Hey all and now it’s time to talk about the Avs.
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42 Comments
They're becoming the Leafs and Sackic is the new Shanahan.
They need more scoring depth. There's a massive gap in points per game after their 4 (now 3) big guns. They have zero chance of making another Stanley Cup run when opposing teams only have to shut down one line and stay out of the penalty box. It's not easy to do, but the Stars had no problem putting out their 4th line against MacKinnon and co.
If we can get the same Landeskog we had in 22 and we hold onto Mittlestadt with 1 year under the belt I do think we can get there again. I think we need to bail on Nichuskin and find a replacement. Can’t be having him as distraction in what is literally the most important game of the year.
Hate to say this but avs are no longer the favourites for the cup now and will be chasing Dallas for years to come, avs now just need to play each game like they're the underdogs
Terminate big Val's contract and have him re-sign at league minimum for a year to compensate for the last two seasons while your team is in the prime of their window for winning cups. Also if you decide to step out of the playoffs it won't matter because of your cap hit. Obviously, won't happen, mostly joking…but as an Avs fan that would be amazing lol
Edit: There's probably some rule that prevents this from happening as well
Clearly missing Landeskog as that final elite piece. Losing Nichushkin was terrible for them in the series against Dallas. Georgiev did well against Dallas so proved me kind of wrong. But I still think they'll struggle winning the cup with him as the starter.
0:10 Go Avs Go
Nichushkin fucked us man
Just a couple small moves and they’re good.
“If you’re excited for this year’s draft… why?” 😂😂😂😂
Well done, thank you!
Goodness, a lot a former Stars on that team.
Be healthy, have off season aqusitions that stick, figure out landy/Val, and get the people you can keep signed done. This is the last year before they will need to do a major retool. I don't see them keeping mikko unless Landy is gone
With a lot of nose powder
Imo
– Nichushkin gotta get fired into the sun.
– Landy gotta come back, even if its in the bottom 6, as long as his knee can handle the stress, and he can actually ramp up to normal league speed.
– Gotta replace older contracts on bottom 6/bottom pair like JJ, that's where the Avs have been cooked every year (outside of 22')
– Gotta have playoff Georgie rather than Reg. Season Georgie. Juice helped and can be a solid backup.
Avs are frauds and got exposed as such by the Stars.
That is all.
Interesting how one team loses and they are at a "crossroads" while another team loses and is a "favorite"
Maybe this is common feeling, but i see plenty of what-ifs in the team's forwards roster that feel more like gambling than any sound judgement.
What if Landeskog comes back? What if Logan O'Connor is healthy for a playoff run? What if Nichushkin gets reinstated and can still play at the level he is paid to? What if Nikolai Kovalenko can produce like he did in the KHL?
It seems like there is an awful lot of hedging on the future to just fall into place. I get that there will always be a certain amount of that, but it feels like the Avalanche in particular have been stuck in this limbo of everyone thinking they are contenders despite not showing enough steps to actually be a better team.
Mittelstadt was a good start, but is he gonna have a career year like Kadri did? Probably not. Georgiev showed up when he needed to. So while I think it would be interesting to see what the Avalanche could do with a truly elite level goaltender, that's not their weakest area in my opinion.
They’ve kinda turned into what the Caps have become. Difference is the Avs have a core that can still put out elite production.
The arm chair gms in this comment section crack me up ☠️ if any of these gms in this comment section got their way the Colorado Avalanche will be dead last next year, all im gonna say is i trust McFarland and Sakic to make the right decisions and as far as i see it as long as bednar is coach and the this core is still here the avalanche are Stanley Cup conteners
That Nichuskin thing….I hope he gets head straight, but he basically fucked his team two years in a row in the playoffs. I can't see that sitting well with management or the locker room.
why would the Avs be favorite for the cup in 2025 makes no sense
Listen, I'm gonna preface this right off the bat that MacKinnon is worth every penny he is paid by the Avs. But I was beyond flabbergasted when he signed his last contract. I really thought he would take around 10 million Max to keep the team more competitive like his Idol Sid did in Pittsburgh. I know the cap is going up and all but Colorado really needs every last penny they can to keep a good team with this short window they have. Look at Toronto and their core 4 experiment to see how well the high salary thing goes. These guys can make twice as much in endorsement deals than their salaries anyway so take as little as possible to make your team the most competitive.
This team is a head scratcher…on paper they should be making it to the finals yearly…it's a complete team with strength and balance at both ends of the ice… maybe a bit less depth than Dallas but only one or two players different… Goaltending yeah not their strength but I don't think Georgiev was the reason they lost in the playoffs. His regular season numbers also a bit pedestrian so an upgrade their would certainly bolster their chances though their last cup run Kemper was questionable and they overcame.
Trade for Ullmark
Gabe Landeskog for sure needs to come back!!! The leadership role he plays on and off the ice is underrated.
Avs contenders? possibly.. favorites? I think not
In my mind, seeing Georgiev really struggle the final month of the regular season i wasnt high on him but his play off run, his actual on ice play regardless of stats, was solid. Too many times he was set up to fail against dallas, too many times the team wasnt playing in front of him. I know that the best goalies in the league will be able to overcome "some" of those situations, but georgie isnt the best in the league, but he is good enough for this team, provided we give him the Support that we are "capable" of.
As for what I would fix, Nichuskin needs to go. Either work on petitioning to void the contract, or sit on/LTIR assistance program cap relief stuff till he comes back then trade his ass to Utah for pennies on the dollar. I understand that there are things that affect individuals, but I dont think Val wants to help himself at this point. To much in the last 12 months has occurred for me to trust him again. This isnt a business that we can afford to deal with his shit. this is my money, and other fans money being lost because of his antics. Then, sign mittlestadt, he is very capable, then, gut the powerplay coaching and rebuild that front, and get new team psychologists.
Respect to you bud but predicting 2025? You looking for clicks bro?
Two years in a row one of their top 4 players leaves at the end of a playoff series. The Avs tried, but I think that was the nail in the coffin.
I hope Nichushkin gets the help he needs but also if I'm one of the core players on the Avalanche I don't want to see him back in the locker room with me.
One quick note, the CapFriendly cap space on July 1st does count Landeskog's salary against the cap, but not not Nichushkin's. My guess is that they'll negotiate a contract settlement with Nichushkin that will have some cap hit, but not as bad or as long as a buy out. I do see a path for several prospects to play significant roles with the Avs next year, specifically Malinski, Kovalenko, and Foudy. I wonder if Ritchie will be ready to make the jump to the NHL or will he be forced to waste a year in the OHL. Gulyayev played well in the KHL as an 18 year old D and is under contract there for two more seasons, so he'll be a little while. Of their UFAs, I think you're right abou Johnson and Cogs in that if they want to sign they'll take league min and stay put. Drouin has expressed interest in staying, so i hope they can work that out. Signing Trenin would be a big bonus as well, he was phenomenal after the trade.
They should be good in the west I don’t too to much in the west changes I think in the east Toronto Boston and Tampa will all fall way back
Nichuskin will be in Edmonton this fall doing lines with Ken Holland
I don't think the lack of Nuchuskin himself is what cost the Avs any games, but them mental factor of him getting suspended could definitely be seen. You could tell the guys were way off their game and were pissed off in the locker room according to some media. I think they need to work on getting Nichushkin out of the lineup for stability sake. He's a great player currently, but that doesn't mean much if you aren't there, taking up space, and messing with the mentality of the rest of the team.
If Landeskog comes back it would be a total game changer and I think the Avs would take the cup.
Change of goaltending would be smart if you could get Nichushkin's cap space back via some sort of contractrual out, put that towards goaltending and get your hands on a top-tier guy. Georgiev wasn't bad by any means, but he isn't a goalie you can reliably fall back on. If the Avs have top notch goaltending it would be a terrifying team.
AVS don't need to buy him out. They can void the contract. The NHLPA will probably have something to say about it but there's a good chance if AVS do want to do that, they will okay.
Kovalenko?
It really makes you wonder if the Jets would have had a bit of a chance if Nichushkin had been suspended and tested two weeks prior? I know they didn't look good, but he literally had seven goals in five games, and two of those games were clear wins because of his performance.
They need a captains presence on the ice and they also need to turn the page on Nichushkin. Nobody has replaced what Kadri brought to the Avs . Next season will be interesting .
The only major thing you really need to do is to address the need in the middle behind MacKinnon.
Pandering to Colorado fans. No Landeskog, no Nichushkin — let's be real. He's done. Georgiev was good but not great. They're top 4 in the Western Conference at best. If Landeskog can regain form that will be a boost, but no way Nichushkin plays another game in a Colorado sweater.
I know the Landeskog and Nichushkin situations are big curveballs, but you cannot expect to go far in the playoffs with Lehkonen and Drouin playing alongside Mackinnon. They desperately need another big winger to help Mackinnon and Rantanen. And potentially more depth down the middle.
What's your thoughts on the middlestad trade?
Dallas is definitely the better team. But then I dig deeper. Ryan Johanson is a veteran. He is a big body. He matches up better against Dallas C then Casey. Maybe against an Edm. Beating Wpg I wouldn't take it as a win. Wpg is the pinnacle of mediocrity followed by NYI and even Tor.
1. Landeskog is missed and cannot be replaced
2. Without Byram I don't aeethe blue line having stability.
3. This can all be blamed on Nichuskckin
4. Pretty sure Kadri helped them win the cup so I look back at that trade and I feel like they should of gotten Thompson or Cozens.
5. Then I ask why did they trade newhook.
So my analysis here is that after winning the cup, they couldn't get back on track. They need that 2nd line C, figure out the deal with landeskog, and to not trade their youth.