Lyubushkin Trade Looks Worse + Trades + Avalanche Put on Master Class
By James Tanner
![Mar 1, 2024; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Ottawa Senators defenseman Vladimir Tarasenko (91) skates with Mar 1, 2024; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Ottawa Senators defenseman Vladimir Tarasenko (91) skates with](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_4017,h_2259,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/121/01hragav2eg7ja2q55m4.jpg)
Avalanche, Oilers and Rangers All Make Trades
The Oilers overpaid in my opinion to get Adam Henrique. I guess he helps a bit, but it's not even close to the same ballpark as the Leafs getting Ryan O'Reilly last year. Henrique makes them a little bit better, but you'd like to see a bigger Swing in one of the McDavid Prime Years.
C+ for the Oilers, A+ for the Ducks getting a first for Henrique.
The Rangers added Alex Wenberg. He's a very good player and will make them better but fans will complain that he is boring.
A 2nd and a 4th seems like a win for both Teams. A's all around-here.
Finally the biggest action comes from Colorado who unloaded their summertime mistake Ryan Johanson on the Flyers and paid a first rounder for Sean Walker.
This trade is an A++ for the Avalanche who pick up a solid puck mover who plays the right side, while correcting one of the only mistakes they've made recently. They save money, which allows them to follow this move with another great move.
Also an A for the Flyers who turn nothing into something with Walker.
After than Colorado traded Bowen Byram to the Sabres for Casey Mittlestadt which gets them the second line centre they needed without weakening their blue-line. Solid move with a high reward potential because Mittlestadt is breaking out this year and who knows how good he can be?
A+ For Colorado and a B for Buffalo of Byram's Injury risk. If he pans out though they could be building the NHL's best blue-line.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are missing out here because Walker would probably have been a top target for them. They seem hesitant to meet the cost of a first-rounder so maybe they have something else in the works, who knows?
Walker would have been a perfect fit for the Leafs who desperately need their blue-line to become more mobile. Note that Colorado seems to recognize this suggesting the Leafs views on the topic are somewhat outdated.
manual
Colorado also just took the time to prove they weren't above fixing an obvious mistake, which is something Brad Treliving should think long and hard about as it concerns Max Domi, David Kampf and Ryan Reaves.