NHL Central preview: Colorado Avalanche
As NHL training camps get set to open this week, here's a brief look at what to expect from the Blackhawks' Central Division foes this season.
COLORADO AVALANCHE 39-39-4, 82 points, sixth place
Postseason: Did not qualify
Key additions: Forward Joe Colborne; defensemen Fedor Tyutin and Patrick Wieroich
Key losses: Forwards Mikkel Boedker and Shawn Matthias; defenseman Nick Holden; coach Patrick Roy.
The skinny: Colorado was 38-31-4 through 73 games, but lost eight of its last nine to miss the playoffs for the second straight season. Coach Patrick Roy abruptly resigned on Aug. 11 and the team hired Jared Bednar two weeks later. Bednar, 44, won the AHL's Calder Cup with Lake Erie last season. He'll direct a team led by center Matt Duchene (30 goals) and anchored on defense by Tyson Barrie, Erik Johnson and Francois Beauchemin.
“To a man, everybody said the same thing: He's a very demanding coach, but he's fair with the players as well,” Avs GM Joe Sakic told reporters about Bednar. “They're going to know exactly what he expects and I'm excited to see this team react to his style.”
It will be interesting to see if Nathan MacKinnon can recapture the magic of his rookie season after spending the past two campaigns nursing injuries. MacKinnon won the Calder Trophy in 2014 with 24 goals and 39 assists, but he averaged 17.5 goals and 27.5 assists the next two years while sitting out a combined 28 games. He signed a seven-year, $44.1 million contract on July 8.
Two youngsters to watch are wingers Mikko Rantanen, the 10th pick in the 2015 draft and AHL co-rookie of the year, and Northbrook's J.T. Compher, who played at Michigan with the Blackhawks' Tyler Motte. Rantanen scored 24 goals in 52 games, and Compher led the nation with 47 assists in 38 games with the Wolverines.
The Avs are also hoping the additions of 33-year-old Fedor Tyutin and 25-year-old Patrick Wiercioch strengthen the blue line. Tyutin, who spent the past eight years in Columbus, had his contract bought out by the Blue Jackets.