The Colorado Avalanche earned the sixth spot in the latest rankings published by NHL.com. The Avs landed above other strong clubs like the Winnipeg Jets (7th), Tampa Bay Lightning (8th), and Toronto Maple Leafs (9th).
The ranking, while solid, is intriguing. The Avalanche boast two of the world’s best players in former Hart Trophy winner Nathan MacKinnon and reigning Norris Trophy winner Cale Makar. But two players do not a Stanley Cup winner make.
Nevertheless, it’s interesting to see that the Avalanche didn’t crack the top 5. Yes, they failed to make it out of the first round last postseason. But that wasn’t entirely on team futility. It was more a result of a tough draw against the Dallas Stars.
So, the question remains: Are the Colorado Avalanche truly a top-five team?
The answer to that question depends on how the top-five echelon is measured. If it’s based purely on playoff results, last season’s four Conference Finalists would be atop the list. That would leave room for one of the teams who got bounced in the second round.
But if the top-five tier is measured on star power and raw talent, the Avalanche have to be amongst the top of the NHL.
Beyond MacKinnon and Makar, the Avalanche have one of the league’s best defenders in Devon Toews. The rest of the blue line is underrated. Josh Manson and Samuel Girard are still solid, if unspectacular, blue liners.
As for the forward group, the list of names is enough to be the envy of every NHL coach. Artturi Lehkonen, Valeri Nichushkin, and Brock Nelson could easily slide into any team’s top six. But the most significant name of all is Gabriel Landeskog.
The Captain could have easily called it a career this past season. Instead, Landeskog worked his tail off to get back on the ice. Landeskog gives the Avalanche a top-six forward that any team would love to have.
Colorado Avalanche’s lack of elite goalie holding the team back
In my estimation, the only plausible reason for holding the Colorado Avalanche out of the top five is the lack of an elite goalie.
If that’s the case, the NHL has apparently forgotten that the Avalanche won a Stanley Cup without an elite goaltender. The Avs took home their last championship with Darcy Kuemper in goal.
That victory shattered the belief that teams needed a high-end goalie to win Cups. Yes, the Lightning and the Florida Panthers have won with elite goalies. But then again, the Winnipeg Jets have the best goalie in the world and were unable to make much headway last postseason.
