The 2022 Off-season Files: The Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche are coming off a Stanley Cup winning season. After years of struggling to climb the mountain, they were able to knock off the then back-to-back defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning in 6 games.
Looking toward the future, a Cup brings change, and obviously a lot of contracts to be paid and/or extended. The Avalanche lost a few major contributors to the cup run in goalie Darcy Kuemper and center Nazem Kadri. Here’s a closer look at these two notable departures from the defending champs.
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Kuemper, who was the starting goalie, left on for five-year deal with the Washington Capitals. Kuemper is entering his age 32 season after putting up career highs in games played (57) and games won (37) in his all-star campaign. In the historic postseason run, he posted 10 wins while even battling some minor injuries. While he wasn’t a shutdown goalie, he did more than enough to get them across the finish line, with help from their offense. He is replaced by last year’s backup Pavel Francouz, and trade acquisition from the Rangers Alexander Georgiev.
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The bigger loss for the Avalanche, however, is center Nazem Kadri. He is headed to the Calgary Flames on a massive seven-by-seven deal. Kadri is coming off a season where he had career highs in both assists (59) and points (87). Kadri was a vital part of the Stanley Cup run where he nearly was on a point per game pace with 15 points in 16 games including the game winning overtime goal in game four of the Stanley Cup Final.
As for additions to the team, they have been relatively quiet. Aside from the aforementioned trade for Alexander Georgiev for a 2022 third and 2023 fifth, they haven’t signed many from free agency. What they have done, though is re-signed their own guys. Atturi Lehkonen, Valeri Nichushkin, and Josh Manson, among a few others, saw big paydays.
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Lehkonen, a trade deadline acquisition from the Montreal Canadians had huge contributions in the team’s Stanley Cup run scoring four game-winning goals including the overtime goal that sent the Avalanche to the Final. Lehkonen, 27, signed a five-year $22.5 million deal to stay in Colorado, keeping him there through what should be the prime years of his career.
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Nichushkin, also 27, re-signed on an eight-year $49 million deal. Coming off a revered season where he posted career highs in both goals (25) and assists (27). Getting high praise from both analytics and certain eye-test spectators after his breakout season, Nichushkin received a well deserved contract, complimented by his skills.
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Josh Manson, another deadline acquisition from the Anaheim Ducks earned himself a four-year, $18 million contract to stay in Colorado. Manson is a very physical defenseman who will solidify the Avalanche defensive core for the foreseeable future.
All in all, the Colorado Avalanche have done a great job of keeping a Stanley Cup team squad together, although the main negative for them was the loss of Nazem Kadri, who’s leadership and ability won’t be easy to replace. They still have a strong roster, though, and would be hard to count out for back-to-back contenders for the Cup again this upcoming season.