NHL Preview 2019-20: Colorado Avalanche

(This year again, I will twin-post with my Collectibles Blog and write about a player who is related to my Preview post here. Today, it's Colorado Avalanche summer-long RFA stress-inducing star forward Mikko Rantanen).

GM: Joe Sakic (since 2014). 8/10
Coach: Jared Bednar (since 2016). 5.5/10

2018-19 record: 38-30-14, 90 pts. (5th in the Central Division, 8th in the Western Conference).
Playoffs: Lost in seven games to the San Jose Sharks in Round 2

Departures: Semyon Varlamov (G), Tyson Barrie (D), Carl Soderbergh (C), Alex Kerfoot (C), Sven Andrighetto (RW), Patrik Nemeth (D), Gabriel Bourque (RW).

Arrivals: Nazem Kadri (C), André Burakovsky (LW), Kevin Connauton (D) Pierre-Édouard Bellemare (C), Joonas Donskoi (RW).

Top forwards: Nathan MacKinnon (80-105 points), Mikko Rantanen (75-85 points), Gabriel Landeskog (65-70 points), Nazem Kadri (45-60 points), Joonas Donskoi (30-40 points), Tyson Jost (30-45 points), J.T. Compher (35-40 points), André Burakovsky (30-45 points), Colin Wilson (25-35 points).

Must-improve forward: There was a time when the Washington Capitals had two prized prospects: Evgeny Kuznetsov and André Burakovsky. One became a top-line forward, the other one is on a one-year "show-me" deal with the Avs that spells out "if this doesn't work out, there is always the KHL".

Top defensemen: Cale Makar (35-45 points), Samuel Girard (35-40 points), Erik Johnson (20-40 points), Nikita Zadorov (20-30 points), Mark Barberio (10-15 points), Ian Cole (10-15 points).

Goalies: Philipp Grubauer (83/100), Pavel Francouz (74/100).

Top prospects: Bowen Byram (18 years old, D, fourth-overall draft pick in 2019), Josh Anderson (21, D), Josh Dickinson (21, C), Nicholas Henry (20, RW), A.J. Greer (22, LW), Connor Timmins (21, D).

Analysis:
Sakic's been doing a great job building the team he wants to see on the ice, imposing it to head coach Bednar, and just watching them play.
There's a wealth of talented youth on defense with Makar, Girard and Byrm - enough so that the GM was comfortable enough to trade his #1 guy in Barrie.

The offense will once again be the motor of this team, and now with added depth, we may not just be talking about a Wild Card team anymore, at least not for the next few years.

Prediction: 2nd in the Central Division, 7th in the NHL.