NHL Trade Rumors: Does Dominik Kubalik Make Sense for Colorado?

Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY

The Colorado Avalanche are in a bit of a pinch. They’re TIGHT against the salary cap and don’t have many players on the roster to dump in a cap-related trade. All the while, they are looking to upgrade their forward depth as the captain, Gabriel Landeskog, remains out for the season, and Valeri Nichushkin is currently out indefinitely for the NHL Player’s Assitance Program.

Related Post: NHL Trade Rumors: A Look At The Columbus Blue Jacket’s Only Pending UFA

With the high-end talent that the Avalanche have, they need some players to plug into their middle six to help produce some points in the playoffs. One name that has been mentioned recently in trade chatter is Dominik Kubalik.

Kubalik is a 28-year-old winger from Plzen, CZE. He is currently in his 5th NHL season with his third franchise. Most notably, Kubalik was involved in the Alex DeBrincat trade between the Detroit Red Wings and Ottawa Senators. Kubalik has played in 330 games when writing this article, tallying 91 goals and 82 assists for 173 points.

Kubalik is mostly known for his goal scoring ability, having hit the 30 goal mark in his rookie season and 20 goals last season with Detroit. With his current cap hit of $2.5 million that expires at the end of the year, he is a short-term gamble for any team looking to acquire him.

One last note on his stats: Kubalik has only played in 9 playoff games, notching 4 goals and 4 assists.

Could the Avalanche be a fit?

The Avalanche’s third line consists of Parise, Johansen, and Kiviranta. They could use a bit of an upgrade to the offensive power on that line. Ryan Johansen has been underwhelming thus far on the Avalanche; adding a skilled scoring winger to his line could make a world of difference in helping him get on the score sheet on a consistent basis.

With Nichuskin being an unknown for if or when he will return to the lineup, Kubalik is a player who can play up and down your lineup and who has proven that he can excel with top-tier talent. His 30 goal campaign with the Blackhawks while riding on a line with Patrick Kane or Jonathan Toews alludes to the production he could have with some Avalanche star players.

With the asking price for Kubalik likely being a draft pick, how much would that increase for the Avalanche needing the Senators to retain salary? With the salary cap situation in Colorado, they will need Ottawa to retain salary or send a notable contract back to Ottawa.

If you’re the Avalanche, would you give up a third-round pick in 2025 and a young player/prospect for Dominik Kubalik with a bit of retention?


Discover more from Inside The Rink

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Connor Green

Managing Editor | Inside the Rink

Leave a Reply

2025 IIHF Worlds: Crosby Named Captain of Team Canada

Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins will once again lead Team Canada on the international stage, named captain for the 2025 IIHF Men’s World Championship in Sweden and Denmark. He’ll be joined by alternate captains Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche and Ryan O’Reilly of the Nashville Predators, forming a veteran leadership group with deep […]

Read More
Rick Tocchet behind the bench for the Vancouver Canucks

Boston Bruins Have a Top Head Coaching Target

You can add Rick Tocchet’s name to the rumor mill when it comes to who the next head coach of the Boston Bruins will be. Tocchet played 47 games for the Bruins from 1996 to 1997 and scored 32 goals for them. Sources say that Tocchet could be a top target for the Bruins to […]

Read More
Mitch Marner and Chris Tanev celebrating a goal

NHL Game Preview: Toronto Maple Leafs at Florida Panthers with Line Combinations 5/9/2025

Game 3: Toronto Maple Leafs (2-0) at Florida Panthers (0-2)Venue: Amerant Bank ArenaDate: Tonight – May 9Time: 7:00 pm EST TV: TruTV, TNT, TVASRadio:Toronto – 1050 TSNFlorida – 560 AM WQAM DraftKings Sportsbook Betting Lines:Toronto +1.5 ML +190Florida -1.5 ML -230O/U 5.5 Purchase tickets via Ticketmaster Toronto Maple Leafs News & Notes: The Maple Leafs […]

Read More