Evan Rawal of Colorado Hockey Now offered a few things the Colorado Avalanche could do before next season starts in October. Unsurprisingly, Rawal asserts that the Avalanche would do well by adding more to the bottom six of their forward core.
Currently, Colorado’s bottom line is projected to be comprised of middling NHL options including Joel Kiviranta, Chris Wagner, and Parker Kelly. The Avalanche need to improve upon this facet of their roster if they have any hopes of contending during the 2024-25 NHL season. The team may have three solid forward lines — but it won’t be enough to compete in a hotly contested Central Division.
The team may be able to fill these roster spots internally with prospects like Nikolai Kovalenko but there are still options to add in free agency. At this point in the offseason, Rawal contends that Colorado could pursue the likes of Steven Lorentz to center the team’s fourth line while filling in the rest of the forward core with internal options.
Other Central notes:
- In a group effort, The Athletic ranked (Subscription Required) the Nashville Predators with the best goaltending situation in the National Hockey League. The Predators have one of the best goaltenders in the league in Juuse Saros who has maintained a .917 save percentage in 333 starts. Even after signing Saros to an eight-year, $61.92MM extension, the Predators arguably have one of the best goaltending prospects too. Yaroslav Askarov played 44 games for the organization’s AHL affiliate in Milwaukee this past season while earning a 30-13-1 record with a .911 SV%.
- The AHL affiliate of the St. Louis Blues, the Springfield Thunderbirds, has made a big addition to the lineup by adding Oliver Chau on an AHL contract for the 2024-25 season (X Link). Chau was an impressive scorer for the ECHL’s Florida Everblades last year after scoring 26 goals and 60 points in 70 games. Outside of regular season success, Chau recorded nine goals and 23 points in 23 postseason contests en route to playoff MVP honors and a Kelly Cup Championship.
If the Preds were going to keep Askarov and pair the two, sure the Preds. In reality, the Preds have a decent starter who has never won a thing and a nice trade chip.
DAL and NYR have younger and better goalies and, thus, situations, just to name a few.
Hot take
Both those teams have a better supporting cast.
Might be interesting this year
Buffalo has a younger (and still unproven) G core. But UPL was absolutely outstanding after Jan. 1 and Devon Levi has a very impressive resume. (In a recent re-draft article he moved from the 7th to the 1st round.)
I’m not making a claim for the Sabres to have an elite, let alone being set for the next decade. But they’re both under 25 and if they play consistently like they’ve shown in a small sample size, they will become the envy of the league. And that’s bolstered by the very young studly D – 2 #1 o/a & a #4 o/a.