The Minnesota Wild and the Colorado Avalanche have engaged in an interesting defensive swap earlier this week.
According to the terms of the deal, the Wild received defenseman Ian Cole from Colorado while giving up defenseman Greg Pateryn in exchange.
The trade works well for both teams, although in different ways.
For the Avalanche, this was about saving money as they exchanged Cole’s $4.25 million cap hit for Pateryn’s $2.25 million. Also, they can now give more playing time to the talented Bowen Byram, their fourth overall pick in 2019.
The Wild, on the other hand, get the better player in a deal that further solidifies their line and could make a difference down the stretch with his blocking and facilitating.
“He’s very aggressive in front of our net,” said Wild general manager Bill Guerin. “He’s a willing and able shot blocker, he’s an excellent penalty killer, and those are things that we value.”
Cole has 543 NHL games to his name, having scored 26 goals and 112 assists for a total of 138 career points. He previously also suited up for the St. Louis Blues and Pittsburgh Penguins, winning two Stanley Cups with the latter franchise.
Pateryn, on the other hand, is less productive than Cole, with 41 career points (four goals and 37 assists) in 270 NHL games. But he is considered a tough player that can bring a lot in the physical aspect of the game.
“Greg is a strong, veteran defenseman who plays a heavy game,” said Avalanche general manager Joe Sakic. “He’s a hard-nosed, competitive player who can kill penalties, block shots, and brings some additional grit to our backline.”
