Colorado Avalanche
Last season: 49-29-4, lost to Dallas in first round.
COACH: Jared Bednar, 10th season (390-246-64).
SEASON OPENER: Oct. 7 at Los Angeles Kings.
DEPARTURES: F Charlie Coyle, F Jonathan Drouin, D Erik Johnson, D Ryan Lindgren, F Miles Wood.
ADDITIONS: D Brent Burns, F Victor Olofsson.
GOALIES: Scott Wedgewood (13-4-1 with Colorado, 1.99 goals-against average, 0.917 save percentage), Mackenzie Blackwood (22-12-3 with Colorado, 2.33, 0.913)
BETMGM STANLEY CUP ODDS: 8-1.
What to expect
A new level of leadership with captain Gabriel Landeskog’s return to the lineup for an entire regular season. Landeskog made his way back from a serious knee injury for the playoffs last spring. It was first time he’d played in an NHL game since helping the Avalanche win the Stanley Cup title in 2022. Colorado also brought in another strong leader in Burns, who’s 40 years old and looking to win the Cup for the first time in his 22nd season. The bearded Burns is already a popular figure in the locker room.
Strengths and weaknesses
The good: Colorado has stability in net with the tandem of Wedgewood and Blackwood. From Dec. 8, one day before Blackwood was picked up from San Jose and a week after Wedgewood was acquired from Nashville, Colorado surrendered only 2.37 goals-per-game. It was the third-best mark in the league over the span.
The not-so-good: Figuring out how to make the most of their depth. Anchoring the center spot on the top two lines are Nathan MacKinnon and Brock Nelson. Jack Drury figures to be the center on the third line and Parker Kelly could get the job on the fourth. It also could be Zakhar Bardakov. The Avalanche are coming off a season in which they used a total of 49 players, the most of any team in the league and tied for the highest amount in franchise history. Injuries played a significant role in that.
Players to watch
Easy answer: MacKinnon and defenseman Cale Makar. MacKinnon is coming off his third straight 100-point season (32 goals, 84 assists), while Makar won the Norris Trophy as the league’s top defenseman. A full season in Denver for Martin Necas could pay big dividends, too. Necas was acquired in the trade on Jan. 24 that sent Mikko Rantanen to Carolina (Rantanen was later dealt to Dallas). In 30 games with Colorado, Necas had 11 goals and 17 assists.
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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL
