For the last 14 years (12 with The Hockey News) Dobber has reviewed each team from a fantasy-hockey standpoint and graded them.

This year, due to Dobber’s battle with cancer, he recruited Cam Robinson (of Frozen Pool Forensics fame) to pinch hit. The 15th annual review will appear here on DobberHockey throughout the summer. This is not a review of the likely performance on the ice or in the standings, but in the realm of fantasy hockey.

Enjoy!

Gone – Francois Beauchemin, Calvin Pickard, Mikhail Girogrenko, Patrick Wiercioch, Turner Elson, Mike Sislo

Incoming – Nail Yakupov, Colin Wilson, Jonathan Bernier, David Warsofsky, Andrew Agozzino, Jesse Graham

Impact of changes – When a door closes on one enigmatic Russian, another one opens right alongside it. The Avalanche are a perfect spot for the former 2012 first overall selection in Yakupov. He won’t have much difficulty breaking in amongst the team’s top nine forwards and could find some chemistry with one of the organization’s young dynamic centres. It could be the start of something for the soon-to-be 24-year-old. More likely, he produces very muted totals like the now-departed Girgorenko and follows his path back to Russia. The addition of Colin Wilson adds some nice depth to their bottom six and Jonathan Bernier should be able to play at least as well as the now-Vegas bound Pickard. There are several question marks yet, as the team needs to decide if they’ll pay Nikita Zadorov his asking price or let him head to the KHL. The team bought out 37-year-old Francois Beauchemin two years after signing him to a three-year deal for 4.5 million per. His departure opens yet another hole on the backend that should be filled by upcoming players within the organization.

Ready for full-time – After just one half-season in the AHL, JT Compher appears set to shift his game to the NHL on a full-time basis. The former 2013 second round pick recorded 13 goals and 30 points in 41 American league games and looked strong with the Avs, recording three goals and five points in 21 NHL contests. His ability to play centre or wing should help his transition. Read more on Compher here.

The team’s top prospect, Tyson Jost left school after a single NCAA campaign to join the Avalanche for their final six games. The 2016 10^th overall pick is a dominant player at both ends of the rink and that defensive acumen will lessen the ripening time he’ll need. It’s expected Jost will anchor the team’s third line to begin but his upside remains much higher. He may never become an ultra-sexy fantasy asset, but his floor his very high. Read more on Jost here.

Andrei Mironov has spent the last five seasons honing his craft playing with Dynamo Moskva in the KHL but recently signed a two-year agreement with the Avalanche. The 2015 fourth-round pick offers strong physicality and defensive awareness on the left-side that will become even more needed if Zadorov heads back home. He will be in a dog fight for a spot amongst the team’s seven defensemen. Read more on Mironov here.

Another defenseman who is well versed in professional hockey, Anton Lindholm crossed over from the SHL after 2015-16 and had a strong first season in North America, recording two goals and 13 points in 62 AHL contests and didn’t look out of place in 12 games with the big club. Like Mironov, Lindholm enjoys the physical side of things and is considered a very steady defensive defender who projects to crack the team’s top six D. Read more on Lindholm here.

Fantasy Outlook – You’d think a team with TWO first overall picks, a second and third overall and a host of other upcoming talent would be a target for fantasy general managers, however Colorado remains a near-wasteland for assets in the immediate future. Nathan MacKinnon will become a horse. He’ll be just 22-years-old come puck drop and owns the type of skillset that normally translates to superstardom – but he needs help, so his chemistry with Mikko Rantanen down the stretch is a positive sign for the future. Gabriel Landeskgog has witnessed declining points, points-per-game and shots on goal in each of the last three seasons culminating with just 33 points and 169 shots in 72 contests last season. That downward spiral correlates with a nasty concussion he suffered in 2014 and many wonder if he’ll ever be the same player who produced 65 points in 81 games in 2013-14. Matt Duchene could and should be a fantasy contributor on this squad, but we’ll have to wait and see if he remains a part of the team as his name has continued to be run through the trade rumour mill. Many on the team are looking for a bounce-back season, and that includes Tyson Barrie who dipped down to 38 points and a minus-34 rating after posting 102 combined points in the two prior seasons. Barrie owners should also be aware of Cale Makar joining the organization. He’s another dynamic right-handed offensive defender and will be pushing for Barrie’s job in the next few years. In net, prepare for a true splitting of duties as Semyon Varlamov may make more money than Bernier but has proven enough times that he cannot be relied on.

Not much can go worse for this team than it did during the 2016-17 season, but they will once again find themselves at or near the bottom of the standings next season. That will obviously limit the fantasy viability of their assets so draft carefully when considering those in the thin Denver air.

Fantasy Grade: C (Last year: C+)