Colorado Avalanche: Core Player Goals for the 2018-19 Season

As the Colorado Avalanche head into the all-important 2018-19 season, they’ll be trying to prove last year’s success wasn’t a fluke. Players achieving their goals will go a long way to that end.

The Colorado Avalanche are heading into the 2018-19 season with a little more pep in their step than last year, when the weight of the Why Us 48-Point Season was on their shoulders.

What’s more, the Avs have made very few changes to core personnel in the offseason. Nor does it look like change is imminent since there are no big-trade players currently twisting in the wind.

Over the summer, we spent time looking at all the core players, and even some of the role players, to evaluate their 2017-18 season and identify areas that need improvement. Today, we’re going to look at a handful of core players and identify concrete goals for them to achieve.

It’s always hard to identify who your “core” players are. There are the obvious players, such as Nathan MacKinnon. However, the Avalanche suited up 11 rookies last season, and at least a few of those sophomores are expected to play important roles this season.

So, I’m going to focus on true core players as well as any roster players expected to make significant contributions this season.

Nathan MacKinnon

Goals: 39
Assists: 58
Shots: 284
Shooting percentage: 13.7%
Faceoff percentage: 41.92%
CF%: 50.9%
CF% Rel: 4.9

Nathan MacKinnon had a career season that led him to being a finalist for the Hart Trophy. Across the boards, his numbers were phenomenal. However, we want him to keep striding forward, not regress. So, let’s create those goals:

1. Score 40 goals
2. Improve faceoffs to 50%
3. Win the Hart Trophy

I couldn’t believe how close MacKinnon got to scoring 40 goals last season — just one shy. His previous career-high was 24 goals his rookie season, but he blew that out of the water already. So, yes, I’d like to see MacKinnon crack that 40-goal mark.

If there’s one area where MacKinnon lagged, it was in faceoffs. The entire team did. I’d like to see him get to 50%, which is just dead even.

Nate was our MVP last year. No disrespect to Taylor Hall, but all Avs fans think MacKinnon was robbed. As MacK went, so went the team — and they made the playoffs after that dreadfully embarrassing season. That’s the definition of MVP. If he throws another performance like last year, he should win the hart Trophy.

The most important goal: Don’t regress.

Mikko Rantanen

Goals: 29
Assists: 55
Shots: 178
Shooting percentage: 16.3%
Faceoff percentage: 51.28%
CF%: 50.7%
CF% Rel: 4.8

I’m only half-joking when I say Mikko Rantanen was the reason MacKinnon didn’t win the Hart Trophy — he was considered much more of a help than anything Hall received. There’s no question that Rantanen had a stellar sophomore year with his 84 points.

So, for his goals:

1. Score 30 goals
2. Play 82 games
3. Contribute in the playoffs

Rantanen, like MacKinnon, was so-close to one of those milestones when he scored 29 goals last season. I mean, that’s great for a sophomore season after a 20-goal rookie season. But I’d love to see Rantanen reach that milestone.

Rantanen only missed one game last season. However, he missed several last season when he was injured in the prospect showcase. Let’s start making an 82-game regular season a thing.

When the Colorado Avalanche make the playoffs, we’re going to have to see a little something-something from our top line winger. Four assists in six games ain’t going to cut it.

The most important goal: Don’t regress.

Gabriel Landeskog

Goals: 25
Assists: 37
Shots: 183
Shooting percentage: 13.7%
Faceoff percentage: 51.44%
CF%: 52.8%
CF% Rel: 9.4

Unlike MacKinnon and Rantanen, Gabriel Landeskog did not have a career year. He certainly didn’t have a bad year — his 62 points comprised his second-best season. It’s just that he did better in 2013-14 in goals (26) and overall points (65).

So, for his goals:

1. Score over 65 points
2. Score over 26 goals — even a full 30
3. Play 82 games

Landeskog looks to be a mid-50s to mid-60s points player. That’s ok because the captain truly brings the intangibles to the ice — and the dressing room. However, he’s 25 now — he’s in the prime of his career. If he’s going to peak, now’s the time to do it.

Concerning the goals total, see the above rationale.

Landeskog played a full 82-game season in 2014-15 and missed only one game the year before. He would have played a full 82-game season last year except for his bogus suspension.

So, for his main goal: Don’t get suspended.

Tyson Barrie

Goals: 14
Assists: 43
Shots: 178
Shooting percentage: 7.9%
Takeaway vs. giveaway ratio: 20:38
CF%: 48.3%
CF% Rel: 2.0

Well, Tyson Barrie had a career season last year. His numbers were really very impressive. However, we’re not here to sing his praises but rather to set some goals:

1. Improve the takeaway to giveaway ratio
2. Record 60 points
3. Contribute in the playoffs

Tyson Barrie is a puck-moving defenseman, and I well understand that he’s going to have the puck a lot — which means he’s going to give the puck away a lot. I would love to see him get closer to even on that takeaway to giveaway ratio, though.

Barrie’s 14 goals and 57 points were the best he’s ever recorded. However, why not shoot for the moon — 60 points?

Like Rantanen, Barrie was a player who disappeared last playoffs. he recorded four assists in six games. He’s supposed to be our Mr. Clutch — we’ll want to see that in the post-season.

The most important goal: For the love of hockey, keep the puck in the zone during the power play!

Tyson Jost

Goals: 12
Assists: 10
Shots: 113
Shooting percentage: 10.6%
Faceoff percentage: 36.68%
Takeaway vs. giveaway ratio: 2:2
CF%: 46%
CF% Rel: -2

Everyone is expecting sophomore forward Tyson Jost to take the all-important next step this season. Apparently Jost spent a lot of last season, especially early on, just learning how to adult — according to this BSN article he needed to learn about nutrition and even proper sleeping habits. All I have to say is I knew he wasn’t getting the mentoring he needed with all those rookies vying for attention.

Well, he seems to have it figured out now, so let’s look at his goals:

1. Crack the top-five for Colorado Avalanche scorers
2. Record 40+ points
3. Improve at least to the 40s for faceoff percentage

Jost is meant to be our second-line center. You want to see your primary second-liner in the top five for scoring, I think anyway. Last season his 22 points out him very firmly in the middle of the pack.

To earn top-five in scoring, Jost will have to score at least 40 points — Alexander Kerfoot was #5 last season with 43 points. That represents a big jump — probably even a doubling — for Tyson from last season. However, Jost also missed 17 games with injury. If he can stay healthy, he should be right on track.

That faceoff percentage… yeah. I get there are different ways to approach faceoff evaluation, but 36.68% doesn’t look good in any of them.

The most important goal: Avoid the sophomore slump.

Nikita Zadorov

Goals: 7
Assists: 13
Shots: 94
Shooting percentage: 7.4%
Hits: 278
Blocks: 106
Takeaway vs. giveaway ratio: 13:36
CF%: 47.3%
CF% Rel: -0.7

Last year Nikita Zadorov had to earn his way out of the doghouse after holding out on his contract and then coming late to camp — and not up to snuff in conditioning. However, he went on to throw a career-season, scoring a career-high seven goals and earning a career-high 20 points while playing a career-high 77 games.

Darn fine season. But let’s up the ante:

1. Score 10 goals
2. Maintain the Hits Leader title
3. Narrow the takeaway vs. giveaway gap

That first goal is one that Nikita Zadorov “jokingly” set for himself — he wants to score 10 goals this season. I think he should go for it.

Last year Big Z led the entire NHL in hits. I know that’s not an important statistic, but I’d like to see him maintain that title.

Running counter to that — and ultimately more important — I’d like to see Zadorov narrow that takeaway to giveaway gap. That ratio is just brutal.

The most important goal: Stay out of the doghouse.

Sam Girard

Goals: 3
Assists: 17
Shots: 76
Shooting percentage: 3.9
Hits: 43
Blocks: 63
Takeaway vs. giveaway ratio: 12:31
CF%: 47.8%
CF% Rel: 0.2

Our little Samuel Girard came back from the summer all grown up. No, really, he made some of the biggest changes in his body and his overall maturation over the summer. He is practically a different person. Judging by training camp, he’s not too different a player, though — and the differences were good.

So, for his goals:

1. Score 7+ goals
2. Improve to 5% shooting percentage
3. Narrow the takeaway vs. giveaway gap

Girard was really very impressive for a rookie last season. However, he’s the heir apparent to Tyson Barrie, so his offense has to improve. The fewest goals Barrie has ever recorded in a full season was seven, so let’s see Sam aim for that.

Defensemen are going to have lower shooting percentages. However, this is a development year for Girard, and I’d like to see him improve that statistic at least a little.

Oh, look, another puck-moving defenseman with a terrible takeaway to giveaway ratio. As with the others, I’d just like to see it get closer to even.

The most important goal: Stay agile, even with the increased weight.

JT Compher/Alexander Kerfoot

I am well aware that Compher and Kerfoot are two radically different players. However, I daresay they are expected to have about the same impact on the team as the other. Therefore, I wanted to put them together.

Right now the Colorado Avalanche have second-line winger in mind for Kerfoot and third-line center for Compher. I could see that flip-flopping, depending on performance.

In any case, Compher had a decent-enough year with 23 points (13 goals, 10 assists) in 69 games. Obviously, he missed some with injury. I’d like to see him get closer to the 40-point mark, and stay healthy. Last season his shooting percentage was 9.9% — why not aim for over 10% while maintaining a similar shots per game (1.89).

Kerfoot had a much better rookie season than I anticipated, earning 43 points (19 goals, 24 assists) in 79 games. Why not aim for 20 goals? And we all want to see him take more than 81 shots (1.02 per game) this season, which will help with that goals total.

The most important goal: Avoid the sophomore slump.

Half of the players on this list played their first preseason game, and the other half will likely see their first preseason game in Minnesota. In any case, I expect to see all of them on the Colorado Avalanche’s opening night roster, where hopefully they’ll be laying the groundwork for a successful season achieving the above goals.