Preseason preview: Colorado Avalanche take on Dallas Stars on the road

The Colorado Avalanche will face off against the Dallas Stars at the American Airlines Center on Friday night. The Avs will be looking for their first preseason win. Meanwhile, the Stars will look to continue their perfect postseason record.

The two clubs met last Monday night with the Stars edging the Avs at home. This time around, the Colorado Avalanche will have revenge on their minds. That being said, let’s take a look at three key points for Friday night’s preseason matchup between the Colorado Avalanche and the Dallas Stars.

Three key points regarding the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars preseason game

Alexandar Georgiev should get the nod

Alexandar Georgiev should get the nod to start this game. Justus Annunen started in goal in the Avs’ last outing. While Annunen looked well enough, Georgiev figures to be the number-one netminder heading into the season.

So, fans should get their first look at Annunen this season. Georgiev will be looking to get off to a solid start, as he tries to bounce back from a subpar 2023-24 season.

Kevin Mandolese could get the call as Georgiev’s backup for Friday night’s game. Mandolese does not figure to make the team, but should get a look anyway as he should be in the mix for one of the jobs with the Colorado Eagles this season.

Big names could suit up

Last outing, big names like Cale Makar and Nathan MacKinnon did not suit up for the Colorado Avalanche. However, fans should expect to see the big guns in action against the Dallas Stars. MacKinnon, Makar, Mikko Rantanen, and Devon Toews, along with Jonathan Drouin, could all be in the lineup.

It’s worth pointing out that top prospect Calum Ritchie will most likely not be in the lineup. Ritchie had a goal in the previous matchup against the Stars. Still, Ritchie could get penciled in if coach Jared Bednar wants to see how he could perform among most of the team’s regulars.

Bednar believes Drouin has made major improvements

In a recent piece by NHL.com, Bednar referred to Jonathan Drouin’s development as a player in Colorado. Bedar stated:

“We saw major improvements in his game almost immediately last year. Especially on the defending side of it and just how much we trusted him as a player and it led to great offensive numbers, especially the second half of the season.”

The comments underscore Drouin taking advantage of another shot at the NHL. After bouncing around several organizations, it seems that he has found a home with the Avalanche. The team signed Drouin to a one-year $2.5 million deal, which was a significant pay bump from the $825k one-year pact he signed the previous season.

Hopefully, Drouin can build on last year’s totals while fast becoming the player that the Tampa Bay Lightning envisioned when they drafted him third overall in 2013.