Changes are coming, but what the Avs can do before next year is tied to the two big unknowns
Colorado Avalanche defenseman Josh Manson , Nathan MacKinnon and Colorado Avalanche goaltender Alexandar Georgiev in disbelief after Dallas Stars center Matt Duchene scored the game winning double overtime goal winning Game 6 of the second round of the 2024 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs 2-1 at Ball Arena in Denver on Friday, May 17, 2024. No other team in the NHL has three players in the prime of their careers at the level of Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar and Mikko Rantanen.
Let’s start with the two obvious ones, but also dig into the other biggest questions McFarland, Bednar and Co. are facing:Bednar said the Avs weren’t that close to getting Landeskog back when the season ended. He hasn’t played for two full seasons now but has been skating for months. The recovery time for his rare procedure from last May was 12-16 months.
It does give Colorado a little bit of flexibility. Let’s say the Avs wanted to swing two moves like the trades for Casey Mittelstadt and Sean Walker. They could make one and go “over” the self-imposed cap that will eventually include Nichushkin’s number, and have time to make another to get back “under.”
There could also be some long-term planning involved, because Rantanen and Alexandar Georgiev are entering the final year of their contracts and will be eligible for extensions July 1.Drouin is the headliner among the UFAs. Zach Parise has already said he’s retiring. Andrew Cogliano said Saturday morning he hasn’t decided yet. Jack Johnson told The Denver Post recently that he definitely wants to keep playing.
“I hope so. Yeah, I mean, that’ll be up to him, his agent management,” Bednar said. “He’s well-liked in our locker room. Certainly like his ability and his talent and the way he played for us this year, so hopefully we can get it done.”Given the constraints with the Nichushkin situation and not knowing what to expect when Landeskog returns, the simple answer to a complex question is it might be a relatively quiet offseason for the Avs, at least on the roster-building front.
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