For the last 21 years (12 with The Hockey News) Dobber has reviewed each team from a fantasy-hockey standpoint and graded them.

The 22nd 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!

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Gone – Ryan Johansen, Andrew Cogliano, Jack Johnson, Zach Parise, Fredrik Olofsson, Sean Walker, Brandon Duhaime, Caleb Jones, Yakov Trenin, Riley Tufte, Ivan Prosvetov

Incoming – Parker Kelly, Calvin de Haan, Jacob MacDonald, Erik Brannstrom, Oliver Kylington, Matthew Phillips, Calle Rosen

Impact of changes – The Avalanche have made very few changes this offseason, with those changes being mainly depth and supporting pieces. It's possible that they're happy with their core and feel confident in a few more Stanley Cup runs with the Nathan MacKinnon/Cale Makar duo. However, the more likely scenario is that they are too tight against the salary cap to make any significant moves and will have to make do with what they have.

One interesting change is the addition of Brannstrom, who was signed to a one-year, $900,000 prove-it contract after not receiving a qualifying offer from Ottawa. Brannstrom is now 24 years old and has yet to take major strides in his NHL career, although he was below too many other offensive-minded defensemen on the Senators depth chart. He will have the same issue behind the likes of Makar, Devon Toews, and Samuel Girard in Colorado, but Makar and Girard are Band-Aid Boys. That could give Brannstrom a golden opportunity as a potential injury replacement.

Brannstrom might be on a short leash if he doesn't cut it defensively, as the Avs have also signed fellow Swede Kylington. Both Brannstrom and Kylington are left-shot d-men, providing the Avalanche with strong blueline depth in the event of… more injuries.

Ready for Full Time

Nikolai Kovalenko – You might look at the long list of players on some teams and wonder where the team's top prospect will fit in. Not Colorado, whose salary cap and injury situation (more on that shortly) should free up a roster spot for Kovalenko. After several seasons in the KHL, the 24-year-old Kovalenko made his NHL debut in two playoff games, mainly playing in a minor role on a line with Miles Wood and Ross Colton. His past two KHL seasons were particularly successful, as he registered 89 points in 98 games, so there's definite scoring upside. Since the Avalanche are stacked with Band-Aid Boys up front, Kovalenko could easily move into the top 6 at some point, making him a potential waiver-wire add.

Sam Malinski – It will take a few injuries on the blueline (see Brannstrom above), and his place in the lineup is hardly secure. However, Malinski offers offensive upside that could be of interest to fantasy teams at some point. Over 23 NHL games in 2023-24, Malinski registered 10 points, with 27 points in 46 games in the AHL. In his final season at Cornell, Malinski posted 26 points in 34 games. He's already 26 years old, so for fantasy purposes he's more of a short-term lottery ticket than a long-term keeper investment.

Justus Annunen – Annunen was recalled from the AHL for good in early February, posting eight wins and stellar ratios (2.25 GAA, .928 SV%) in 14 games. Alexandar Georgiev has appeared in at least 60 games over back-to-back seasons, which isn't ideal given how often his play has been below league average. Annunen won't be the regular starter unless Georgiev is injured, but he has an opportunity to play at least 30 games while giving the Avalanche more reliable backup goaltending than they've had in recent seasons. The 24-year-old Annunen should at least be a reliable streamer in 2024-25. Georgiev is also on an expiring contract, which could make Annunen's long-term outlook very positive.

Fantasy Outlook – Repeating last year's Offseason Fantasy Grades for Colorado, the Avalanche continue to be all about their big three of MacKinnon, Makar, and Mikko Rantanen. MacKinnon and Rantanen are strong bets to reach the 100-point mark for the third consecutive season, while Makar could lead all defensemen in scoring. Rantanen is also on the final year of his contract and a potential UFA.

The Avalanche have several other players that can be drafted in the later rounds. Toews has been a reliable 50-point defenseman for the past three seasons. Casey Mittelstadt has posted at least 55 points in back-to-back seasons, which should provide the Avalanche with the kind of second-line scoring that they have needed since Nazem Kadri left. Jonathan Drouin had a nice bounce-back season after reuniting with former junior teammate MacKinnon. Artturi Lehkonen is a strong top-6 option, but remaining healthy has been a challenge. Georgiev has either led or tied for the league lead in wins in both his seasons in Colorado, so he's a worthwhile option if you need goalie starts and wins.

After that, things get much less certain for the Avs. Will Gabriel Landeskog finally return after two missed seasons due to knee surgery? When will Valeri Nichushkin return from the Player Assistance Program? Landeskog appears ready to make his best effort to give it a go, but his situation appears anything but certain. Nichushkin's days as an Avalanche might be numbered once he returns, since he has left the team in the playoffs two seasons in a row. As of mid-August, the Avalanche had only 12 healthy forwards on the NHL roster, plus Landeskog and Nichushkin. That's why Kovalenko should be considered such a strong bet to make the roster. Phillips, who has been a high scorer at the WHL/AHL level but has had trouble securing an NHL roster spot, could also enter the picture early in the season.

Two more possible fantasy options for the Avalanche: Girard, an offensive-minded blueliner who will try to get his career back on track after battling injuries; and Ross Colton, who will have value in bangers leagues if he can reach 40 points and over 100 hits again.

Fantasy Grade: A (last year was an A)

Check out the rest of the Dobber team previews here.