DENVER — New arrival Nazem Kadri wasn’t with his Colorado Avalanche teammates very long before making a quick observation.
Definitely contenders.
“I’ve been around some good teams and this is certainly one that I think could compete to go the distance,” Kadri said. “We’ve got a good mix of veteran leadership and youth and I think that’s a lethal combination.”
That lineup should be even more potent once forward Mikko Rantanen returns. The restricted free agent is away from the team as he tries to work out a new deal.
“We’re excited to have him here soon,” linemate Nathan MacKinnon said.
Following a second straight playoff appearance, general manager Joe Sakic decided to reshape his roster. Kadri was acquired in the deal that sent defenceman Tyson Barrie and forward Alexander Kerfoot to Toronto. In other trades, Sakic acquired defenceman Kevin Connauton from Arizona and left wing Andre Burakovsky from Washington.
Sakic also added veteran centre Pierre-Edouard Bellemare as a free agent and right wing Joonas Donskoi. They also selected defenceman Bowen Byram with the No. 4 overall pick in the draft.
“Joe said it fairly early on in the off-season process that we’re going to be smart but aggressive,” captain Gabriel Landeskog said. “That’s what we were. We went out and got some really good pieces.”
That’s in addition to already having one of the top lines in hockey with Landeskog, MacKinnon and Rantanen. Not only that, but a talented blue line buoyed by youngsters Cale Makar and Samuel Girard.
No wonder the Avalanche are on everyone’s radar as a team to watch.
“It’s nice to have some pressure,” MacKinnon said. “We’re not just the bad Avs or whatever anymore. We’re a contender and that’s fun. We all want pressure. It’s no fun coming in as an underdog. The best teams have pressure on them.”
Here are things to know before the Avalanche open the season Oct. 3 against Calgary:
Who’s Here
Connauton, RW Valeri Nichushkin, Bellemare, Byram, D Calle Rosen, Kadri, Donskoi and Burakovsky.
Who’s Not
Barrie, Kerfoot, F Carl Soderberg, F Derick Brassard, G Semyon Varlamov, F Sven Andrighetto, F Gabriel Bourque.
Key Players
Landeskog, MacKinnon and Rantanen combined for 106 goals and 155 assists a season ago. The team was 24-6-5 when they each collected a point in a game. Philipp Grubauer enters the season as the primary goaltender after going 7-0-2 in his final nine starts of the regular season to get the Avalanche into the post-season. He was 7-5 in Colorado’s playoff run.
Outlook
Colorado is a pick by some pundits to make it to the final of the Western Conference. Kadri already sees something building. “I love the expectation and love the standard these guys hold themselves to,” he said. The Avalanche stunned the top-seeded Flames last season, winning the series 4-1, before falling in Game 7 to San Jose. “It’s like every new season, you look back in the rearview mirror and learn from things, but you can’t dwell on them,” Landeskog said. “You have to move forward. It’s a new year. It’s a new group. We’re super-excited what we have here.”
Prediction
The Avalanche stressed consistency as an important ingredient in taking the next step. Colorado was tied for the most points in the Western Conference after games on Dec. 7 and then went through a rough stretch that nearly cost the Avs a playoff spot before bouncing back. “The guys that were here last year, we definitely learned from that,” Landeskog said. “Because from Dec. 1 through whatever, we weren’t playing good enough. I don’t know how many games we managed to win, but it wasn’t enough. It nearly ended up costing us a playoff berth.”
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Pat Graham, The Associated Press
