The Avs traded their No. 7 defenseman to Pittsburgh during Tuesday’s practice. The New Jersey Devils are still trying to get rid of one of their pricey blueliners. Also, the Bruins placed a depth defenseman on waivers.

All that and more on this edition of Deen’s Daily — January 21.

Colorado Hockey Now

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The Avs traded depth defenseman Ilya Solovyov on Tuesday, effectively ending his three-month stint with Colorado. Soloyov was one of six healthy defensemen before the trade, and the Avs are likely going to call up Jack Ahcan to replace him.

To me, the Solovyov trade is a precursor to future moves. It reminds me of when the Avs traded Kurtis MacDermid in January 2024, well ahead of the March trade deadline. This is a contract off the books for a player they no longer want to use. And it’ll eventually be followed by another move to add a blueliner.

I’m sure they want another left-shot defenseman eventually.

More on the trade below.

READ MORE: Avalanche Trade Ilya Solovyov to Pittsburgh

The third and final part of the January mailbag is below.

READ MORE: Avalanche Mailbag 3.0: Beefing Up The Blueline, Bardakov’s Future, Trade Deadline Adds, & More

Around The NHL

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: What the Pens are getting from Ilya Solovyov, and where he fits in their lineup.

New Jersey Hockey Now: Luke Hughes is injured and be out for a while. Is this the time to move Dougie Hamilton?

Boston Hockey Now: Speaking of left-shot depth defensemen, the Bruins placed one on waivers.

Vegas Hockey Now: General manager Kelly McCrimmon spoke about the acquisition of Rasmus Andersson.


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