With the NHL regular season right around the corner, TSN.ca profiles each team leading up to puck drop. Next up is the Colorado Avalanche, who were the surprise winners of the competitive Central Division last season. Catch up on their summer moves and the issues they face this season, as well as Craig Button's analysis of their top prospect and an analytical breakdown by TSN's Scott Cullen.

Division: Central GM: Joe Sakic Head Coach: Patrick Roy

2013-14: 52-22-8 (1st in Central) Playoffs: Lost in First Round

Goals For: 245 (4th) Goals Against: 216 (T-14th) PP: 19.8% (5th) PK: 80.7% (24th)

That Was Then: 

Starting anew with Patrick Roy behind their bench, the Avalanche got off to a torrid start to the 2013-14 season, earning wins in 12 in their first 13 games.

Led by their young core of Matt Duchene, Gabriel Landeskog, Ryan O'Reilly and rookie Nathan MacKinnon, along with strong goaltending from Semyon Varlamov, the Avalanche quickly went from second-last in the league a year earlier to a team to be feared.

The Avalanche cooled in December going 5-9, including a season-worst four-game losing streak, which left the team at 24-15 entering the new year. From there, the Avalanche rediscovered their form and entered the Olympic break at 37-21.

The Avalanche finished their season on a 7-1-2 run, allowing the team to edge the St. Louis Blues by point for first place in the Central Division.

Duchene, despite missing 11 games with injury, led the Avalanche 70 points. Landeskog was second with 65, while O'Reilly and Mackinnon finished third and fourth with 64 and 63 points, respectively.

O'Reilly led the Avs in goals with 28 and veteran centre Paul Stastny finished third on the team with 25 goals. In total, five forwards cracked the 20-goal plateau.

Varlamov finished the regular season with a 41-14-6 record, posting a .927 save percentage and a 2.41 goals against average. He finished second in the Vezina Trophy vote for the league's top goaltender and fourth in voting for the Hart Memorial Trophy, awarded to the play judged most valuable to his team.

The Avalanche drew the division-rival Minnesota Wild in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Despite starting the series without the services of Duchene, who suffered a late season knee injury, the Avalanche jumped out a 2-0 series lead on home ice. However, the Wild also held their ground at the Xcel Energy Center, sending the series back to Colorado tied 2-2. The Avalanche won Game 5, in overtime but – despite Duchene's return – the Avalanche lost Game 6 convincingly, 5-2. In Game 7, the Avalanche had four one-goal leads erased before losing 5-4 in overtime, ending their hopes of winning their first playoff series since 2008.

Stastny led the Avalanche in playoff goals with five, he also tied MacKinnon for the lead in points with 10. Varlamov posted a .913 save percentage and a 2.78 GAA in the seven-game series.

 

Scott Cullen's Analytics

Avalanche 2013-14 Stats by Quarter

Games GPG GAA SH% SV% SAF% PTS%
1-20 2.95 2.05 9.6% .938 48.6% .750
21-41 2.52 2.67 8.0% .930 46.5% .619
42-62 3.05 2.81 9.2% .919 47.7% .690
63-82 2.75 2.55 8.5% .929 45.5% .675
NHL AVG 2.67 2.67 7.8 .922 50.0% .562
 

Key: GPG= goals per game, GAA= goals-against per game, SH%= even-strength shooting percentage, SV%= even-strength save percentage, SAF%= score-adjusted Fenwick percentage (differential of shot attempts faced vs. shot attempts, excluding blocked shots, adjusted for game score), PTS%= percentage of available points.

Analysis:

Games 1-20: Mediocre possession numbers were overwhelmed by great finishing offensively and superior goaltending. 

Games 21-41: Dodging bullets, with poor possession and declining scoring, yet pulled a favourable record. 

Games 42-62: Even with a slip in goaltending, the Avs scored at such a high rate that they offset their possession problems.

Games 63-82: Above-average percentages carried the Avs to a strong finish, despite possession woes.

Key 2014 Additions: RW Jarome Iginla, D Brad Stuart, C Daniel Briere, C Jesse Winchester

Key 2014 Subtractions: RW PA Parenteau, C Paul Stastny

This Is Now: 

The Avalanche lost Stastny in free agency to the division-rival Blues, who were the only team to beat the Avs more than once last season (they earned three wins in four contests).

Despite losing Stastny, the Avalanche still boast one of the deepest centre groups in the league. MacKinnon, Duchene and O'Reilly can all take on top-six duties, while John Mitchell, Marc-Andre Cliche and off-season addition Daniel Briere fight for bottom-six roles. In all likelihood, the depth at centre forces the Avalanche to line up Ryan O'Reilly on the wing – as he did for the majority of last season - of the team's second line and Briere to the wing of the third.

In his second year, MacKinnon may be tasked with taking on the role of the first-line centre. However, with the territory comes playing alongside Landeskog and free-agent signee Jarome Iginla, who scored 30 goals with the Bruins last season.

If MacKinnon can make a seamless transition after opening last season as the third-line centre (before moving to the second line) and Iginla can mimic his success from Boston, the Avalanche offence could be stronger in 2014-15 than the year before.

On defence, Erik Johnson and Jan Hejda are expected to form the Avalanche's top pairing.

Johnson led the defence with 39 points last season, while Tyson Barrie was second with 38 points and figures to round out the top-four with free agent signee Brad Stuart.

Nate Guenin likely drops to the third pairing to play beside Nick Holden, who earned a three-year $4.95 million extension in the off-season after playing 54 games with the Avs in 2013-14.

At goaltender, Varlamov is the undisputed starter, with trade-deadline acquisition Reto Berra assuming the back-up role.

DEPTH CHART

Forwards

Left Wing Centre Right Wing
Gabriel Landeskog Matt Duchene Ryan O'Reilly
Alex Tanguay Nathan MacKinnon Jarome Iginla
Jamie McGinn John Mitchell Daniel Briere
Cody McLeod Jesse Winchester Maxime Talbot
Patrick Bordeleau Joey Hishon Marc-Andre Cliche
Andrew Agozzino Ben Street Troy Bourke

Defence

     Left Right     
  Jan Hejda Erik Johnson  
  Nick Holden Tyson Barrie  
  Brad Stuart Nate Guenin  
  Ryan Wilson Zach Redmond  
  Chris Bigras Stefan Elliott  
  Duncan Siemens

Bruno Gervais

  

Goaltenders

 
                                                                      Semyon Varlamov
                                                                      Reto Berra
                                                                      Sami Aittokallio

Craig's List

TSN Director of Scouting Craig Button's Top Prospect: Conner Bleackley

When it comes to Connor, the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. He's productive in so many ways and that translates into having an influence in multiple areas of the game. Connor is smart and recognizes what is necessary at any given point and is capable of delivering.

The styles of Duchene and MacKinnon differ from Ryan O'Reilly but in a group it makes the Avs very formidable. Connor will add strength in a similar manner.

 

Fantasy - Cullen's Player to Watch - Alex Tanguay

Now 34-years-old, Tanguay was limited to just 16 games last season due to knee troubles, but he can still put up points and there is a good chance that he's still going to fit in a top-six role with Colorado.

That alone offers up some intriguing possibilities, since the Avs have brilliant young forwards and a veteran winger, Jarome Iginla, with whom Tanguay has experienced some success in Calgary.

Expectations have to be kept in check, given age and recent injury history, but Tanguay is a threat to put up 50-plus points if he can stay healthy.