What Dmen do we have in the system? Siemens is nothing, Geertsen can't even get playing time in the AHL, Wood is still a few years off, and Meloche, the most talented of them all, is the same. Both of those guys are right shots too. It is absolutely an immediate problem. Banking on any of those guys to be able to play a top 4 role anytime soon is asking way too much.
If the backup plan is to pick up a UFA, then the Avs are already screwed. How many times have they whiffed on UFA defensemen in the past? Good players on defense don't really make it to UFA, and if they do, you have to overpay in term and cap hit. And even if they do make it to UFA, you can't bank on them to choose your team.
Also, if anyone is wondering, Tampa is one of the teams that actually does like Siemens.