The Colorado Avalanche made a trade on Friday, adding Patrik Nemeth to their blue line and sending a 2022 fourth-round pick to the Detroit Red Wings. Nemeth, 29, spent two seasons with the Avalanche in 2017-18 and 2018-19. This will be a coming home, of sorts, for the defenseman. Peter Baugh of The Athletic reports that the Red Wings are retaining the maximum 50% (or $1.5MM) of Nemeth’s salary.
It was in Colorado where Nemeth found his greatest success. He became a physical force with 137 hits in his second season and that production is what got him a two-year, $3 million per season deal in Detroit based in the summer of 2019. The Avs feel he fills a need as a big body, who can take minutes on the penalty kill. It makes sense considering they’ve been without both Erik Johnson who is dealing with a nagging injury and traded Ian Cole to Minnesota early in the season.
He won’t be playing right away as he’s out with a minor hand injury.
The Red Wings have added another pick that will help with their rebuild and they now have three fourth-round selections in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. They may try to group those together to move up in the draft.
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