Avalanche Can't Ignore Top-Six Winger

The Colorado Avalanche need another top-six forward to pair with their superstar players.

May 15, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (29) and defenseman Josh Manson (42) and left wing Artturi Lehkonen (62) celebrates a goal scored by MacKinnon against the Dallas Stars during the third period in game five of the second round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports / Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

The Colorado Avalanche were one of the deepest teams in the NHL when they won the Stanley Cup in 2022. Their four forward lines were rolling on a nightly basis and their defense could cycle without skipping a step.

Heading into the 2024-2025 season, the Avalanche are searching for that depth again. They've been without their captain Gabriel Landeskog and winger Valeri Nichuskin for a majoity of the two seasons since their championship run. Landeskog, 31, hasn't played since the team's 2022 Stanley Cup final series with a knee injury. He expects to return for the upcoming season, but the team has no timetable for when.

Nichuskin has just as questionable a return date, but for a different reason. He was suspended for six months earlier this year after being placed in stage 3 of the NHLPA's Player Assistance Program, his second straight year of mandated entrance into the program. He won't be eligible to return until the 2024 regular season begins, and it's unclear if he will ever play for the Avalanche or in the NHL again.

That's two deadly blows dealt to the Avalanche. Both forwards are 25-30 goal scorers when healthy and on the ice, and they were a powerful duo behind the team's two superstars in Nathan Mackinnon and Mikko Rantanen. Without them, the team needs to find a suitable replacement instead of a stop-gap.

The temporary fix approach hasn't worked in Colorado, as they've been unceremoniously bounced from the postseason in consecutive seasons. What has worked for the team in the past is investing in players that can be a piece of the team for the long term. They acquired Artturi Lekhonen at the trade deadline in 2022, and he was and remains a crucial member of the team.

The Avalanche made one move like that last season when they acquired Casey Middlestadt from the Buffalo Sabres for defenseman Bowen Byram. He gives them a viable number two center behind Mackinnon for the forseeable future and another championship pursuit.

That still leaves the team a scoring winger short. With limited cap space and young assets, the Avalanche are not in the ideal position to acquire any more talent. Still, they must do something to improve their roster. As currently constructed, the Avalanche are still a top-six forward away from truly being Stanley Cup contenders.

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