BT's 2008-09 NHL Season Preview: Colorado Avalanche

I think the Avalanche will do a lot better than everyone thinks. Now , I'm not saying they're going to win the Cup, or even come close—but I think a playoff berth is definitely not out of the question. I also believe Ryan Smyth and Darcy Tucker will rebound quite nicely.
 
I believe you have underrated Colorado's blue line. Their blue line is going to be great this year. With the shutdown pair of Foote and Hannan, the offensive pair of Liles and Cumiskey, and the solid stay-at-home defencman Salei and Tjarnqvist you can't go wrong.
 
In net I think this is Petr Budaj's shot and I think Bacashihua might give Raycroft a run for the backup job. I think Budaj is going to do an alright job and I believe he is going to surprise a lot of people.
 
The Avalanche have a lot to prove this year—but to be honest, I think they can do it.

And now, Shane:

Goaltending

The goalie situation this year has people a bit concerned, but the apocalypse is not upon us. While Peter Budaj is no Robert Luongo, he has shown himself to be a capable starter when given the chance.

He stole the job from Theodore two seasons ago—as easy as it was to do—and led the team on a 15-2 run to end the season. However, last season the Avalanche management seemed intent on Theodore being the No. 1, and put a halt to Joel Quenneville’s goaltender rotation.

With Q gone—along with his motto of “One bad performance and you’re benched,” I think Budaj will flourish under Tony Granato’s watch. Jeff Hackett is not a “goalie whisperer” as others have said, but it can’t hurt to have a full-time goaltending coach either.

If Raycroft can come in and win 50 percent of his starts as a backup, the Avalanche should do fine.

Defense

The defense is the best part of the Avalanche roster. It’s not an elite lineup, but it has a nice mix of bangers, grinders, and puck movers. I’d like to see a No. 1 like Lidstrom back there, but what fan wouldn’t?

Ruslan Salei will be the team’s best defender this year, bar none. I knew of Salei prior to his acquisition, but hadn’t seen a lot of his play. Once he came over in the late season trade, I was an instant fan. He’s got great awareness, good defensive positioning, solid checks, and a good shot from the point—which is something the Avalanche have been lacking since Blake left.

Unfortunately, I just broke my own rule with that last point. (I swore I’d never bring up the lack of a point shot for the Avalanche after hearing Pierre McGuire say it one too many times.)

This squad should be able to provide offensive support, while letting Budaj do his job in goal and without worrying about trying to clear his own rebounds.

Offense

With Sakic back, there is no need to call Tyler Arnason the No. 2 center, which has dropped my blood pressure about 50 points. But even with Sakic back, this lineup will run into scoring depth issues.

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