Avalanche Claim Marko Dano from Jets
The Colorado Avalanche claimed forward Marko Dano off waivers from the Winnipeg Jets on Monday. Dano hadn’t played a game for Winnipeg this year and registered just three points in 23 games last season.
For the first month of the NHL season, waiver priority is determined by the 2017-18 regular season standings. The Avalanche finished 17th in the NHL in points last season, meaning at least 14 teams passed on Dano.
Colorado will already be the fourth franchise of Dano’s young career. The Austrian native was selected No. 27 overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2013. He was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks in 2015 in a package for forward Brandon Saad. In 2016, Dano was sent to Winnipeg with a pair of draft picks in exchange for a package that centered around forward Andrew Ladd.
Dano has never played more than 38 games in a season. His most productive year came at age 20 as a rookie in Columbus. He scored eight goals and added 13 assists in 35 games. After averaging less than 8 minutes a game with the Jets last season, Dano could finally play a more prominent role with Colorado.
The Avs are desperate for some secondary scoring to complement their top-heavy attack. Colorado shuffled their bottom-nine forwards at practice yesterday, bumping Tyson Jost down to the third line. The fluidity of Colorado’s bottom-three lines means Dano will probably bounce up and down their lineup. Dano’s first game as an Av could come as early as Tuesday night in New York against the Rangers.