Avalanche Ousted in Round 2: Triumphs and Trials Define a Challenging Season

The Colorado Avalanche were eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs after a Game 6 defeat at the hands of the Dallas Stars.

After they fell 3-1 in the series, a Game 5 victory kept hope alive. It took two overtime periods, but Matt Duchene delivered the final nail in the coffin with the 2-1 OT winner.

The clock struck midnight on Nathan MacKinnon’s enchanted season. The Avs were exhausted. 

Even though they felt they could overcome anything together, the challenges of losing Val Nichushkin and leaving their best hockey of the series for Game 5 proved to be too much.

It’s been a rollercoaster of a year. MacKinnon secured an impressive bid for the Hart Trophy with 51 goals and 140 points. He unlocked franchise and NHL records alike that haven’t been touched in decades.

Mikko Rantanen followed close behind and quietly closed out another 40 goal, 100-point campaign (104) and Cale Makar finished a Norris Trophy finalist for the fourth year in a row.

There have been highs and lows.

What I Loved

Nathan MacKinnon

MacKinnon has been in the Hart Trophy discussion for several seasons now, but it was always Connor McDavid’s to claim. For the first time since his 99-point season in 2019, he dressed for all 82 games and crossed the 100-point mark for the second year in a row. Not having a fully healthy season held him back, but he also took another huge step forward – as if that were even possible.

He’s often described as the type of leader that leads by example, rather than by voice, and he leaned into both this year.

“I love coaching the guy because he brings an intensity and a drive to his game that’s unmatched in my opinion,” said Jared Bednar.

Though still not the most vocal leader, it was obvious through the reports from a lot of the new additions that MacKinnon drives pace a couple of ways. It starts with how he practices – the standard he sets by how intensely he practices forced others to follow suit and elevate.

Additionally, something like criticism of a dropped pass carried a lot of weight and players didn’t want to disappoint.

The time he spends on recovery postgame earned a little more attention after it was detailed just how long he spends on the bike after games and how many guys have joined him without batting an eye.

He’s viewed as a tremendous resource when it comes to diet, exercise, recovery, and conditioning research because he’s invested so much into incorporating the best in his own game. His teammates value his insight.

Continued effort to tend to how he processes the mental side of the game has allowed him to reach new heights too. With a better handle on the emotions that come with the sport, especially for how passionately he sees it, he first unseated Joe Sakic for the Avs’ record for points in a season.

Then he came for Peter Stastny’s franchise record for points in a season and set a new high (140 points).

Wayne Gretzky’s home points-record (40 games) was within sight and MacKinnon still reached the number two spot in all the NHL for his point-streak at Ball Arena (35 games).

He was constantly embroiled in a head-to-head battle for the NHL points lead with Nikita Kucherov and finished second – though he led the league in points at even strength.

It was a special season for MacKinnon. His trajectory is upward and the window is wide open for him.

Sam Girard’s Triumph

Defenseman Sam Girard entered the NHL/NHLPA’s Player Assistance Program on November 24th. Girard bravely elected to receive care after a battle with severe anxiety and depression led to alcohol abuse. He was cleared to return to the team in December.

“He’s been outstanding since coming back to the team,” said Bednar. “Him and [Josh] Manson as a pair have a really good chemistry. I like the mix of their puck-moving ability and their ability to defend. But he’s been rock-solid as a defender for us. … He’s invaluable to our team, especially once we made the trade to move Bo Byram for [Casey] Mittelstadt and get deeper in the middle of the ice.”

Girard had one of his best defensive seasons and set a career-high in penalty kill minutes. He became the definition of reliable on their backend.

I’m proud of Girard for recognizing when he needed help. It took courage and I was so happy to see him thrive in his return.

The Trade Deadline

Colorado’s front office had a big deadline. It was a risk to part ways with a young, promising talent in Bowen Byram. 

“When your goal is to win the Stanley Cup – we’re not trying to be a mediocre team,” Bednar said. “It’s something that everyone in our room is grateful for, but our room has to put in the work in order to get to that point.”

Veteran Zach Parise joined at the All-Star break, Brandon Duhaime and Yakov Trenin were added by the deadline, and Casey Mittelstadt arrived from Buffalo in a blockbuster trade for Byram.

“All you really want is a chance,” said MacKinnon. “We feel like the front office has given us a great chance with this roster.”

The second round exit will blemish the season no matter what, but I think the front office had the right idea. They addressed the hole at 2C and added some depth to get a little stronger.

Mittelstadt was fantastic in the Winnipeg series and found back-to-back goals later in the Dallas series when the whole team was plagued by execution issues. As a pending RFA, the Avs will have first crack at an extension.

The front office shouldn’t be ashamed of the deadline, but the Avs should reflect on the missed potential of it.

Jonathan Drouin’s Resurgence

He was the PHWA Colorado Chapter’s pick for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy and set a new career high in points with 56 on the year.

It started with a gamble on himself. He entered the 2023 offseason as a free-agent and landed in Colorado on an unpresuming $825,000 deal –  a notable difference from the $5.5 million salary he earned over the past six seasons.

Some were prepared to dismiss the Drouin experiment after his first ten games.

Many will credit his success to the talent that surrounds him. There’s Mikko Rantanen with another 40-goal/100-point season and then there’s the Hart frontrunner and former Halifax Mooseheads teammate Nathan MacKinnon.

They’re having a special season, and Drouin’s success can be linked to that, but only in part.

Drouin’s revival is his accomplishment and it stands on its own.

To overcome all that he has and reach this point at 29-years-old and a decade into his NHL career is impressive.

He embodies perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to his craft.

All the hours spent at Family Sports Center working extra with MacKinnon on the little details didn’t go unnoticed. To approach the sport with that level of repetition demonstrates a deep love of hockey.

Jonathan Drouin nominated for Masterton Award: finding strength in vulnerability

Drouin expressed interest in returning to Colorado next season.

“I’d love to come back here and sign here,” he said. “I loved my time here, my family loved their time.”

Will he come back?

“I hope so,” Bednar said. “That’ll be up to him, his agent (and) management. There’s always change. Even when you win, there’s changes. We saw when you lose, there’s change. It’s part of the business. But he was a great teammate, and I love the improvement in his game, the growth in his game on both sides of the puck. He’s well liked in our locker room. Certainly like his ability and his talent and the way he played for us this year, so hopefully we can get it done.”

Drouin is due for a pay day. He took a chance on himself and it paid off. He’s an obvious fit in Colorado, so the rest will come down to the negotiations between both parties.

Justus Annunen’s Breakout

He was in the last year of his entry-level contract and his future with the Avs was unclear.

Justus Annunen made his NHL debut in 2021. He started just three games in that time until he came into training camp this season and gave the Avs a lot to think about after an impressive showing.

He was a bona fide starter in the American League and steadily improved year after year. With news of Pavel Francouz’s season-ending injury, Colorado’s goaltending situation opened up.

A lower-body injury sidelined him for five weeks at the beginning of the year, but the Avs managed to get him into games once he returned to form. In 14 games and 12 starts Annunen posted a 0.928 and earned a two-year contract extension.

The 24-year old is a homegrown talent – developed from the draft to now inside Colorado’s system. It’s exciting to imagine what the future holds for the young goaltender.

What I Didn’t Love

Being Without the Captain

Colorado has strong leadership, but it was really tested this year. It was their first season without Erik Johnson – a fixture of the team for 13 seasons prior.

Additionally, they’ve been without their captain Gabriel Landeskog for two seasons. On May 10th, 2023, Landeskog underwent a right knee cartilage transplant. He was sidelined for the 2023-24 season to rehabilitate.

He’s been around the team for his recovery, but his absence on the ice and in the locker room was felt.

He was helpful for morale when he was around, but it’s hard to replace what he can bring as an active player. He’s been described as an extension of the coaching staff. Even though he was present, he didn’t hold court between periods like he would if he was playing.

Plus, he’s a warrior and you can’t help but wonder what his grit and net-front presence could have brought the Dallas series.

As for his future, Bednar offered as much insight as he could.

“I’m optimistic and hopeful,” he started. “I don’t think we got close to getting him back. He just hit that year mark… I trust Gabe and I know he’s doing everything he can with our staff (and) with other people… He got to the point where he wasn’t going to be able to play this year so then they can be cautious and he has this summer to get ready. 

He’s going to take it step by step and be methodical with it, but he’s going put his all into it. And I’m really hoping, not just for us, but for Gabe that he’s able to play again. He wants to play. It’s been a long road for him. I’d like nothing more than to see and be able to come back and play. And I think that that can happen.”

If anyone can do it, Gabe can do it.

Jared Bednar on Landeskog’s return

Val Nichushkin’s Turmoil

Val Nichushkin was placed in Stage 3 of the Player Assistance Program of the NHLPA and NHL.

Under the terms of the joint program, Nichushkin was suspended without pay for a minimum of six months and will be eligible to apply for reinstatement after the suspension period.

He entered the program earlier in the season on January 15th, 2024. He was cleared to practice on February 26th and entered the follow-up care phase of the program which meant that care continued to be administered pursuant to the program.

Nichushkin’s personal struggles are a terrible component of the 2023-24 season. When we look back on the story of this year, Nichushkin’s battle can’t be avoided.

He is a huge piece in Colorado’s top-six and the uncertainty of his future is a pain point.