3 Colorado Avalanche Positions Need Addressed Before 2024-25 Season – Hockey Writers – Colorado Avalanche

For all we know, the Colorado Avalanche have finished building their team for the 2024-25 season. Free agent signings and expiring extension contracts have the Avalanche close to the limit, and we could see this same program until the trade deadline. Gabriel Landeskog and Valeri Nichushkin could also make the list if available. The team is ready to compete for another Stanley Cup, but are they ready for another deep run?

Last season, general manager Chris MacFarland was willing to make calls at the trade deadline to fill any vacancies. In a perfect world, he wouldn't need to wait until the deadline to make those calls this season. However, the Avalanche are restricted by the salary cap and may have to wait until the situations of Landeskog and Nichushkin are resolved and additional funds are available. Players will get injured, have colds or just not click with the team, so changes have to be made. Here are three positions the Avalanche will need to improve at the trade deadline.

Fourth Line Center

The Avalanche have talent and depth in the middle. Nathan MacKinnon, Casey Mittelstadt, and Ross Colton are a great one-two-three punch, but unfortunately, it fades after that. Chris Wagner, who started the season on the fourth line, is an option, but there are no other veteran players behind him who are ready for the NHL. Unless he is injured or unable to play at the expected level, changes will have to be made. Who can fill that fourth line spot and be successful?

We've seen in past playoffs how important the bottom six players are to a roster. In a perfect world, the Avs would get a player who is very good at tackling and can kill penalties. Steven Lorentz from the Stanley Cup winning Florida Panthers is available. He is 6-foot-4, 216 pounds, and can play center and left wing. He won't give them a ton of offense, but he did get 12.57-per-60 hits, which would be the most on the team. He's big, can skate well and can kill penalties. He can be a perfect fourth line that can be replaced at times.

Middle-Six Forward

This position could be filled by the return of Landeskog and Nichushkin, but their timings are not yet known. Accordingly, Nikolai Kovalenko fills that spot and uses his speed and willingness to hit and play physically despite his size and gels in a top-six role. Thankfully, the team has had a few months to try out different lineup combinations to see who best fits the various roles. This was similar to Jonathan Drouin last season. It took him a while to find his rhythm, and he moved up and down the lineup, but when he found his game, he was a lock on the top line with MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen. That's why re-signing him has been a priority this offseason.

Related: Avalanche Gives Nikolai Kovalenko A Chance To Prove Himself

Finding a middle-six player is more complicated than finding the right fourth-line center. In most cases, finding a fourth-line center will be more affordable. You can sign one as a free agent at a low cost or look for a trade involving American Hockey League (AHL) players or a low-value draft pick (rounds five, six, seven). Most of the time, signing them as free agents is the best option. A solid middle-six player who can make an immediate impact on the team will always revolve around a trade or signing on the first day of free agency. A trade like this would cost a pretty penny, usually for high draft picks and starting players or top prospects, which the Avalanche won't part with.

Depth/Third Goal

It could be another goaltender or defenseman in this final need to tackle this offseason. However, I am confident that Erik Brannstrom and Sam Malinski will plug the defensive hole. However, I am hesitant about team goalkeepers. I'm happy to admit that Alexander Georgiev proved me wrong in the playoffs. However, he needs to impress after his impressive performance last season, which was a significant drop in his first season with the club. I look forward to seeing more of Justus Annunen as he matures as a backup, but he is inexperienced and could use this season as a stepping stone for his career.

Looking at the AHL Colorado Eagles, Kevin Mandolese, who was recently acquired, and Trent Miner are good but not “worthy” three-string players, especially Miner, who is looking to hold the starting spot and shine this season. Martin Jones, Kevin Lankinen, and Anti Raanta are all experienced goaltenders who are unsigned and can be moved between the AHL and NHL as needed.

The Avalanche have some positions to fill this season in order to get over the hump. Free agency has done enough to fill out the roster before training camp and early in the season, but there is room for improvement, and training camp may reveal holes that still need to be filled. Chris MacFarland and Joe Sakic will need to make the necessary changes to lead the team to another successful playoff run, either before the season begins or making a last-minute move at the trade deadline.