For the last 19 years (12 with The Hockey News) Dobber has reviewed each team from a fantasy-hockey standpoint and graded them.

The 20th 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 both for the season ahead as well as the foreseeable future. Offensively, will the team perform? Are there plenty of depth options worthy of owning in keeper leagues? What about over the next two or three years? These questions are what I take into consideration when looking at the depth chart and the player potential on that depth chart.

Enjoy!

* * Pick up the DobberHockey Fantasy Guide here – always updated * * 

Gone – Nazem Kadri (still unsigned at time of writing), Andre Burakovsky, Nico Sturm, Nicolas Aube-Kubel, Dylan Sikura, Kiefer Sherwood, Darcy Kuemper

Incoming – Anton Blidh, Brad Hunt, Alexandar Georgiev, Jonas Johansson

Impact of changes – Stanley Cup-winning teams during the salary cap era often have key players they cannot afford to keep, and the Avalanche are no different. Kadri made the most of his career year and then some, scoring at a career-best 87 points. Assuming the Avalanche don't move a mountain or two to re-sign him, Kadri will be a significant loss. Yet the Avalanche are a deep team that should be able to withstand not having Kadri, remaining a strong Stanley Cup favorite again.

The defending Stanley Cup champions will also feature a new goalie. Kuemper had priced himself out of the Avalanche's cap space, so he signed a free agent contract with Washington. Just before free agency, the Avs traded for Georgiev, who has been a backup for both Henrik Lundqvist and Igor Shesterkin in New York. With no experience as a starter, Georgiev will face competition for starts from Pavel Francouz. As constructed, the Avalanche cannot afford to spend major money on goaltending, so they might have to focus on riding the hot hand.

Ready for Full Time – Because the Avalanche are in a win-now window, there isn't a whole lot in the pipeline. 2018 first-round pick (16^th overall) Martin Kaut was profiled in this article last season, and not much has changed for him. He's played fewer than 10 games for three consecutive seasons, although he recorded his highest AHL point total in 2021-22 (19 goals and 31 points in 46 games). Injuries have also delayed his development. His entry-level contract ends after this season, so this will be an important season for him.

Ben Meyers and Sampo Ranta could also receive longer looks with the Avalanche in 2022-23. The undrafted Meyers was signed to a free-agent contract in April after scoring 41 points in 34 games for the University of Minnesota. He played in five regular-season games and scored a goal in his first game, but he did not see any playoff action. Ranta is also a U of Minnesota alumni, spending the majority of 2021-22 in the AHL before a foot injury ended his season early. He also suited up for 10 regular-season games, but he didn't record a single point.

Fantasy Outlook – Even without Kadri, the Avalanche should be just fine offensively. Their 3.76 GF/GP was the fourth-highest total in the league. The big four of Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, Gabriel Landeskog, and Cale Makar should continue to carry this offense and stack the first-unit power play. MacKinnon is on the final year of his superstar-friendly ($6.3 million cap hit) contract, so the Avalanche will need to clear even more space for their franchise player for what could be a future $10+ million cap hit.

With Burakovsky also departing as a free agent, the Avalanche will hope that playoff hero Valeri Nichushkin can carry his hot play into the regular season. Nichushkin was rewarded for his playoff performance and a career-high 52 points with an eight-year extension, so the pressure will be on for him to produce. Artturi Lehkonen was also a strong playoff contributor, so his numbers could reach new heights that he hadn't seen in Montreal. Alex Newhook will also look to take another step forward as a potential top-6 option after a solid first full NHL season (33 PTS in 71 GP).

The defense is also stacked with options well beyond Norris Trophy winner Makar. Samuel Girard is rumored to be on the trade block, particularly if the Avalanche have a pressing need elsewhere due to injuries or underperformance. Yet as it stands, the Avs feature a blueline that includes Makar, Girard, Devon Toews, Bowen Byram, Josh Manson, and Erik Johnson. Only eight defensemen had a higher point-per-game total than Toews (57 PTS in 66 GP), while Byram has sky-high potential if he has managed to overcome his concussion issues.

Fantasy Grade – A (last year was also A)

Check out the rest of the Dobber team previews here.