Mailbag: Avalanche’s speed unmatched; Islanders could be buyers

NHL.com's weekly Over the Boards mailbag is in full swing this season. Every week, senior writer Dan Rosen sifts through your questions sent to him on X and chooses several to answer.

To participate in future mailbags, send your questions to @drosennhl on X and use #OvertheBoards.

What do you think about the Colorado Avalanche? Do they have the deepest team at the moment? Do you think their team is deeper/superior than the team of 2022? Their defense and especially goaltending is impressive and the best I've seen from the Avs. I just don't get why their power play is no good. -- @Haldol25

They're the best team in the NHL, not only by record (21-2-7), but by the eye test.

I haven't seen a team that can match the Avalanche's speed. There isn't one, at least not right now.

It's led by the top line of Nathan MacKinnon, Martin Necas and Artturi Lehkonen, which has been together all season, but the Avalanche move the puck so well from the back end that the rest of their forwards, namely Brock Nelson, Gabriel Landeskog, Valeri Nichushkin, Ross Colton, Victor Olofsson, Jack Drury and Parker Kelly, play fast, too.

They're not speed burners like MacKinnon and Necas, but when you move the puck as well as the Avalanche, you're forced to play fast. That's how they generate so much of their offense.

They're excellent defensively because of how good they are moving through the three zones. They don't spend time defending. Their goalies, Mackenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood, have been excellent, but they're not facing grade-A chance after grade-A chance.

As good as they have been, the Avalanche do a great job of insulating Blackwood and Wedgewood.

The power play is a mystery. With all the talent, how is it converting at just 16.3 percent this season?

Well, it appears the Avalanche are more stagnant on the power play than they are at 5-on-5. At 5-on-5, they move the puck quickly and force the opponent to chase them around the ice. At 5-on-4, they get guilty of holding on to the puck too long, maybe looking for the perfect play instead of zipping the puck around and getting their feet moving, as they do at 5-on-5.

If you watch their power-play goal in the 3-2 win at the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday, you'll see how the Avalanche moved the puck quickly, went low to high and Cale Makar's shot from the point created chaos in front, leading to Nelson scoring off a rebound. Simple and structured. On and off the sticks. It works.

As for how the Avalanche this season stack up against the Avalanche of 2021-22, the team that won the Stanley Cup, it's too early to assess that. It's not fair to compare a team not even halfway through its regular season to a team that won 56 games and had 119 points before going 16-4 in the Stanley Cup Playoffs to win the Cup.

The Islanders are two points out of first place in the Metropolitan Division. Do you think Islanders general manager Mathieu Darche will add to the team come February/March if they are still in that spot to replace Kyle Palmieri and Alexander Romanov? -- @AlaRocco0801

Absolutely.

If the New York Islanders maintain their current pace, the expectation is that they will add, particularly knowing Palmieri is out 6-8 months following surgery to repair a torn ACL and Romanov is out 5-6 months following shoulder surgery. Palmieri was injured Nov. 28, and Romanov was injured Nov. 18.

The Islanders can get relief under the NHL salary cap by placing both on long-term injured reserve. Currently, the relief is about $3.6 million based on the League's new LTIR rule. But they can use the player's full cap charge if they place him on LTIR and rule him out for the rest of the regular season and the playoffs too. That seems possible with Palmieri; under his injury timeline, at best the forward would be returning in late May or early June. But that's a reach. Romanov's timeline gives the defenseman a glimmer of hope of returning in the playoffs, provided the Islanders get there and win at least one round, making it harder to rule him out for the balance of the season, including playoffs.

Regardless, if the Islanders stay in the mix, I expect them to be active in trying to acquire help to replace Palmieri and Romanov. They could be among the most active teams approaching the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline on March 6.

You mentioned blue line as a need for the Columbus Blue Jackets on last week's SiriusXM NHL Network Radio appearance. What type of 'D' do you think they need. I think they have enough offensive minded 'D' but need a different mix, especially a shutdown third pair left-handed defenseman to pair with Dante Fabbro. -- @mstuart142

The Blue Jackets signed Brendan Smith on Nov. 24 to fill the exact role you mentioned, the left-handed defenseman to pair with Fabbro. That has been Smith's primary job, and I anticipate the Blue Jackets letting that ride for a little bit to see how it works out, but it's reasonable to think they will continue to look to upgrade the third defense pair as the season continues.

I agree that they have solid offensive-minded defensemen, led by Zach Werenski but also including Denton Mateychuk and, to a lesser degree, Ivan Provorov and Damon Severson. The need is a blue-liner with some more size and snarl and simplicity to his game. That's Smith, for now.

It doesn't seem like there will be much separation in the Eastern Conference, so the expectation is that the Blue Jackets will stay in the mix. Provided they do, it makes sense for them to be active in looking to upgrade on the back end, potentially to move a player in ahead of Smith, who has already proven in other stops to be a reliable seventh defenseman.

By the way, I also mentioned the need for help on defense in response to your question last week about the Blue Jackets and Kiefer Sherwood.

Regarding the U.S. Olympic hockey team, it would need three goaltenders. Usually, the No. 3 doesn't see much if any action, but what do you think of Jonathan Quick being selected for the third spot? He's a fierce competitor, leader and a proven winner. -- @AndyG_Wxeyes

It's a great question and not a terrible idea, but it depends on what USA Hockey will be looking for in a third goalie. It is also dependent on the drug testing protocol for the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026. If Quick isn't in it already, then he may not be an option at all. Players who are candidates to be named to the Olympic roster have been subjected to drug testing from the International Ice Hockey Federation and the National Anti-Doping Organization. If Quick has not been subjected to that testing, it means he is not eligible to be selected to play in the Olympics. The list of players subjected to that testing is not public.

However, considering Quick, the New York Rangers’ backup goalie, for the team falls in line with why I think Detroit Red Wings forward Patrick Kane should be getting serious consideration to play in his third Olympics after 2010 and 2014.

Quick was on the U.S. team in 2010 in Vancouver, when he was still a young goalie in the NHL. He played in the Olympics in 2014 in Sochi. Kane played big roles in both tournaments.

They have experience in this unique event, understand what it is all about and could be important leaders for the U.S. team.

Most importantly, they can still play.

Quick is 3-3-1 with a 1.86 goals-against average and .937 save percentage in seven games this season. Kane has 19 points (five goals, 14 assists) in 21 games.

To the crux of your question, if the Americans were to take Quick, he would go as a third goalie and a guide, if you will, for the top two, which could very well be Jake Oettinger of the Dallas Stars and Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets.

There's obviously a strong argument for Jeremy Swayman of the Boston Bruins and Spencer Knight of the Chicago Blackhawks to be on the team too. But if the U.S. takes three of those four, it would be taking three goalies who have zero Olympic experience.

Quick has also become accustomed to playing in the backup role in New York behind Igor Shesterkin. He knows what it's like now to sit for a while before playing, to not be in a rhythm. If the U.S. were forced to use him in the Olympics, it would be in that situation.

Certainly U.S. coach Mike Sullivan, who is also the Rangers coach, would have confidence in Quick if forced to use him, considering how he's played this season.

However, it goes back to how USA Hockey views the position and the value of the third goalie.

Is the preference an experienced player in that position like Quick, or a younger goalie who would benefit from the experience of being at the event with it being known the NHL will also go to the Olympics in 2030?

I'm guessing Quick is not going to get any consideration. But it's a good talking point about the value of Olympic experience and if that matters to USA Hockey or any of the nations that are going to be there.

Explore NHL.com's Coverage of the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026

I’ve heard that the Olympic ice arena is behind schedule, so I’m curious if it’ll get done on time but hopefully they don’t cut corners in the process. My question is, do they have on-site inspectors there to keep things honest? -- @Hockeyguy32657

Yes. The NHL facilities operations experts are now consulting with the ice technicians on the ground in Milan at Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena, the main rink for the men's and women's tournaments.

Ice conditions are the chief concern for the NHL and NHL Players' Association, but there's a level of confidence now that they know the League's experts are involved and on the scene in Milan.

The League will have access to test the ice from now until the tournament begins, NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said Monday.

"We have offered and they are utilizing our ice experts and technicians and outside providers," Daly said. "We're basically moving everybody there to try to help get this done in a way that is acceptable for NHL athletes."

Daly also said the League will know in advance of the tournament beginning on Feb. 11 if the ice is going to be playable.

"Obviously, if the players feel that the ice is unsafe we're not going to play," Daly said. "It's as simple as that."

But reports remain positive, and Daly said he is "cautiously optimistic."