Significant development in Colorado and it appears the Avalanche are trading away one of their top players

The Colorado Avalanche raised more than a few eyebrows this season with a multitude of player moves, with the most significant being the trade of Mikko Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes in a blockbuster trade almost nobody saw coming.

While the Avalanche picked up Martin Necas and Jack Drury from the Hurricanes in return, both players and the rest of the Avalanche were eliminated by Rantanen and the Dallas Stars just months later.

Before their brief stay in the postseason, the Avalanche also acquired Charlie Coyle and Brock Nelson through trades; they've recently re-signed Nelson to a new multi-year extension, while Coyle (and Necas) could soon be on the move..

Speaking of Avalanche players who could soon be on the move, top NHL analyst Elliotte Friedman said on his recent "32 Thoughts" podcast that defenseman Ryan Lindgren could soon be dealt out of town.

Lindgren was originally the 49th overall pick in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft by the Boston Bruins, and he was traded to the New York Rangers in 2018 in a blockbuster for Rick Nash.

He then came to the Avalanche in March along with Hank Kempf, Jimmy Vesey, for Calvin de Haan, Juuso Parssinen, and a pair of conditional draft picks in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft.

He has 102 points (14G, 88A) in 405 career NHL games played with the Bruins, Rangers, and now the Avalanche.

His 1-year deal with an AAV (average annual value) of $4.5 million expires on July 1.