Three Colorado Avalanche players could either be assets or detriments to the team this season. Who are they and what do they bring to the table?
There is a list of unknowns with a mix of new and returning players going into this season. So who are a few of the wild cards for the 2023-24 Colorado Avalanche?
Jonathan Drouin
Jonathan Drouin showed superb talent in juniors when he played with Nathan MacKinnon, but never quite played to his potential in his three years with the Tampa Bay Lightning and six years with the Montreal Canadiens.
But the change of scenery could spark the 27-year-old's scoring and playmaking skills — putting him in a possible top-line position. If he doesn’t reach that height, he could still be a solid second-line forward or add depth to the bottom six.
The last full season Drouin played was 2018-19 when he put up 53 points in 81 games. Since then, he’s battled injuries and anxiety issues which caused him to miss chunks of the last few seasons.
If he’s able to get his mind and body healthy and back in the game, the possibilities are all quite favorable.
Valeri Nichushkin
Another query lies with Valeri Nichushkin. He’s proven to be a solid playmaker and goal-scorer in his past seasons with the Avalanche which is why the team signed him to a long-term deal last year. But the turn of events in the playoffs last season created questions. Lots of questions.
While his physical playing ability isn’t particularly in question, his mental playing ability is. Chemistry and compatibility are key to a winning team which can be hard to achieve if everyone isn’t on the same page.
His Instagram posts have shown he's been spending his offseason in Russia. In his most recent post, he's holding, what appears to be, a semiautomatic rifle, which could be perceived as political and controversial. He's also pictured holding a gun with two other men he refers to as "brothers."
For the 28-year-old Russian’s sake and the sake of the team, the playoffs incident and any other personal issues need to be put behind him. He needs to return to the team with a clean slate, ready to compete. As long as he does his job to the best of his ability, everything else should fall into place.
But if not, there could be significant consequences on and off the ice, possibly creating tension in the locker room.
Ryan Johansen
A lot of faith and pressure has been put on Ryan Johansen, as he dealt with an injury setback last season. But the veteran center had a 63-point season in 2021-22. He needs to get back to that caliber in order to truly make an impact on the highly-skilled Avalanche team.
If he doesn’t return to his productive form, he could end up in the bottom six — opening up opportunities for Drouin to move to center or Ross Colton to get a shot at the second-line position.