When Chris MacFarland’s time as Avalanche general manager is done, the trades he made Wednesday will likely play a part in how it’s viewed. Colorado swung big, and it will have roster ramifications for years to come.
Rumors swirl every trade deadline season, but Colorado’s front office is tight-lipped. Not many people know exactly what MacFarland and president of hockey operations Joe Sakic are up to. When they act, it often comes as a surprise, as was the case Wednesday. First, the Avalanche traded Ryan Johansen and a 2025 first-round pick (top-10 protected) to Philadelphia for defenseman Sean Walker and a 2026 fifth-round pick.
Then, in the more eye-popping deal, MacFarland traded Bowen Byram to Buffalo for Casey Mittelstadt, whom Colorado hopes can emerge as a long-term solution at second-line center. The trade probably can’t be considered a blockbuster — no stars changed hands — but a one-for-one deal involving two quality young players comes with both intrigue and risk.
In 30 minutes, MacFarland drastically reshaped his projected 2024 playoff roster. The team is more formidable than it was when Tuesday ended, but the front office took on risk to make it happen.
An actual bona-fide hockey trade that has implications for this year and then down the road?
A rarity for today’s NHL, writes @eduhatschek.
What did he and @coreypronman think of the straight up swap between the Avalanche and Sabres?https://t.co/ac93mVOB8g pic.twitter.com/yp03sWWC3v
— The Athletic NHL (@TheAthleticNHL) March 6, 2024
Over the summer, MacFarland and the Avalanche acquired Johansen from Nashville essentially for free, sending the Predators the rights to pending unrestricted free agent Alex Galchenyuk. Nashville general manager Barry Trotz didn’t see Johansen as part of his team long-term, and he retained $4 million of Johansen’s cap hit to get him off his books. That still left the Avalanche with a $4 million cap hit for Johansen through 2024-25.
Instead of regaining his early-career form, Johansen struggled with the Avalanche. He had only 23 points in 63 games. He lost the 2C job and ended up averaging only 13:39 of playing time a night, the lowest amount since his rookie season.
MacFarland whiffed on the Johansen acquisition. But as he showed by trading Tomas Tatar to Seattle for a pick earlier this year, he’s willing to pivot when it’s clear something isn’t working.
Enter the Flyers, who had Walker, a defenseman Colorado coveted. Philadelphia took on Johansen’s contract in the trade, which gave Colorado needed cap space but almost certainly raised Philadelphia’s asking price. MacFarland had to give up a first-round pick to get the deal done, so he didn’t get out of his ill-fated summer move without a cost.
Walker will help the Avalanche. The defenseman has played nearly 20 minutes a night on a resurgent Flyers squad and has 22 points in 63 games, all with good underlying numbers.
Sean Walker has been really effective at joining the rush this season which should make him a perfect add for Colorado’s fast-paced attack. Not sure he’s quite as good as his numbers this season, but should still bolster the blue line. pic.twitter.com/GXOC5NBG9R
— dom 📈 (@domluszczyszyn) March 6, 2024
With Walker in the fold, Byram was suddenly expendable. The team already has puck-moving defensemen Cale Makar, Devon Toews and Samuel Girard signed through at least the 2026-27 season, so Colorado was always going to have a tough time maximizing Byram’s potential long term.
That doesn’t mean the move doesn’t hurt. Byram, the No. 4 pick in the 2019 draft, has already shown he can be a top-pair-level defenseman at his best. He averaged 23:17 of ice time during the 2022 Stanley Cup Final and tied Connor McDavid and Gabriel Landeskog for the best plus-minus in the playoffs. The young defenseman has struggled this year, but he’s still only 22. There’s a world in which he develops into a star and Colorado eventually regrets trading him away.
Mittelstadt, meanwhile, fills a more pressing need for the Avalanche, who have not had a consistent second-line center since Nazem Kadri left in free agency after the Stanley Cup run. Mittelstadt has 47 points in 62 games and should be able to fit into that role. The 25-year-old is a pending restricted free agent, so Colorado has team control over him but will have to give him a raise this offseason. Just as there’s a world in which the Byram trade hurts Colorado, there’s a world in which Mittelstadt helps the Avalanche make multiple deep playoff runs in the coming years. Another Stanley Cup would take away much of the pain caused by players getting away.
If fully healthy, the Avalanche could roll out a playoff lineup looking something like this:
Artturi Lehkonen–Nathan MacKinnon–Mikko Rantanen
Jonathan Drouin-Casey Mittelstadt-Valeri Nichushkin
Miles Wood–Ross Colton–Zach Parise
Andrew Cogliano–Chris Wagner–Logan O’Connor
Devon Toews-Cale Makar
Samuel Girard-Josh Manson
Jack Johnason-Sean Walker
Alexandar Georgiev
Justus Annunen
That’s a lot for opponents to handle, and MacFarland likely isn’t done spending. Wednesday’s moves actually created cap space for Colorado since Johansen ($4 million) and Byram ($3.85 million) both had bigger cap hits than Walker ($2.65 million) and Mittelstadt ($2.5 million). Colorado has around $3 million of deadline cap space to work with, according to CapFriendly. The team could use an upgrade at fourth-line center and perhaps an extra depth defenseman. Goaltending insurance might also make sense, though Annunen has allowed only two goals in his past three games.
The Avalanche might also have internal options coming. Nikolai Kovalenko is supposed to come to North America after his KHL season ends. He has 35 points in 42 games this season for Torpedo, which trails 2-1 in its first-round playoff series. It’s unclear how his game will translate to the NHL, but there’s potential there and a non-zero chance he can help the Avalanche in big games this year.
Then, of course, there’s captain Gabriel Landeskog. The 31-year-old is coming off knee cartilage replacement surgery and will miss the rest of the regular season, but he has resumed skating and the team hasn’t ruled out a playoff return. He and the Avalanche have to consider his long-term health, so there’s no guarantee he comes back for the playoffs. He also hasn’t played since Game 6 of the 2022 Stanley Cup Final. He’ll have to knock some rust off.
MacFarland’s moves Wednesday reflect a belief in his 2023-24 roster. He’s getting an MVP-caliber year from MacKinnon, and Makar is widely considered the best defenseman in the world. Mikko Rantanen is an elite wing. All three of those players could wind up in the Hockey Hall of Fame, and their general manager wants to maximize his window with them on the roster, even if it means giving up pieces that could bite him down the line.
Going all-in on a season is a gamble. MacFarland is willing to take that risk. How it plays out — if it helps Colorado go on another run this season, if Mittelstadt is a long-term fit at 2C, if losing Byram’s departure isn’t felt for years to come — could define his tenure as general manager.
(Photo of Chris MacFarland: Michael Martin / NHLI via Getty Images)
