Wild and Avalanche pull one-for-one player trade and avoid quarantine hiccups!

The Minnesota Wild and Colorado Avalanche have decided to make a one-for-one player trade on Tuesday as the Wild acquired defenseman Ian Cole in return for blue liner Greg Pateryn, per insider Michael Russo of The Athletic. 

Both teams have managed to avoid quarantine protocols, as Russo reports that Cole will take the Avalanche bus to Anaheim, ads Colorado plays against the Los Angeles Kings tonight, and drop him off and take Pateryn back to Los Angeles. This way they both avoid quarantine. The Wild faces the Ducks in Anaheim on Wednesday night. 

The Avalanche is expected to retain some of Cole's salary in this transaction. The veteran blue liner has had a good start of the season in Colorado as he had two shots, two blocked shots and two hits over 14:28 of ice time in Friday's 8-0 win over St. Louis. He was part of a better overall defensive effort after Wednesday's season-opening 4-1 loss to the Blues. He had been skating on the third defensive pair and recorded four hits and two blocked shots with an even plus-minus through the first two games.

As for Pateryn, he made headlines earlier today as he was hit with a $5,000 fine for cross-checking Anaheim's' Sonny Milano during Monday's 1-0 loss. He has been surprisingly productive early on this season, picking up two assists while averaging just 12:36 of ice time through the first three games of the calendar. 

He will have to keep this going as a member of the Avalanche now.