Sep 14, 2015
Possession key to Avalanche's uphill climb
After a 112-point season in 2013-2014, the Colorado Avalanche crashed to 90 points last season, finishing in last place in the competitive Central Division. As TSN.ca's team preview of the Avs explains, If they hope for a return to the postseason, they can’t continue to get buried in their own end of the rink.
After a 112-point season in 2013-2014, the Colorado Avalanche crashed to 90 points last season, finishing in last place in the competitive Central Division. The fall was widely predicted because of Colorado’s subpar possession numbers.
Those numbers got even worse last season and that stands as the primary challenge facing the Avalanche in 2015-2016. If they hold out hope for a return to the postseason, then the Avs can’t continue to get buried in their own end of the rink.
Improving became all the more daunting when the Avalanche traded away Ryan O’Reilly, the versatile forward who played in all situations. Colorado invested in free agents, including centre Carl Soderberg, winger Blake Comeau and defenceman Francois Beauchemin, and while those players may help, Colorado’s best chance for success this year is going to be hinged on the performance of their own homegrown stars.
Matt Duchene and Nathan MacKinnon are highly-skilled offensive threats and Gabriel Landeskog is a terrific all-around player. Mix in veterans Alex Tanguay and Jarome Iginla and the Avs should be able to score.
The addition of Beauchemin ought to lift the blueline, but the depth behind Erik Johnson and Tyson Barrie remains suspect. The trouble that Colorado experiences in their own end has greater implications, as it prevents them from turning loose their skilled forwards in the offensive zone.
When the Avalanche reached the 2014 playoffs, a lot of their success was tied to the sensational play of goaltender Semyon Varlamov. As it looks right now, Colorado might need another spectacular season from Varlamov if they are going to be a playoff team once again.
OFF-SEASON HEADLINES
June 26: Avs sign Soderberg to five-year contract
June 26: Avalanche trade O’Reilly to Sabres
July 1: D Beauchemin signs three-year deal with Avs
2015-16 COLORADO AVALANCHE
* Off-season Addition
Projected Lines
LW | C | RW |
---|---|---|
Jarome Iginla | Matt Duchene | Alex Tanguay |
Gabriel Landeskog | Carl Soderberg* | Nathan MacKinnon |
Mikhail Grigorenko* | John Mitchell | Blake Comeau* |
Cody McLeod | Jesse Winchester | Patrick Bordeleau |
Marc-Andre Cliché |
Fighting For Jobs: LW Dennis Everberg, RW Jack Skille (PTO), RW Mikko Rantanen, RW Borna Rendulic
Projected Pairs
LD | RD |
---|---|
Francois Beauchemin* | Eric Johnson |
Nikita Zadorov* | Tyson Barrie |
Brad Stuart | Zach Redmond |
Nick Holden | Nate Guenin |
Fighting For Jobs: LD Chris Bigras, LD Brandon Gormley, LD Andrej Meszaros (PTO), LD Duncan Siemens
Projected Goalies
No. 1 | No. 2 | No. 3 |
---|---|---|
Semyon Varlamov | Calvin Pickard | Reto Berra |
Off-season Departures: C Ryan O'Reilly, LW Jamie McGinn, RW Jordan Caron
Projected Lineup: Mike Chambers/Denver Post
SERAVALLI'S THREE QUESTIONS
1. Is No. 10 overall pick Mikko Rantanen destined for NHL, AHL or Europe?
2. Will backup goaltender Reto Berra be bought out or sent to AHL?
3. Will the Avalanche start with seven or eight defencemen?
BUTTON'S TOP PROSPECTS
Top 2015-16 Prospect
RW Mikko Rantanen (TPS Turku, SM-liiga): Mature, smart and determined. Fits on a team that compliments his attributes and skill set.
Long-Term Prospect
C Connor Bleackley (Red Deer, WHL): Competitive, hard nosed center who has improved his quickness and overall pace of play.
* Listed with 2014-15 teams
BY THE NUMBERS
THREE-YEAR BREAKDOWN (LEAGUE RANK)
2012-13 | 2013-14 | 2014-15 | |
---|---|---|---|
Points | 67 (29th) | 112 (3rd) | 90 (21st) |
Goals For | 2.4 (26th) | 3.0 (4th) | 2.6 (23rd) |
Goals Against | 3.1 (27th) | 2.6 (T-14th) | 2.7 (21st) |
Power Play | 15% (24th) | 20% (T-5th) | 15% (29th) |
Penalty Killing | 80% (20th) | 81% (T-23rd) | 85% (5th) |
SAT% Possession | 49% (19th) | 47% (25th) | 43% (29th) |
* 2012-13 points: Pro-rated lockout-shortened total
ESTIMATED PAYROLL vs. CAP - $61.5M/$71.4M
Colorado isn’t a cap team, and after trading Ryan O’Reilly there is little upward pressure. At season’s end, Nathan MacKinnon and Tyson Barrie will be restricted free agents, so they will need new deals, but maintaining a tight internal cap makes it easy to stay well below the league-mandated cap.
PARTING SHOT