Colorado Avalanche: 5 Players Who Need to Finish the Season
All Colorado Avalanche players want to see the 2019-20 season resume, but five players have an especially vested interest in hockey’s return this year.
The Colorado Avalanche don’t have any control over how long the NHL will keep the season on pause. To be frank, the NHL doesn’t have any control over that either. Depending on the COVID-19 pandemic, the season could be truncated or even canceled.
We all want what’s best for safety, but none of us want to see the season cancelled. Especially here in Avs Nation we have a vested interest is the continuation of the season. This version of the Avalanche seems like real Stanley Cup contenders.
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None of the NHL players, with the exception of the Detroit Red Wings, want to end this season. Certainly none of the Avs players. However, there are certain players who need to see this season finish playing out.
Nathan MacKinnon
Our superstar, Nathan MacKinnon, missed only one game due to a lower body injury, and that was going on when the pause went into effect. He could come back healthy right now, and will certainly be good to go come July, the potential resumption for the season.
MacKinnon has 93 points. His career best is 99 last year. He has 12 games to get seven points and beat that career best. What’s more, he has 12 games to prove he deserves the Hart Trophy.
He deserves the Hart Trophy. Two seasons ago Taylor Hall stole the Hart because it was said MacKinnon had too good of support. Well, MacKinnon leads the Avs in scoring by 43 points. No question he’s our MVP.
Cale Makar
Our rookie stud, Cale Makar, is having a stellar season. As a defenseman, he’s second only to MacKinnon in scoring. He’s second only to Quinn Hughes for rookie scoring — by just three points. Due to injury, Makar has played 11 fewer games.
He was the front runner for the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year. He deserves that trophy. He, too, had 12 more games to prove that fact.
Tyson Jost
Avs Nation’s favorite whipping boy, Tyson Jost, isn’t up for any trophies. However, after a dreadful slump, he was finally getting his NHL legs. It looked to everyone — except his most virulent detractors — that he had turned the corner and was going to be a regular secondary scorer.
He had recorded seven points (3 goals, 4 assists) in his last nine games. Jost needs to finish the season to prove he’s not a bust at the tender age of 22. He’s also a restricted free agent this summer.
Nikita Zadorov
The coaching staff’s favorite whipping boy, Nikita Zadorov, is another pending RFA. He was also benched for three games before returning against the New York Rangers.
And then the pause went into effect. Earlier in the season, Zadorov had seemed to find his niche with the Colorado Avalanche. That benching could be just a blip — he needs the chance to prove he has value to the team.
Philipp Grubauer
Goalie Philipp Grubauer won the starting job from Semyon Varlamov last year. With injuries and inconsistent play this year, it looked like he might have lost the starting job to backup Pavel Francouz.
Before the pause, Grubauer was out with a lower body injury thanks to a wayward check from teammate Ian Cole. As with MacKinnon, he’s probably healthy enough to play right now. I’m sure he hopes the season resumes so he can prove he’s the goalie for the run.
Next. Jost and Makar on BarDown. dark
The Colorado Avalanche were in their perpetual place of being two points behind the St. Louis Blues for Best in the West with a game in hand. We all hope that’s not the epithet to the season.