Nick Holden was a good man. And though he is not dead, he is no longer with us. That’s because the Colorado Avalanche have packed him up and flew him out to New York for a pretty measly fourth round pick. Now this trade has its pros and cons; mostly related to the effect it will have on the rest of the Av’s D next year.
Pro’: Sakic Is Actually Going To Upgrade Defense
For right or wrong, Nick Holden was a major contributor on the Avalanche blue line last year. He played over 20 minutes a game and was the number 4 defenseman throughout the entire year, even though he didn’t necessarily have the skill to be a 2nd pair player.