Now that the draft lottery is under a month away, the Colorado Avalanche have targeted a free agent from the Boston Bruins as their free agent pool has opened up. Much like Boston, Colorado also has a few free agents they are looking to trade for including Andrew Cogliano, Brandon Duhaime, Yakov Trenin, and Joel Kiviranta. Jonathan Drouin will also be on this list if the Avalanche fails to resign him by July.
Since the Colorado Avalanche have limited cap space they are looking to negotiate for the best deal they can get for their bottom six this offseason and it looks like they are leaning towards Boston in an attempt to acquire winger James Van Riemsdyk. Van Riemsdyk has been with the Bruins for the entirety of the 2023-2024 season and has scored 11 goals and 38 points with a 7 rating. Van Riemsdyk has proven to be a valuable asset for the Bruins, and he could also be the same for the Avalanche.
At 35 years young, Van Riemsdyk could serve as a mentor for prospects coming into Colorado as well as a great fit for the Avalanche's second power play unit due to his powerful net occupancy. This would also benefit the Avalanche with their cap space and improve their forward line. Van Riemsdyk could also provide motivation for the Avalanche in regards to obtaining the Stanley cup next season since Van Riemsdyk has yet to win a cup.
