New Additions: F Gavin Brindley (from CBJ), D Ronald Attard (1yr x $775k), D Brent Burns (1yr x $1M), F Daniil Gushchin (from SJS), F Victor Olofsson  (1yr x $1.575M)

Subtractions: F Charlie Coyle (to CBJ), F Miles Wood (to CBJ), F Oskar Olausson (to SJS), F Jonathan Drouin (to NYI), F Chris Wagner (FA), G Kaapo Kahkonen (to MTL)

Retentions/Extensions: F Brock Nelson (3yr x $7.5M AAV), F Matthew Steinberg (1yr $775k), D Sam Malinski (1yr x $1.4M), F Parker Kelly (4yr x $1.7M AAV), F TJ Tynan (1yr x $775k), D Josh Manson (2yr x $3.95M AAV), F Daniil Gushchin (1yr x $775k), F Joel Kiviranta (1yr x $1.25M) 

When the Avs hoisted the Cup in 2022, it appeared like they were winning the first of multiple championships. 3 years later, and the team has yet to even make it past the second round. Now the team is not the same team as they were in 2022, they are not nearly as deep and have a different starting goalie. However, the foundation is still there, they have two of the top ten players in the league, Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar.

MacKinnon and Makar’s talent cannot be understated, at any point in any game either one of them can take over, and when they both do, they are maybe the hardest team to beat in the league. Both are coming off phenomenal statistical years, as MacKinnon finished second in league scoring (116 points), and Makar led all defencemen in goals (30), assists (62), and points (92), capturing his second Norris Trophy before turning 27. Makar was also the first D-man to score 30 goals in a season since Mike Green in 2008-09, the only two instances in the last 32 years. Both Nate and Cale are bound to produce at an elite level year after year, and be perennial contenders for the Hart, Art Ross, and Norris Trophy.

Captain Gabriel Landeskog made his return to pro hockey last season, after an injury kept him off the ice since their cup win. It was unsure if he would ever play again, but the team remained patient and optimistic the day would come. To get back into the speed of things, he played in two AHL games, scoring one goal and adding an assist. He joined the team for the playoffs and contributed 4 points in 5 contests. He will return to regular season action this season, but I expect some maintenance days here and there. I would be blown away if he comes close to playing 82 games this season, as the most important thing is him being healthy for the playoffs.

The team got one great year out of Darcy Kuemper, who was their number one goalie when they won the Cup. With “Stanley Cup winning goalie” on his resume, he cashed in and signed a 5 year contract in Washington. The solution was thought to be Alexandar Georgiev, as he thrived in his first season in Colorado, but after his playoff shortcomings, and his numbers decreasing, the team realized they needed change in net. In the span of two weeks they traded for Scott Wedgewood from Nashville, and Mackenzie Blackwood from San Jose. The two provided excellent goalie play down the stretch, both with greater than a .912 SV%, and both allowing under 2.4 goals per game. Blackwood was the starter in the playoffs, and appears to be the long term starter after the team extended him on a five year deal with a $5.25M cap hit (the same exact contract Kuemper got funny enough). Wedgewood will serve as the backup this year, but showed he was more than capable of winning games, he is on the final year of his current contract.

Sensing they would not come to an agreement on an extension, the team traded Mikko Rantanen in January last season, shocking the hockey world, and creating a ripple effect that would be their demise in the postseason (but that’s a different story). They opted to trade him well before the trade deadline, as they not only liked the package offered by Carolina, but they wanted to give their team the time to gel after losing one of its best players. Unfortunately, that extra month gave Carolina enough time to know that Rantanen had no desire to sign with them. In a move almost as unexpected as the first trade, they flipped him at the deadline to Dallas, a division rival. Now Rantanen is signed for eight more seasons with the team that has ended Colorado’s season for two straight years.

Despite the way things turned out, I still believe that trading Rantanen rather than letting him walk for nothing was the right move. After all, it brought in Martin Necas who took no time fitting in with the Avs. His production carried over from the Hurricanes, as he had 28 points in 30 regular season games with the Avalanche, finishing the season with career best 83 points in 79 games between the two teams. He has one more year left on his contract and has yet to receive an extension, given how the Rantanen situation went, I expect getting a deal done to be the team’s top priority. Entering his first full season with the team, playing in the top six and on the top powerplay, Necas could very well set a new career high in scoring.

After Kadri left the team, there was a hole at the 2C spot, but it seems as though they have finally found someone to fill the void. Brock Nelson came over at the deadline last year, and chose to resign in Colorado for three years with an AAV of $7.5M. He provides steady play down the middle, but the team is counting on him not regressing, as he turns 34 in October. The squad is certainly not as deep as in 2022, but they have some solid depth pieces. On forward, the team has lots of solid complementary players that filter through the lineup. Wingers like Arturri Lehkonen and Vlad Nichuskin can handle the pace that comes with playing alongside MacKinnon. Guys like Ross Colton, Logan O’Connor and Joel Kiviranta can produce on their own in the bottom six, and Victor Olofsson was signed in free agency to add a little extra scoring touch to the team.

Devon Toews would be a lot of teams number one defenceman, he is a fantastic number two to Makar. He has been a consistent ~50 point guy in Colorado, and is excellent in his own end as well. Being selected to Team Canada for the Four Nations Faceoff gave the casual fan a glimpse at the value he adds to a team. Josh Manson and Samuel Girard are good secondary defencemen, and Sam Malinski was impressive in his first full season in the NHL at age 26. The team signed Brent Burns to a one year contract this offseason, and the 40 year old can still play, and chose to continue his chase for a Stanley Cup with the Avalanche.

As I mentioned in my introduction, after winning in 2022, it looked like the 2020s were going to be dominated by the Avalanche. That they would have at least appeared in another Cup Final by now, but they have not even been back to the Western Conference Final. I have a feeling that will not continue forever, and they will return to not only the Conference Finals, but be winning another Cup in due time. As long as they have MacKinnon and Makar, they have a chance. Blackwood is an upgrade to what they had in net the past few seasons, and he might not be Mikko Rantanen, but Necas showed he is capable of being the second best forward on a contending team. Unless something catastrophic occurs, they will make the playoffs, and another deep playoff run could be coming for the Avs.