"The NHL trade deadline is about five weeks away, which is about the time the league's indefatigable rumor mill begins to really start spinning. Just about every player in the league will be traded by Feb. 27, according to some paper, blog, TV station, radio talk show or some guy at the end of the bar.

For some reason, hockey rumors sell. Start a blog, put up a "We hear whispers (fill in blank player) is being eyed by (fill in blank team)" headline, and you've got guaranteed Internet traffic gold. And 99.9 percent of them don't come true, but the lure of a possible deal — no matter where it is mentioned — is still irresistible to a great many of hockey's fandom.

Which leads to the topic of this column: What will the Avalanche do by the deadline, and should it be a big "buyer" or not?

To the first part of the question: I don't know, but I don't think it will be anything big. To the second part: If — and only if — the Avs get some crazy offer they can't refuse, they should not trade any valuable young "assets" to try to win now.

Heresy, you say? Every team should try to win a Stanley Cup as soon as possible, no matter what it takes, right? If you've got a chance to win now, you gamble with some of your future, right?

In the Avs' case, my answer is still no. Here's why:

B This is not your father's Avalanche. These are not the days when there was just one "piece of the puzzle" missing. This isn't a team with Joe Sakic, Peter Forsberg and Patrick Roy, when the only thing missing maybe was that Ray Bourque or Rob Blake on the open market."