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NHL Airport, Gate 4: Colorado Avalanche

NHL AIRPORT
GATE 4: COLORADO
Image result for colorado avalanche goal nathan mackinnon
PREVIOUSLY: The 2016-17 Colorado Avalanche finished 21 points back from the second-worst team in the NHL (Vancouver), and that was the third-worst finish in NHL history. Trade rumors surrounded Matt Duchene, Gabriel Landeskog, and Nathan MacKinnon, but none of the trio left Colorado. The leading scorer was MacKinnon with just 53 points. Mikko Rantanen led the team with just 20 goals-87th in the league. MacKinnon's 53 ranked 73rd, but the next closest Av was Duchene in 157th. Coach Patrick Roy left the team for the second time, and it didn't get any better for Colorado. They didn't get the first pick in the draft, they fell to fourth, where they got a solid defenseman in Cale Makar. (However, he's no Nolan Patrick or Nico Hischier).

ARRIVING: Colin Wilson: Colorado traded a 2019 fourth-rounder for Wilson, who holds the Predators franchise record for most goals in a series and had 35 points in 70 games with Nashville last season. He had six power play goals-needed, given that Colorado's power play scored 12.1% of the time last season. Jonathan Bernier: Bernier signed with the Avalanche this offseason and figures to be Semyon Varlamov's backup, although he could play if Varlamov got injured. When John Gibson was hurt when Bernier was with Anaheim, he carried the Ducks to a 11-0-2 stretch and had a solid playoffs, eventually losing to Nashville. Cale Makar: Makar was taken with the fourth selection in the draft and should help the Av's weak defense that has lost a few players over the offseason.

DEPARTING: Calvin Pickard: Pickard was a backup on the rise when he was taken in the expansion draft. Vegas needed someone to help with Marc-Andre Fleury's workload, and they got a solid goaltender in Pickard. Pickard was the leader in wins with 15 and GAA with the Avalanche last year. Still, that situation has been solved with the signing of Bernier. Mikhail Grigorenko: Grigorenko left the NHL for the KHL after posting 23 points in 75 games, which ranked sixth on the team. His 10 goals also ranked sixth.

TAKING OFF? Not for a while. Even if the Avalanche performed decently, Semyon Varlamov stood on his head and became this year's Sergei Bobrovsky story, Colorado is still playing in a loaded Central Division. The top three playoff spots are owned by Chicago, St. Louis, and Minnesota, while the two wild-card spots have Dallas' and Nashville's names on them. Colorado needs to draft (even) higher, trade Duchene or Landeskog, and rebuild around young star MacKinnon.

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