The Colorado Avalanche are a team in transition. Whether that transition translates into a winning season in 2008-09 is questionable, particularly in the rough-and-tumble Northwest division.
Captain and longtime leader Joe Sakic, one of the greatest players in NHL history, is nearing the end of a great career, and Swedish sniper Peter Forsberg, who is an UFA but would likely sign with Colorado if he returns to the NHL this season, has been slowed by injury and is not the dominant player he once was.
That means that the Avs’ future, which starts now, will be in the hands of up-and-coming stars Paul Stastny, Wojtek Wolski and Marek Svatos, as well as established veterans Milan Hejduk and Ryan Smyth.
Stastny, the son of NHL Hall of Famer Peter Stastny, is entering his third pro season and has collected 149 points in 148 career games. Expect him to improve on his point-per-game average and lead Colorado in scoring this season. Wolski dipped to 48 points last season from 50 the previous year, and should bounce back with increased ice time this season. Svatos (26 goals last season) has to stay healthy this season – he’s never played a full, injury-free season.
Smyth was Colorado’s prized offseason acquisition in 2007, but he disappointed greatly last year, as injuries limited him to 55 games and his 37 points was his lowest total since 1998-1999. He should rebound and, as a veteran leader, get close to his usual 60 to 70 point range this season. For Hejduk, this season represents the same challenge he’s faced every year, and that is simply to play more consistently. In the past four seasons, his point totals have been up and down like a toilet seat – 75, 58, 70, and 54 last season.
The only relatively major player acquisition this past summer was 33-year-old Darcy Tucker from the Toronto Maple Leafs. Tucker is brittle and his best days are behind him; it’s doubtful he’ll provide much scoring punch for the Avs.
On defense, John-Michael Liles needs to bounce back from a poor campaign in which he had just 32 points, down from 49.
The Avalanche’s biggest problem, though, might be in net. Peter Budaj shared goaltending duties with Jose Theodore last season, until the inconsistent Budaj was benched (save for five starts) after the All-Star Break. Theodore revived his career and was signed to a $9 million, 2-year deal by the Washington Capitals. That leaves Budaj and Andrew Raycroft, who the Avs signed as a UFA on July 1. Raycroft is coming off a lousy 2007-08 season in which he won just two of 19 starts, with a 3.92 GAA and .876 save percentage. Ouch.
The Avalanche are at +2500 odds (25-1) to win the 2008-09 Stanley Cup in NHL future betting odds at Sportingbet.com.
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