2009-10 NHL Preview: Colorado Avalanche
With a little less then a month to go until the opening of the NHL season we should start to take a look at the teams of the NHL. We shall begin with the Colorado Avalanche who finished last season with a 32-45-5 record scoring just 69 points. That record was only good enough to be ranked 28th of the 30 NHL teams.
Over the course of the off season much of the front office has been replaced by Avalanche President Pierre Lacroix. Now the team will be run by GM Greg Sherman and new head coach Joe Sacco. While the Avalanche won nine straight Division titles from 1995-2003, but now face a tremendous rebuild job.
That job was started in June with the third overall pick in the NHL entry draft. There the Av’s selected Winger Matt Duschene who is considered a can’t miss prospect. He will join Paul Stastny and Milan Hejduk as the core of the rebuilding Avalanche. The rest of the Avalanche forwards are a little thin but things get a little better when we look at their defense corps.
Over the off season, the Av’s traded for Kyle Quincey who will relive the pressure on John-Michael Liles to help produce offense. The rest of the defense men are veterans who while not flash can provide a steady defense. Which this team will need since it goalie tandem of Peter Budaj and Craig Anderson are unproven at best.
Key Additions include LW David Koci, G Craig Anderson, D Kyle Quincey, D Tom Preissing, D Brett Skinner, D Brian Fahey, and RW Darren Haydar
Subtractions include G Andrew Raycroft, C Tyler Arnason, RW Ian Laperriere, LW Ryan Smyth, C Joe Sakic, D Nigel Williams, D Mike Vernace, C Nathan Smith, F Ben Guite, and D Lawrence Nycholat
