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

By Nadia Archuleta

DENVER, CO - APRIL 18: Gabriel Landeskog (92) of the Colorado Avalanche celebrates his 3-1 Avalanche goal with teammates against the Nashville Predators during the third period of the Predators' 3-2 win on Wednesday, April 18, 2018. The Colorado Avalanche hosted the Nashville Predators. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post via Getty Images)
DENVER, CO - APRIL 18: Gabriel Landeskog (92) of the Colorado Avalanche celebrates his 3-1 Avalanche goal with teammates against the Nashville Predators during the third period of the Predators' 3-2 win on Wednesday, April 18, 2018. The Colorado Avalanche hosted the Nashville Predators. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post via Getty Images) /
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DENVER, CO – APRIL 18: Nikita Zadorov #16 of the Colorado Avalanche warms up prior to the game against the Nashville Predators in Game Four of the Western Conference First Round during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Pepsi Center on April 18, 2018 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Michael Martin/NHLI via Getty Images) /

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.

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