3 Reasons To Look Forward To This Avalanche Season

Saying “the Colorado Avalanche are going to be good this season” is not exactly a controversial opinion. Even the biggest doubters of this team will probably admit that. The reality is that the expectations in Denver are a little higher than just being “good.” Greatness is expected inside that locker room, from everyone working in the organization, and from the fanbase. Given the caliber of players on the team, that’s fair.

Finding things to look forward to with this Avalanche team wasn’t exactly hard, but right now, we’ll focus on the positives. We’ll save the concerns (and there are concerns) for another day. For now, here are three things all Avalanche fans should be looking forward to this season.

A True 2C

It was the biggest question mark heading into the last two seasons, but the Avalanche finally found their guy at the trade deadline in Casey Mittelstadt. He’s been one of the most productive players in the NHL at 5-on-5 over the last two seasons, and that continues in Colorado.

Mittelstadt is unlikely to get powerplay time on the first unit unless someone is injured, but that’s okay. It’s his ability to drive play and create offense at even strength that could be invaluable to this team. Some adjustment was needed for him down the stretch of the regular season last year, but he was rock solid in the postseason, despite it being his first time playing playoff hockey.

A full season with Mittelstadt behind Nathan MacKinnon should be fun to watch, and it should give Jared Bednar options when it comes to putting together his lineup.

The Stars Are Still Stars

The cap situation is getting tighter every day, and if Mikko Rantanen signs a big extension, tough decisions will likely have to be made when it comes to the rest of the lineup. That being said, this team has three guys that many would consider to be top 15 players in the NHL in MacKinnon, Rantanen, and Cale Makar. Most teams would kill to have one of those guys, let alone three.

Would it be a disappointment if this core doesn’t win at least one more Stanley Cup? I think so, but you should still never take for granted being able to watch (however you watch) elite players play in the prime on a nightly basis. With these three around, the team should be in good shape for at least a few more years.

Youth Should Get An Opportunity

My guess is Calum Ritchie starts the year with the Avalanche. Will he finish it there? That’s what will need to be determined, but I think he’ll get a look. Nikolai Kovalenko should be on the roster in some sort of role, although exactly what role that is will have to be determined in camp. Justus Annunen is set to backup Alexandar Georgiev and if he falters, may have an opportunity to steal the starting job. Beyond them, you’ve got guys like Jean-Luc Foudy and Sam Malinski looking to break through to become full-time NHL’ers. Heck, Erik Brannstrom isn’t a homegrown talent, but he’s now the youngest guy on the blueline at just 25.

There should be a small influx of youth on this team, and if you ask me, it’s desperately needed. Good teams should always be trying to add hungry young players to their roster, and in the cap world, you kind of need it. The question might be whether or not they are able to earn the trust of Jared Bednar, but the easiest way to stay competitive in the salary cap world when you have some of the highest paid players in the league is to develop your own talent. That’s something the Avalanche have struggled with in the past. Maybe that changes this year.