3 Bold predictions for the Colorado Avalanche for the 2024-25 season
Here are three bold predictions that could happen for the Colorado Avalanche during the 2024-25 NHL season.
The Colorado Avalanche are looking toget back to the Stanley Cup Final. They’ve got many great pieces to make a run, but they also need certain things to go right in order for that to take place. They do have some question marks.
That being said, I think that it is safe to say that certain players are going to perform at a very high level.
I decided to think of three bold predictions for the 2024-25 NHL season as it applies to the Colorado Avalanche.
Nathan MacKinnon earns second-straight Hart Trophy
This one might not sound extremely bold upon first look, but when you consider that Nathan MacKinnon won the Hart Trophy last year while not leading the league in points nor goals, that’s kind of the tricky thing here.
Except, it’s not. My prediction, specifically, is that MacKinnon will actually lead the league in goals this upcoming season. He finished last year with 51 goals in 82 games. There’s no doubt in my mind that MacKinnon can reach a higher level.
I felt like there needed to be more production around the team and that MacKinnon had the team on his back. If things fall perfectly in place this season, and guys such as Valeri Nichushkin (in November) and Gabriel Landeskog return to the team, the sky is the limit for No. 29.
MacKinnon will also do a lot better than last year because his returning linemate Jonathan Drouin should have an even better season than last year if all things go well. Many expected Drouin to leave in free agency by receiving a big contract, but he opted to remain in Colorado on a team-friendly one-year deal.
As for MacKinnon, I would love to predict that he will earn another two or three Hart Trophies by the time his career comes to a close.
Alexandar Georgiev shuts door on talk of the Colorado Avalanche moving on from him
Alexandar Georgiev is in a contract year. Typically, players tend to produce at a higher quality in theses sorts of cases, as to try to earn an extension, or perhaps a bigger payday from a different club. The best-case scenario for the Colorado Avalanche is Georgiev playing out of his mind this year.
Yes, they have Justus Annunen waiting for his opportunity to start. Some people think that that is the team’s hope as well. That being said, if you have Georgiev playing out of his mind and Annunen filling in for a handful more games than he did last year, you could be set up for a bright future.
I was pretty harsh on Georgiev at times last season. I felt like he should have stopped more pucks than he did. That still stands, as he gave up a bunch of four-goal games.
Georgiev knows he did not play up to standards. He probably hears the noise. Hopefully, that puts some fire into his game and he can have a breakout year for the Avalanche. Even though he led the league in wins last year, his performance was not good enough. He might not lead the league in wins this season, but I think that his play from last year will fuel him and help his mindset for the 2024-25 NHL season.
Calum Ritchie earns roster spot, blows the league away
The Colorado Avalanche selected Calum Ritchie near the end of the first round of the 2023 NHL Draft. He will get a nine-game tryout for the team this season to see whether or not they feel he can do what is asked of him and play a sound game. My prediction? He does it, and he does it well.
If all things go well for Ritchie early on, and as I would think the Avalanche would hope, Ritchie will play a significant amount of minutes for the team this season. If Ritchie blows the Colorado Avalanche away with his performances, this team could have a huge year, especially if Valeri Nichushkin and/or Gabriel Landeskog return to the ice.
We want teams to fear the Avalanche. They’ve shown at times that they can be a dangerous team. Although it’s no guarantee Landeskog does return this year, that has been his hope and he sounds confident that it will happen. Perhaps Ritchie and Landeskog can play on the same line together at some point. That would be a lot of fun to see, in my opinion.
Ritchie will get some time to shine during the preseason, whicih begins on Monday for the Avalanche. It will be fun to see him play for the first time (not counting the training camp games).
manual