POISED FOR THE PRIZE
COLORADO IS AT the point in its trajectory of Stanley Cup contention that draft choices are being used as trade assets to land complementary pieces. To wit, three picks in the 2020 draft were leveraged in the acquisitions of Nazem Kadri and Andre Burakovsky. Despite that, GM Joe Sakic has made sure to cling to his first-round selections, and Colorado has two choices in the first three rounds.
IMMEDIATE NEEDS: Sakic’s work in bolstering the Avs’ topsix forward group with Kadri and Burakovsky was outstanding. Now, the bottom six must be addressed. While the group has a number of valuable role players, there’s a disparity in offensive effectiveness from the top half of Colorado’s forwards to the bottom half. Depth wins championships, so adding some skill players with offensive punch to the third and fourth lines stands to make the Avalanche unstoppable. LONG-TERM NEEDS: Gabriel Landeskog can become a UFA in 2022 and Nathan MacKinnon two seasons after that, which is to say Colorado will soon need to open up the pocketbook. When that time comes, cheap scoring options will be vital. Speedy and skilled Alex Newhook, who will return to the NCAA next season, fits the bill, but securing more prospects who have the potential to play a supporting role is crucial. CAP SITUATION: For the time being, the cap is of little concern. A handful of secondary players will be free to walk as UFAs, and Colorado can let them go while giving attention to pending RFA Burakovsky. He’s been the scorer the Avs hoped he could be, and resigning him tops the to-do list.
IN THE SYSTEM 2020-21: Bowen Byram, the No. 1 prospect in Future Watch, has nothing left to prove in junior and is ready for the next step. The Avs have an embarrassment of riches on the back end. DID YOU KNOW: Conor Timmins missed the entirety of 2018-19 but earned an NHL spot in 2019 training camp. He spent the majority of the season in the AHL, but he’s ready for the big leagues.