The Colorado Avalanche Have a Strong Group of Players
The Avalanche are one of the most popular teams in the NHL. They are the defending champions and will be hard to beat in the upcoming season. They are led by veteran center Mikko Koivu, who will make a tremendous impact if he stays healthy. In addition to Koivu, the Avalanche have a solid group of young players, including players such as Chris O’Connor, Tyson Barrie, and Tyson Georgiev.
Impact Georgiev
Georgiev has already appeared in 129 regular-season NHL games, but his performance in his debut was a mixed bag. He gave up two goals and two assists and finished with a 2.92 Goals-Against Average. Nonetheless, Georgiev is a good addition to the Avalanche, and he has a chance to become a starter for the team.
Georgiev had the option of being traded for nothing this summer, but he actually wanted to join the Colorado Avalanche. The Avalanche were coming off a Stanley Cup win, and they play a style that benefits goalies. Goaltenders Darcy Kuemper and Philipp Grubauer both posted career-best numbers playing behind the defense this past season.
Georgiev won the game for the Avalanche in his preseason debut. He has a slight inside edge over Pavel Francouz when it comes to playing time, but he still has to show that he can handle the workload of a starter. Georgiev is expected to start the 2022-23 season in a timeshare with Francouz. But the veteran goaltender could still lose his starting job if Pavel Francouz pulls away from him.
Georgiev has the talent and the resume to be a successful NHL player. He will also play behind one of the best defenses in the league. With Cale Makar, Samuel Girard, Devon Toews, and Erik Johnson, Colorado’s blue line is loaded with talent. Goaltending is a key factor in the success of the Avalanche, but Georgiev’s performance will largely depend on how he responds to the increased responsibilities.
The Avalanche are a team that has won the Stanley Cup three times in the past four seasons. The Avalanche acquired Georgiev in a trade with the New York Rangers in exchange for a 2022 fifth-round draft pick and a 2023 third-round draft pick. This was a big move for both teams, as Georgiev is expected to compete for the number one position in the NHL.
Impact Manson
The Colorado Avalanche have a good reason to be excited about signing free agent forward Adam Manson. This is an excellent addition for any team chasing the Stanley Cup. His arrival won’t push a team over the edge, but it will certainly give it a shot.
Manson’s physicality will make opponents uncomfortable and will help the Avalanche’s blueline. He averages about 19 minutes of ice time per game this season. The Avalanche were desperate for a physical blueline push, and Manson can provide that.
Manson was drafted by Anaheim in the sixth round of the 2011 NHL Draft and has scored 120 points in 475 career games. He also has 11 points in 42 playoff games. As a rookie, he had 45 points. However, he hasn’t surpassed that mark since 2017-18.
Manson’s deal is worth almost $5 million per season. The Avalanche will be pushing against the salary cap for a long time. The team can’t afford to overpay on contracts. With the salary cap expected to rise in the coming years, the Avalanche have to be smart about signing Manson.
Manson has signed a four-year deal with the Colorado Avalanche. He will make $4.5 million annually and has average ice time of 17.24 minutes per game. He played 22 games for the Avalanche this season and had 63 hits. He also scored two goals and added five assists. Overall, Manson has 179 hits in 67 career games with the Avalanche and Ducks.
Manson has been an integral part of the Avalanche’s Stanley Cup quest, scoring the game-winning goal in Game 1 of the St. Louis Blues. Manson grew up with an NHL dad, but his mom wouldn’t let him quit hockey to go snowboarding.
Impact Sakic
Despite his recent promotion to executive vice president, Colorado Avalanche GM Joe Sakic is retaining a key role in the team. Sakic’s presence in the front office will help take some of the pressure off MacFarland as he navigates the growing press. Since joining the team in 2015, Sakic has molded the Colorado Avalanche into a Stanley Cup contender. Sakic will be the team’s voice in the front office, helping MacFarland make critical decisions.
Sakic was the captain of the Avalanche during the 1996 Stanley Cup run and was named GM of the team in 2001. He’s the first player in NHL history to win the Stanley Cup as both captain and general manager of the same organization. Sakic, however, deflects praise. Regardless of the accolades that are heaped on him, he’s been instrumental to the success of the Avalanche. His team finished with 72 wins in the regular season and playoffs, tying the 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens’ record. They’ve also tied the 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings’ record for the most wins in a single season.
In the past season, Sakic has made several acquisitions. In November, he acquired Nicolas Aube-Kubel from the Philadelphia Flyers. Since then, Aube-Kubel has provided a physical presence on the Avs’ bottom two forward lines. He scored 11 goals and twenty points in 67 games and has been a fantastic bargain.
As the NHL’s General Manager of the Year, Joe Sakic has helped the Colorado Avalanche to their best season in years. He led the team to its most successful regular season in franchise history, and a 16-4 playoff record to win the Stanley Cup in 2022.