By Dom Luszczyszyn, Sean Gentille and Shayna Goldman The Colorado Avalanche are stocked up on two things: world-class hockey players and uncertainty. Nobody else has a center/defenseman combo quite like Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar — nor is anyone else starting the season with two key support players (and $13 million in cap space) twisting in the wind. Does that make them a dangerous team to play against? A fascinating team to watch? An impossible team to preview? Yes.
The answer, across the board, is “yes.” We gave it a shot, regardless. The projection At full strength, the Avalanche are one of the league’s scariest teams — we’re just not exactly sure when or if that full strength will come out this season.
Our forecast features both Gabriel Landeskog (knee injury) and Valeri Nichushkin (suspended until at least mid-November) returning, but there’s uncertainty with when that’ll be and how effective they will be if they do. On both fronts for both players, being conservative felt like the best bet, which leads to the 104-point forecast. At the top of their powers without as many games missed, Colorado is easily a top-five team — maybe even a top-three team capable of surpassing 105 points.
Advertisement Things can turn just as easily the other way toward the downside, though, if neither player can play as often as expected or as well as expected. That’s a possibility too, one that leaves Colorado’s depth outside its stars wanting. The Avalanche are a .
