Despite rumors flying at the NHL Trade Deadline, the Colorado Avalanche have decided to keep defenseman John-Michael Liles as the deadline passes without any further action from Colorado.
False reports had Liles, 30, heading to either the Nashville Predators, Columbus Blue Jackets, or the Buffalo Sabres. As more and more trades were announced, no more mentioned Liles as a possible target. The defenseman will stay in Colorado through at least the end of the season.
A Liles trade would have been complicated by the Avalanche hovering near the salary floor, therefore any trade would have required a similar salary to be achieved in return. Avalanche GM Greg Sherman didn’t receive a suitable offer in return for Liles’ services, and he will continue to anchor Colorado’s power play and defensive corps. With the recent addition of Erik Johnson, Liles still holds significant value as a power play quarterback.