ANAHEIM \u2014 Fewer than 48 hours before the NHL trade deadline, the Colorado Avalanche added blue-line depth on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
The Avalanche said they\u2019ve acquired defenseman Nick Blankenburg from the Nashville Predators in exchange for a 2027 fifth-round draft selection, a low-risk, low-cost move for the organization. <\/p>\n
In 49 games this season, Blankenburg set career highs with six goals and 21 points for Nashville, averaging nearly 18 minutes. For the Avalanche, it\u2019s unlikely he\u2019ll get into the lineup unless there\u2019s an injury, making him the seventh defenseman on the roster, something they\u2019ve been lacking since moving Ilya Solovyov to the Pittsburgh Penguins.<\/p>\n
The 27-year-old defenseman is listed at 5-foot-9, 177 pounds, and has 164 games of NHL experience. He has yet to experience postseason hockey. Although he\u2019s another undersized defenseman, his underlying metrics are solid, particularly on the penalty kill. Blankenburg becomes the fifth right-shooting defenseman on the roster, joining Cale Makar, Josh Manson, Brent Burns and Sam Malinski.<\/p>\n
Blankenburg comes with a $775,000 cap hit and is set to become an unrestricted free agent after the season. <\/p>\n
The trade deadline is 1 p.m. Friday. The Avalanche will be in Dallas on Friday for a big matchup with the Stars, and it\u2019s unclear if Blankenburg will join the team for the final game of their road trip.<\/p>\n
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