Could Artemi Panarin Be the Missing Piece for Colorado Avalanche’s Championship Quest?

So here’s the scoop: the chatter around Artemi Panarin landing with the Colorado Avalanche has been buzzing louder than a playoff buzzer. Now, I’ve been thinking about it, and honestly, while the Avs might have flirted with the idea—no doubt poking around, testing the waters—it’s far from a slam dunk. You see, fitting a player of Panarin’s caliber into a roster already crowded with elite talent isn’t as simple as swapping pieces on a chessboard. Sure, the front office could be eyeing a game-changer, but does the puzzle really come together with Panarin? Some insiders suggest adding him might just crowd the top lines, disrupting the chemistry that’s been brewing. And let’s be real—finding the cap space and the right spot on the roster? That’s a giant headache in itself. Still, I wouldn’t completely rule out a bold move from Chris McFarland; sometimes, these surprises shake things up in unexpected ways. The bottom line? Panarin’s star power is undeniable, but making that work in Colorado? That’s a tough nut to crack. LEARN MORE.

Would Artemi Panarin make sense for the Colorado Avalanche?

Daily Faceoff: Jesse Montano on Daily Faceoff’s Morning Cuppa Hockey this week, was asked if Artemi Panarin would make sense for the Colorado Avalanche. They’ve likely checked in on Panarin, and the Avs could be open to making a big move, but Panarin may not be that guy.

** NHLRumors.com transcription

Jonny Lazarus: “Joe Albany said, ‘Ask Jesse if the Avs have any interest in Panarin.’ Obviously, you’re hearing all the Panarin rumors. But to me, I don’t want to, necessarily, you know, give you an answer here, but like, in my opinion, maybe Colorado, adding Panarin is almost putting too many chefs in the kitchen, right?

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Like you’ve seen that happen with teams before. I don’t know if the Avalanche need a talent or superstar of Panarin’s quality right now, because who knows if that’ll just mess the Feng shui up a little bit.”

Montano: “Yeah, there’s only, there’s only so many people you can fit in that, in that right circle to take one timers, right? Between (Nathan) McKinnon and (Martin) Necas, and then if you added Panarin, you know, look like I was saying a minute ago, if, if there’s a player on the market that, that the front office thinks can make the team better, they’re going to check on it.

So, you know, it sounds like the Avs have at least checked in. Like, I think a lot of other teams have on, ‘Hey, what, what is the price of that?’

To be honest with you, I’m with you, Johnny, like, I don’t, I don’t think it makes a ton of sense. Just because suddenly you say, okay, so that’s a play that you plug in somewhere in your top six, either with (Brock) Nelson and (Valeri) Nichushkin or with McKinnon and Necas.

But then that means you’re moving a guy that’s, that’s really a top-six guy, down to that third-line. What are you having to move out to make the money work? You know, where else does that leave a hole on your roster?

So look, like Artemi Panarin, that’s a 90, 95, point guy. He’s obviously a really, really good player. I think you check in on it, but I just don’t think, I just don’t think it makes a ton of sense for the Avs in terms of, I just don’t see where he really fits on this roster.

But, but look, I’m not going to rule out that Chris McFarland isn’t going to take a big swing on something. So I’m definitely not going to sit here and say, ‘No, that’s not something they’re going to go, you know, be interested in or check in on.’

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I just don’t think when it, when it comes right down to it, if they made that trade, I would have a hard time figuring out where exactly, you know, everything plugged in.

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