2023 Colorado Avalanche Predictions with Futures Odds and Expert NHL Picks
Summary of last season
The Colorado and Dallas race to end the regular season was a fun one to watch, with the Avalanche ultimately winning the Central and topping Dallas by just one point. Colorado finished with 109 points, tied with Edmonton for the second most in the Western Conference. They were one of the best road teams, as they posted 59 points on the road with a 29-11-1 record. Their 280 goals were the fourth highest total in the Western Conference. They also beat up on their divisional opponents, as they went 19-6-1 against the members of the Central Division.
Colorado featured two players that would go on to finish in the Top 10 of the league in player points totals, with Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen finishing 5th in and 8th in the league, respectively. Rantanen’s 55 goals were the third most in the league, while MacKinnon would finish tied 9th in the NHL in the same category with 42 goals. Blueliner Cale Makar posted 66 points in just 60 games for the Avs, finishing third on the team. In 62 games, G Alexandar Georgiev went 40-16-6, allowing just 2.53 GA/G and a .919 SV%.
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Seasons come and go, so now it’s time to take a look at what we can expect from the Colorado Avalanche in 2023-24:
Key Additions/Losses
LW J.T. Compher is gone after signing with Detroit, while C Evan Rodrigues also departed as he signed with Florida earlier this offseason. However, Colorado went to work to replace those two as they traded for F Fredrik Olofsson from Dallas while also acquiring F Ryan Johansen from Nashville. Colorado also unloaded C Alex Newhook but flipped him for a first- and second-round pick from the lowly Canadiens. They would later use that second-round pick to grab C Ross Colton from Tampa Bay.
Colorado would continue adding pieces after signing Miles Wood to a six-year deal after the forward posted 27 points with the Devils last year. The Avs also signed Jonathan Drouin (29 points, MON) and F Tomas Tatar (48 points, NJD).
X-Factors
Health- Gabriel Landeskog is slated to miss his second consecutive season. Makar appeared in only 60 games. For a team trying to hoist a Stanley, they will need to stay healthy. They did a great job adding depth all across the board, which should compensate for the factor a bit. However, they need to avoid having one of their key pieces miss time this season.
Depth- With Tatar, Colton, and Wood all projected to be third-liners, it shows just how incredible the depth of this team is. Colorado is dangerous.
Goalie Outlook
Alexandar Georgiev is back as the team’s starter and will look to post similar numbers this time around. This has to be one of the most “low pressure” (if that’s even a thing) jobs in hockey with all those stars on the team. Colorado will score, and they just need Georgiev to be average in order to secure a comfortable postseason position. Well, the good news is Georgiev is far better than average.
Pavel Francouz, who allowed 2.61 GA/G in 16 games as the primary backup, has been usurped by Justus Annunen, who is slated to be Georgiev’s backup.
Grade: A
Key Schedule Stretch
January 13th- February 15th- This stretch includes 11 road games and just two home games. It will start with a five-game road trip as the Avs will head to Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Boston, and Philadelphia before they return home to host Washington and Los Angeles. After that, it will end with a six-game road trip to New York Rangers, New Jersey, Carolina, Florida, Washington, and Tampa Bay. That is a rough stretch for even one of the better teams in this league. The six-game road trip will be tough with five of the six featuring the best teams in the East.
Notable Odds
*DraftKings Sportsbook
Stanley Cup Champions - +1000
Conference Winner - +500
Division Winner - +150
Norris Trophy- Cale Makar- +190
Prediction
Colorado is going to be the best team in the Western Conference this season. They are so loaded with firepower extending past their stacked first line. MacKinnon, Makar, and Rantanen could all win multiple awards and find themselves among the league’s best again this season. Georgiev is a good netminder that is able to go 2/3rds of the season and provide that consistent reliance. Colorado may be better than last year, so the over 106.5 is an easy pick, while it is worthwhile throwing a few dollars at a Stanley Cup Champs future pick for the Avs.
Over 106.5 Team Total Points
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