With Brock Nelson signing his extension this summer, the top six is basically set to start the season and, on paper, has looked its best since the 2021-22 championship season. However, is the bottom six deep enough? There haven't been any signings in free agency; instead, there have been re-signings. With Logan O’Connor out to start the season, does the bottom-six need more work to be done before the season begins?
There are new faces that could make their debut, such as Gavin Brindley, acquired in the Charlie Coyle and Miles Wood trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets, and Danil Gushchin, acquired from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for Oskar Olausson. Alternatively, we could see familiar faces from the organization make their Avalanche debut, such as Taylor Makar and Zakhar Bardakov, who have recently joined from the KHL.
They proceed to wait on the market, rather than jumping at the chance to resign Joel Kiviranta, who finished with a career-high 16 goals and seven assists for 23 points in 73 games. Instead, they re-sign him to a one-year, $1.25 million deal. He was coming off a one-year, $775,000 contract, which made last season a huge contract year in hopes of securing a bigger deal. They now welcome him back with open arms, as he was crucial to the penalty kill last season.
They proceed to do the same with Victor Olofsson from the Vegas Golden Knights, who last season finished with 15 goals and 14 assists for 29 points in 56 games. Signing him to a one-year, $1.575 million deal, Olofsson showed great flashes in his game with the Knights but dealt with injuries. He’s got an excellent shot and can play both left and right wing, and if he can stay healthy and show off that goal-scoring prowess again, his contribution to the bottom-six could be excellent, especially adding another weapon to the second power play unit.
Alongside familiar faces like Ross Colton, Jack Drury, Ivan Ivan, and Logan O’Connor, when he returns from hip surgery, could these additions be enough to help support the top-six both offensively and defensively? Can these players they've added have similar years to last year, or can they bounce back in production to what we saw from them in previous years?
Colton finished with 29 points in 61 games last year. Can we see him back to his 2023-24 season, where he finished with 40 points in 80 games? What kind of step can we see from Drury entering his first full season with the Avalanche? Is expecting Kiviranta to match his production last season too much? Can we see Olofsson reach that level of 25-30 goal scorer that he was back with the Buffalo Sabres?
You can’t ask your bottom-six to produce at a better or similar rate than your top-six, but you do ask them to play a particular role for the team. Can these guys play on the penalty kill? How well are they defensively in their own end of the ice? Can they still contribute now and then to help alleviate some pressure from the top six if things aren’t clicking some nights?
Avalanche Storylines Heading Into the 2025-26 Season: Valeri Nichushkin’s Performance
As we approached the 2024-25 season, a question on everyone's mind was Valeri Nichushkin's return after a six-month suspension. Despite the hurdles, the 'Chu-Chu Train' has shown remarkable resilience, scoring 21 goals and 13 assists for 34 points in 43 games. His journey is a testament to the power of determination. What more can we expect from him this season?
Before the additions of Olofsson and Kiviranta, the Avalanche were looking to ice players like Ivan, Nikita Prischchepov, and Makar, many of whom have less than 30-40 games of NHL experience. It is essential to have promising young talent on your team for the organization's future. Still, this team is in its prime to win now, and having these guys in the bottom six could be good for a game here and there if there is an injury or rest, but starting every day is not quintessential to a championship roster.
That's the most significant question now entering the season in my eyes, and many as well. Changes have been made, players have been signed and re-signed to fairly well contract deals (we can argue about Nelson another time). With the state of how Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar are playing, you have to find the right players to fill out the best roster you can to win another Stanley Cup with these elite players.
The question is: are these depth signings enough? We know the top six looks elite and will be special on the ice, but can this bottom six produce offensively while being defensively responsible enough each night that the top six doesn't have to carry the load for 82 games? Defense and depth are crucial to a Stanley Cup-caliber team, and in the past, this team has shown that it can’t compete because of them. However, now they have the bodies; can they perform up to it?
The Avalanche still has some cap space to work around with, $1.325 million to be exact. Could they use some of that trade deadline for another bottom-six player? Are they confident with who they have currently signed to fill out the bottom six and use that in other ways? Only time will tell.
Avalanche’s “Lumber Yard” Set to Dominate 2025-26
One of the most significant turning points last season for the Colorado Avalanche was the acquisition of<a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators/author/emma-lingan" target="_blank"> Scott Wedgewood from the Nashville Predators</a> and, most importantly,<a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/san-jose-sharks/players/breaking-sharks-trade-no-1-goalie-to-avalanche" target="_blank"> Mackenzie Blackwood from the San Jose Sharks</a>. Both completely turned around the team's goaltending situation for the better, earning the “Lumberyard” nickname from the fans. With their first season down, what does this tag team look like heading into the season, and how can they help the Avalanche get a better start this season?
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