We find out if the Avalanche is so serious about becoming a Stanley Cup contender, or if director Joe Sakic is content to play for next year.

The NHL trade deadline is Feb. 24. As presently constructed, the Avs are great enough to break the heart.

His action (or inaction) will speak louder than words regarding what Sakic actually thinks about this group.

Anyone who watched the fireworks from Tampa Bay’s 4-3 overtime victory against Colorado Monday night at the Pepsi Center may observe the Avs don’t possess a goaltender who could carry them. While Philipp Grubauer (now injured) and Pavel Francouz are capable experts, either guy could rank closer to the bottom than the top at a ranking of netminders within this season ’s postseason field.

And this is gont hurt: Mikko Rantanen will probably be outside for several weeks following a nasty fall into the boards during the second phase, with what appeared to be a severe harm to his collarbone or knee.

The stress is now on Sakic to make a bargain that could keep the Avs in contention for a high playoff seed at the competitive Western Conference.

With seats in the stadium earmarked out of Montreal, Los Angeles and Detroit, all groups who figure to be sellers at the deadline, I dreamed of the Avs incorporating a goaltender. But with a salary cap hit from now 32-year-old Canadiens goalie Carey Price drops nicely beyond a fair price range to get Sakic or any other general director of a competing team.

If Henrik Lundqvist isn’t walking through these doors at the Avalanche dressing space anytime soon, it appears Colorado will have to run and gun its way through the bracket.

With this February night, it didn’t require an active imagination to fantasize about a single Stanley Cup Final, including the Avalanche and Lightning. The mountains. The beach. And two of the sport ’s most dangerous scoring lines on the ice. Would that be any fun?

Tampa Bay, which hoisted the Cup in 2004, is unquestionably in win-now mode. The Lightning paid a pretty penny minding two draft choices, in order to acquire New Jersey ahead Blake Coleman, who scored 21 goals for the Devils this season. If Sakic wasn’t in on the bidding, then he ought to have been.

Lovers who weren’t stuck in traffic Air Force Academy on Saturday were wowed from the hat trick of Kings forward Tyler Toffoli through Los Angeles&rsquovictory against Colorado. How a lot of you thought he would look fantastic blue and burgundy? Never mind. Toffoli was exchanged Monday into Vancouver, soon before the puck dropped from the Pepsi Center.

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Together with Nazem Kadri along with Matt Calvert both hurt, plus Rantanen’s playing status in doubt for the remainder of the season, the Avs are missing firepower and self explanatory. At a period of a season when the slim margin between winning and winning in the tightly bunched Central Division could be as huge as the gap between the conference’s No. 1 overall seed and hitting the road to the opening round of the playoffs, Sakic must ascertain whether incorporating scoring punch is worth inflated costs at the deadline.

I don’t deal in exchange rumors. But I could do a hockey deal’s mathematics.

So that it ’therefore obvious obtaining the firepower of someone with the talent of Tomas Tatar, who has produced 21 goals and 32 assists for the Canadiens, might need Sakic to push many chips into the middle of the table he would have to mortgage a piece of Colorado’therefore. Calling his friend Steve Yzerman at Detroit to inquire about a deal to get a veteran ahead as great in the area as Luke Glendening or scrappy as Darren Helm, could be palatable to get both Sakic.

Trading out of desperation is a good approach to get fleeced. However, making a move would send a powerful message to the Avs dressing space that Sakic considers that this group ’s no period to win is.

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