Metallo
NWOBHM forever \m/
It's hard to figure out exactly want they want to do since they could go 2-ways : either retooling by only making ONE 'Ryjo for Jones' type of trade or they could go nuclear and ship out Duchene+Landeskog+Barrie, etc...
The Avs need to improve their defense and are currently last in the league. Even if we finished with a top-3 pick in next year's draft, we'd probably be selecting a forward anyways as this draft is forward heavy in the top-10. So that's kind of the predicament that they find themselves in.
Tyson Jost will likely be on the Avs next year and if the Avs are able to select a Nolan Patrick/Nico Hischier type of player, that could be another guy that 'could' NHL ready. So moves to improve the blueline by trading Landeskog and/or Duchene could make some sense when you view it that way.
I think the Avs will only make a deal if it's going to be a really good deal for them or else they will likely wait to see where they are going to be picking in the draft before they make a decision on who they will be trading. The rumors are running rampant right now with the availability of Duchene+Landeskog but that is also getting good dialogue going on the vets that Sakic wants to ship out before the trade deadline.
If we get Hischier then he is much more likely to make the club that Jost. IMO penciling Jost in the top6 is quite irrational. Unless he makes it by default and we expect to have the worst top6 in the NHL.