How Big of An Impact Will The Quinn Hughes Trade Be For The Central Division?

How Big of An Impact Will The Quinn Hughes Trade Be For The Central Division?

The Colorado Avalanche avenge their most recent loss to the Nashville Pred Predators and get one back on home ice. But the big news had nothing to do with the Colorado Avalanche at the start of the weekend. It’s Quinn Hughes on the move. Let’s talk about that and a lot more on a new episode of Locked on Avalanche coming at you. Your Locked On avalanche, your daily podcast on the Colorado Avalanche, part of the Locked On Network, your team every day. All right, everybody. Welcome to another episode of Locked On Avalanche, part of the Locked On Network, your team every day. I’m your host, Chris Melli. Joining me as always, Mr. Zack Pearson. Thank you for tuning in, making it your first listen of the day. Always appreciated. And for making the Lockdown Podcast Network the number one sports podcast network in the nation, always appreciate it. If you want to get in on the action, join our Everydayers club. When you subscribe to that, you chat with Zach and I one-on-one through Subtext. You get access to the Discord channel that we have. Uh exclusive content such as Zach’s powerful 1 through32 power rankings, which he does uh once a week. And we’re also going to be talking about, like we have been doing uh early in the the new week, the power ranking the opponents of the Avalanche uh coming up for this week. So, we will get to that. Uh obviously, we’re going to get to that Avalanche uh victory over Nashville. But a big weekend, Zack, the ABS obviously win, the Broncos win. You’re sporting your Broncos, the Broncos orange. I hope nobody gets mad about that. Uh you so and then they clinch a playoff spot. The the Chiefs are eliminated, so that’s always a plus. Uh yeah, all good stuff. This is what we like to call a good day. Yeah, a good couple days. A good weekend. A good weekend. Uh but is it all good? Because uh maybe the biggest story of the weekend happened on a Friday. like stuff like this isn’t supposed to happen on Friday because we typically don’t record over the weekend. So, uh they should have known they should have thought of us hosts of an an avalanche podcast uh to not make a trade involving the Vancouver Conucks and the Minnesota Wild, but they did whatever. I mean, I guess they’ll learn. They’ll learn. Insanely rude. So big trade, massive trade um on the level of you know Mo ranted in from a year ago or close to it. Um and I’m sure by now everybody has heard you the Quinn Hughes has is gone from uh Vancouver and of course he comes to the Central um and and goes to the Minnesota Wild. Um, just to recap the the trade, the Vancouver gets Zeve Buham, uh, Marco Rossi, Liam Ogrren, and the 2026 first round pick of Minnesota, which if all goes according to plan, will be a later round pick, later pick in the first round, and then all Minnesota gets back, all they get back, is uh, Quinn Hughes. Thoughts on the deal, and then we’ll kind of break this down, what it means. Um what was it a surprise that it happened this early? He does have one more year left on his current deal. Um so maybe some people were thinking this might not happen till next year. Kind of like a Mo thing. But it started to sound like he was souring in Vancouver. Um and was basically telling them I’m not coming back. There’s some clips that I saw on uh Twitter and Instagram and it was just like basically the headline of it was Quinn Hughes is done and you watch him just like losing effort and it almost looks like just completely losing interest in playing the game playing with Vancouver and the fact that people were able to piece together like multiple clips that look like this cuz you know if it’s one it could just be oh yeah he played a you know 90 second 2 minute shift straight was going all out and just lost gas. But when you can piece together multiple clips of him doing that, it seems like he was out. Uh I really do think that this trade just means that the Central Division is the Western Conference Champion. Like it kind of feels like you have three teams. One of those three will be the Western Conference champion and two of those will play in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs because the NHL playoffs is the worst formatting in professional sports, right? Um, this does this bolsters a good Minnesota team really a lot. I don’t I hate this move. I am I do not like it. I don’t like it at all. And the thing is like there’s the long-term debate and I really appreciated your screenshots that you found and then shared out on our Twitter page. Yeah. So, credit to you for finding those of all the Canucks fans being like, “Oh, Kale Mar is definitely the best defenseman. We know that now.” Uh, they’re finally had their come to Jesus moment and and can finally say it without repercussions from the fan base. Yeah. Right. Exactly. The thing is, I still love Quinn Hughes as a defenseman. Of course, I think Kale Mar is better um in burgundy glasses for sure, but also I feel objectively Kale Mar is just a better defenseman. Quinn Hughes is really, really good. It’s not taking anything away from his really good game by saying Kale Mar is as good as he is. And then that into the central division. Now all of a sudden you’ve just got between Dallas, Colorado and Minnesota, you have got one of the most stacked divisions that you could possibly have. Minnesota problem. They are going to be a legitimate problem. Yeah. I I I think it’s it’s it’s a ballsy move um from Minnesota because you know then the reports are that he did not guarantee them anything. See the thing. So could we be here in another year? We could. could. I’m not saying we will. We We could. So, and you don’t know with with Hughes, like, you know, how much is it pulling on him that he wants to play with his brothers in Jersey? I I I don’t really I’m sure he wants to. I I don’t think that’s any secret, but if he likes the situation he’s in now in Minnesota, he could stay there. Um they they have the the means to do it to to sign it. They contractwise, it’s amazing how they’ve come out of these these contracts that were on the books uh for however many years when they when they bought out uh I remember who they are now. Those two players that they bought out a couple years ago. Yeah, Pice was Zach Pre and uh uh I’m blanking on the whatever. Yeah, those contracts were on their books for for years and now those are gone or they will be. I think this is the last year that they’re on the books. Um, and they’re sitting pretty uh contractwise. They don’t have outside of Capri off, which kicks things nuts here, that $17 million contract, which people are still scratching their heads on. Um, they’re still fine. They don’t have a lot of big contracts on their books. They have, you know, Fabers’s at 8.5. Okay. Um, you’re going to have Hughes at 7.85 for next year. Um, Matt Baldi’s at seven and it’s everything below that. So, after Capri off, you don’t have anybody that’s over 10. So, contractwise, sure, they they can do that. And with the with the the cap going up, obviously, they could easily make him a very, very lucrative offer. It will just come down to if he wants to be in Minnesota or not. That is going to be the bottom line. And if he does, they can give him I’m not saying a blank check, but something pretty close to it. Um, and if not, we are back here a year or so from now. Well, so, and I also wonder, and I’m just throwing this out here, this is 100% speculation on my part. I have zero evidence backing this up. I think the only way he signs that contract is if they make a run in the playoffs, but don’t go all the way. My thought being if they make a really short run or somehow someway drop out of the playoffs, uh, then yeah, he wants to go somewhere that he potentially with his brothers to play even better, right? And have a better shot. Mhm. If the opposite happens and Minnesota somehow wins the cup, well, now he’s won a cup. Why would he need to stay in Minnesota? I’ll just go over and play with my brothers. True. That’s true. So, I really feel like that it if they want to extend him, they almost have to like not win the cup, which sounds insane. You never know. Or or he could be like I I just I love it. I mean, it is a great hockey community, you know what I mean? Not saying Vancouver isn’t, but um you know he if he likes where that team is headed or continues to go um and he clearly did not have that feeling in Vancouver cuz you you are you’re their captain. You are the focal point of what they’re going to do. And if you don’t feel like they’re going every anywhere, you did what he did and just give up and just say like I’m out of here. Yeah. Um, but if he doesn’t feel that way in Minnesota and why obviously you you can just tell they’re trending up. They wanted you. They gave up a a potential future um with with you know a couple other players for you. So right off the bat that must make him feel good about this is a team that went after me and gave up a good amount. I don’t I think they could have given up more. I think Vancouver could have gotten a little bit more if you ask me. Not that they got nothing. Uh but he’s maybe looking at it as yeah, they they went out of their way to come to to get me and sometimes for guys that can sway them. Um well, and you’re also saying if you’re Quinn Hughes, you’re looking at the new goalending room with Walstead Mhm. in Minnesota and you’re going, hm, this uh this gives me some opportunity to play my game a little more freely. Again, like like we’ve talked about with the Avalanche countless times, having good goalending behind you really helps you feel good and play your game more openly. I everything about this completely removing myself from the avalanche point of view where I hate everything about this and putting myself in an objective viewish. Uh this is really good, I think, for Quinn Hughes. I think this puts him in a much better situation overall. Yeah. Minnesota, like you said, they’re up and coming. They’re doing really well. Hughes is only 26. He’s got plenty of years in front of him. He could get one more pretty big lengthy contract. Oh, it’ll be a big one. He could get two. It’ll be a big one. But like termwise, too. Like he’s still in his prime is what I’m saying. It’s not something where they’re like, “Well, we can only give you a few years.” Like he’s in a prime position to do well and help a team that really does kind of need just more, right? and not a ton more because Minnesota’s doing really well. I I don’t like this. I keep praising that team and it makes me feel just gross, but they’re in a good spot and they’re playing well and this is a move that helps them. So, I know I I’ve seen a handful of people thinking like I don’t want to say they have the mindset of like, oh, it’s a foregone conclusion that Minnesota’s going to sign him because the whole Bill Garin angle of it with him being the GM and the GM of Team USA. Um I I don’t I don’t buy into players going to a team for a GM angle all that much. Does it play a part? Sure. I am not saying it it plays zero role in it. But in the list of things that guys maybe have a checklist of why they want to go to a team, I don’t think who the GM is is really up that high. It sure it’s the head coach before the GM. It’s the the city before the GM. It’s the players that he’s playing with before the GM. It’s where this team is headed. You know what I mean? So, I don’t buy solely into it’s a foregone conclusion because he’s the GM of the Wild and the GM of Team USA that, oh, he’ll get this done. I I think the the odds of it I I just I just have a vibe he stays there. I do. I just feel like he knows it’s a it’s a much better situation for him. If they want to do the brother thing, they can do that. eight years from now, they’ll still all be in the league eight years from now if they want to. I don’t think that has to happen now and right now. And if Quinn Hughes wants to to establish himself um away from his brothers, he doesn’t go to New Jersey and he establishes and and makes a name for himself. And he’s already made a name for himself. I’m not trying to say he’s not, but if you can go out and and and win a cup for Minnesota, they will put a statue up in front of that arena the next year for you. Oh my god. Yeah. You know what I mean? Like, so they want it so bad and he will become royalty there. So, I I don’t I don’t think it’s a foregone conclusion that uh he leaves. I think it’s a very good chance that he stays because I just feel like it’s a good opportunity for him and a good situation for him, but I don’t think it’s because of the GM. I I just I can’t I just it’s because of Capri off more than Bill Garrett. It’s stuff like that. You know what I mean? So I agree. It’s it’s Walstead. It’s Capri. It’s the situation. It’s so many things before it’s the general manager. But um and then just to talk on the the Vancouver side of things quickly and the return they got, I I think it’s okay. I don’t think it’s terrible. I I But it’s potential. That is the scary part. you got nobody that is established. Um, and when you’re rebuilding, I guess that’s kind of the chances that you take. You’re right. So, I mean, I guess I I was I did not like when the Wild picked Bou when he fell to them in the draft. Like, this Denver University guy’s going to the hated Minnesota Wild. So, that part of it is cool that I I don’t have to watch him play for Minnesota anymore. Yeah. Um, but it’s potential. It’s potential. Marco Rossy, it’s potential. Um, the first round pick, gonna be a late round pick, obviously. Um, and and Liam Ogrren, I remember reading some stuff on him when I do my draft stuff, but wasn’t overly blown away. Could he have, you know, as another potential guy? Yeah, I think he’s played what, like 15, 16 games this year. Has zero points. Yeah, he’s a project. He’s, you know, he’s still coming into his own. But um it I think obviously Vancouver took the bigger risk with the players that they got and inherited. I think you know especially Buom and and Rossy can be very good players. Uh but you gave up Quinn Hughes who is is you know behind Kale Mar as the best defensive player in the league. Yep. So I just and when you do that I just feel like you could have gotten a little bit more whether it’s in draft picks or an established player. So the flip side of that that I feel is it’s not it was not even remotely a secret that Quinn Hughes was done with Vancouver and that completely obliterates your bargaining chip because every team comes in and is like we’re not going to go that much because I know we’re like bidding against other people but we also know he wants out and I think it really weakens your side as Vancouver and Vancouver does they do get just potential and they lose a like all world caliber player Mhm. But he was going to walk for nothing. And so while they probably could have gotten more, I think if you’re Vancouver, it’s maybe a little bit of cope. And like I understand why they would be saying that, but you got some solid potential in return. And I think that’s that’s better than you possibly could have ended up with had he just walked for absolutely nothing. Had Vancouver said, “Nope, we’re we’re going to make this work around you. We’re going to do all of that.” and then come the end of next season he says see you later like that worse than anything but my my and you’re completely right my only rebuttal with that is like you could have done this next year then you could have done it next year because like he has another year left on that contract and this could have been a MO thing but the problem with that is look what the ABS got back from Mo like sure you got NHS you got Drew and that’s all good you didn’t get a first round pick for Miko Rantin why because you know if teams are are dealing with you behind the scenes they know that he’s not going to be there. They’re not going to give up more when when when his contract is right around the corner of coming up or or renegotiating where you you probably would got, you know, a little bit more like right now like what what Vancouver got because he has that extra year and you have that to play with if you’re Minnesota. So, and maybe but on the same note, when you have Quinn Hughes and you’re floundering the way Vancouver is, I mean, they’re just they’re not playing well at all. you have to do stuff to start that rebuild. You have to start it immediately. You can’t wait. And so they had to make the move right away. We’re up against it. So, you know, I I could go on about this for longer, but right. Uh absolutely check out Seth and uh and Locked on Wild because obviously he is covering this from top to bottom. So, he’s also over the moon, I’m sure. Yeah. Yeah. Uh we are telling you as Avalanche fans, go listen to a Locked on Wild podcast because uh Seth kills it over there. So, all right. Yeah, let’s get our break in and we come back uh we’ll get back to Avalanche stuff and uh talk about this Avalanche win over Nashville over the weekend. Do that next. Let’s hear from Indeed. You just realized your business needed to hire someone yesterday. How can you find amazing candidates fast? It’s easy. 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Is it not? I get I get a few days off over the next couple of weeks and you can bet I will wear doers multiple days throughout that and I will be able to take a nap in the chair without a problem because they are so comfortable. Yeah, it’s time for you to experience the comfort of Doer because we know that you will absolutely love them. Check out the Doer store right in Denver at 2621 Lmer Street. Mention the promo code locked on Denver in store to get 15% off of your first order. Or check them out online at shopdoer.com. That’s shopd.comlocked Denver and you can get that 15% off online as well. That’s shopder.comdenver. Check them out today. All right, Avalanche with another victory. one is it’s nice the uh avenged the loss from uh the the Nashville game from not that long ago. It is. Um so you know you get the win solid win. I thought this was a solid one. Overall takes on this one. it. This one to me really felt like it never felt like the ABS weren’t going to win this game, but Nashville hung around a lot more in this one than I anticipated them doing. I think they’ve been playing a lot better recently. And they showed it again in this game. Again, I never felt like it was ever out like even a question that the Avalanche would not win. They felt pretty much in control throughout the entire game, but they never like Nashville just sort of hung around. Uh the second period I don’t think was phenomenal. They didn’t play as well as they could have. Third period certainly looked a lot better. I think you had a couple of guys who really kind of stood out overall. Um we’ll talk about, you know, I think we’re still going to go over the player of the game for each of us, but yeah. Um throw it out. Who? Go ahead. Throw it out. I’m going to go Valuskin. I’m going to go Valuchuskin because I thought he played excellently. He just had the empty netter at the end which I like great. I think he deserved it. He should have had a goal earlier. Um I still I can’t believe real quick that of course Tyson Jo has to score a completely meaningless goal at the very end of the game because of course he does. Uh and it is amazing how many former ABS score goals against them including Tyson Jo of all people, right? played for the Avalanche at any point in your career? I’m pretty sure that if an NHL team right now signed Riker to a contract, he would be guaranteed a goal against the Avalanche as long as it wasn’t the ABS that signed him. It’s the weirdest thing. Uh Joy, like I still like him. I’m I’m happy he’s found a spot. He’s still having a bit of a rough go of it, but good on him getting the goal. Uh, like I said, of course it was him, but Val Najushkin takes that high stick. He And it was a brutal high stick with that was like, oh man, with no penalty. How does that I don’t know, man. Like I’m I’m kind of It’s a weird one. like the guy’s kind of like flailing at the puck and because he he’s like flailing at it onehanded. I think it looks like bad, but and maybe it’s just a matter of the guy got lucky because the puck is there and he’s swinging his stick at it. See, I think that and I get on like a shot or you’re dumping the puck or anything like that, a pass, the follow through counts. This one to me doesn’t feel like it should have been that because you lost control of your stick and you went up high with it. Like if you if you’re on the ice and you toe pick and you throw your stick up high and you catch somebody in the face, is that not still a high stick? You lost control of your stick. So that’s what that felt like to me. I don’t get how it’s not a penalty. So I’m really glad Val ends up getting that there. Um Olivesson had a pretty solid game. I really liked Nathan McKinnon’s goal and Brent Burns got the assist on that one again. He continues to just be involved, right? Like, oh man, no, there there’s a lot to like from this game. Uh Jonathan Marcho obviously gets his spot which made it a little bit closer because it was Yeah, that was two to one after his goal, right? And that’s where I was like, you know, Nashville’s still hanging around. But like I said, I never really This was a good avalanche game. Like they were in control for almost all of it. Um they we’ve said this all year with the power play struggles 0 for four on the power play, but I mean I don’t know what else they can do outside of continuing what we say the puck just needs to go in the net. Like I thought that was some of the best looking power plays they’ve had all year and it’s just not it’s just crazy. Like I’m kind of just like and you heard it again. Eric Johnson said it if you watch the post game. Um Eric Johnson said like same thing. It’s like man if this power once it gets going I’m not sold it’s going to anymore people. like we’re two and a half months into the season and I think this is what we have like you’ll get you’ll get a spot where they they’ve scored a few goals and I think everyone when that happens people are going to be like uh oh power play is is you know the dam is broken. I need to I genuinely have to see it for literally the rest of the year for me to say like they’ve gotten over that hump like it they’re moving the puck around just fine. They’re getting shots on net just fine for whatever reason. And a team that is what plus 54 or something at you know uh for the difference in goals cannot put the puck in the net. Nope. When they have an extra man advantage as well as they are moving the puck around on the power play. It is absurd. Mindboggling to me. I cannot. And I can’t hate it. I can’t hate it. They were shooting better in this one too. They legitimately were taking better shots. They had a lot like it looked dangerous again, right? How can it continue to look dangerous? So like cuz there’s been plenty of times too that we’ve said it doesn’t even look good. You’re just passing around the perimeter. You’re not doing anything. They were able to get set up. They were able to take shots on net. They were able to do all of the things you’re supposed to do. Yeah. And yet they just can’t score. They can do everything but score. And it’s brutal. You have to fix this. It is crazy. It is absolutely crazy. Um what’ you think of the they they did this in the last game and you know they had Brinley playing up at the at the top line. Uh this one started with him at the top line and had Martin Nus uh on the third line for this game. You really think anything is there for that? I I don’t I think that’s just Jared Bendar wanting to switch things around. Why not an opportunity switch around? I don’t think NHS is playing poorly. I I think you said this on the last episode. This isn’t a demotion. This is just a figuring out where guys are playing the best and Brinley’s energy. Like this is the great thing about Brinley and Nas. Both of them can play on a line with Nathan McKinnon because both of them are fast and Brinley brings that wicked energy that he’s got. He’s always seems to be in good position. It’s crazy. And then if you want to put Mus back up there, he’s got an insane shot and he’s wicked fast, too. Like this is a good problem. I don’t think this is anything to read too deep into it yet. Um, if it’s something that’s like every game for a month and Brinley’s on the top line, yeah, that might be something to uh to ponder, but Nate just is fifth in the league in scoring. You know what I mean? Like it’s and and he’s not he’s still on the power play one when you know the power play is is out there. He’s back up there. So, it’s not like he’s in some doghouse or something like that. I don’t know. I think I think uh Jared Bedar is just a little bit giddy that he has this this young buck who is just, you know, lightening things up. So, let’s let’s throw him up there for a few games. What What can it hurt? I mean, they just still played what 17 18 minutes. It’s not like they’re limiting his minutes down to like 12 or something like that. So, um but I mean to watch Yeah, I think it’s still interesting to watch going forward. Um you you threw out your player of the game in uh Val. Uh mine’s going to Wedgewood. I thought, you know, because I think Nashville, yeah, they played a good game again against Colorado, especially early on, and he made some key saves to to keep the ABS up on this one. So, um yeah, I don’t really have much more to say other than he just continues to be part of this dynamic duo in net and uh another game where you saw it. So, it’s awesome. Awesome to see that he a great choice. I love Scott Wedgewood this year. He’s been so good. First star again. I mean, just yeah, more than earned it. He’s an awesome guy. So, all right. Um, let’s get our last break in here. When we come back, like we do at the beginning of every month, Zach will bestow upon us the power rankings of where the Avalanche stand, which really shouldn’t be moving out of that top spot anywhere. I I would hope not. um but more importantly where uh their opponents for this week stand and uh the average of of where those opponents stand and what we think is it going to be a difficult week or easy week or in the middle somewhere. So we’ll do that right after this. First let’s hear from FanDuel NFL Sundays move fast. One big play and suddenly everything feels different. I don’t know like a Patrick Certan interception maybe. Uh, that’s what makes live betting with FanDuel so exciting. You’re not just watching the game, you are reacting to it in real time. With FanDuel, you can place bets as the action unfolds. Every drive, every momentum swing, every highlight moment, I don’t know, like a Patrick Tan interception, maybe. So good. I mean, the game changed after that. It was It was the perfect interception. I don’t want like I wish I could jump on to the Locked on Broncos show, which you should listen to after this. Yeah. and just talk about that interception all day tight. Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. And if you want to be right in the middle of that action for the rest of this season, visit fanuel.com and you place your live bets, NFL live bets all season long with FanDuel. The game moves fast and so can you. All right, so let’s jump into this. We got power rankings for the Avalanche. And hey, if uh you like this stuff, what we do now is like a truncated one with just who they’re doing for this week. Uh but if you want to get the full spectrum of power ranking, Zach uh does for the all access every day club tier. Uh he does a one through 32 power ranking uh every week. So just one of the many reasons to to subscribe to that. So all right, what do we got for this week, sir? First of all, who’s our opponents? All right. So, we will be playing in Seattle. Uh, we’ll be playing Winnipeg and then we’ll be playing Minnesota, but I need to double check on if those are away or home because I don’t remember, but I have it right here. Okay. Uh, Seattle and then it’s home against Winnipeg and then in Minnesota. Oh, man. Is that going to be fun? That is a circled game for next Sunday. All right. 4 p.m. that yeah, that’s going to be an interesting and exciting game. So, we’ll run through these. I’m going to start off with uh the hockey guy Shannon on YouTube. Of course, the ABS number one again, as he said, for the eenth week in a row. ABS continue to hang out there. He has got the Seattle Kraken at 24, the Winnipeg Jets at 27, and the Minnesota Wild at their high spot for the week, number two. Okay, he is definitely high up on the Wild and I can’t blame him. Uh I’m interested to see where people go next week. I know we unless they play the Wild again. I don’t I don’t have the schedule in front of me, but uh where the people go with the Wild next week like once because I’m sure a lot of these were done prior to Quinn Hughes being traded. Yep. Right. So So Shannon’s was not. His was post trade. I think the rest of them were all pre-trade. There you go. So that’s what I’m saying. I think a lot of people are gonna go down the road of Shannon of it’s the sexy thing right now. Minnesota’s hot, so they’re gonna but they can’t put him at number one. You can’t remove the avalanche at number one because of a trade. Uh but I think next year next week you’re going to see a lot of It’s going to be interesting. Okay. So he’s got him at two. Yep. Yep. We’ll go to ESPN. ABS again number one. Seattle’s 25, Winnipeg 27, and Minnesota at their low spot of eight. Okay. All right. Athletic ABS number one, Seattle 27, uh, Winnipeg 30, Minnesota 6. All right. NHL.com with their Super 16. Seattle and Winnipeg don’t count according to the NHL’s website. Right. And Minnesota’s number seven. All right. And then the hockey riders have the ABS, of course, at one. Oh, yeah. NHL ABS at one. It’s just automatic. Um, hockey riders, ABS at one, Seattle 24, Winnipeg 25, and Minnesota at six. Okay, those are all legit. Like those are I don’t have any qualms about where anybody really sits right now. May maybe I wouldn’t put Minnesota at two. Um, but I can see it. They’re playing really well. Yep, they’re playing well. I mean, they they’ve won Well, I think they’re playing as we’re recording this. I think they’re they’re winning that they were winning that game. Um was it it was like three to nothing or four? Let’s see. They actually won that game six-2 over the Bruins. Um and Quinn Hughes scored a goal, of course. Um let’s see if he had anything. Uh that’s all he had was just the uh the one goal. 27 minutes of ice time for him, though. Wow. All right, that’s hefty. Anyway, yep. So, okay, before we give you the averages, I’m going to go ahead and factor in my power rankings from the Everydayers Club. So, you guys will at least, if you’re not on the Everydayers, you’ll be able to hear where I place our next opponents. If you want to hear 1 through 32, like we said, go check out that Everydayers Club. Um, yeah, everybody will be extremely shocked to know that I put the Avalanche at number one. There you go. Surprised. I know you guys are very surprised. Uh, Seattle, I had them at 30. So, actually the lowest spot. Nobody else had them that low. I have not been impressed with them. So, I put them down to there. I had Winnipeg at 27 and I had Minnesota at five. And again, I am praising a team that I really feel dirty doing that about. So, it’s rough, man. But they’re good. I can’t journalist journalistic integrity, dude. You have to Yeah, it just it hurts a little bit. Yeah. Uh cracking at 30. Uh I mean, they’re they’re down there. I’m not, you know, I don’t think that’s terrible. Um, it’s a lot to do. When I factored it in, and if you listen to it on the Everydayers Club, it was a lot of the last 10 games were pretty heavily factored in and like their goal differential was poor. Their last 10 games are not great. They’re just on a really rough slide and they’re not doing anything to where other teams that I would potentially put down at 30, I thought at least enough things recently to move up that step or two above them. So it’s it’s almost more of a you’re stuck there because other teams at the bottom are doing some things better except Vancouver and like that’s why yeah they’re they’re I mean going back to a handful of games but kind of when this losing kind of started for them or their most current round of losing um Islanders they lost in a imagine losing in a shootout and scores one to nothing. So they lost that one. They lost to to Dallas 3-2. They got shut out by the Oilers 4 to nothing. They lost to the Oilers again 9 to4. Um then they lost to the Red Wings 4 to3. Lost to Minnesota 4 to1. Uh they beat the Kings in overtime 3-2. Then they lost to the Mammoth 5 to3. They’re winning right now over the Sabres as we’re recording this one to nothing. But in all their losses they uh actually in in the one no in all their losses they only scored over three goals once and that was when they lost nine to four. So they weren’t even in that game when they finally scored four goals. So struggling to score, struggling to keep the puck out of the net in the opposition obviously. So that just they’re on they’re on a rough stretch right now. So and that is your focusing on Seattle because that’s your next game. Um, you know, if they’re struggling to keep teams from scoring and you are scoring at the clip you are being the Colorado Avalanche, I know what we said about when they played Nashville in Nashville, but come on, guys. This is another game that two points in the standings. Got to have it. Yep. Absolutely have to. This is one of those situations for sure. So, all right. Um, I had and like I said, Winnipeg at six, Minnesota at five. So then averages, uh, Seattle comes in at 26, Winnipeg comes in at 27, and Minnesota comes in at six. And really ESPN’s eight drop them out of the top five. Okay. I think that was that was the biggest piece there. So pretty wild though, that the uh the Jets average-wise are lower than Seattle. Yeah, I thought that was interesting, too. Yeah, cuz I definitely did not think, not that I would think like the Jets would be so far above Seattle, but with the struggles of Seattle, you would think that they would be lower, but the average has them one spot over Winnipeg. Crazy. And part of the reason I think I’ve had or I know I’ve had Winnipeg at 27 and not a couple spots lower is, you know, Hell Buck’s going to come back and they’re still going to be better. This stretch without Elabuk has been absolute torture for these guys. So, you know, they will turn some around, but man, they needed to hold their head above water with him out and they have not done that. They have not done that and it’s really just cost their season. So, yep. So, all right. So, and then I did do the last 10 for all three teams that we’re facing. Seattle 36 and one, Winnipeg 36 and one, and Minnesota 72 and one. They’re hot. They’re hot. And only winning the first game when you’re, you know, a new superstar defenseman comes in, winning that six to2 and he scores a goal only just it just makes that team Yep. the endorphins are flowing. That’s going to be circle that game. And that’s be a fun game to watch. It’s going to be so difficult, but it’s going to be fun. Absolutely. So, uh, all right. We got to get through the week first. We got to take care of two opponents which we should beat. So, let’s, uh, focus in on them first. So, we’ll be back tomorrow to break down anything else going in Avalanche Nation and uh maybe talk about this Seattle team a little bit more detail. So, we’ll do that on uh tomorrow’s episode. So, make sure you’re tuned in to that one. But for this one, thank you for tuning in, making it your first listen of the day. Always appreciate it. He’s Mr. Zack Pearson. I am Chris Melli. This is the Locked Avalanche podcast. We’ll see you guys tomorrow where you made it through another 24 hours where the Colorado Avalanche will make their blockbuster trade and bring in City Crosby to Colorado.

Quinn Hughes shakes up the NHL, joining the Minnesota Wild in a blockbuster trade that sends shockwaves through the Central Division. Does this move make Minnesota a top contender for the Western Conference title? Chris Micieli and Zach Pearson break down the ramifications of Hughes’ arrival, sparking fresh debates about top defensemen, contract outlooks, and Minnesota’s championship odds. Key insights include the value of Vancouver’s return, the impact of player chemistry, and the rising stakes for the Wild, Stars, and Avalanche.

Colorado Avalanche secure a much-needed home win over the Nashville Predators, but concerns linger as the power play continues to sputter. The hosts highlight standout performances from Valeri Nichushkin and Scott Wedgewood, analyze recent line changes featuring Martin Necas and Gavin Brindley, and preview upcoming matchups against the Seattle Kraken, Winnipeg Jets, and surging Wild. Are the Avs still the team to beat—and how will they fare as division rivals re-tool for a deep playoff push?

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