The Post-Stanley Cup Hangover?
June 8, 2021
====================DENVER POST=====================
The end of the NHL season is always jubilation for one team, and heartbreak and disappoint for the latter 29 teams in the League. The 2020-21 Colorado Avalanche, unfortunately, are among the 29 teams looking in the mirror wondering "what if".
The 2020-21 Avs were a strong team, but lacked some experience entering the season. The nucleus of Captain Gabriel Landeskog, Alternate Captains Matt Duchene and Tyson Barrie alongside 2013 1st Overall Pick Nathan MacKinnon, and Finn Mikko Rantanen, joining newcomers like former Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Haydn Fleury, signed via Offer Sheet. The youth movement at Colorado was in full effect, with top picks from the 2016 (winger Tyson Jost), 2017 (winger Kristian Vesalainen), and the 2018 NHL Entry Drafts (Zach Martin) all making meaningful contributions in either their 1st or 2nd year in the League.
The Avs finished 5th in the Western Conference, and knocked the St. Louis Blues, the Dallas Stars, and the San Jose Sharks, all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals. It was a tough battle against their arch-nemesis from Detroit, but the Red Wings prevailed in a tough 7-game thriller of a series, with the Avs blowing a 3-1 series lead, including a heartbreaker Game 6, losing in quintuple overtime after being up 4-1 two minutes into the 3rd period.
Goaltenders
In net, 29-year-old Calvin Pickard grabbed the starting spot in goal in pre-season and never let go. With his first 30-win season in the NHL, the 6-year veteran will enter unrestricted free agency, and plans on exhibiting that right to financially secure himself along with his family - and several generations. Backup goalie Philipp Grubauer did not play much in the 2nd half of the season, and given Colorado's cap issues for the 2021-22 season - GM Richard Tam will attempt to trade him for cap relief. There are rumblings around the Colorado camp that the 29-year-old German might be a buyout casualty as San Antonio Rampage goalie Igor Shestyorkin gets promoted to become the backup goalie for the Avs in the upcoming season.
Defensemen
Defense has long been an issue with the Avs for several years. However, the addition of Haydn Fleury signed via offer sheet from the cap-strapped Carolina Hurricanes proved to be a shrewd signing. With the 24-year-old Canadian signed to a 6 year, $19.2 million contract extension through the 2026-27 season, Fleury will be a top pairing for the Avs into his prime years.
Alongside Fleury, the likes of Barrie, Will Butcher, Darnell Nurse all seem to be in the long-term plans of the Avalanche. Erik Johnson, who only played 61 games this season, is not a potential buyout candidate at the moment but things may change in the summer. Likewise, Jack Johnson is likely to not be resigned as the team moves towards younger and cheaper talent.
Forwards
The highest question mark of the top 12 forwards of the Avs is the impeding free agency of the captain. Landeskog and the team has been locked into negotiations, with the Swede wanting (or demanding) 8 figures a season. Both the player and the team want to come towards a solution, but time will tell whether the 28 year old opts to sign before July 1st. With the likes of Jost and Vesalainen looking to move up on the depth chart, it will be interesting to see how this works out for the team.
Roster
2020-21 Regular Season Stats
1. Get Landeskog signed long-term.
This part is relatively obvious. Landeskog is one of the best wingers in the league, and the heart and soul of the Avs. With some clever handling of the current roster, his $9 or $10 million cap hit can work within the current parameters.
2. Figure out the goaltender situation.
Calvin Pickard is a UFA at season's end. Whether they can re-sign Pickard to a long-term extension or go with Grubauer or another player for the start of training camp in September, GM Tam will have to choose the right player. Every Stanley Cup contender needs a capable #1 goalie who can steal games. Pickard did that in the playoffs, but if the team goes another direction, they need someone who can lead the team to another deep playoff run. Whether that person is Pickard, Grubauer, or someone else is anyone's guess. But there has to be a clear plan.
3. Get Under the Salary Cap
This isn't like the NBA, where our Nuggets can keep our players via Bird Rights. There are several high earners on the team, like Duchene ($8 million), Barrie ($7.25 million), Rantanen ($6.5 million), Erik Johnson ($6 million), and Colborne ($4 million). The latter two names have underperformed their contracts the past couple seasons, but the question is whether anyone will take on their contracts -- unless the Avs add a sweetener or two in high draft picks. Tyler Bozak has been a disappointment in his career in Denver (17G, 31A for 48 points in 224 games), but his retirement frees up $2.45 million in valuable cap space.
1st Round - Colorado
3rd Round - Colorado
4th Round - Colorado
5th Round - Calgary (acquired in the Andreas Martinsen trade)
5th Round - Colorado
6th Round - Colorado
7th Round - Colorado
*2nd Round pick sent to Carolina as part of the compensation for the signing of then RFA Haydn Fleury.
====================DENVER POST=====================
WHAT IF? COLORADO AVALANCHE SEASON REVIEW
The end of the NHL season is always jubilation for one team, and heartbreak and disappoint for the latter 29 teams in the League. The 2020-21 Colorado Avalanche, unfortunately, are among the 29 teams looking in the mirror wondering "what if".
The 2020-21 Avs were a strong team, but lacked some experience entering the season. The nucleus of Captain Gabriel Landeskog, Alternate Captains Matt Duchene and Tyson Barrie alongside 2013 1st Overall Pick Nathan MacKinnon, and Finn Mikko Rantanen, joining newcomers like former Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Haydn Fleury, signed via Offer Sheet. The youth movement at Colorado was in full effect, with top picks from the 2016 (winger Tyson Jost), 2017 (winger Kristian Vesalainen), and the 2018 NHL Entry Drafts (Zach Martin) all making meaningful contributions in either their 1st or 2nd year in the League.
The Avs finished 5th in the Western Conference, and knocked the St. Louis Blues, the Dallas Stars, and the San Jose Sharks, all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals. It was a tough battle against their arch-nemesis from Detroit, but the Red Wings prevailed in a tough 7-game thriller of a series, with the Avs blowing a 3-1 series lead, including a heartbreaker Game 6, losing in quintuple overtime after being up 4-1 two minutes into the 3rd period.
Goaltenders
In net, 29-year-old Calvin Pickard grabbed the starting spot in goal in pre-season and never let go. With his first 30-win season in the NHL, the 6-year veteran will enter unrestricted free agency, and plans on exhibiting that right to financially secure himself along with his family - and several generations. Backup goalie Philipp Grubauer did not play much in the 2nd half of the season, and given Colorado's cap issues for the 2021-22 season - GM Richard Tam will attempt to trade him for cap relief. There are rumblings around the Colorado camp that the 29-year-old German might be a buyout casualty as San Antonio Rampage goalie Igor Shestyorkin gets promoted to become the backup goalie for the Avs in the upcoming season.
Defensemen
Defense has long been an issue with the Avs for several years. However, the addition of Haydn Fleury signed via offer sheet from the cap-strapped Carolina Hurricanes proved to be a shrewd signing. With the 24-year-old Canadian signed to a 6 year, $19.2 million contract extension through the 2026-27 season, Fleury will be a top pairing for the Avs into his prime years.
Alongside Fleury, the likes of Barrie, Will Butcher, Darnell Nurse all seem to be in the long-term plans of the Avalanche. Erik Johnson, who only played 61 games this season, is not a potential buyout candidate at the moment but things may change in the summer. Likewise, Jack Johnson is likely to not be resigned as the team moves towards younger and cheaper talent.
Forwards
The highest question mark of the top 12 forwards of the Avs is the impeding free agency of the captain. Landeskog and the team has been locked into negotiations, with the Swede wanting (or demanding) 8 figures a season. Both the player and the team want to come towards a solution, but time will tell whether the 28 year old opts to sign before July 1st. With the likes of Jost and Vesalainen looking to move up on the depth chart, it will be interesting to see how this works out for the team.
Roster
2020-21 Regular Season Stats
Off-season Priorities
1. Get Landeskog signed long-term.
This part is relatively obvious. Landeskog is one of the best wingers in the league, and the heart and soul of the Avs. With some clever handling of the current roster, his $9 or $10 million cap hit can work within the current parameters.
2. Figure out the goaltender situation.
Calvin Pickard is a UFA at season's end. Whether they can re-sign Pickard to a long-term extension or go with Grubauer or another player for the start of training camp in September, GM Tam will have to choose the right player. Every Stanley Cup contender needs a capable #1 goalie who can steal games. Pickard did that in the playoffs, but if the team goes another direction, they need someone who can lead the team to another deep playoff run. Whether that person is Pickard, Grubauer, or someone else is anyone's guess. But there has to be a clear plan.
3. Get Under the Salary Cap
This isn't like the NBA, where our Nuggets can keep our players via Bird Rights. There are several high earners on the team, like Duchene ($8 million), Barrie ($7.25 million), Rantanen ($6.5 million), Erik Johnson ($6 million), and Colborne ($4 million). The latter two names have underperformed their contracts the past couple seasons, but the question is whether anyone will take on their contracts -- unless the Avs add a sweetener or two in high draft picks. Tyler Bozak has been a disappointment in his career in Denver (17G, 31A for 48 points in 224 games), but his retirement frees up $2.45 million in valuable cap space.
2021 Draft Picks
1st Round - Colorado
3rd Round - Colorado
4th Round - Colorado
5th Round - Calgary (acquired in the Andreas Martinsen trade)
5th Round - Colorado
6th Round - Colorado
7th Round - Colorado
*2nd Round pick sent to Carolina as part of the compensation for the signing of then RFA Haydn Fleury.
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