Snapshots: Sweden, Prospects, Coyotes
Sweden has released their roster for the upcoming Pyeongchang Olympic Games, and even though it doesn’t have any current NHL players, it has plenty of league experience. Staffan Kronwall, Viktor Stalberg, Linus Omark and others highlight what should be one of the more powerful teams in the tournament, but one other name is the taking all the headlines.
Rasmus Dahlin, the expected first-overall pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft has made the cut and is one of eight defensemen named to the squad. The 17-year old already starred at the World Juniors and plays a regular role on Frolunda in the SHL, Sweden’s highest professional league. There is little controversy over Dahlin’s ranking as the best talent available in this year’s draft, and a good showing at the Olympics will only raise his stock even further.
- Speaking of prospects, Corey Pronman of The Athletic (subscription required) released his midseason rankings of those already drafted, and lists Casey Mittelstadt at the very top. The Buffalo Sabres draft pick has had a year to remember, selected eighth overall, starring at the University of Minnesota, being named MVP of the World Juniors and just recently being among the nominees for the Hobey Baker award as the best collegiate player in the country. Though things don’t look good in Buffalo right now, Mittelstadt and others—including #24 on Pronman’s list—will look to turn things around in the near future.
- Despite rumors swirling around the Arizona Coyotes, some closest to the situation aren’t as willing to point to a potential firesale of their top defensemen. At least not Craig Morgan of AZ Sports, who calls some of the recent rumors “baseless” and doesn’t think the Coyotes have done anything to “set the market” or trade Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Niklas Hjalmarsson or Jason Demers. Morgan isn’t saying that it won’t happen, just that he believes there is little fact in the rumors that have been spread recently. There’s a good reason to believe that Arizona will move some assets before the deadline, but it doesn’t appear like an Ekman-Larsson is imminent or that even a real asking price has been set.
Red Wings Notes: Howard, Larkin, Holland
MLive’s Ansar Khan reports that Detroit Red Wings goalie Jimmy Howard is slated to return for Saturday’s contest against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Howard was shelved with a lower body injury but Detroit’s bye week was a fortuitous opportunity for the veteran net minder to recover. Howard told DetroitRedWings.com’s Dana Wakiji that he’ll be ready for tomorrow’s game. In his last six starts, Howard has been 4-2 with a .952 save percentage, and a main reason the Red Wings have seen their fortunes trend up. Though they’re still out of the playoff hunt (and will stay that way most likely), Howard has been excellent for a team short on defense and elite talent.
- Khan takes questions in a mailbag next, indicating that he doesn’t expect any hitches as they did when Andreas Athanasiou held out as an RFA. Khan continues, writing that the Red Wings have $10MM with Mike Green and Petr Mrazek set to be free agents. With the cap rising as well, Khan doesn’t foresee any issues getting the important younger players, namely Dylan Larkin, Anthony Mantha and Athanasiou. Martin Frk and Tyler Bertuzzi are both in their final year of a contract but will come at a lower price than the aforementioned three.
- In another question, Khan writes that Henrik Zetterberg might have one season left before a new captain will have to be named. He sees Justin Abdelkader being the next Red Wing to wear the C while Larkin a future captain as well. Larkin was an alternate captain while playing in the World Juniors last May, but it wouldn’t be crazy to think that Larkin could be the next in line. Steve Yzerman was named captain at the ripe old age of 21, which just happens to be Larkin’s current age.
- The Detroit Free Press’ Helene St. James has a mailbag of her own, and gives her thoughts on the future of general manager Ken Holland. She believes he will still be around, either in the GM chair or as an adviser. She also believes that Larkin will be the first of the three young building blocks (Larkin-Mantha-Athanasiou) to be re-signed by Detroit.
Morning Notes: Maple Leafs, Hoffman, Lockwood
The Toronto Maple Leafs are in their bye week after a pair of one-goal losses, and though the points totals say they’re tied with the Boston Bruins for second in the Atlantic Division, they actually trail behind. That’s because Toronto has played five more games than the Bruins, who are tied for the fewest GP so far in the league. As the Maple Leafs rest up from a grueling first half, GM Lou Lamoriello spoke with Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun and discussed a potential deadline trade:
I certainly like our roster. I think it’s solid. We’ll have to wait and see what is transpiring, but you’re never good enough.
To do something for the sake of doing something is never a good thing. You don’t even want to use the word ‘substantial.’ Sometimes the smallest things become the biggest.
Lamoriello has maintained his position all along that he’ll only make a trade to improve the club if something presents itself, and isn’t out there knocking down doors to improve the Maple Leafs defense corps. While it does sound like there may be some minor tweaks out of Toronto as we head closer to the deadline, a major move might not be in the cards.
- Lamoriello’s contemporary from Ottawa however could be barking up a very different tree. Darren Dreger joined TSN 1200 radio yesterday to discuss several Senators topics, including the potential trade of Mike Hoffman. Dreger reported that the market is strong for Hoffman, mentioning teams like St. Louis, Edmonton and Calgary as potential destinations. Hoffman has 29 points on the season but has recently found quite a bit of chemistry with Matt Duchene. Whether that duo is broken up is still to be seen, but the Senators will likely try to wait as long as possible to make a decision.
- Unfortunately, for another Canadian team, it’s surgery for one of their top prospects. Vancouver Canucks prospect Will Lockwood, who injured his shoulder in the World Juniors for Team USA, is set to have surgery according to Rick Dhaliwal of NEWS 1130. Utica Comets GM Ryan Johnson told Dhaliwal that Lockwood would have the surgery in two weeks, and be out around six months. That’s a tough break for the University of Michigan, where Lockwood was having another strong season. He’ll have to make a decision on whether or not to turn pro after the season is over.
Snapshots: Three Stars, Dahlin, Hajek
The NHL has released their three stars of last week, with Patrice Bergeron leading the way after his four-goal game against Carolina. Bergeron may not be as flashy as some of his contemporaries, but is undoubtedly still one of the very best players in the NHL. Brad Marchand, who played a big part in his linemate’s impressive performance, wasn’t surprised, telling Tim Rosenthal of Boston.com:
It’s pretty impressive.
I think winning the Olympics, winning the Cup, and him being Patrice Bergeron is above that.
Jonathan Bernier of the Colorado Avalanche and Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins took home second and third respectively, after their own impressive weeks. With Semyon Varlamov battling injury, Bernier has stepped in marvelously for the Avalanche, who continue to fight for a playoff spot in the Western Conference. Meanwhile, Crosby was up to his old tricks with eight points in four games.
- Craig Button of TSN has released his post-World Junior draft rankings, and he won’t be moving Rasmus Dahlin out of the top spot anytime soon. Button calls the 17-year old defenseman “franchise-defining,” and isn’t the only one. Corey Pronman of The Athletic wrote earlier today that Dahlin is “one of the all-time best defense prospects.” While Arizona remains in last place and has the best shot at the first-overall pick, the Buffalo Sabres aren’t far off from taking that title themselves. Remember though, that even the worst team in the league is actually more likely to lose the lottery and move down at least one spot.
- Speaking of impressive defense prospects, Libor Hajek has been traded in the WHL, heading from the Saskatoon Blades to the Regina Pats in exchange for a package of players and draft picks. Regina is hosting the Memorial Cup this season, and is loading up for the tournament. Hajek, a Tampa Bay Lightning prospect, was impressive at the World Juniors for the Czech Republic and will now join others like Josh Mahura (an Anaheim prospect who barely missed out on representing Canada) and Cale Fleury (a Montreal prospect who was acquired from Kootenay earlier this season) on an imposing blueline.
Morning Notes: World Juniors, Thomas, Savard
The World Juniors have come and gone, and once again scouts all across the league have started to adjust their rankings and projections. One such prognosticator, Corey Pronman of The Athletic, goes in depth on what he saw at the tournament and his main takeaways.
Pronman agrees with the rest of the writers who voted Casey Mittelstadt as tournament MVP, after the Buffalo Sabres prospect looked dangerous on every shift. Even with Buffalo struggling once again this season, there may be a light on the horizon in Mittelstadt. The eight-overall pick from 2017 has found immediate success at the University of Minnesota, and looks ready to turn pro after just one season in the NCAA. While he’s made no indication on whether he’ll be a one-and-done, the Sabres will undoubtedly make a pitch in the spring to bring him aboard.
- Speaking of World Junior prospects, the London Knights of the OHL have traded St. Louis Blues’ prospect Robert Thomas to the Hamilton Bulldogs for a package that includes five draft picks, stretching all the way to 2026. Thomas, selected 20th-overall in 2017, didn’t have an outstanding tournament for Team Canada but is still an intriguing prospect for the Blues. His defensive ability and versatility all while being an outstanding offensive producer makes it easy to envision him transitioning to the professional ranks with success. If he doesn’t crack the Blues out of camp next season he can still return to the junior ranks, and could be a returnee at the World Juniors next year as one of Canada’s top options up front.
- David Savard‘s wallet is a little lighter this morning, after being fined $5,000 for slashing Vincent Trocheck last night. Savard wasn’t given a penalty on the play, but didn’t avoid the gaze of the Department of Player Safety. While this obviously isn’t a suspension, it will be taken into account on any further disciplinary action from the league.
2018 World Juniors Recap
The 2018 World Junior Hockey Championships came to an end last night with a 3-1 Canada win over Sweden. Tyler Steenbergen was the unlikely hero, the only Canadian forward without a goal in the tournament to that point broke the tie with under two minutes left in the game. It was the perfect way to close out a memorable World Juniors, complete with the tournament’s first ever outdoor game, the most goals ever scored by an American player (Kieffer Bellows’ 7), and the first player to ever toss his medal away into the stands (Sweden’s Lias Andersson). While the bulk of the WJC coverage is generally just the results of the games, let’s take a closer look at the standouts of the tournament:
Canada – Gold
Top Performers: While Jordan Kyrou (STL) led the Canadians with ten points and had a fantastic tournament, the undisputed top player was the fourth overall pick this past June, defenseman Cale Makar (COL). The UMass product posted three goals and five assists to finish third in scoring for Canada. Tied for first among all defenseman in points at the WJC, Makar showed his next-level offensive ability for the first time on the international stage. Sam Steel (ANA) impressed as well with nine points and the second-best face-off percentage in the tournament. Victor Mete (MTL) showed his NHL experience has already had an impact on his defensive game; he finished +11 without a single goal scored while he was on the ice. Carter Hart (PHI) finished with the best save percentage, .930, and goals against average, 1.81, in the tournament.
Biggest Surprise: Probably the surprise of the whole tournament was Drake Batherson (OTT), a fourth-round pick who was not even invited to Canada’s camp, who led Canada in goal-scoring with seven tallies. Canada had faced criticism of including Batherson on the roster over several recent top picks who were skipped over, but decision paid off in a major way.
Sweden – Silver
Top Performers: If Rasmus Dahlin (2018) wasn’t the presumptive #1 overall pick in 2018 already, he is after the WJC. With a team-high six assists and +7 rating in major ice time, Dahlin proved that his draft stock is legitimate. While polarizing during the medal ceremony, the only opinion of Lias Andersson‘s (NYR) play was that it was strong. The Swedish captain tied for the team lead with seven points, six of which were his team-high six goals. Elias Petterson (VAN) and Alexander Nylander (BUF) were also impressive with seven points apiece. Filip Gustavsson (PIT) was rivaled only by Canada’s Hart in terms of the tourney’s top goaltender.
Biggest Surprise: The Swedes were top-heavy in terms of scoring, with the aforementioned four standouts contributing much of the offense, but that didn’t stop Axel Jonsson Fjallby (WAS) from making his presence felt. The 2016 fifth-rounder had four points, including two shorthanded goals, and was third on the team in shots.
United States – Bronze
Top Performers: Kieffer Bellows (NYI) led the WJC with nine goals and his teammate, Casey Mittelstadt (BUF), shared the tournament lead in points with eleven. So, while the U.S. fell short of their goal of being repeat champions, they arguably showcased the two best players of the World Juniors. Bellows passed up Jeremy Roenick as the highest goal-scoring American player in WJC history and finished one point behind Mittelstadt for the total points lead in a strong effort, while Mittelstadt was not only a top scorer, but a top a well-rounded presence as well, with a +8 rating. Mittelstadt’s rating was only bested on the team by defenseman Dylan Samberg (WPG), whose +10 was third-best at the WJC. The nine points for Brady Tkachuk (2018) will only serve to help his draft stock this June.
Biggest Surprise: Despite being assigned a crucial two-way, defensive role for the U.S., Trent Frederic (BOS) still managed to pot five goals, second-most on the team behind Bellows and tied for fifth in the tournament. He was also the only American player to score goals at even strength, on the power play, and on the penalty kill.
Czech Republic – 4th
Top Performers: Perhaps the player that helped his draft stock the most at the World Juniors was Filip Zadina (2018), who tied for second in the tournament with seven goals and helped lead his team to a semifinal appearance. The man assisting on many of Zadina’s goals was Martin Necas (CAR), who tied the U.S.’ Mittelstadt as the WJC’s points leader and led the tournament with eight assists. Necas looked like the most pro-ready prospect in the entire tournament. On the back end, Libor Hajek (TBL) tied only Canada’s Makar for the most points by a defenseman.
Biggest Surprise: The Czech’s scored more goals, 22, than any other team in the tournament. While Necas and Zadina, arguably the tournament’s most dynamic duo, had a lot of input, the whole roster stepped up and helped the team finish higher than other teams considered to be contenders, such as Finland and Russia.
Finland – 5th
Top Performer: Eeli Tolvanen (NSH) – 1 goal, 5 assists, 6 points. Led team in assists, points, shots, and +/-.
Biggest Surprise: Joona Koppanen (BOS, 5th-round in 2016) – 3 goals, 1 assist, 4 points. Second on team in goals.
Russia – 6th
Top Performer: Klim Kostin (STL) – 5 goals, 3 assists, 8 points. Led team in goals, points, and +/-.
Biggest Surprise: Artur Kayumov (undrafted) – 3 goals, 2 assists, 5 points. Second on team in goals and points.
Slovakia – 7th
Switzerland – 8th
Denmark – 9th
Belarus – 10th (relegated)
Poll: Who Will Win The WJC Gold Medal Game?
In what has been a tournament filled with outstanding performances—except perhaps at the ticket offices—Canada and Sweden have outlasted all the rest and will come together in the World Junior Championship gold medal match tonight. Neither team lost a game in regulation during the tournament, with Canada only falling in a snowy shootout at the hands of the United States in the outdoor game.
Both teams are loaded with future NHL talent, including the almost consensus 2018 first-overall pick in Rasmus Dahlin. Dahlin has been incredible all tournament long, looking just as poised and confident as always. The 17-year old defenseman plays for Frolunda in the SHL, where he has 11 points in 26 games and has graced highlight reels all season. While other 2018-eligible players have impressed at the tournament, Dahlin has cemented his spot as a franchise-changing prospect and the prize of the draft lottery.
It’s not just Dahlin starring for Sweden though. Their group of 2017 first-round picks—Elias Pettersson, Lias Andersson, Erik Brannstrom and Timothy Liljegren—have all shown moments of brilliance throughout the last couple of weeks, and all look like they’ll make their NHL debuts before long. Alexander Nylander has shown off his elite offensive skill, and reminded Buffalo fans that even though he’s struggled at the AHL level he still has tremendous upside.
For Canada, a team that has just a single first-round pick on the whole roster, the scoring responsibility has been spread throughout. Every Canadian player save for Dante Fabbro has at least a point in the tournament, with St. Louis Blues prospect Jordan Kyrou leading the way. Perhaps the biggest surprise has been Cale Makar (that aforementioned first-round pick, fourth-overall to the Colorado Avalanche last year), who has worked his way up from the seventh defenseman on the roster. Makar has been a dynamic powerplay quarterback and will be relied upon again tonight against the tough defense of the Swedes.
It will be a very tough matchup for both sides, as neither has given up very many chances. With the quick-strike offense both teams possess, the game could hinge on which experienced defense corps makes the fewest mistakes. It also could be an Olympic preview for some of the players, as Kyrou and Victor Mete are possibilities to go to Pyeongchang for Canada, while several of the Swedes (including Pettersson and Dahlin) playing in the SHL could crack their squad.
So who will take home gold tonight? Who will win MVP? Who have you been most impressed by in the tournament? Vote below, and use the comment section to discuss.
Who will win the WJC?
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Canada 65% (200)
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Sweden 35% (106)
Total votes: 306
[Mobile users click here to vote!]
Snapshots: Olympics, Sergachev, Sanford
Ken Campbell of The Hockey News is reporting that despite no official announcement, CHL players will be allowed to participate in the 2018 Winter Olympics. That goes along with what Bob McKenzie of TSN tweeted earlier today, regarding Victor Mete and his potential selection to the Canadian squad after the conclusion of the World Juniors.
Nothing has been decided on Mete yet by the Montreal Canadiens, who would have to send him back to junior for the remainder of the year in order for him to be eligible to play in the Olympics. Other potential options for Team Canada would be Jordan Kyrou of the St. Louis Blues and even Colorado prospect Cale Makar after his powerplay performance at the junior tournament.
- Mikhail Sergachev played in his 40th NHL game last night, which meant the additional draft picks involved in the trade that brought him to Tampa Bay in the offseason will now be staying put. It also means that Sergachev is one year closer to free agency, as this season now counts as a full NHL campaign. Players can become unrestricted free agents after seven accrued seasons in the league, meaning Sergachev could potentially hit the open market just a few days after his 26th birthday.
- In the wake of a season-ending injury to Robby Fabbri and subsequent long-term maladies for Jaden Schwartz and Jay Bouwmeester during the season, some may have overlooked Zach Sanford‘s absence from the St. Louis Blues roster. The organization sure didn’t, and Sanford was back on the ice skating with assistant Steve Ott yesterday and continues to try and work his way back from shoulder surgery. There’s no clear timetable on when he’ll return, other than the original estimate of five to six months (which puts him somewhere in February or March), but getting back on the ice is a good sign. The young forward, acquired as part of the Kevin Shattenkirk deal last season, comes with excellent potential as a power forward that could fit into the Blues’ top-nine at some point down the road.
Snapshots: Three Stars, Greenway, Parsons
The NHL named it’s Three Stars of the Month for December today, honoring Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask as the First Star, Islanders surprise scorer Josh Bailey as the Second Star, and Tampa Bay dynamo Nikita Kucherov as the Third Star. All three were immensely successful this month and bear watching as the season continues.
The Bruins were on fire in December, posting a 10-2-2 record and are currently on an eight-game streak without a loss. After early season struggles, Rask was a major part of that success, recording an impeccable .955 save percentage and 1.22 goals against average. Rask allowed more than two goals only once in his eleven appearances and posted two shutouts one either end of December. After that performance, Rask has joined some of the league’s best goalies this season with a top-five GAA and top-ten SV%. The 2014 Vezina winner and the holder of the best career save percentage in NHL history (.923), Rask looked more like his elite self this past month than he has in two years.
Meanwhile, there’s no similar history that could have predicted this surge from Bailey. The long-time Islander had a career-high 56 points last season, but is already only six points away from matching it in 2017-18 and on pace for over 100 points. Bailey’s 50 points trails only Kucherov in the NHL and his 38 assists are tops in the league, feeding his talented linemates John Tavares and Anders Lee. In December alone, Bailey led the league with 22 points, including seven multi-point games and an 11-game point streak. Bailey’s breakout has been great for the Isles, but will be even better for the 28-year-old who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Kucherov’s nod is less of a surprise; the Lightning sniper is well-known as one of the league’s best players. Kucherov has an NHL-best 25 goals and 56 points already this season. After posting a career high 85 points in 2016-17, he’ll easily leave that mark in the dust and could flirt with 120 points this year. The early Hart favorite found the score sheet in all but one contest in December as the Bolts went 11-2-0 and continued to dominate the league. The ceiling is the roof for the uber-talented Russian forward and his Tampa Bay teammates this season.
- Another player to keep an eye on in the coming months is Minnesota Wild prospect and recently-named member of the U.S. Olympic team Jordan Greenway. As ESPN’s Emily Kaplan writes today, when Greenway suits up in Pyeongchang, South Korea for the 2018 Winter Olympic Games, he will do so as the first ever African-American on the U.S. men’s hockey team. In the 98-year history of the men’s hockey tournament, Greenway is the first to don the red, white, and blue – a major step for the inclusiveness of the game. Of course, Jarome Iginla played for Canada in multiple Olympic Games and P.K. Subban made an appearance as well, but no African-American has had the same opportunity for the U.S.A. The big Boston University forward has represented the U.S. on the international stage before at several junior tournaments, but the Olympics are a whole other level. This could just be the beginning for the talented winger as well. By all accounts, Dustin Byfuglien is the best American-born African American in NHL history, with former grinder Mike Grier likely next in line and a ways behind. By the end of his promising pro career, Greenway could be known as the best American-born African-American in NHL history. He gets his start on the big stage in a matter of weeks.
- One last guy to keep an eye out for is young Calgary Flames keeper Tyler Parsons. The Flames’ recent acquisition of New Jersey Devils defenseman Dalton Prout was not-so-secretly more about ridding themselves of goalie Eddie Lack as it was bringing in an asset. Having solved their logjam in net, Calgary was finally able to promote their 2016 second-round pick from the AHL today, per the ECHL transactions page. The 20-year-old Parsons has been buried since turning pro late last season after leading the United States to a World Junior Championship title. Parsons’ path to the NHL is not without roadblocks remaining though; he still has to prove that he is the heir apparent to veteran Mike Smith by outperforming current big-league backup David Rittich and AHL competition Jon Gillies and Mason McDonald, all of whom are 25 or younger and very well regarded.
An Avalanche Is Beginning In Colorado
Over the last year, the Colorado Avalanche—and GM Joe Sakic in particular—have taken a lot of heat from media and fans for their performance on and off the ice. Heading into 2017 with a 12-23-1 record, they would go 10-33-3 over the last few months of the 2016-17 season to finish what was a historically bad campaign. Their players seemed to quit on the ice, and rumors of discontent in Jared Bednar’s locker room were rampant. Matt Duchene, one of the long-time faces of the franchise asked for a fresh start elsewhere, but was forced to finish the year and wasn’t promised anything going forward.
In June, the team lost a young goaltender in Calvin Pickard to the expansion Vegas Golden Knights and were bumped all the way out of the top-3 in the draft lottery despite their last-place finish. Duchene trade rumors persisted, but Sakic wouldn’t lower his high asking price. Still, on the draft floor the Avalanche would be able to select exactly what they needed at fourth-overall. Cale Makar, an undersized defenseman whose most noticeable flaw was that he hadn’t played against high-level competition, dropped into their laps.
They’d be even more excited when Conor Timmins, a more traditional two-way defenseman from the OHL would slip out of the first round entirely. Timmins had climbed to 18th on the CSS rankings among North American skaters—and fourth among North American defensemen—by the end of the 2016-17 season, and yet still fell all the way to Colorado at 32nd-overall.
The rest of the summer went relatively uneventful, with all eyes still on Duchene, and the season began with a relatively similar Avalanche squad. The on-ice performance wouldn’t look anything like the end of the previous year though, as Colorado would go 8-5-0 through their first 13 games, led by a determined Duchene and energized Nathan MacKinnon. Then, on November 5th against the New York Islanders, Blake Comeau would be helped off the ice and down the tunnel to assess an injury. Behind him, Duchene would slip away as well, just informed that he’d been traded to the Ottawa Senators mid-game.
That deal, the one that Sakic had been pursuing for months, came about by involving both Ottawa and the Nashville Predators. The Avalanche finally received their asking price of a young NHL-ready defenseman (Samuel Girard), top prospect (Vladislav Kamenev) and first-round pick. Amazingly, they also added another top prospect in Shane Bowers, and two additional draft picks (Nashville’s 2018 second-round pick, and Ottawa’s 2019 third-round pick). It’s more than anyone expected Sakic would get for a player that now had fewer than two years remaining on his contract.
Colorado would lose that game against the Islanders, and the next two against the Duchene-led Senators while in Sweden. But since then, the team has gone 11-9-2 and is still in the playoff mix in the Western Conference. Their 41 points puts them at the bottom of the Central Division, but only three points behind the Anaheim Ducks for the final wildcard spot. That’s a huge step forward for a team that finished with only 48 points total in 2016-17.
It’s not going to end there.
While Girard is showing that he’s ready for a full-time role in the NHL at the tender age of 19, Makar and Timmins are starring for Team Canada at the World Junior tournament. Makar started as the team’s seventh defenseman, but has shone as Canada deals with injuries to several older and more experienced players. Both defensemen scored today against Switzerland, skating together at even-strength. Timmins is part of a powerhouse Sault Ste. Marie team in the OHL that has lost just three games in regulation, and could be in line for a Memorial Cup berth.
Suddenly, when you start imagining a blueline patrolled by those three and an offense led by MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen, only 22 and 21 respectively, the future doesn’t look so bleak in Colorado. Add in other high-upside players like Tyson Jost (19) and Alexander Kerfoot (23), a captain in Gabriel Landeskog who just turned 25, and four selections in the top two rounds in what is shaping up to be an incredible draft class, and it might not be very long until there is more than just hope in the Avalanche dressing room.