Lars Eller's whirlwind story of playing for Colorado Avalanche the same day he was traded

Mar. 2—Lars Eller wanted to play.

He had about 15 minutes to prepare.

On Wednesday night, less than 12 hours after his trade from Washington to Colorado, the new Avalanche forward walked into Ball Arena alongside coach Jared Bednar to cram for his first test in Colorado: "Don't think too much. Go play. Trust your instincts," he told Eller. There would be plenty of time to catch up later.

"I talked to (Bednar) literally as I walked into the rink and then after warmups," recalled Eller, a 14-year NHL veteran, after a 7-5 loss to the Devils. "I got the main x's and o's down. So, I had somewhat of an idea. It's been a weird day."

The trade deadline has been a whirlwind for Colorado's latest addition.

Eller got the call that he'd been traded, in exchange for a 2025 second-round pick, while boarding the Capitals team bus for morning skate Wednesday in Anaheim. He ended the day playing 14-plus minutes for the Avalanche with one shot on goal against New Jersey. The decision to play on such a quick turnaround was up to Eller.

"I asked him: 'Hey, listen, are you feeling good, and do you want to play? If you're not, it's not going to affect my opinion of you,'" Bednar said. "He felt good and wanted to play. He was excited to be here and excited to be a part of the team."

His Avalanche tenure, though, got off to a rocky start.

Eller was on the ice when the Devils took a 1-0 lead just 1:07 into regulation. His attempt to clear the puck behind the net was intercepted by Jesper Bratt, who fed Ondrej Palat for the easy goal. However, Bednar later clarified that defenseman Jack Johnson was more responsible for the turnover.

"That was the right play," Bednar said. "(Eller) picked it up coming back down the boards and he's going to Jack. I'll have to ask him, but I don't know that Jack knew that other guy (Bratt) was coming."

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Eller later settled in to find some rhythm. He has never been teammates with any current Avalanche players. Yet chemistry is already brewing.

"I was trying to move my legs and move the puck as quickly as I could. I wouldn't say it was my best game," Eller said. "But I think we had a shift or two where we connected a little bit. I have a lot more to give."

Eller anticipated being traded after spending the past seven seasons in Washington. He packed an extra bag on his last Capitals road trip, just in case. Eller said multiple teams expressed interest but that he "was kind of hoping it was going to be here." It was still a bittersweet exit from D.C. after helping the Capitals win the 2018 Stanley Cup.

"It's very mixed emotions," Eller said. "I had been there for almost seven years and had been on some playoff runs every single year. We won together with a bunch of those guys. Leaving so many good memories and ups and downs behind ... it's weird and emotional. But, at the same time, I'm excited to be here and do something special, hopefully."

Barring more trade activity before Friday's deadline, potentially reshaping Colorado's forwards group, Eller is considered the third-line center moving forward. His experience taking draws and killing penalties is especially valuable with injured forwards Gabe Landeskog (knee surgery) and Darren Helm (lower body) still on the mend; with no established timelines for their respective returns.

But Heller still doesn't have a place to live in Denver yet. His family — wife, Julie, and their two young children — also need to get settled. But Eller is already thinking ahead to make them all feel at home while he joins the Avalanche for their playoff push.

"One of the things I want to do tomorrow is go into the shop and get some gear for my kids," Eller said Wednesday following the Avs-Devils game. "Get them in with the right colors and Avs jerseys."

What's next: The Avalanche (34-20-5) face the Dallas Stars (32-16-13), 1:30 p.m. Saturday (ESPN+/ABC) at the American Airlines Center.

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