Amid the Avalanche free-fall, there came a point when even pretending that Colorado had a chance to make the playoffs became, well, ridiculous.
Quibble over exactly when that moment was, if you will, but there’s no disputing this: If Jarome Iginla, 39, is going to have another shot at the Stanley Cup in the final season of his three-year, $16-million contract, and perhaps the final season of his career, it sure isn’t going to be with the Avalanche.
So, yes, Iginla recently indicated to Colorado general manager Joe Sakic that he would prefer to be dealt to a contending team before the March 1 NHL trading deadline.