The 2023 postseason ended much sooner than expected for the Colorado Avalanche, but the extra two months will give them plenty of time to think about next season. This may not be a bad thing, as the organization likely has a lot of decisions to make.
After winning their third Stanley Cup last season, the big news was during the offseason Nathan McKinnon contract extension. While this deal has been a vital part of the franchise’s business, the Avalanche has several roster moves coming this season. These will start by identifying the pieces that are important enough to stick around.
Avs restricted free agents
The Avalanche has three free agents tied up in Buen Byram, Dennis Malgin, and Alex Newhawk. The biggest name among this group is Byram, but it’s a mystery because it’s hard to know what it’s worth. Of course, he has a lot of upsides, and he’s shown flashes of brilliance when he’s been able to spend long periods on the ice. However, his short career thus far has been defined by his time off the ice, thanks to Concussion and other injuries. Whether or not he stays in Colorado can be largely determined by the price the market offers him.
While Byram has never played more than 42 games in a season, there are plenty of game tapes on Newhook. The 2019 first-round pick played all 82 games last season, but the problem is that he didn’t take a significant step forward. The biggest hole in the Avalanche lineup is the center of the second line after it Nazim Kadri left in free agencyNewhook clearly did not capitalize on the test with 14 goals and 16 assists. It might be worth holding a bridge, but it really depends on where Colorado goes for that second line position. At this point, the Newhook looks like a bottom-six booster at best.
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Malgin may also be consumable. He came to Colorado on a trade last DecemberHe scored 11 goals and six assists in 42 games. He was able to log over 10 minutes in ice time per game, and was a decent player for Avs as they battled through countless injuries. However, these are numbers Colorado can get anywhere. There are likely other priorities for Avs to spend their money on.
Which unrestricted free agents are a priority?
There are eight unrestricted free agents on Colorado’s roster, with JT Comfer and Evan Rodrigues topping the list. Both have had good seasons for Colorado State – especially Compher. The 28-year-old winger had the best season of his career, scoring 17 goals and 35 assists while playing all 82 games. The assists and 52 points were easily career highs, while he was just one goal short of matching his career best. in that statistic.
In his first season with Colorado, Rodriguez posted similar numbers with 16 goals and 23 assists in 69 games. The last two seasons have been great for Rodrigues. In 2021-22, he posted career highs with 19 goals, 24 points and 42 assists and then followed it up with a similar season at Colorado. However, this may not be good news for Colorado. These two players could fit in next season, but they may have played themselves out of Colorado’s price range.
Another free agent is Lars Eller, Colorado Trade on deadline. He finished the season as the team’s second-line center – and Compher filled in well at times too – but it’s likely Avs will be looking to promote in that spot. One of the odd men may be out, but he may be back, depending on the price. Of course, some of these free factors are likely to return to Denver from a depth standpoint, but the waters around most of them are cloudy.
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The only starting defensemen besides Byram are Jack Johnson and Eric Johnson. Jack Johnson will almost certainly not be back, and Eric Johnson will consider retirement, too. The other forwards are Darren Helm, Andrew Cogliano, and Matt Nieto. These are all aging players, but Cogliano has shown he can still contribute, particularly in terms of penalties. Only Compher has averaged more short-handed ice time than Cogliano among Avalanche forwards this season.
What Colorado needs to move forward
The second midfield has been the albatross that has hung over the team this season, but the intensity of captain Gabriel Landskog He struggles to come back from surgery is also a problem. The strong pairing of MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen has been put together, but they create one of the most fearsome streaks in the NHL when paired with Landeskog. It is not known when Landeskog will return and in what capacity. Also, this season’s short playoff phase demonstrated a dire need to improve scoring in depth.
Compher has improved steadily over his career with the Avs, and it would be a good idea to keep him if they can afford him. Rolling the dice on prospects can be quite a gamble for a championship-mode team, but it will depend on guys like Ben Myers and Oscar Olsson making huge strides in development. The defensive corps looks like the deepest position on the team, but Devon Toyos is entering the final year of his contract, and he’s a Colorado player he certainly doesn’t want to let go of.
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There are decisions that need to be made every season, and it’s clear the Avalanche front office isn’t going to make any of those decisions anytime soon. But this is a pivotal chapter for Avs, as next season’s roster could look very different than it did this campaign. This means that strengthening the second line is a must, and should be a top priority for the off-season. Rosters have to change and evolve, and Colorado will have a few missing pieces next season, but it will be interesting to see which Avalanche players will wear a new jersey when the puck drops in 2023-24.