Avalanche MailBag: Trade Deadline Talk

Plus: Why didn't the Avs go to the White House this year as champs?

Happy Sunday all. Nice warm day here in Thornton. Spring officially happens in a little over three weeks. Let’s do an Avalanche Mailbag to christen this Sabbath.

Blake Wheeler @blakewheeler08

@adater Have you heard anything about which depth defensemen the Avs will go get

Blake: I still think there is a chance Jack Johnson returns to the Avs, from Chicago. But he has not had a great year (58 games, four points (no goals) and a -25). And yet, I think it’s possible he comes back. He’s a lefty shot, though, and the Avs might want a right-shot D more, with Erik Johnson out. As of the time I’m writing this, the Avs currently have five lefty shots in their top six on D (Toews, Girard, Byram, Hunt, Englund). Jared Bednar always wants a better mix of right-shot D and left-shot D. Makar will give them another righty, hopefully very soon. But if EJ is gone really long term, then theoretically there is an opening for a right-shot D. Besides, do you want to go into the playoffs relying on Hunt/Englund for significant minutes? Not trying to say they can’t get the job done. But this is something that needs to be thought through.

One right-shot D I wonder about: John Klingberg of the Ducks. It wasn’t that long ago when this guy was considered a pretty big name in the hockey world. But he had contract issues with Dallas, and he left to sign just a one-year UFA contract with Anaheim - though at the nice salary of $7 million. But he’s had kind of a bad season with the Ducks. Yet, not many players there have good numbers.