Inside look at Colorado Avalanche

NHL.com is offering in-depth roster, prospect and fantasy evaluation for every of the League’s 32 groups from Aug. 8-Sept. 8. At the moment, the Colorado Avalanche.

The Colorado Avalanche should still be celebrating final season’s Stanley Cup championship, however the query will quickly flip towards whether or not they can do it once more.

One motive for optimism is the truth that Colorado was capable of retain of variety of key items this offseason, together with re-signing forwards Valeri Nichushkin (eight-year contract on July 11), Artturi Lehkonen (five-year contract on July 13), Andrew Cogliano (one-year contract on July 5), and Darren Helm (one-year contract on July 13), and defenseman Josh Manson (four-year contract on July 13).

“That was all the time a part of the plan,” stated Chris MacFarland, who was promoted to common supervisor on July 11, when Joe Sakic was named president of hockey operations. “Josh performed massive minutes for us in a top-four function. He offers us that right-handed shot element that is vital with Erik (Johnson) and Cale (Makar), and Artturi suits our age bracket (27), clearly. We paid a steep value for each (on the 2022 NHL Commerce Deadline), so it was vital to attempt to get these guys achieved.

“These had been all key components for us to attempt to stay, clearly, aggressive and construct out our roster whereas keeping track of the cap, which clearly is essential.”

[Avalanche 32 in 32: 3 Questions | Top prospects | Fantasy breakdown]

That cap area did power the Avalanche to let some gamers stroll in free company, most notably forwards Andre Burakovsky, who signed a five-year contract with the Seattle Kraken on July 13, and Nazem Kadri, who continues to be an unrestricted free agent.

Goalie Darcy Kuemper additionally discovered a brand new residence this offseason, signing a five-year contract with the Washington Capitals on July 13, 5 days after he was instructed by Sakic that Colorado could be “transferring on” within the wake of the commerce for Alexandar Georgiev from the New York Rangers.

Georgiev signed a three-year contract on July 11.

“I hoped to land in an amazing spot, and after I heard it is the Colorado Avalanche, it is simply nearly as good as I may’ve hoped for,” Georgiev stated on July 12. “The group is unreal. They only gained the Cup. They’ve the identical purpose for the following few years, and I simply needed to be part of that group.”

Regardless of that group, which nonetheless contains forwards Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen and Gabriel Landeskog, and defenseman Cale Makar, who gained the Norris Trophy final season, Colorado will likely be pressured to handle the holes that Burakovsky, Kadri and Kuemper left.

In web, Sakic has stated that Georgiev would be the starter forward of Pavel Francouz, however the 26-year-old has by no means been a No. 1 earlier than. In 33 video games (28 begins) with the Rangers final season, he was 15-10-2 with a 2.92 goals-against common, .898 save share and two shutouts.

“I have been dreaming about that for fairly a number of years now, and I have been hoping for a chance to play for this type of a group,” Georgiev stated. “It is a massive enhance and one thing that I wanted just about. The final couple of seasons, I didn’t get as a lot of a chance to play so many consecutive video games in a row, and listening to that the Stanley Cup champions consider in you and consider you’re the man, that is all I needed. It is superior to listen to this group has confidence in me. I am working onerous to show them proper.”

Video: Connor McGahey on the Avs cup journey

Amongst their ahead group, Colorado will want Nichushkin and Lehkonen to construct off their profession seasons to switch the manufacturing misplaced by Burakovsky (61 factors in 80 video games) and Kadri (87 factors in 71 video games). Nichushkin had NHL profession highs in objectives (25), assists (27) and factors (52) in 62 regular-season video games final season, and Lehkonen set profession highs in objectives (19) and factors (38) in 74 video games with the Avalanche and Montreal Canadiens.

Nonetheless, it is also attainable that the Avalanche flip to a few of their younger gamers to fill the gaps, together with 21-year-old Alex Newhook, who had 33 factors (13 objectives, 20 assists) in 71 video games as a rookie final season.

Both approach, they really feel comfy because the season approaches.

“We really feel very assured within the ahead group as it’s at this time, as it’s presently constructed, however like all the time, we will all the time look to get higher,” MacFarland stated. “And if one thing is smart … we’ll look to enhance the group. That is our job, however we be ok with it as presently constructed.”