Complete Preview for the Colorado Avalanche's 2014-15 Season

The Colorado Avalanche turned a lot of heads late season, with many of them coming after Patrick Roy made a statement very early on in the season.

The Avs legend—and newest bench boss—shook the glass in the face of Bruce Boudreau, head coach of the Anaheim Ducks, and it seemed like he was trying to set a tone early on in the season. It worked, as the Avs had a pretty awesome season, even though a first-round exit was less than ideal.

Despite this fact, there is a lot for fans to be hopeful for, but before we can look forward, lets look back at the 2013-14 campaign that was.

What We Learned in 2013-14

We learned that last season was a year of growth, and there are a number of reasons why the Avalanche should continue to be successful. 

2013-14 was an amazing year for the Avalanche in which they jumped from being the second-worst team in the NHL to the third-best all over the course of a season. They were able to accomplish this because Nathan MacKinnon, Matt Duchene, Tyson Barrie and assorted others had breakout years.

At 18, MacKinnon was able to dominate competition, and he put up 63 points. He continued to be impressive during the playoffs, and he showed signs of becoming a future franchise player.

Duchene set a career high in points with 70 in 71 games, and better days are ahead for the spry 23-year-old pivot. Barrie finally emerged, and the 23-year-old rearguard tallied 38 points in only 64 contests.

In short, what we learned is that the youth of the Avalanche have what it takes to be successful, but they could use some help in other areas. Colorado addressed these areas during the summer, and they should impact the team's outlook for 2014-15.

2014-15 Outlook

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Some of the moves made this summer by Colorado were questionable. Adding an aging Brad Stuart to the backend is a head scratcher, but the addition of Jarome Iginla and Daniel Briere adds some valuable playoff experience and intangibles.

Some may not agree with the Briere move, considering his age and how he played with the Montreal Canadiens last season. Some may say that dealing P.A. Parenteau for him was shortsighted. However, here is a projected depth chart for the upcoming season, and where could Parenteau realistically fit?

Left Wing	Center	Right Wing
Gabriel Landeskog	Matt Duchene	Ryan O'Reilly
Alex Tanguay	Nathan MacKinnon	Jarome Iginla
Jamie McGinn	Daniel Briere	Maxime Talbot
Patrick Bordeleau	John Mitchell	Jesse Winchester

You could make an argument for where he could go, but it seems clear that Joe Sakic and Patrick Roy have a method to their madness, and it involves more integration of youth over the next few seasons.

When it comes to the signing of Iginla, there are multiple facets to look at. No. 1 is Iginla's toughness and attitude. During the Avs series against the Minnesota Wild, they lacked the truculence and pugnacity needed to be successful in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Iginla is a player who can help set a message, teach players how to better stand up for themselves and he will also add some offensive upside. Over the last five seasons, Iginla has scored tallied 35,32,43,14 and 30 goals in a season.

The 14-goal season automatically sticks out, but that was during the lockout-shortened season, and it was also a time in which Iginla was adjusting to life post Calgary Flames. This isn't an excuse for Iginla, but going from Calgary to Pittsburgh is a big change, especially when he was originally Boston bound.

While the situation in Colorado is different than Boston, don't expect Iginla's game to completely drop off. He may not score 30 goals, but putting him down for at least 20 is not a prognostication out of left field.

Ultimately Iginla is 37, and his best days are behind him. However, he can transition into life in the Rockies by being a veteran mentor and leader, and a complimentary winger.

If anything you can look for him to reignite some past chemistry with Alex Tanguay—a player whom Iginla lined up with during his best seasons—and for the Avs front office to inquire with the Flames about Craig Conroy's availability for the upcoming season.

That last bit was a joke, but the long story short is that Iginla should be able to pick up where he left off with Tanguay. 

The Avalanche are widely expected to regress to the mean this season according to the advanced stats community, but they should still be a playoff team this season. The Chicago Blackhawks and Dallas Stars will be two primary foes for Colorado this year, but they should be able to hang on for a third place spot in the Central Division.

Both the St. Louis Blues and Wild remain wildcards with their goaltending, and while the same could be said of the Avalanche, it is fair to believe that Semyon Varlamov wil be able to provide adequate goaltending this season.

The Russian netminder has spent six years in the league, and during his three years with both the Avs and the Washington Capitals, Varlamov has a .917 save percentage. If he can maintain that Colorado should be fine, and that is a realistic possibility given the makeup of the current roster.

Colorado may not be the 112-point team it was last year, but a 90-point year is very attainable.