Avalanche ‘deeper team overall’ this time around in Stanley Cup Playoffs, GM says

DALLAS -- Of the 20 players the Colorado Avalanche dressed Saturday, nine weren’t on the roster last season.

Eight weren’t on the roster to start this season.

Based on in-season moves alone, the Avalanche had two new goalies, two new defensemen, three new centers and a new right wing for Game 1 of the Western Conference First Round against the Dallas Stars at American Airlines Center.

The first look at the lineup was a success, a 5-1 win. Game 2 of the best-of-7 series is here Monday (9:30 p.m. ET; Victory+, ESPN, ALT2, TVAS-D, SN360).

Coach Jared Bednar praised general manager Chris MacFarland and his staff for giving the Avalanche the pieces to make a long run in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

“I can’t say enough about the moves that he made to sort of revamp our team,” he said. “… I think that they’ve put us in the best possible [position] to succeed. We feel like we have a good team, and it’s up to us now to go play our best hockey for two weeks at a time as far as you can possibly go and try to reward the organization for giving us those players.”

Colorado has two of the best players in the world: center Nathan MacKinnon and defenseman Cale Makar. The challenge is to surround them with a supporting cast that is strong enough to win the Stanley Cup while staying under the salary cap.

When the Avalanche won it in 2021-22, they had the depth. When they fell short the past two seasons -- losing to the Seattle Kraken in seven games in the first round in 2022-23 and to the Stars in six games in the second round last season -- they didn’t.

MacFarland has made it clear he didn’t have a grand plan to overhaul the roster. Asked if he had any idea there would be this much work to do, he said simply, “No.”

The one offseason addition in the lineup Saturday was forward Parker Kelly, who signed a two-year contract as an unrestricted free agent July 1, 2024. Everything else evolved from a mix of injuries, evaluations and opportunities.

“We came back with a lot of the same guys, and we were banged up early in the season, and we got a look at our guys going into the season and what we liked and what we didn’t like,” Bednar said. “I feel like as a coach we’re really lucky, because we revamped most major parts of our lineup.”

The goalies came first. Colorado acquired Scott Wedgewood from the Nashville Predators on Nov. 30 and Mackenzie Blackwood from the San Jose Sharks on Dec. 9.

The big move came Jan. 24. The Avalanche received center Jack Drury and forward Martin Necas as part of the return when they sent superstar forward Mikko Rantanen, a pending unrestricted free agent, to the Carolina Hurricanes in a complex-three team trade.

Then the Avalanche acquired defenseman Ryan Lindgren from the New York Rangers on March 1; center Brock Nelson from the New York Islanders on March 6; and center Charlie Coyle from the Boston Bruins and defenseman Erik Johnson from the Philadelphia Flyers on March 7.

“This was a challenging year in a lot of respects,” MacFarland said. “Obviously, there were a lot of moving parts and things that we had to make some tough decisions on. But I think from Day 1, I think we’re a better team. I think we’re a deeper team overall. We traded some really good hockey players, obviously. It’s a different kind of mix.”

The Avalanche still have their hallmarks: speed and an elite power play. But they feel they are better in other areas: goaltending, defense, grit, 5-on-5. They feel they match up better against the Stars, even though Dallas acquired Rantanen from Carolina on March 7.

“I think we’re going to have to be dangerous offensively,” MacFarland said. “But hopefully with some of the new additions, when it’s a low-scoring, tight-checking, ground-and-pound type of game down low -- bigger bodies, that sort of thing -- hopefully we can show that we can win different ways.”

MacKinnon and Makar still shined in Game 1, MacKinnon with two goals and an assist, Makar with an assist. But some of the newcomers made an impact. Blackwood made 23 saves. Coyle scored a goal. Drury, Parker and Lindgren each had an assist.

In reserve, the Avalanche still have forward Jimmy Vesey, whom they also acquired from the Rangers on March 7, and captain Gabriel Landeskog, who is trying to come back from a knee injury for the first time since hoisting the Stanley Cup in 2022.

This isn’t fantasy hockey. It’s reality, and it’s a lot of pressure. That said, isn’t this a GM’s dream?

“I don’t know if I’d characterize it as fun,” MacFarland said. “I think you try and do what you feel is best for the logo and for where you’re at in your cycle, and I think our guys showed kind of the mettle that they’re made of, and we felt these things made sense. I think ultimately that’s where it came down from.

“The fun part is the process, right? And if you feel good about the process, then that’s what lets you put head to pillow down easier.”