I don't like the goaltending, but besides that, they're an amazing team. if they can fix their goaltending, they're cup favorites for me.

This is a very solid team, but I agree that goaltending is their weakest position.

Also I'd swap Jost and Compher -- Jost is brutal at face-offs.

Edit: it'll be interesting to see what this team looks like next year with a lot of big name UFAs coming up and SEA likely taking a good player.

Goaltending isn’t horrible though, and if it does become a problem they have the assets to trade for a better starter midseason

They have prospects that are really knocking at the door. So while I agree it will be interesting, there also isn't really a bad scenario (unless for some reason guys like Byram, Timmins, Newhook, Kaut, etc. don't take the next step in their development).

goaltending has been statistically one of the best tandems all last season. There is nothing wrong with the tandem to "fix". Their goalies got hurt in the playoffs, thats it. If they had a healthy Grubauer against Dallas, its a fair statement that they win that series, they did go to Game 7 OT with Hutchinson....

you may be right, but I still don't like thier goalies. 1 is a back up, while the other is a borderline starter

they are more than capable ability wise, you said they needed to fix their goaltending....but it wasnt a weak point performance. Risky still since they arent fully established until they do what they need to do....take them to the finals and with Grubauer a bit of an injury concern but hes still a top 15 starter in the league...you can win with league average goaltending

Yeah, not saying they won't still be good - but this really feels like a 1 year team. It could look a lot different next season.

Can you really say that Grubauer is a top 15 starter in the NHL when he's never played more than 37 games in an NHL regular season?

statistically yes I can. His numbers have been solid when healthy

well i hope so, for avs fans sake. I really thought that the avs would go hard after holtby.

holtby become a UFA for a reason, declining numbers and hes just an expensive name now. The only goalie really worth going after was Lehner and im glad the Avs didnt get involved in taking on Murray who is a bigger injury risk than Grubauer.

He played 37 out of 82 games in 2018-19. 17th in SV% and 16th in GAA for goalies playing 25 games or more - 22nd in shutouts overall.

He played 32 out of 70 games in 2019-20. 15th in SV% and 20th in GAA for goalies playing 25 games or more - 17th in shutouts and overall.

I don't think that qualifies him for top 15 starting goaltenders in the NHL. He's never even been a legit starter in the NHL.

In my head I see Graves going to Seattle, Donskoi (or maybe Compher) getting traded, and guys like Calvert, Bellemare, and Cole moving on. That would allow the team to keep Saad. Or they can let Saad go and re-sign some of the depth guys like PEB and Calvert, with the hopes that Newhook can fill the void. It will definitely be interesting.

I wonder what they'll do with their goaltending situation too with Grubauer coming up. He's only played 69 games across two seasons in COL. I could see them considering moving on since he can't seem to stay healthy for them.

you are really getting hung up on semantics here, that is pretty much exactly what I said, league average 15th in the league type of a goalie. You can win with taht.

There will definitely be new faces on the team next year - they are at the point where they have to bring in the young guys. Depending on who ends up getting taken by Seattle (one of: Bura, Graves, Donskoi, Compher, Toews, possibly Jost), I imagine they're going to let Bellemare and Calvert go; Cole is definitely gone. If Saad does well and it's a fit for both sides, I can see them keeping him around. But, yeah, I can see pretty much all of Bowers, Byram, Timmins and Kaut being on the team full-time next year. Newhook might make it in but they also might have him spend a year in Loveland getting used to the pro game. That isn't a massive amount of turnover but it's also not insignificant.

I think there are two sides to that - it's only been two seasons so it's not like this is a long-standing issue; he's had some bad injury luck, for sure, but he did play in all 12 playoff games last season posting a .925 SV% and a 2.30 GAA which is more than adequate. Then again, if injuries continue to be an issue, you'd have to think carefully about committing to him as your #1. But, who are they going to get to be that #1? Next year's goalie market probably won't be as good so do you pay out the nose for an established guy that might hurt your overall cap situation or trade for a promising youngster that doesn't have much/any experience? Not an easy decision. Hopefully, Gru plays well this season and in the playoffs and stays healthy and makes the decision much easier.

One thing I'd like to see if if Jost can play 3C but have Compher take faceoffs. Landy takes a lot of faceoffs instead of MacKinnon and it seems to work. I just want to see if that third line would work better with Jost in his natural center position and Compher on the wing.

Yeah, there should be some turnover, but Sakic has put them in a good spot where they can handle that and bring up some NHL ready prospects. Good spot to be in -- especially when there is some money that needs to be spent on big names (Landy, Makar) and there is sufficient money walking out the door.




I just feel that if Grubauer doesn't stay healthy and/or doesn't play 40+ games (more than half of whatever the season ends up being) then he may be on his way out in COL. And it may be only two seasons, but he's also only been in COL for two seasons -- so that's every season he's worn a COL sweater. It's all they've seen from him.




Sure, that could work - NSH did it quite a bit with Duchene/Granlund last year as well. Jost just really needs to improve his faceoffs if he wants to stick as a center in the NHL.

Sakic has done a great job managing the cap so far. It gets more complicated over the next 5-10 years but so far, so good.

I guess I'm not as concerned about it as you are considering his overall good play when he's been healthy - injuries suck but they do happen. It is something we'll have to see what happens and I'm sure if it becomes a bigger issue, Sakic will look around to see what he can get. He may even look at bringing in a vet like Anderson or Miller.

Jost definitely needs to improve there, as well as other places. He has a lot to prove this season.