Shaking Things Up in Colorado?

It hasn't exactly been a good year for the Colorado Avalanche, as their defense has been a problem for a few years and counting now. Between Patrick Roy leaving the team weeks before the season started and continued underachieving, things are not looking good for the Avs, short or long term. Their immediate past hit rock bottom yesterday, as they surrendered 10 goals in a 10-1 loss to Montreal. That loss now leaves them in last place in the Western Conference. So, what to do to fix the Avs? This would be where I put on my General Manager's hat, and that means I have a few ideas.

• One of the greatest follies of the Greg Sherman/Joe Sacco regime (you know, the one before Joe Sakic/Patrick Roy) was handing Gabriel Landeskog the captain's C during the lockout shortened season of 2013. Not everyone can handle those responsibilities at 20 years old, and certainly, Landeskog has proven that he's no Sidney Crosby or Jonathan Toews (the jury is still out on Connor McDavid). Going a year with four alternates would give the Avs a better idea of who's ready for the captaincy, and should it be Landeskog, that year of re-establishing himself would be beneficial.
• Trading someone from the "core" group. Semyon Varlamov has been brilliant at times, but he's also been bad at times, and while much of that is a reflection of the team in front of him, he also should be shouldering some of the blame, too. Throw in Calvin Pickard showing that he's ready for a starting job, and that should spell the end of Varlamov's time in Colorado. Jarome Iginla deserves better than what he's been saddled with in his three seasons in Colorado, and they would be wise to shop him before the deadline to a contender and get something in return.
• Firing Jared Bednar as head coach would be unwise, as he didn't have the benefit of a full off-season to implement his system. Doing so would further set the Avs back and ruin any front office credibility that Joe Sakic may have left.
• Erik Johnson has been the best of a sorry defensive lot, but he's also been hurt in almost every season he's played in Colorado. Trading him may hurt in the short term, but there's something to be said for getting something for a player while there's still value, and Johnson's value isn't going to be any better at this point.

Of course, the real problem of the Avs is the same one that befalls the other Denver franchises other than the NFL's Broncos: ownership. Until that changes, it may not matter what moves the Avs make to try and right the ship.