Avalanche Journal: As free agency dust settles, Colorado looks better than it did a week ago

The two biggest questions for next season remain unresolved, but the Colorado Avalanche did find some intriguing bargains despite limited financial resources at the start of a wild offseason.

For the first time since before the COVID-19 pandemic, a lack of cap space was not the main storyline when free agency opened July 1 and NHL GMs turned back the clock for a proper spending spree. Given the number of risky and/or already problematic contracts handed out, teams like Colorado that mostly stuck to the bargain bin came away from this past week better off than clubs that will ultimately regret some of these deals.

As expected, there’s still no tangible updates on captain Gabe Landeskog and the suspended Valeri Nichushkin. Avalanche general manager Chris MacFarland said at the 2024 NHL draft in Las Vegas that Landeskog hasn’t hit any “speed bumps” in his continued recovery from a knee injury and the club hopes Nichushkin is doing all he needs to do to get right while in Stage 3 of the NHL-NHLPA Players Assistance Program.

Those two players are still going to define the 2024-25 season for Colorado — either with their returns or absences — and how the Avs react. There could still be a Mikko Rantanen contract extension or other depth signings later in the summer, but for now the depth chart looks relatively settled.

There are still some question marks, but it looks better than it did a week ago.

Center

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Nathan MacKinnon is now the reigning league MVP, and also going to be filled with “one got away from us” motivation after the club’s second-round exit. Good luck slowing him down.

Casey Mittelstadt signed a fair deal for both sides, and having him for a full regular season should be a reason for optimism. He and Ryan Johansen combined for 33 points in an Avs uniform. He could get close to doubling that.

There were reports of Ross Colton being available, but his full no-trade clause kicked in July 1 and he looks set to be the No. 3 center. The fourth spot could be an interesting battle in training camp. Is Chris Wagner the obvious choice? Could one of the younger guys like Jean-Luc Foudy or Nikolai Kovalenko earn that spot?

He’s not listed here, but Calum Ritchie will be at camp and should be headed back to juniors … unless he forces his way into an NHL trial run.

Left wing

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Convincing Jonathan Drouin to run it back for another year in Denver at a below-market rate was a big step toward potentially being a no-doubt Stanley Cup contender … once things are sorted with Landeskog and Nichushkin.

A season of good health for Artturi Lehkonen would also be a huge boost for the Avs. He’s missed 55 games over the past two years. There’s an obvious spot open on the second line for Landeskog, if he’s ready to play at the start the season. Having one of him, Drouin, Lehkonen or Nichushkin on the third line if everyone is healthy at the same time could be quite the luxury.

Miles Wood had a solid first year with the Avs, but will try to avoid another late-season scoring slump. Parker Kelly joins from Ottawa as a potential Andrew Cogliano/Brandon Duhaime replacement. Jere Innala led the Swedish Hockey League in goals and points in the playoffs despite Frolunda not even making the final round, but the diminutive forward is taking his shot at an NHL roster.

Right Wing

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MacFarland didn’t offer much in the way of an update on a potential Rantanen contract. He’s now eligible to sign a deal that runs from 2025 to ’33. Trivia time: When was the last time this franchise had two players reach 100 points in three consecutive seasons together? (The answer is at the end of this story.)

If Landeskog isn’t ready for the start of the season, Logan O’Connor could spend some time on the second line. The Avs did what they could to replace him after a season-ending hip injury, but they missed him in the playoffs.

Kovalenko will look to settle in and become a productive regular on one of the bottom two lines. Hopefully there are at least a few games with him and Wood on the same line, just for the potential fireworks. The Avs know what to expect from Kiviranta, and he could be a regular for his work on the penalty kill alone.

Defensemen

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The top four remains unchanged. All Cale Makar did last year was set a franchise record for points and finish third in the Norris Trophy voting, and yet the standard he’s set is so high that expecting a smidge more from him in 2024-25 isn’t that crazy. Could he make his first real run at 100 points?

If Samuel Girard can play like he did after returning from the players assistance program for a full season and the top four stays relatively healthy, the Avs are going to have one of the best defense corps in the league.

Calvin de Haan and Erik Brannstrom arrive, both on one-year, low-risk contracts. Sam Malinski will try to break in as an NHL regular for the first time. Two of those three guys will make up the third pairing. At least one of them will need to help on the PK.

Jacob MacDonald and Calle Rosen both return to the organization and could be valuable depth options if the NHL guys don’t stay healthy. If the Avs decide that Malinski isn’t ready for everyday duty, there’s also a chance that one of them makes the roster.

Goaltenders

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It looks like the Avs might wait on choosing a No. 3 goalie for the second straight season. There are typically some interesting options on the waiver wire when every club has to set their opening-night rosters. That’s when Colorado added Ivan Prosvetov last year. The top two UFA options still on the market are Kevin Lankinen and Martin Jones.

For now, the net in Denver clearly belongs to Alexandar Georgiev, with Justus Annunen backing him up. The Avs will add someone to compete with Trent Miner for playing time with the Eagles … at some point.

Trivia answer: Never. Two guys have had 100-plus in a season together nine times in franchise history, but never in back-to back-to-back years, like MacKinnon and Rantanen will attempt do to do in 2024-25. 

*Source: CapFriendly.com | +Currently suspended

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