Colorado Avalanche acquire Josh Manson from Anaheim Ducks for prospect, pick

Manson, 30, is a pending unrestricted free agent in the final season of a four-year, $16.4 million deal. The Ducks are reportedly retaining the maximum allowable 50 percent on Manson's salary too, bringing his annual figure down to $2.05 million for the balance of this season.

It's been a bit of a down year for Manson relative to the once lofty standards that the modern, hard-nosed defender set for himself at the height of his career. Three consecutive seasons spent running in and out of the infirmary will do that to a player. Perhaps it shouldn't even come as much of a surprise given his in-your-face, physical brand of hockey; you know, the type that often doesn't age well.

Josh Manson, traded to COL, is a physical two-way defenceman who undermines much of his on-ice impact by putting his team on the penalty kill very frequently. #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/JWeqJNho45

— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) March 14, 2022

The hope for the Avalanche is that their embarrassment of defensive riches will allow Manson to slide into a role more fitting of his contemporary quality and that his defence-first (only?) brand of hockey will be a nice change of pace on a blue line that is loaded top-to-bottom with skill, speed, and puck-moving ability.

Meanwhile, the Ducks added a quality prospect to their system in Helleson, who just finished his junior season at Boston College with a career-high in points and played in a top-four role for the Americans at the most recent Olympic games.

Helleson was the No. 12-ranked prospect in the Avs system when ranked every prospect pool in the NHL ahead of this season, and his Future Value score would have placed him in a similar range in the Ducks' pool. Having said that, Helleson's progress this year as a relatively mobile, modern defensive defenceman in a tough situation at Boston College has undoubtedly raised his stock in the estimation of our scouting team.