(Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)
As we work our way out of the Southeast division and across the NHL to the Northwest, we get to a team who was once ranked among the NHL's elite.
Some injury-ravaged key players, free agency and a starting goalie void that's been growing larger ever since Patrick Roy's retirement, the Colorado Avalanche have fallen on hard times as of late.
With their recent draft standing and some savvy work with their prospects, the Avs hope to be back to their winning ways and challenging for the Northwest division crown once again in just a few years.
Colorado Avalanche
2008/09 Record: 32-45-5, 69 points, 15th in West
Additions: Craig Anderson—G (2 years/FA), David Koci—F (1 year/FA), Kyle Quincey—D (Trade w/Los Angeles), Tom Preissing—D (Trade w/Los Angeles), Matt Duchene—F (NHL Entry Draft 2009)
Subtractions: Joe Sakic—F (Retirement), Ryan Smyth—F (Trade w/Los Angeles), Ian Laperriere—F (F/A), Andrew Raycroft—G (F/A), Cody McCormick—F (F/A), Tyler Arnason—F (FA)
If you kept track of what happened in Colorado over the offseason, then congratulations—you kept up with one of the most confusing offseasons in any front office of an NHL team in a while (unless you tried to follow whatever the hell happened to Dale Tallon).
With a mass exodus of executives, coaches, and personnel alike, the Avs not only have a new look on the ice, but a new look off it as well.
With a disastrous last-place season behind them, the Avalanche are now looking towards the future.
A future featuring some promising prospects.
Back to the Future?
Pierre Lacroix (the out-going but not-quite-retired incoming executive. See? Confusing) has compared this upcoming season to the 1994 season where the team based itself around two of the top young center-men in the league: Joe Sakic and Peter Forsberg.
With Forsberg now long gone (unless he tries to come back again) and Sakic now free to play with his snow blower all he wants, the Avs have two new center-man to forge a new dynasty around, the most well-known being Matt Duchene.
From everything the Avs are saying, it’s doubtful that Duchene gets left off the roster to start the year, as the turnaround process begins now for the rookie. Although Duchene possesses a bountiful skill-set he, like many of his teammates, may be in for a rough season.
Duchene is buoyed on the depth chart however by Lacroix's other prized center, Paul Stastny.
Stastny has a ton of talent, but unfortunately he’s going the way of Marian Gaborik: A consistent member of the “Injured Reserve” club.
Statsny missed 37 games last year due to a broken arm and a foot injury, and the year before that it was appendicitis (Not an injury you can blame him for, but a strange injury that only ever happens to the injury-prone players in any league).
The big thing for Stastny this year is to prove that he can stay healthy. If he can do that, not only can he return to being that 70-80 point presence, but hopefully he can get this “injury-prone” stage out of his system for good and go back to contributing for the Avs.
Veteran forwards Ryan Smyth and Ian Laperriere were shipped out over the offseason and in their place could will be rookies T.J. Galiardi and Ryan Stoa.
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