Can two superstars save the Avalanche from cracks in their lineup?
Photo credit: AAron Ontiveroz / The Denver Post
As talented as superstars Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar are, the Colorado Avalanche may still struggle to win another Stanley Cup due to a lack of depth.
The Avalanche have added some depth this offseason to help the superstar duo, but they are still going to have to carry the majority of the load.
Avalanche still rely heavily on Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar to achieve success.
David Morasutti of Sportsnet recently analyzed the gaps in the Avalanche lineup. As often noted, the team's lack of depth puts all the pressure on MacKinnon and Makar to produce results.
"Three years removed from their 2022 Stanley Cup triumph, the Avalanche have struggled to regain that form despite having one of the NHL's most feared cores. While their contending window is still wide open, their flaws were exposed last season." -Morassuti
While many questions still remain unanswered, there are still things to be hopeful for from the additions they made.
Firstly, Brent Burns could provide some added support on the back end with good offensive 5 on 5 play, and definitely on the power play.
Then we have Jack Drury, who could finally make that big leap and fill the role of a solid 3rd line center.
And there is also Gavin Brindley, who, the same as Drury, can make that next step in his career and become the prospect he is expected to become.
The rest will depend on the experienced supporting cast surrounding MacKinnon and Makar.
"But the reality is that Colorado's top-end talent has been stretched to its limit in recent years. MacKinnon often carries the offence single-handedly, while Makar's minutes increase drastically in tough situations. Hopefully, having Gabriel Landeskog back in the fold and providing the emotional leadership can help, but the Avs need players like Valeri Nichushkin and Artturi Lehkonen to step up like they did in the Cup run." -Morasutti
There still isn't a true cause for concern for the Avalanche, but with the new season just around the corner, the anticipation keeps building on whether or not these added pieces will work out.
| POLL | ||
SEPTEMBRE 10 | 29 ANSWERS Can two superstars save the Avalanche from cracks in their lineup? Can MacKinnon and Makar carry the Avalanche all the way to another Stanley Cup? | ||
| yes | 21 | 72.4 % |
| no | 8 | 27.6 % |
| List of polls | ||
TRENDING NOW
