What Are The Differences Between The 2022 And 2023 Avalanche ?

    A new hockey season is kicking off, and every team is has playoff hopes, and Stanley Cup dreams! Last years team couldn't get out of the first round, so what has changed between last years team, and the 2022-2023 team? Simply put this years team is built for a playoff run, and not just to simply win games in the regular season like last years team. The core of this team has been solidified by the front office, and most of the core of the team are all locked into contracts for the foreseeable future. So what is different about this years team than last years team? Who are the new players on the team, and what role will they look to play? These are all things I will touch on in this blog. 

    The great thing about being an Avalanche fan right now is we have the best core of players we have had since the Joe Sakic, and Peter Forsberg days. I would say that the argument could be made that the core of this team is actually better than the core of the at least the 95-96 Stanley Cup winning team, and if they haven't surpassed the 00-01 team they are certainly nipping at their heels. The challenge each year is finding the right mix of players to put around them. There were of course many reasons the Avs weren't able to repeat as Cup champions like the health of the captain Gabriel Landeskog, who Avs fans were told was going to be coming back all year up until just before the playoffs, or the overall health of the team in general last year. At times it looked more like a Colorado Eagles game than an Avalanche game at Ball Arena last year.  It's hard to argue that Landeskog is the best captain in the NHL, and he simply brings so many things to the team that simply cannot be replaced. Issues like these made it hard to assemble the right players around the core. Simply put last years team was not built to win in the playoffs. The Avalanche front office is able to evaluate the skating ability of players better than any other team in the league as it seems like year in and year out the Avs are the best skating team in the NHL. Unfortunately that has led to the Avs being a little on the small side for a NHL team, and without the bigger body guys that will go into the dirty areas of the ice, and do what is necessary to win the battles for the puck you will not have much success in the playoffs. 

    

    In order to remedy this issue the Avalanche went out in free agency, and were looking to target a certain type of player. Obviously this player would have to be able to skate extremely well to be able to keep up with the core of the team as was mentioned above, but they also needed to be a little bit bigger than the 5'10-5'11 180lb players we had last year. The type of player they were looking for would also need to play with an edge, and be towards the top of the league in hits. Who would be able to fill all these roles? Enter Miles Wood, and Ross Colton. Miles Wood is one of the fastest players in the league, is 6'2, 195lbs, plays the body, and isn't hesitant to stand up for a teammate. Ross Colton has been among the league leaders in hits for the last few years. To put it in perspective last year Erik Johnson was the team leader with 120 hits. Last year Ross Colton had 188 hits. They also added guys like Frederick Olofsson who is 6'2 190lbs, and Riley Tufte who is 6'6 and 230lbs who came over from Dallas who both play physical, and are fantastic skaters as well. 

    Two bigger pieces the Avs were missing due to the departure of Nazem Kadri after the 2021-2022 season, and the injury to Gabe Landeskog were a second line center, and another top 6 winger. To fill the second line center role the Avalanche went out and traded for Ryan Johansen from the Nashville Predators. Following the narrative of adding more size Johansen is 6'3 and 218lbs, has put up some great numbers in Nashville, and due to him getting older the Predators were willing to retain half his salary, so he was relatively cheap to get. The Avalanche are not looking for him to have the numbers he did in Nashville when he was on their top line, but they are hoping he can be a productive second line center for them. In what might be the biggest low risk/high reward signing in the NHL Nathan Mackinnon's former teammate in the minors Jonathan Drouin was signed for a very team friendly deal in hopes he can reignite his career being back with Mackinnon. Again, Drouin being 5'11 and 200lbs he's able to win the battles in the corners when he needs to, but still has the speed to play with Mackinnon and Rantanen. 

    The additions to this team make them an instant threat in the playoffs. They now have the "dogs" to play the style of hockey you need to in the playoffs if you want to win. The skating ability of this team is still among the best in the NHL, and they managed to get bigger! They were able to find players to fill the second line center roll, and a top 6 winger without breaking the bank. This Avalanche team has all the makings of a team that could bring the Cup back home to Denver, and they will be absolutely one of the most fun teams in the NHL to watch! 

Concerns About The Avalanche After Beating Vegas

The Colorado Avalanche are starting to get healthy, putting some wins together, and settling in for the playoffs. They beat Vegas last night 3-0, and seemingly had the game in hand from 14 seconds into the contest when Mikko Rantanen scored a goal with a great play to knock the puck out of the air, and put in the back of the net. The Avs looked fast, and Alexander Georgiev had another amazing game in net! On the surface everything looked really good, but as the game went on I began to have some concerns.

The first thing I thought of was that Vegas has completely changed the way they play, and they are going to beat teams by grinding them down, and playing a more "boring" style of defensive hockey where they wait for you to make a mistake, and generate their offense that way. They really try to take away all the open ice, and make it hard for us to use our speed. I realize the Avalanche will be getting Cale, and hopefully Gabe back, but even with them back Colorado still needs to make a couple moves to set themselves up in order to repeat. 

Vegas has built a roster of players who have all bought into the defensive, grinding style they play. They have plenty of playmakers on the team, but they have bought into the system. It's almost like they know they have to play us that way because trying to skate with us, or get into a high scoring game with us doesn't work. While we won the game last night, the way Vegas plays is tailored to winning in the playoffs. Watching the game last night I couldn't help but think that Vegas is going to be a problem for a lot of teams, and I started thinking about all those years prior to last year when we would get beat in the 2nd round of the playoffs. All season we would look amazing being able to out skate, and out score teams, but the playoffs are a grind which is why we would get beat in the 2nd round. Last years team had guys like Kadri, Sturm, Aube-Kubel, Landeskog, and Darren Helm who all had different roles, but were either just under, or over 200lbs, and would throw their weight around. Eric Johnson was also healthy, and he plays a crucial role in shutting other teams top players down.

Even once we get Landeskog back I am hoping we make another move for a top 6, two way player with some size. The two names I am hearing the most are Max Domi, who is the style of player we need in our top 6, and the other name is Kevin Hayes from the Flyers who is 6'5 and 220lbs. Either one could slide right into the second line center position. I personally also think we need another bigger, stay at home defenseman because while Manson and Jack Johnson are great players, last year they had Eric Johnson who played a big role in the playoffs against opposing teams top players. I don't think it would hurt to bring a veteran guy to play the role Ryan Murray played last year where if he is called upon due to injury he can step in, play consistent, and won't get rattled. Regardless of what happens at the trade deadline this week the NHL playoffs are shaping up to be pretty incredible!

It's Time For The Avalanche To Make Moves

I didn't realize it had been so long between my posts! Seems fitting that my last post was about the Avalanche, and that's what my first post back will be about as well. 

Watching the Avalanche win the Stanley Cup brought back a lot of memories of the Cup runs with Joe Sakic playing, and not running the organization, Peter Forsberg, Adam Foote, Patrick Roy, and all the other big names of those teams. Something that I don't think people who aren't hockey fans truly grasp is just how hard it is to win the Stanley Cup. Winning back to back Cups is so difficult only 8 franchises have ever accomplished that feat. There are a number of concerns on this team going into the playoffs, and it is getting to that time where Chris Macfarland, and Joe Sakic need to make some moves in order to give the team the best shot to repeat. 

Going into the season there was talk that Colorado's one weakness could be their second line center. Losing a player like Kadri was going to leave a noticeable gap in our top 6, and team goal scoring prowess. The Avalanche have also been hit hard by the injury bug this season. All year the Avs have been playing without major pieces in their line up, and it doesn't look like that is going to improve anytime soon with Eric Johnson, and Cale Makar both missing time.  Here are a few moves I feel would benefit the team to make a push to be the 9th team win back to back Stanley Cup Championships. 

Trading Chicago for Jonathan Toews. 

Chicago is rebuilding, and are looking to trade Jonathan Toews, and Patrick Kane, who are the last two remaining members of their most recent Stanley Cup runs. He has a considerable cap number, but I am sure the Avs front office would be able to negotiate Chicago eating a good chunk of it. Toews would bring a bigger bodied, two way player, who is also very good at faceoffs. 

Trading Montreal for Sean Monahan

Monahan is another player similar to Toews. Both are team captains of their respective teams (Toews and the Blackhawks, and Monahan the Canadians), both are good at faceoffs, they are similar in size, but I would say Toews has the advantage on scoring ability, but Monahan is the more physical, and plays with more of an edge. 

Trading Florida for Radko Goudas

Eric Johnson just went down with an injury that is going to keep him out for what they said will be "weeks". Losing EJ takes away one of our two bigger, physical, shut down defensemen. One thing we know for sure is in order to win during the playoffs you need veteran, physical players for when the series start to "grind". Goudas has been linked to Edmonton, Pittsburgh, and Tampa Bay. He only has a $2.5 million dollar cap hit, and is a free agent next year. 

Trading St. Louis for Igor Barbashev

He's 6'1 195lbs, has a $2.25 million dollar cap hit, and he could provide us with the number 2 center we need. He can skate, score, and would provide a bigger forward that would wear on the opposing teams defenses.

Trading Chicago for Jack Johnson

After Eric Johnson going down bringing back Jack Johnson who played such a huge role for the team last year back.  

Trading Edmonton for Jesse Puljujarvi

There has been talk all year that Edmonton is going to trade him. We currently have another 6'4 Finnish guy on the team, but he is a goal score. Puljujarvi is a player who plays a physical, gritty game, and that is something we need, and especially in the playoffs. 

Finally......for my last suggestion, any player from the Vancouver Canucks. That is a dumpster fire if I have ever seen one, and if we can get a player like a Luke Schenn from them it wouldn't be the worst thing that's happened.