reason McMann and Laughton are better options than Nicolas Roy in Colorado is solely based on contract term. Roy has another season on his deal at $3 million AAV, and the Avs have one thing in mind this summer – re-sign Cale Makar to a massive contract extension. MacFarland is going to be careful with his cap space heading into next season and prioritize Makar’s extension before absolutely anything else. McMann and Laughton being rentals, at least at this point, is exactly what the doctor ordered for the Avs.
Maple Leafs will have to settle for prospects in return
MacFarland’s been a busy GM in Colorado over the last year, so the cupboards are rather bare when it comes to trade chips. The Avs don’t have a 2026 draft pick until two in the fourth round. 2027, they have one first-rounder, and two seconds, but Maple Leafs’ GM Brad Treliving shouldn’t be settling for future draft picks in any regard. The Leafs need to re-tool now, and can’t be waiting to for future picks to develop three years later and be a roster option. They need prospects who can audition this season, or next season at the very latest.
The Avalanche have 21-year-old Gavin Brindley making an impact this season, posting six goals and 12 points in 46 games, in under 10 minutes of ice time per game. The former second-round pick is likely too rich for MacFarland’s blood if we’re talking just a potential pure rental in McMann or Laughton.
6-foot-5 defensive prospect Alex Gagne is someone the Maple Leafs could take a flyer on. He’s a New Hampshire University product and has posted 13 points in his first 52 games as a professional. Toronto has limited blueline prospects outside of Ben Danford, so adding a couple more to the cupboards is something that should be on Treliving’s wish list. Former second-round pick Sean Behrens is also in his first full pro season and has registered an impressive 16 points in 37 points from the Colorado Eagles’ blueline. Behrens could certainly be involved in the trade discussions between these two teams.
A couple of other Avalanche prospects to keep an eye on include forwards Ivan Ivan and Nikita Prischepov. Ivan burst onto the scene last season for the Avs, scoring five goals and eight points in his first 40 NHL games. This season in the AHL, Ivan has collected five goals and 16 points in 48 games, and has potential to be a top-nine forward. Prischepov is a 22-year-old who is a QMJHL product and scored nine goals in 51 games in his first pro season in 2024-25. This season, the former seventh-round pick has 12 points in 22 points for the AHL’s Eagles.
At the end of the day, the Avalanche are going to have serious interest in McMann and Laughton, and it’s going to come down to a bidding war, and if Colorado can stick around Treliving’s asking price. With their lack of high-end prospects and 2026 draft picks, we’ll see how it all shakes out between these two clubs.
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