If first-year coach Jared Bednar knew what he was stepping into, he may not have taken the job in the Mile High City.
The Colorado Avalanche, long out of the playoff race, will soon extend their postseason drought to three years, a sad mark for a once-proud franchise that has just a single playoff appearance in the last six seasons and no series wins since 2008.
In a way, it's familiar territory for the Avalanche, whose previous low mark came in the 2010-11 season, when they finished with 68 points and used the second overall pick to draft captain Gabriel Landeskog.
Six years later, more poor performances have led to talk of change in Colorado, and Bednar may not be the only name on the chopping block come season's end.
The Avalanche have been on the bottom rung for most of the season, with 43 points in 75 games, their worst year since arriving in Denver in 1995. That sort of season gives the bottom team the best odds to win the draft lottery.
The problem comes into play with projected top pick Nolan Patrick, a talented center but no solution for a Colorado squad deep in offense but in need of shoring up its own end of the ice.
| Rank | Player | Position | Team (League) | GP-G-A-P |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nolan Patrick | F | Brandon (WHL) | 33-20-26-46 |
| 2 | Nico Hischier | F | Halifax (QMJHL) | 57-38-48-86 |
| 3 | Owen Tippett | F | Mississauga (OHL) | 60-44-31-75 |
| 4 | Gabriel Vilardi | F | Windsor (OHL) | 49-29-32-61 |
| 5 | Timothy Liljegren | D | Rogle (Sweden) | 19-1-4-5 |
ISS Top 30 Ranked Prospects - March 2017
For the Avalanche to improve, changes must come from within. Looking north to Edmonton should offer guidance for the floundering club.
Last offseason, the Oilers paid the price by dealing first overall pick Taylor Hall to the New Jersey Devils, returning top defenseman Adam Larsson. He's stepped in to stabilize the blue line in Edmonton, where the Oilers are now poised to make make their first playoff trip since 2006.
In Colorado, the piece on the outs could be center Matt Duchene.
The rumor mill has swirled all season, with Landeskog and Duchene chief among the speculation. Despite his one point in his last 18 matches, Duchene appears to be the trade chip needed to push the team forward, with reports indicating any deal would require a top blue-liner coming to Colorado.
Change is afoot with the Avalanche, and a major addition to the team's defensive core is the only fix to rebuild a franchise that twice captured the Stanley Cup in long forgotten days.
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