Being a diehard sports fan comes with an emotional risk. No matter how loud you cheer, if you’re wearing the same jersey you wore for the last win, or standing in the kitchen because that’s where you were when your team scored before, the outcome of the game is out of your control. So I’m told. And when you’re eliminated in the first round of the playoffs as defending Stanley Cup Champions, it feels like you’ve been unexpectedly dumped rather than the proposal you were expecting. Studies show that it takes roughly three months for people to feel more positive post-breakup, and in hockey lives, I’d equate it to one subsequent playoff round—roughly two weeks.
It’s been 22 days since the Avalanche skated off the ice in defeat by the Seattle Kraken in Game 7 at Ball Arena. Nearly two weeks since we learned that our captain, Gabriel Landeskog, after missing all of last year, has undergone a cartilage transplant in his knee and will not play in the 2023-24 season. Suffice it to say, Avs’ fans have had a tough start to May.
However, now that the Conference Finals are underway, with the Dallas Stars vs. Vegas Golden Knights and the Carolina Hurricanes vs. Florida Panthers, we’ve had the distance to reflect on what happened and, more importantly, realize that things could be a lot worse for Avalanche fans.
While we had hoped for a deep playoff run, the news that Landeskog would not return to the playoffs, along with the subsequent loss of Helm, Manson, Val Nichushkin, and then a fractured neck to Cogliano, the Avs entered Game 7 like they had been the entire year, missing key players in the lineup. The Avs also found themselves trailing for the 7th game in a row, and despite a game-tying goal that was disallowed, the Avs couldn’t claw their way back. But we haven’t been the only ones who suffered tragic fates to the hockey gods.
The only thing predictable about the NHL playoffs is that they are unpredictable, and 2023 has been no different. We’ve seen early exits of teams thought to be in contention to win the Cup, including the Colorado Avalance.
The Boston Bruins had a record-breaking regular season with 65 wins and only 12 losses for a staggering 135-point year. After leading the series 3-1, they lost Game 7 of Round 1 at home to the Florida Panthers. Ouch.
Minnesota dropped in the first round to Dallas. The Wild have yet to advance past the first round for their past seven playoff appearances. For the state of hockey, that is a lot of off-season time.
After appearing in the Stanly Cup Final three years in a row, the Tampa Bay Lighting were eliminated by the Toronto Maple Leafs in Round 1. We don’t feel bad for their loss.
The Toronto Maple Leafs made Minnesota’s Round 1 exits seem obsolete. They had not won a series in 19 years. They finally won a series but then only won one game against the Panthers and were eliminated in 5 games.
Things didn’t get better for Canada.
Connor McDavid led the league in points with 153; his teammate, Leon Draisaitl, was second with 128 points. Two top players on one team still couldn’t advance to the Conference Finals. As the only Canadian team left in the playoffs, I had higher hopes for this club. The Stanley Cup drought for Canada is now 30 years. Patrick Roy was the last goaltender to be in the net and win the Cup for his country, which he did in 1993 with the Montreal Canadians.
While the Stanley Cup has remained south of the Canadian border for three decades, the longest team drought is 55 years. The last time the Toronto Maple Leafs hoisted the Cup in 1968, humankind had not walked on the moon yet.
And then there are the teams who have never won the Cup. Out of the 32 NHL teams, the Stanley Cup has eluded 12 of them.
The Buffalo Sabers, Vancouver Canucks, Florida Panthers, Ottawa Senators, San Jose Sharks, Nashville Predators, Winnipeg Jets, Columbus Bluejackets, Minnesota Wild, Arizona Coytoes, Vegas Golden Knights, and Seattle Kraken have never claimed the ultimate hockey prize.
And of the 20 teams who have won, 12 have won it three times or more, and six of those teams are the original six. The Avalanche have claimed Lord Stanely three times in 27 years. That is remarkable and a feat that shouldn’t be underestimated.
Compared to those who have never experienced a championship or only heard stories from their elders, Avs fans still have fresh swag to wear and a crisp memory of what victory felt like. Despite a rough year and early elimination, the Avs window for future championships is wide open. Our core superstar talent of MacKinnon, Makar, and Rantanen are all locked in with the Avs for the foreseeable future. Mikko Rantanen will have the first contract expire in 2025, followed by Makar in 2027 and Mac in 2031. Not only that, but MacKinnon is the veteran of the pack at 27; they are well in their prime to contend for more titles.
Rantanen, Makar and MacKinnon at the 2023 All-Star Game
Even with the unfortunate news that Landeskog will be out next season, this allows the Avs to place him on long-term injury reserve and move his $7 million salary cap to create more financial palpability to replace him. While there will be no replacing our captain for what he does on and off the ice, the Avs are in a position to make the most of the situation and stack the roster.
The Avs will have a busy off-season with eight unrestricted free agents (UFA) who can sign with any team in Erick Johnson, Compher, Eller, Rodrigues, Cogliano, Helm, Jack Johnson, and Nieto. Newhook and Byram are restricted free agents (RFA), meaning their entry-level contract is expiring, and they are allowed to seek outside offers, but the Avs still hold their rights and can “restrict” their movement. That’s ten players who the Avs will either re-sign or have to say goodbye to; with a 23-man roster, that’s a lot of off-season adjustments. The lineup may look a lot different than it did to start 2022.
Colorado General Manager Chris MacFarland said, “We expect to be a good and competitive team.” He and Joe Sakic have already put together one Stanley Cup Championship club, and I have no doubt that is what they will do when reconfiguring the roster this summer.
While the heart eventually mends, that doesn’t mean we won’t hold a grudge. We now have a permanent disdain for the Kraken sending us to an early off-season. Truthfully, the Avs need the time to recuperate, and in the meantime, we can take solace that we are not Wild, Maple Leafs, Bruins fans, or any other team for that matter. Even if we lose, I will always pick the Avs. That’s unconditional love, and why you will still find me standing in the kitchen when the Avs need to score. No one said love is rational.
Go Avs!