The Colorado Avalanche are under a lot of scrutiny since their Stanley Cup run in 2022, and entering this NHL season there remains to be a large area of concern with their forward depth.
The Avs have only won one series win since reaching the top of the mountain three years ago. And this offseason they did not pay much attention to the elephant in the room.
Avs offseason ignorance could cost them a cup run
Christopher Hennessy of Clutch Points made it quite clear in his report that the Avalanche are in desperate need of some forward depth.
"According to Daily FaceOff, the Avalanche are going to roll out Ivan Ivan, Parker Kelly, and Matthew Steinburg as their fourth line. In a time when fourth lines are being asked to contribute offensively, this group won't get it done. They are mostly young players, so it could work out perfectly. But they need more of a sure thing." -Hennessy
Although it seems the Avalanche paid no mind to this weakness in their lineup there is still hope to correct their mistakes.
"The Avalanche still have time to solve this problem, as Jack Roslovic is available in free agency. After a 22-goal season with the Carolina Hurricanes last year, Roslovic still has not signed a deal. He would be a perfect fit in Colorado, as the team needs more scoring and another center." -Hennessy
The resigning of Brock Nelson does provide some light at the end of the tunnel. However, the American will need quite the increase in production to make him worth the 7.5 million AAV. In 19 games last season he managed only six goals and 13 points, the postseason was no better tallying only four assists in seven games. A return to his 30 goal pace is needed for the Avs to have any kind of success.
It will be interesting to see if the Avs head office address their depth issues or if they will continue to put way too much pressure on their top stars for yet another season.