NHL Season Preview 2016-17: Colorado Avalanche
Could the Colorado Avalanche be a sleeper pick to make the playoffs in 2016-17?
The Colorado Avalanche had a dramatic 2015-16 season, to say the least. Head coach Patrick Roy was as enigmatic and angry as he was as a goalie. He clashed several times with star players, including Matt Duchene and Tyson Barrie. Roy recently resigned from the Avalanche, which might be the best thing possible for the Avalanche.
To replace him, the Avalanche hired Calder Cup champion Jared Bednar of the Lake Erie Monsters. Bednar should be a welcome change from Roy and could help the Avalanche improve quickly. He will have quite a bit of talent to work with. Nathan MacKinnon, Gabriel Landeskog, Duchene, and Barrie are a part of a core that Roy couldn’t maximize. Bednar could look like a genius if he can do what Roy couldn’t do.
Offseason Review
Additions: F Joe Colborne (Flames), D Fedor Tytuin (Blue Jackets), D Patrick Wiercioch (Senators), C Ben Smith (Maple Leafs)
Losses: G Reto Berra (Panthers), D Nick Holden (Rangers), D Zach Redmond (Canadiens), F Mikkel Boedker (Sharks), C Shawn Matthias (Jets)
Retained: C Nathan MacKinnon, D Tyson Barrie, C/F Mikhail Grigorenko, G Calvin Pickard
The Colorado Avalanche quietly got better this offseason. Joe Colborne is a solid third line forward who set career highs last season with 19 goals and 44 points. He likely won’t repeat his 19 percent shooting percentage, but he gives the Avalanche a reasonably priced scorer.
Fedor Tyutin’s offense leaves a lot to be desired. But defensively, few are better than him at suppressing shot attempts. Colorado allowed the most shots against per 60 minutes at even strength in 2015-16, which makes Tyutin an important addition.
The Avalanche took a flyer on former Ottawa Senators defenseman Patrick Wiercioch. He’s an example of a player who analytics people love with his impressive puck possession stats. It appears that Colorado is finally embracing analytics, which could be a game changer for them.
Losing Berra isn’t a big deal because the Avalanche already have Semyon Varlamov and Calvin Pickard. With the expansion draft looming, Colorado will have to pick which goalie to protect, so this season could serve as an audition.
After an eternity of trade rumors, the Avalanche gave Tyson Barrie a well-deserved extension. He is arguably Colorado’s best puck mover and flourishes in offensive situations. Roy and Barrie clashed, but luckily for the Avalanche, Barrie appears to have won.
The Avalanche’s best move this offseason? Extending Nathan MacKinnon. He is an incredible talent who is only going to get better. One of Bednar’s objectives will be to help MacKinnon continue to develop into one of the best players in the NHL.
DENVER, CO – MARCH 03: Nathan MacKinnon
Player Spotlight: Nathan MacKinnon
Without question, the most important Avalanche player is center Nathan MacKinnon. MacKinnon has been dominant since being drafted by the Avalanche in 2013. While he has not surpassed his rookie totals of 24 goals and 63 points, Roy didn’t utilize him properly. Roy’s system never took advantage of MacKinnon’s greatest asset (his speed). But that should definitely change moving forward.
Colorado’s puck possession stats were terrible, to say the least. Despite that, MacKinnon has been a consistently dominant player while on the ice. Shot attempts aren’t everything, but when your team shoots the puck more when you’re on the ice, you’re clearly doing something right. Roy utilized MacKinnon as an all situations center and despite handling huge responsibilities, MacKinnon consistently makes his team better.
Moving forward, Roy being fired could be the best thing to happen to MacKinnon’s career. Bednar wants the Avalanche to play with a faster pace and focus heavily on puck possession. With a coach that should utilize him properly, MacKinnon could have a breakout season in 2016-17.
2016-17 Outlook
The Avalanche’s offseason changes could pay dividends. Bednar will have a lot of fun utilizing a fast team with skill. But he could have his hands full on defense. Barrie and Johnson are both solid defensemen, but Francois Beauchemin is aging and slow. Should Bednar utilize Tyutin properly, that would be a huge help to the Avalanche’s defense. With his defensive abilities, Tyutin would be a great fit alongside Barrie.
MacKinnon, Duchene, and Carl Soderberg give the Avalanche three quality centers. Expect them to take advantage of the strengths of the trio. However, their wings are a work in progress, which could hurt them moving forward.
The Avalanche will find it hard to compete in a very tough Central Division that will likely have five playoff teams. However, the Avalanche certainly have talent and Bednar’s system is likely going to differ greatly from Roy’s. It’s not too difficult to imagine them pushing for a playoff spot. Expect the Colorado Avalanche to contend this season. But the playoffs is likely asking too much. Keep in mind though that Rome wasn’t built in a day and it’s always darkest before the dawn.
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