The Detroit Red Wings forward is an ideal trade target for the Colorado Avalanche.

The Colorado Avalanche have had one of their worst early season injuries. There is already a shortage entering the year without forwards Gabriel Landeskog and Valery Nishchukina, the team was looking for some much-needed improvements. This need has only become more acute as several more of their forwards have suffered injuries early in the campaign.

With an avalanche needs helpNHL insider Elliott Friedman reported that Colorado is chasing the trade market to upgrade its forward group. They recently lost forwards Jonathan Drouin and big-hitting starter Ross Colton to long-term injuries, so it’s understandable that they need reinforcements. In a recent episode 32 ThoughtsFriedman mentioned Utah hockey forward Matthew Carcone as a possible figure.

While Carcone could be a nice short-term replacement, there is another player that makes a lot of sense for the Avalanche. If they’re looking to acquire a player who can play multiple roles and don’t care about a long-term contract, Detroit Red Wings forward Jonathan Berggren is a perfect fit for Colorado.

Berggren is a former second-round pick of the Red Wings and has been looking for a permanent spot in the NHL since the draft. As a rookie, he made a big impression, recording 15 goals and 28 points in 65 games for the Wings. His second season took a step back and he split between the NHL and AHL last year. He’s off to another slow start this year, with just one goal in 10 games.

But Berggren’s skill set is perfect for what the Avalanche are looking for. They need skills, which Berggren has in abundance. He has a lethal shot and has the creativity to create chances for his teammates. The big thing that has been missing from his career is playing with elite talent.

That’s exactly where the Avalanche will place Berggren in the interim while they get their roster back to full health. He could play with Nathan MacKinnon or Mikko Rantanen and could be the catalyst for his blossoming into the player everyone expects him to be.

And if it doesn’t work, that’s good for both parties. It appears that the Red Wings have not included Berggren in their long-term plans. If the Avalanche acquired him and felt the same way, they could part ways after this season as he plays on one-year contract.

With the Avalanche in need of offensive help, a trade is looming. There are a lot of forwards that Colorado is looking at, but if they want to make a deal that will help them as soon as possible, they will complete a trade for forward Jonathan Baer

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