Why Jaden Schwartz & Fedor Svechkov Could Be Solid Depth Help for Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche have been busy over the last couple of weeks as they continue to build for the 2026-27 season. The recent Presidents' Trophy winners are hoping to bounce back after being swept in the Western Conference Final against the Vegas Golden Knights.
Not only did they make moves on Day 1 of free agency, but they were making moves days beforehand as well. Two of those moves include two players who will help fill out their bottom six to begin the season in the Mile High City.
Trading for Fedor Svechkov
One of the first moves the Avalanche did was trading for forwards Fedor Svechkov and Zachary L'Heureux from the Nashville Predators, sending Jack Drury, Chase Bradley and a 2029 3rd-round pick to Music City.
While L'Heureux will likely start the season with the Colorado Eagles of the American Hockey League (AHL), expect Svechkov to be the Avalanche's fourth-line center come opening night. The 23-year-old center still has two years left on his current deal, being paid $1.25 million annually. Svechkov will be a restricted fee agent (RFA) when he turns 25 heading into the 2028-29 season.
During the 2025-26 season with the Predators, he had four goals and 17 points in 70 games. While he did match his point total from his rookie season in 2024-25, Svechkov has only averaged 12:25 of ice time with the Predators. If Jared Bednar can give him some more ice time and see how he plays with Parker Kelly and Logan O'Connor, there could be an uptick in his numbers.
Furthermore, he is only 23 years old and has been on some mediocre Predators teams. As long as the Avalanche can train him up in their system and learn from the leadership group of Gabriel Landeskog, Cale Makar, Nathan MacKinnon, etc., there is a chance he gets better in his third full NHL season.
Jaden Schwartz Bringing Veteran Presence
Another player who could be a huge boost in the bottom six is veteran winger Jaden Schwartz. During the many moves on Day 1 of free agency on July 1, Schwartz was one of the players fans were high on. The 2019 Stanley Cup winner from the St. Louis Blues brings some veteran presence to the bottom six.
In 50 games for the Seattle Kraken in 2025-26, he had 11 goals and 26 points. Schwartz signed a three-year, $3.25 million annual average value (AAV) deal to keep him through the 2028-29 season. He will be 37 when the deal ends before the 2029-30 season.
As of now, the 34-year-old left winger will be slotted with Nicolas Roy and Gavin Brindley on the third line for the Avalanche. If he can get back to the 49 points in 81 games that he had in 2023-24 for the Kraken, the Avalanche will be more than happy to have that from the third-line left-winger.
Throughout his career, Schwartz has averaged 17:32 of ice time, even seeing 16:08 in the 50 games he played last season. With how Schwartz was signed and viewed by the Avalanche, there is a solid chance he could see around that same amount this upcoming season.
It was clear that the Avalanche were looking to retool their bottom six after it went ice cold in the Western Conference Final. By adding Schwartz and Svechkov to work alongside Roy, Brindley, Parker, and O'Connor, the bottom six for the Avalanche could be a boost to help the top six. It'll be interesting to see how it all plays out, but one thing is for sure: the Avalanche will be seeking to get back to the Western Conference Final in 2026-27 and redeem themselves after the way they were eliminated.
Zach Martin is originally from Northeast Ohio, but has resided in South Carolina since 2016. He has been a credentialed hockey writer with The Hockey Writers since 2023 as the Carolina Hurricanes beat writer, where he has written player profiles, storylines, game recaps, general pieces and more. Zach had the opportunity to attend the 2026 Stanley Cup Final as credentialed media covering the Carolina Hurricanes. He's written about ESPN's Mike Monaco, along with player exclusives over the last couple of years. Zach has also covered games for the World Juniors, IIHF World Championships, and the 2026 Winter Olympics. He has also covered the Colorado Avalanche and some other NHL teams at large over his time with THW.