Avalanche Trade for Depth and a Pick

The Avalanche made another trade with the Nashville Predators for Juuso Pärssinen and a draft pick.

The Colorado Avalanche have traded Ondrej Pavel and their 2027 third-round pick for forward Juuso Pärssinen and their 2026 seventh round pick.

Pavel, who had just recently returned to the Colorado Eagles from injury, has been a force in their penalty kill. When the Eagles needed a man on the forecheck, he was called upon and a pesky forward to get around. Pavel’s reputation in the American Hockey League rested not on scoring, but on his defensive skills. Pavel made his NHL debut for the Colorado Avalanche on November 7, 2023 against the New Jersey Devils. In his 77 AHL career, Pavel has 12 points (6g/6a).

Pärssinen has just become a regular in the National Hockey League for the Nashville Predators after being drafted 210th overall in the 2019 draft. He has played 15 games this season, tallying two goals and three assists. The Finn is a pending restricted free agent and can play with a physical presence. Pärssinen has been consistently a bottom three center that can play wing if needed. He has great size but does not project to become more than a bottom six forward in the NHL. The 23-year-old put up good numbers in the Liiga but with a different role in North America, has yet to see that spark.

The Avalanche and the Eagles may have lost a great forechecker in Pavel, but he was not showing the spark needed to break into the NHL. With this trade, they will get a player that has some NHL experience and can play the physical game. Givani Smith has been a liability in the lineup and cost the Avalanche goals against. The grit that Smith plays with will be more beneficial to the Eagles, not the Avalanche. If Pärssinen can play that physical game and throw in a point or two, the Avalanche will win the trade for sure.