The Avalanche look to reclaim the top spot in the West with some big additions to the roster.
While the Edmonton Oilers pose the biggest threat in the Pacific Division to the Vegas Golden Knights' chance to repeat as Western Conference Champions, fans cannot forget about the threat that the Colorado Avalanche pose.
Sure, the Avalanche lost captain Gabe Landeskog to injury for the season, but they still post a viable challenge in the Western Conference.
Nathan MacKinnon is still an all-World player; Cale Makar is easily one, if not the, top defenseman in the league; Mikkon Rantanen produces at a high level and is only getting better at age 26.
They added some depth in the form of Tomas Tatar, a former Golden Knight, and Ryan Johansen, who looks to revitalized his career by looking to pair up with MacKinnon again.
"The addition of Ryan Johansen adds immense depth at the 2C position as he excels at something the Avs have been lacking — a strong faceoff winner. He’s a big body with skillful playmaking skills and a skilled shooter," said Colleen Flynn, site editor of The Hockey News' Colorado Avalanche site. "Reuniting him with his former junior teammate, MacKinnon, and a change of environment seems to have added some life to his play. He is very skilled at puck handling and is a fast skater. If he sharpens all his tools and uses them well, he has a good chance to reunite with MacKinnon on the ice on the top line."
Alexander Georgiev had a great first year between the pipes for the Avalanche. He looks to take the next step and join the conversation in terms of elite goaltenders.
He will likely do a bulk of the lifting for the time being, however.
"Alexandar Georgiev had a phenomenal first season as a starter but did split a little time with Pavel Francouz," Flynn said. "With an unknown return time for Francouz, as he’s out on injury, Justus Annuenen is the backup. And while head coach Jared Bednar is confident in his second-string goalie, he hasn’t seen much NHL action."
All in all, Colorado - and Dallas to a degree - will be the biggest threats coming out of the Central Division. That said, it's the Avalanche with the bigger chip on the shoulder, as they look to prove that 2022-23 was just a small blip in a potential dynasty.
"If the team continues to deepen the chemistry that has already been building with the new players, it will be a serious threat in the Western Conference," Flynn said. "After suffering last season plagued with injuries and an early playoff exit, they’re hungry for another Cup and will fight as hard as possible to get it."
THREAT LEVEL: Nuclear.
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