The Colorado Avalanche made a major move ahead of the March 21 NHL trade deadline, acquiring Anaheim Ducks defenseman Josh Manson on Monday in exchange for unsigned prospect Drew Helleson and a 2023 second-round draft pick. Anaheim retained 50% of Manson’s $4.1 million cap hit in the transaction, and he is poised to be an unrestricted free agent this offseason.
How did both teams do in the swap? We grade the GMs here:
The Josh Manson trade isn’t something that clinches a Stanley Cup for Colorado … but it’s one of those moves that an eventual champion looks back on wistfully during their parade.
On the ice, Mason addresses a huge deficiency in Colorado’s game last postseason, which was quality defensive play in its own zone. The 30-year-old defenseman is a physical presence, and he’s especially adept preventing offensive opportunities on uncontrolled zone entries at 5-on-5. Think back to the Avs’ loss to the Vegas Golden Knights last postseason, and the way the Knights’ pressure forced turnovers in the Colorado defensive zone. Manson is the type of player who can subvert those chances.
Colorado announced that defenseman Samuel Girard is headed to injured reserve for a month. One assumes that means Manson slides next to Jack Johnson on the depth chart. When Girard returns, that’s a pretty solid six that the Avs will have back there. Ideally, Manson’s just effective on a third pairing. But he has logged 19:45 per game this season, including 2:22 on the Ducks’ penalty-kill unit, which ranks sixth in the NHL.
There are a couple of legit concerns about his game. He’s averaging 1.49 penalties taken per game, which is a lot. He’s also had trouble staying in the lineup due to his physical play.
The Avalanche had to give up a bit to get Manson with the Ducks retaining 50% of his salary, but that obviously sets them up extremely well ahead of the trade deadline. PuckPedia notes that Colorado has $1.46 million in open cap space at the deadline without having placed either Gabriel Landeskog or Girard on long-term injured reserve. Something to keep in mind as, say, the Claude Giroux sweepstakes plays out. It’s not like Colorado’s getting caught in the standings.
Solid move here for a team with its eyes squarely on the prize.
Helleson had 22 points in 32 games at Boston College this season, his most impressive offensive showing at the NCAA level. He played at the under-18 and under-20 world championships, and appeared in three games at the Beijing Olympics as one of the college players USA Hockey turned to after the NHL opted out of the Games.
He’s both a defensive defenseman and someone who can move the puck, with a good first pass. The Ducks have their share of young forward prospects. Adding Helleson to a defensive prospect pool that includes Jamie Drysdale and Olen Zellweger is smart.
The 2023 draft class is perceived as a deeper one than the 2022 edition, although it seems like every trade deadline it’s the following year’s draft that’s coveted — probably because the prospects have less proof of concept. Anyway, Colorado had to go to 2023 with the pick because it traded its 2022 second-rounder for the last solid defensive defenseman it brought in: Devon Toews from the New York Islanders.
It’s a good first big move from newly installed GM Pat Verbeek. But sellers getting ahead of the market can be specious. Maybe this is related to Manson’s trade protection, but should Verbeek have waited for the market to be set on players like Montreal defenseman Ben Chiarot rather than setting the market himself?
Also, we’re deducting half a grade here for the Ducks because of missed opportunities, with apologies to Mr. Verbeek. You weren’t there during those years when former GM Bob Murray didn’t trade Manson at the peak of his value, and with contract years remaining.
If this is what he earned in his walk year, just imagine what he could have gotten previously. Bad asset management then, solid asset management now from Verbeek, who vowed not to let any of the Ducks’ pending unrestricted free agents walk without something coming back. Now, onto Hampus Lindholm and Rickard Rakell …