The Colorado Avalanche are now 15 games in this 2023-2024 NHL season or just about 20 percent of the way through the schedule. It would be too early to make any absolute certainties of what this team is and what it could be going forward through the season, but it is worth going through the stats and seeing if this could line up the way it did for the 2021-22 Championship roster.
In their years, both teams were highly regarded as one of the elite teams many had on their list to make it far in the playoffs and be contenders for the Stanley Cup. But as the early season rolled around, reactions lowered and raised many teams’ rankings based on their start.
Related: Avalanche’s Stanley Cup Clinching Win: By the Numbers
Let’s compare the 2023-24 Avalanche to the 2021-22 Championship season numbers 15 games into the season:
2021-22 | 2023-24 | |
Points Percentage | .666% | .667 |
Power Play percentage | 22% | 18.6% |
Penalty Kill percentage | 78% | 86.7% |
Goals Per Game | 4.06 | 3.67 |
Goals against per game | 3.26 | 3.07 |
5v5 Corsi | 51.2% | 56.9% |
5v5 Fenwick | 51.5% | 55.4% |
Faceoff win percentage | 45.2% | 47.7% |
Comparing Overall Results for the Team’s First 15 Games
In 2021, we saw the Avalanche start the season by winning nine games in regulation, losing five in regulation, and once in overtime in their 15-game start. In 2023, they won ten games in regulation and lost five in regulation in their first 15 games of the season.
The first 15 games in 2021-22 saw the Avalanche in fifth place in the Central Division, eighth in the Western Conference, and 17th overall in the NHL. With them being in fifth with 19 points, they were outside of a playoff spot by two points, which Nashville held, and four points for the top of the division, which Minnesota had at the time with 23 points.
In the first 15 games in this 2023-24 season, the Avalanche are second in the Central Divison, fourth in the Western Conference, and 7th overall in the NHL. Currently in second place in the division with 20 points, they stand just three points out from the Dallas Stars, who are first in the Central.
Contributing Factors Between Players
The “Core Four”
Leading the way the years for the Avalanche is arguably one of the best top pairings in the NHL the past couple of years. With more years ahead of them is the line of Gabriel Landeskog, Nathan Mackinnon and Mikko Rantanen leading the way, with Cale Makar on the blue line. They have been the franchise’s cornerstone since the day they were drafted and were all locked into excellent, valued contracts, with plenty of years left to continue the search for another Stanley Cup.
Related: Top Lines in Colorado Avalanche History
So, compared to the “core” that started this year’s first 15 games, how did they start off in 2021?
2021-22 | 2023-2024 | |
Nathan Mackinnon | 15GP, 3G, 18A, 21P, | 15GP, 6G, 14A, 20P |
Mikko Rantanen | 15GP, 10G,8A, 18P | 15GP, 10G, 11A, 21P |
Gabriel Landeskog | 15GP, 6G, 12A, 18P | 0GP, 0G, 0A, 0P* |
Cale Makar | 15GP, 9G, 8A, 17P | 15GP, 4G, 17A, 21P |
The 2021-22 season saw some players step up in significant places in time of need, especially with the emergence of Valeri Nichushkin, who would take Landeskog’s spot on the top line after he went down with a knee injury in March. Nazem Kadri had a career 87-point season and had 15 points in the playoffs, which included a major game-winning goal in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final. That would ultimately land him a massive contract in Calgary during the offseason.
This season, with Landeskog still out dealing with rehab and recovery from that same knee injury, players like Artturi Lehkonen are filling out nicely in his spot until he recently got injured and could be ruled out for at least a month; Nichushkin will hope to benefit off that time on the top-line once again. The newest acquisition in the offseason, Ryan Johansen, acquired from the Nashville Predators in a trade, has faired well as the second-line center with six points in 15 games. It’s not the production you saw from Nazem Kadri that previous season, but he has helped defensively and in the faceoff department.
Avalanche’s Goalie Carousel
From the 2021 to 2023 season, the goalie tandem has seen some shake-up. Darcy Kuemper was brought in from the Arizona Coyotes via trade to be the main stater after losing Philipp Grubauer in the Expansion Draft and having Pavel Francouz as backup. After winning the Stanley Cup, Kuemper left in free agency that following summer and went to the Washington Capitals, which led the Avalanche to trade for a starting goaltender in Alexander Georgiev from the New York Rangers in the following offseason and continue to have Francouz as backup.
Recently, it was announced that Francouz would miss the rest of the regular season with a lower-body injury and will return to his home in Czechia. With Ivan Prosvetov as the other goaltender currently on the main roster, it’s his job to back up Georgiev in the net. And with no other goalies signed on the main roster, it’s his to lose or a potential prospect to win.
Flashes of the Past?
When comparing these two seasons, there’s no other feeling than enticing thoughts on how this season can play out. Factors include Landeskog’s health and ability to return for the playoffs, depth scoring, Georgiev’s ability to hold the net with veteran Francouz out for the season, and how Prosvetov will hold up as a backup.
Related: Nichushkin Might Be Avalanche’s Most Important Player in 2023-24
Nevertheless, it’s up to how the Avalanche plays out the rest of the season. In 2021, after their first 15 games, they went 36-8-4 leading to the trade deadline, where they acquired Josh Manson, Nico Sturm, Lehkonen, and Andrew Cogliano, who all helped out in their post-season Stanley Cup run. Time will only tell if this current Avalanche team can repeat their success into the trade deadline and make another strong push for another Stanley Cup.