After early exits in the playoffs in the previous two seasons, the Colorado Avalanche finally sealed the deal and won the NHL championship while losing just four games in four series.
Defending the title will be no easy task especially with the departures of goalie Darcy Kuemper as well as forwards Nazem Kadri and Andre Burakovsky, the third- and fifth-leading scorers.
There is still plenty of star power led by defenseman Cale Makar as well as forwards Mikko Rantanen, Nathan MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog.
There are also some talented young players who will be asked to fill in some of the holes thanks to the roster changes.
According to the NHL betting lines, the Avalanche (+225) have the best odds to win the NHL’s Presidents’ Trophy.
Let’s check the latest NHL picks, stats, injury reports, and NHL predictions. We’ve plenty of NHL expert picks for you to consider.
Colorado Avalanche Odds
- To win Stanley Cup +400
- To win Western Conference +175
- To win Central Division -200
- To make playoffs Yes -6000 / No +1200
Player to Watch
- Player to Watch: D Cale Makar
Makar displayed his immense talent during the previous two seasons before finally putting it all together during the 2021-22 season.
Makar had more goals (28) in 77 games than he did in the previous two seasons combined. He also matched his point total as well as he finished with 86 points. That was an opening act as Makar had eight goals and 29 points in 20 playoff games to lead the way as Colorado won the Stanley Cup for the first time since 2001.
The Avalanche waited 21 years to return to the Stanley Cup Final and the feeling is the wait will be much shorter this time around.
There are hockey insiders who mentioned the name of Boston Bruins legend Bobby Orr when discussing the 23-year-old former fourth overall selection.
His defensive partner Devon Toews also returns so there could be more magical moments for what might be the best defensive pairing in the league.
The NHL predictions have Makar as one of the top candidates for the Norris Trophy once again.
Breakout Player
- Breakout Watch: D Bowen Byram
The focus on defense is understandably focused on Makar and Toews. However, Byram is a former top five draft pick who has the talent to be a difference maker at the NHL level.
More minutes will be available with Jack Johnson now in Chicago. Byram was limited to 30 games during the regular season. If his numbers were projected over 82 games would come out to 14 goals and 33 assists.
He will be asked to play a bigger role after playing 49 games in the regular season over the last two seasons.
Byram added nine assists during the playoff run and more importantly, he had a +10 defensive rating. Along with forward Alex Newhook and defenseman Sam Girard, Byram is a part of the next generation of Avalanche stars.
Avalanche Outlook
The depth took a hit with 13 players signing free agent deals with other teams. Kuemper, Kadri, Burakovsky, Johnson are the biggest names among the departures.
Evan Rodrigues, coming off a breakout 2020-21 season with the Pittsburgh Penguins with 19 goals and 43 points, is among the newcomers.
The Avalanche also shipped off multiple draft picks to acquire goalie Alexandar Georgiev from the New York Rangers. Obviously, Colorado will have a target on its back as the reigning champions.
Colorado wrapped up the preseason with a 3-2-1 record.
The Avalanche will have to wait for veteran winger Gabriel Landeskog to recover from a lower-body injury.
There is enough talent for Colorado to make another championship run and the NHL picks view the Avalanche as the team to beat.
