by Luke Eggers
April 6, 2021
The Avalanche are the hottest thing in hockey right now. The frontrunners to win the Western Division increased their point streak to 15 games tonight after defeating the Minnesota Wild 5-4 and are 13-0-2 in their last 15 games. Tonight’s win marks an even more special milestone: the Avalanche now boast the best record in the National Hockey League.
What a ride this last month has been. Nathan MacKinnon and the top line have been otherworldly since the star forward found his groove; he has nine goals and 16 assists since the beginning of March. Goaltender Philip Grubauer has continued his all-star season, still atop the league’s netminders in goals-against average (1.76).
The Avalanche are getting consistent production from the rest of their club behind their star players and have been an imposing force as of late. Their +50 goal differential is the best in the league by a whopping 13 goals, irrefutable evidence that they play the most well-rounded team hockey in the league.
Though it seems like all systems go right now for Colorado, Joe Sakic and the Avs front office have not relented in their effort to stack this roster with talent for the future. Last week, they signed draft picks Alex Newhook and Sampo Ranta to entry-level contracts.
Newhook, the Avs’s first-round pick in 2019, just finished a stellar sophomore season at Boston College. The reigning NCAA Division I Rookie of the Year tallied 16 points in only 12 appearances after returning from an injury that cost him much of the season. He is an explosive, play-making centerman who has a bright future in the NHL.
The Finish-born Ranta recently concluded a breakout junior campaign for the University of Minnesota. Colorado’s 2018 third-rounder scored the second-most goals in the entire NCAA this year (19) and led his team to a Big 10 championship.
Newhook and Ranta are both only 20-years-old. They will both work to earn their stripes in the AHL with the Colorado Eagles until further notice. They’ll play alongside other developing young talents like first-round picks Shane Bowers and Martin Kaut.
After Logan O’Connor and Matt Calvert were sidelined with injuries, the Avalanche made some additional roster moves. They called up former Washington Capital Logan O’Connor from the Eagles. O’Connor is a big, tough forward who plays a gritty brand of hockey.
The Avs also called up defenseman Keaton Middleton and Kyle Burroughs, two players who have had successful AHL careers. They will likely float back and forth from the taxi squad once Bown Byram returns from injury in a few days.
The April 12 trade deadline is rapidly approaching, and it will be interesting to see if Sakic makes any moves. During his time as Colorado’s general manager, he has earned a reputation for creating very crafty, team-friendly deals. Besides several of his quality draft choices, that is the main reason this roster is so deep right now.
Though Grubauer is having a career year, its never wise to enter playoffs without a formidable backup goaltender, and the Avs have yet to find one. The Florida Panthers seem to be likely trade targets; they just signed 19-year-old Spencer Knight to an entry-level contract, calling into question the team’s plans for backup Chris Driedger.
Driedger has backed up Sergei Bobrovsky very well this season. He is 11-4-2 and has a .931 save percentage. The Avalanche could also target Carolina Hurricanes Goalie James Reimer (14-4-1, .901) or look to re-acquire Jonathan Bernier (8-6-0, .918) from the rebuilding Detroit Red Wings.
The Avalanche will now look to keep their momentum heading into the final stretch of the regular season, most of which they will spend on the road. Though they’d love to increase their point margin on a nightly basis, their first priority must be staying healthy. Teams will likely try to slow this group down with physicality, and Colorado cannot afford to lose any key players.
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