The Avalanche won their third Stanley Cup and their first since 2000-2001, beating Tampa Bay four games to two in the Finals. Cale Makar (23) was the Norris and Conn Smythe Trophy winner which bodes well for Colorado to be back in contention next season.

GM and Coach

Joe Sakic has been GM since just before the 2014-15 season and will be entering his ninth season in 2022-23. The team struggled in his first three years as they missed the playoffs in all of those years, but made the playoffs in each of the past five seasons, culminating in winning it all this year.

Jared Bednar was hired as head coach just before the 2016-17 season in which they went on to finish dead last in the NHL with a record of 22-56-4. His career record in Colorado is now 240-168-46 which is good for a 0.579 winning percentage overall. In the last three seasons, the team is 137-52-19, with a winning percentage of 0.704 and a Stanley Cup. They are at their peak.

Salary Cap

The Avalanche have just over $25.68 million in cap space available to them for the 2022-23 season.

The team has nine or ten UFAs to re-sign or replace including Nazem Kadri (31), Andre Burakovsky (27), Valeri Nichushkin (27) and Darcy Kuemper (32).

Artturi Lehkonen (26) is a restricted free agent.

The team will need to prepare for Nathan McKinnon to become unrestricted at the end of 2022-23, which will be north of $10 million AAV.

They won't be able to retain all of their UFAs this year.

Draft Picks

You can't bring in players like Devon Toews, Darcy Kuemper, Josh Manson and Lehkonen without mortgaging a bit of your future. The Cup win makes it all worthwhile but now they have to pay for it.

In 2022, they only have a third, fifth, sixth and seventh-round pick.

In 2023, they traded their second and fourth-round picks and in 2024, they traded their second, third and fifth-round picks.

Overall the team has 13 of their original 21 picks and four of nine picks in the first three rounds for the next three years.

Free Agents

Unrestricted free agents are Andre Burakovsky (27), Andrew Cogliano (35), Darren Helm (35), Nazem Kadri (31), Valeri Nichushkin (27), Nico Sturm (27), Jack Johnson (35), Josh Manson (30), Ryan Murray (28) and Darcy Kuemper (32).

With just Burakovsky, Kadri, Nichushkin, Manson and Kuemper the team would be looking at $25 to $30 million AAV for next season.

Realistically with MacKinnon needing to be re-signed the team has about $12 to 14 million available to commit for this season.

Restricted free agents are Nicolas Aube-Kubel (26) and Artturi Lehkonen (26) who are both eligible for arbitration.

I could see the team bringing back Helm for a similar deal to his $1 million/1 year deal from last year and Sturm for the league minimum on a one-way deal. I think they will move on from Jack Johnson and Ryan Murray.

I'm just not sure about Burakovsky, Kadri, Nichushkin, Manson and Kuemper and what the Avalanche should do or will do. Burakovsky is projected for between $3.5 and 4.5 million AAV, Kadri $7 to 8 million AAV, Nichushkin $4.5 to 5.5 million AAV, Manson $2.5 to 3.5 million AAV and Kuemper $4.5 to 5.5 million AAV.

There is no question they need to bring back two or three of these UFAs to sustain their roster for next season. I would keep Nichushkin and Burakovsky and then see what your options are for keeping Kadri but at 31 years of age that is not going to be a good contract no matter where he signs.

As for Manson and Kuemper, I believe they will find replacements in cheaper price brackets that can fill their slots adequately.

Roster

Because of the uncertainty with their UFAs, the Avalanche comes in with a rating of 6.48, which is still impressive when you look at the roster with five players that are below replacement level at this point. The roster won't remain this way heading into the season.

It doesn't get any better than the top line in Colorado with Gabriel Landeskog (29), Nathan MacKinnon (26) and Mikko Rantanen (25). The team just hopes that they could be together for 82 games in a season.  It is hard to believe that MacKinnon has never had a 100-point season in his career yet, which hasn't been helped by the fact that he hasn't played more than 69 games since 2018-19 when he played 82 and had 99 points. He is entering the last year of a bargain contract and he's going to get paid. He now has 41 goals and 52 assists in 70 playoff games.

Speaking of injuries, Landeskog hasn't played more than 54 games over the past three seasons but has consistently produced 21, 20 and 30-goal seasons over that period. He now has 27 goals and 40 assists in 69 career playoff games.

Rantanen missed 28 games in 2019-20 and seven last year but still managed 36 goals and 56 assists to lead the team in scoring this year. He's not a dynamic player, but he consistently produces and is certainly capable of 95-105 points next year. He now has 23 goals and 54 assists in 63 playoff games.

After those three, there is a significant step down to the next in line, with Artturi Lehkonen (26) and J.T. Compher (27) being the most established of the existing forwards on the roster.

Lehkonen had six goals and three assists in 16 games when he came over to Colorado from Montreal, then had a great playoff with eight goals and six assists in 20 games. His career-high is 19 goals and 38 points (last year) but he could see 20 goals and 45-50 points next year in Colorado.

Compher was forced to play bigger minutes when MacKinnon was hurt at the start of the season and had five goals and four assists in 12 games while playing 18:24 a night. He did have a career-high 18 goals and 33 points in 70 games and has averaged between 0.38 and 0.48 pts/game over the past four seasons. Expect the same production next year as I don't think he is the answer in the top six for Colorado. 

Rounding out the forwards available currently are Alex Newhook (21), Logan O'Connor (25), Nicolas Aube-Kubel (26), Mikhail Maltsev (24), Sampo Ranta (22), Jayson Megna (32), Martin Kaut (22), Ben Meyers (23), Shane Bowers (22) and perhaps Lukas Sedlak (29).

Newhook had a fine rookie season with 13 goals and 20 assists in 71 games and then four assists in 12 playoff games. He has the talent to play top-six minutes but he's nowhere close to being a top-two center in the NHL quite yet. He needs another one or two years but still might see some time there next year. He could pop off for 20 goals and 30 assists, but more than likely will have similar stats to this season.

O'Connor has a limited offensive ceiling having never put up more than 42 points at any level in a season (not even Bantam). His eight goals and 16 assists in 81 games is probably his high point in the NHL, but he's such a good skater that you never know. He could get 20 goals one year on this high-flying team.

Aube-Kubel is used in a checking line role on the 4th line and chipped in with 11 goals and 12 assists in 74 games split between Philadelphia and Colorado. He's a physical player (140 hits) but currently doesn't penalty kill. He went pointless in 14 games during the playoffs. He's a restricted agent and is coming off a $1.25 million salary last season and has arbitration rights. I think he's reached the maximum salary a team can pay for his brings.

Maltsev is a restricted free agent who played 18 games for Colorado going pointless but had a fairly good year in the AHL with 48 points in 56 games. There is no guarantee he will be back next year.

Ranto made the Avalanche at the start of the season and played 10 games, going pointless before being sent down to the AHL. He struggled a little with seven goals and seven assists in 38 games in the minors. The 22-year-old is in the final year of his two-way contract.

Ben Meyers was signed after his final year at the University of Minnesota after he put up 17 goals and 24 assists in 34 games. He managed five games with the Avalanche and had one assist. He did not dress for a game in the playoffs. He has one more year on a two-way deal.

Jayson Megna has played 35 games with Colorado spread over the past three seasons where he has had no goals and five assists. I'd expect more of the same next year where he should see 10-20 games once again in the NHL.

Martin Kaut was the Avalanche's 16th overall pick in 2018 and has had a cup of coffee in the NHL each of the past three seasons for a total of 20 NHL games with two goals and one assist. Last year he had 19 goals and 12 assists in 46 AHL games. He could see a regular role next year.

Shane Bowers is a restricted free agent and might not be re-signed by Colorado. He has struggled to stay healthy and to produce over the past two seasons in the AHL with only 65 games played and 13 goals and five assists. He was a 28th overall pick by Ottawa in 2017.

Lukas Sedlak is signed for next season at $800k/500k on a two-way deal. He played three seasons in Columbus between 2016-17 and 2018-19 and had a career-high 62 games, seven goals and six assists. He had spent the past three seasons in the KHL with Traktor Chelyabinsk and last season had 18 goals and 25 assists in 49 games. He has a good chance to see a regular role next year in Colorado.

On defence, the Avalanche have the 2021-22 Norris Trophy winner, Cale Makar (23). He had a phenomenal season last year with 28 goals and 58 assists in 77 games and then eight goals and 21 assists in 20 playoff games to win the Conn Smythe Trophy. He also had 95 hits and 110 blocked shots and killed penalties 30 percent of the time last year. He is signed for five more years at $9 million AAV. What a bargain.

Devon Toews (28) was traded from the NY Islanders before 2020-21 for two second-round draft picks, which are pennies for what he has brought the Avalanche. This season saw him with 13 goals and 44 assists in 66 games and five goals and 10 assists in 20 playoff games. He is signed for two more years at $4.1 million AAV which was a four-year deal signed by Joe Sakic just after they had traded for Toews. Another great contract.

Bowen Byram (21) scared a lot of Avalanche supporters as he had post-concussion issues this season that saw him limited to only 30 games where he had five goals and 12 assists. He put to rest any lingering doubts with an excellent post-season where he played 20 games and had nine assists. The fourth overall pick in 2019 has a fine future if he can stay healthy.

Samuel Girard (24) had the first season of his five NHL years where he might have regressed a little from the year before. He had 28 points in 67 games (0.42 pts/g) after 32 points in 48 games the year before (0.67/g). He struggled with his defensive play a little as well, so he will be looking to stay healthy and get his game back this year. He has five years remaining at $5 million AAV, and as I've mentioned before with the continued progression of Byram, he might be a trade chip sooner than later.

Erik Johnson (34) has one more year under contract at $6 million AAV. As good as it was to see him win the Stanley Cup for the first time in his career, it was better to see him back healthy and play a full season. He ended up with eight goals and 17 assists in 77 games and a goal and four assists in 20 playoff games. I think that Colorado would love to have him back for another two or three seasons at a much cheaper salary. His role is now that of a 16-18 minute bottom-four defender who can chip in physically and block shots with a little bit of offense and do it well.

The last few spots on defense are up for grabs and outside help will be needed to add depth. Currently, the Avalanche has Kurtis MacDermid (28) who is a physical presence at 6'5" and 233 lbs but has struggled when he has played for the most part. He played 58 games last year and averaged 7:04/game.

Keaton Middleton (24) is a restricted free agent but another option that brings plenty of size at 6'5" 234 lbs. He played 49 AHL games last year with two goals and nine assists. If re-signed he would more than likely be depth and see a few games at the NHL level if needed.

Joe Sakic needs to get busy and bring in or back two or three NHL-level defenders for next year.

In goal, Colorado has Pavel Francouz (32), Justus Annunen (22), and Trent Miner (21) under contract currently.

Francouz missed all of the 2020-21 season and played only 21 games in 2021-22, so he won't be counted on to be the starter. He's the perfect back up as he has played 57 games over his three seasons in Colorado with a record of 36-14-8 and a GAA of 2.46, 92.1 save percentage and a GSAA of 16.9. He has two more years under contract at $2 million AAV.

Annunen was forced into action with Colorado last year and played two games with a record of 1-0-1 and a GAA of 4.34, a save percentage of 86.3 and a GSAA of minus 2.5. He played 48 games in the AHL with a save percentage of 89.3 and a GAA of 3.01. He will more than likely need another one or two seasons in pro hockey before making the transition to the NHL. He's not ready.

Trent Miner saw 28 games in the ECHL and five in the AHL so he will hope to get more games next year with the Colorado Eagles but shouldn't be an NHL option at this point.

There are some pretty big holes in this lineup as it stands, especially in goal, on the second and third lines in the forwards and five through seven on defense. I don't think they will be a better team than this year, but they might not need to be to get back to the finals once again.

Thanks for reading, and let me know if you want me to focus on any players or topics by messaging me below or following me on Twitter @gampbler15.