Predicting the Colorado Avalanche opening night roster

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SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – APRIL 28: Nathan MacKinnon #29 of the Colorado Avalanche looks on against the Seattle Kraken during the second period in Game Six of the First Round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Climate Pledge Arena on April 28, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) /

The return of hockey is upon us! The regular season is right around the corner, less than a week away, and training camp is in full swing, with position battles and the fight for ice time in full swing. Roster cuts are already occurring, and the staff here at Mile High Sticking is as curious as you are regarding the 20 Colorado Avalanche players that’ll step onto the ice against the Los Angeles Kings as much as you reading this are.

There will be some health bombs (healthy scratches) this season, and those players will be included as well as we dive into who the players will be to make up the opening roster.

With several cuts being made already, as previously stated, the battles have become slimmer, and in turn, less mystery surrounds the team on opening night.

Surely general manager Chris MacFarland and head coach Jared Bednar have their vision, and we all know the main cogs in this lineup. Who will the grinders be? Will the Avalanche keep a one-trick pony on the roster? Where will the hidden gems come from? Can careers be resurrected with new surroundings?

DENVER, COLORADO – APRIL 11: Mikko Rantanen #96 of the Colorado Avalanche looks on in the second period of a game against the Edmonton Oilers at Ball Arena on April 11, 2023 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) /

Colorado Avalanche forwards prediction

There are a couple of cornerstones of this franchise. These same players played a pivotal role in the Avalanche winning the Stanley Cup not long ago. The Avalanche go as Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen and Gabriel Landeskog go, as far as the forward group is concerned. Landeskog looks like he will miss the entire season, which will hurt (no pun intended), but MacKinnon and Rantanen are a force to be reckoned with league-wide, and obviously will make this team.

The Avalanche added a few players this off-season, and although their impact on the team is yet to be determined, they surely will have an opportunity to provide that impact. Ross Colton, Ryan Johansen, Jonathan Drouin, and Tomas Tatar are these players, and they’ll have a roster spot on opening night. Colorado just signed Miles Wood to a six-year contract this off-season, and he’ll bring some grit to the Avalanche lineup in 2023.

Playoff hero Valeri Nichushkin is comfortably on this roster as well. Artturi Lehkonen provided more than twenty goals last season for the Avalanche, and he’ll provide depth this season.

Here’s where the decisions will start to happen. Most of the aforementioned players will make up the top 9 of the Avalanche, at least to begin the season. The last 3-4 spots are up for grabs with many worthy candidates. Andrew Cogliano will make this team. He’s a seasoned veteran with a ton of experience, can easily play a grinding-type game required of a fourth liner, and can chip in offensively when necessary.

Riley Tufte has been spoken highly of by Avalanche brass this training camp and recently saw some time at Center when MacKinnon was up in Halifax. Tufte also happens to stand 6-foot-6 and weigh about 220 lbs. He’s young (25) and was signed this off-season from Dallas where he saw game action at the NHL level last season. His versatility and size help him make this opening night roster.

Logan O’Connor has done enough over the last two seasons for the Avalanche to have earned a chance to be on the roster on opening night. He’s only missed one game over the last two seasons and has scored over 20 points each season.

The final forward spot goes to Kurtis MacDermid. Avalanche fans know and love MacDermid as he can provide a rugged style of play and is not shy about protecting his teammates when required. Although they likely do not want this to happen, MacDermid can also play defense and can add versatility to the squad.

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – APRIL 28: Cale Makar #8 of the Colorado Avalanche shoots against the Seattle Kraken during the third period in Game Six of the First Round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Climate Pledge Arena on April 28, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) /

Colorado Avalanche defense prediction

The defense will be led by Cale Makar. The Norris trophy-winning defenseman is a generational talent and maybe the best defenseman this league has seen in a long time, if not ever. Bowen Byram is a young defenseman with upside and he’ll be on the roster. The same goes for Devon Toews, whom the Avalanche stole from the Islanders some years back, and Samuel Girard. Girard provides a lot out of a lower-pair defenseman, and he’s very valuable to the team.

Jack Johnson was re-signed this offseason, and he’s got veteran experience, including in the playoffs. The Avalanche likely see him as a mentor-type player for the younger defenseman, but of course, he’s still got gas left in the tank. Josh Manson is a hard-nosed player who provides a lot. He’s comfortably on the roster and can also provide grit when needed.

The 7th defenseman will come down to likely Sam Malinski or Jack Ahcan, and Ahcan will earn the spot. A smaller player than Malinski, Ahcan has NHL experience, and produced nearly more than a point every other game at the AHL level last season. Colorado signed him in the offseason from Boston and had to envision him helping out at the NHL level in some form this season.

DENVER, COLORADO – APRIL 26: Alexandar Georgiev #40 of the Colorado Avalanche tends goal against the Seattle Kraken in the third period during Game Five of the First Round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Ball Arena on April 26, 2023 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) /

Colorado Avalanche goaltender prediction

Alexandar Georgiev has solidified the crease at Ball Arena for home games for the Avalanche. After being acquired from the New York Rangers in the summer of 2022 to be the number-one goaltender for Colorado, Georgiev cemented that status by posting 40 wins in 62 games last season. He has earned his position as the top choice between the pipes and should continue his stellar play.

The backup goalie spot to open the season is in question, as it appears likely choice Pavel Francouz is not recovering as hoped from an offseason injury and won’t be ready for opening night. There had been discussion of trades or internal options for this spot, and it appears the Avalanche will take the internal option.

The readiest goaltender in the system is Justus Annunen. Colorado optioned Arvid Holm to the AHL Colorado Eagles recently, and it appears they’ve all but confirmed that Annunen will be with the big club to start the season. He’s got NHL experience and hopefully learning from Georgiev as well as the NHL staff will help him progress moving forward.

Cuts happen every day, and surely one of these players will be shipped out or sent down prior to the season’s beginning. I’ll eat crow for that, and that’s fine, but this roster projection is the best guess for where Colorado will be on October 11. Here’s to a great season and a long playoff run.

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