The Colorado Avalanche will be back in action on Saturday against the Vegas Golden Knights in Sin City. The Avs will look to continue rolling on their quest to obliterate numerous NHL records this season.

Amid the hubbub, several key players have had crucial roles in helping the Avalanche succeed. But there are also those who once suited up for the club but have since moved on. In a roundabout way, they have also contributed to the Avalanche’s success.

So, let’s take a minute to catch up with these former Colorado stars while we wait for the Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and company to hit the ice on Saturday night.

Catching up with 3 former Colorado Avalanche playersRyan Lindgren

Last trade deadline, the Colorado Avalanche pulled off a significant trade by landing defenseman Ryan Lindgren from the New York Rangers.

While Lindgren was the main piece in the deal, the Avalanche and Rangers swapped various players. Namely, the Avalanche landed Jimmy Vesey and Hank Kempf. Colorado, meanwhile, sent Juuso Parssinen (more on him in a moment) and Calvin de Haan. The Avs also surrendered a second and fourth-round pick.

Lindgren played in a total of 18 regular-season games for the Avalanche. He scored two goals and one assist. In the postseason, he appeared in all seven games against the Dallas Stars, recording three assists.

The 27-year-old was an impending UFA. Since the Avalanche seemed unlikely to sign him to a long-term extension, though they would have wanted to, Lindgren signed a fourth-year deal with the Seattle Kraken worth $18 million. This season, Lindgren has hit the ice for 35 games, totalling one goal and five points. He’s averaged over 16 minutes a game, anchoring the Kraken’s second pair.

All in all, the Kraken got what they bargained for in Lindgren. They got a steady, defensive defenseman who wasn’t going to light up the scoreboard. It’s fair to say Seattle got their money’s worth.

As for the Avalanche, Jimmy Vesey didn’t play much of a role with the club. He ended up signing in the KHL this past offseason. The intriguing piece in the deal is Kempf. As noted back when the deal was completed, there’s a connection between him and Sam Malinski stemming from their NCAA days. Kempf is currently with the Colorado Eagles and could play a role at some point down the line. He’s 23 and needs an NHL contract. His rights expire this summer. So, it remains to be seen if the Avs pick him up or allow him to become a UFA.

As for the two draft picks, the Rangers used them both in the draft. Calvin de Haan, unfortunately, has not found a team this season.

Charlie Coyle

Another major trade last season was the Charlie Coyle-Casey Mittelstadt trade. The Avalanche were fortunate to find a taker for Mittelstadt, who hadn’t quite fit in. The Avs landed a 2026 fifth-rounder while sending prospect Will Zellers and a 2025 second-rounder.

Coyle fit in relatively well in Colorado. Coyle, along with Brock Nelson, solidified the Avs’ depth down the middle. Coyle contributed two goals and 13 points in 19 regular-season games. However, he scored just one goal in the postseason against Dallas.

With the Avalanche needing to re-sign Nelson, Coyle got caught up in a game of numbers. He and Miles Wood went to the Columbus Blue Jackets in a cap-clearing trade. In Columbus, Coyle has had a decent season, scoring five goals and 22 points in 36 games. That’s not bad for a Blue Jackets team needing veteran support for their young core.

Meanwhile, Mittelstadt hasn’t exactly flourished in Boston. Rumors have swirled around Mittelstadt, but as of now, the Bruins have been unable to move him.

Will Zellers continues to develop in the Bruins’ system. He projects to be a decent middle-six winger in the NHL. The Bruins are high on him, though there are other, much more impressive prospects ahead of him.

The true gem in this entire Charlie Coyle ordeal has been Gavin Brindley. The Avalanche pretty much got him as a throw-in. Boy, has Brindley made the most of his time. The former second-round pick has surpassed expectations. He’s become a little engine that could for the Avalanche. An injury this season did not slow him down. It seems that the Avalanche ended up winning the Coyle trade twice.

Juuso Parssinen

Going back to the Ryan Lindgren trade with the Rangers, Jusso Parssinen figured to become a mainstay on Broadway. The Rangers were high on the Finnish prospect, becoming their fourth-liner center with middle-six potential.

However, Parssinen had a rough start to the season. Before long, other players like Noah Laba and Sam Carrick pushed him out of the Rangers lineup. Before long, Parssinen was out of the mix.

Despite signing him to a two-year, $2.5 million deal, the Rangers sent him down to the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL. It seems like Parssinen’s days could be numbered in New York. He could still be a serviceable NHL forward, though he may find it tough to crack a mostly veteran club like the Rangers.