It’s been an fascinating season for the Colorado Avalanche. The Avs had been very busy with loads of strikes earlier than the season, haven’t had captain Gabriel Landeskog for even one sport, and have seen Nathan MacKinnon in some way take his offensive sport to a good greater stratosphere.
With roughly half the season left, their eyes are nonetheless on a well-known prize – the Stanley Cup. Nonetheless, there are many query marks surrounding the membership. The Avalanche are nonetheless coping with some accidents, and have battled some inconsistent play. The calendar turned to 2024, and right here’s a have a look at three burning questions for the Avs by the rest of the season.
Can Nathan MacKinnon Win the Hart Trophy?
Let’s begin with one of many simpler questions. MacKinnon can completely win the Hart Trophy. He recorded his first profession 100-point marketing campaign final season, and he’s making that effort appear like it was an appetizer. He’s appeared in all 40 of Colorado’s video games, and has failed to attain some extent in simply seven of these contests. Of these seven scoreless video games, 4 got here earlier than Halloween.
The spotlight of his season was his 19-game level streak, the place he rattled off 13 objectives and 36 factors. It was the longest level streak of his profession, and the third-longest in franchise historical past. MacKinnon at present leads the NHL with 43 assists, and his 65 factors are second behind Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov (67). He’s on tempo to attain north of 130 factors this season. That’s a ridiculous tempo to maintain up, however would definitely make him one of many favorites to win the Hart Trophy.
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MacKinnon has been a Hart Trophy finalist 3 times, ending second twice – in 2018 and 2020. He’s arguably the most effective participant within the NHL and not using a Hart Trophy on his resume, however this might be the 12 months he breaks by. Not solely is he scoring nearly each single night time, however he’s delivering at essential factors in addition. He has simply 4 game-winning objectives – however two got here in back-to-back extra time video games. So long as he retains pumping in factors and making memorable highlights, he’ll be robust for the voters to disregard.
Who Will Step Up within the Center Six?
Going all the way in which again to final season, depth scoring has been a problem for the Avalanche. They’ve notably struggled down the center, because the rotating door of facilities in 2022-23 is what led the membership to exit and get Ross Colton and Ryan Johansen within the offseason. Neither has been something near constant, as they’ve simply 32 factors mixed. Colton has only one objective and 5 factors in his final 15 video games, whereas Johansen has simply 5 factors in his final 19 video games.
The crew has needed to take care of accidents within the center six, as properly, most notably to Artturi Lehkonen. He’s nonetheless seemingly a pair weeks from returning, and the Avalanche desperately want him. He’s performed in solely 12 video games this season, scoring eight factors, however scored 21 objectives in 2022-23 – his first full season in Colorado. He’s almost certainly to be the man that pops up Colorado’s scoring on the second or third line – however that’s provided that he doesn’t endure any setbacks over the subsequent couple weeks, and returns to type promptly after returning. These are large ifs.
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It’s necessary to notice that there’s nonetheless time for the Avalanche to make one other transfer. Many thought Tomas Tatar’s departure in a commerce signaled the crew was clearing up some cap room for one thing larger. Whether or not they usher in somebody new or keep on with their weapons, the chemistry shall be a priority. Even when Lehkonen comes out firing in his return, a few of this has to fall on Colton and Johansen, too. If Colorado goes to make a critical push, one (or each) of these two has to generate some scoring on a extra constant foundation.
Are the Avalanche Authentic Stanley Cup Contenders?
This can be a difficult query, however actually the one one many Avalanche followers care about. Do the Avalanche have the firepower to take residence hockey’s high prize? Definitely – however with a caveat. The consistency must be there. There’s additionally the remainder of the Western Convention to deal with, and that’s no straightforward process. There are at present 5 groups inside 5 factors of holding the most effective report within the Western Convention, and groups just like the Los Angeles Kings and Edmonton Oilers are coming.
Colorado’s downside is the aforementioned scoring depth. The crew already has three 20-goal scorers in MacKinnon (22), Mikko Rantanen (20) and Valeri Nichushkin (20). Cale Makar is as soon as once more doing Cale Makar issues, as his 38 assists sit fifth within the NHL. After these 4, nonetheless, the factors take a critical dip. Nichushkin is fourth on the crew with 40 factors, however then it drops to Devon Toews in fifth with 24. Just one different skater has double-digit objectives, and that’s Johansen with 11.
The goaltending additionally must be a bit higher, as properly. Alexandar Georgiev is a workhorse as soon as once more, taking part in in a league-leading 33 video games this season. He additionally leads the NHL with 21 wins and 1,914 minutes performed, but in addition in objectives allowed (95). His 2.98 goals-against common (GAA) and .894 save proportion (SV%) are a good distance from his 2.53 GAA and .918 SV% from final season. That must be higher if the Avalanche intend to make a deep playoff run.
One factor the Avalanche had of their 2021-22 championship season was a whole lot of depth. Seven completely different gamers scored at the least 22 objectives, and 10 completely different gamers had a game-winning objective of their 16 playoff wins. Additionally they bought fairly good goaltending from Darcy Kuemper. Nonetheless, MacKinnon and the highest line can’t carry the load by themselves. Colorado clearly has the expertise to make a run for an additional title, however they’re leaning too typically on just a few gamers. They could be taking a look at one other early exit in the event that they don’t get the depth scoring sorted out. They’ve simply half the season to do it.