The sudden and unexpected resignation of Colorado Avalanche head coach Patrick Toy over the summer was a blow to the entire organization coming as it did as August was getting started.
The departure left the Avs with no bench boss at a time they were making decisions on new players and making them fit into a system that was no longer in place.
Semyon Varlamov needs a better year for the Avs – file photo by Lewis Bleiman
Colorado made a move as quickly as feasible and tapped Jared Bednar to lead the club into the new season.
Bednar was coming off a stunning roll through the American Hockey League’s Calder Cup post season with the Lake Erie Monsters, winning the championship over the Hershey Bears.
“After profiling the type of coach I wanted for our team and going through an interview process with several good candidates, I believe that Jared Bednar is the best person to lead this team behind the bench,” General Manager Joe Sakic said in an Avalanche press release.  “Jared’s track record of success as a head coach in the American Hockey League speaks for itself and he is considered to be one of the top up-and-coming coaches in our business.”
With the bench under control, the Avs need to address some serious concerns on the ice. The blueline and net are the major issues for them heading into 2016/17.
Semyon Varlamov has been on a glide path down over the last two seasons with numbers not nearly approaching his career-best in 2013/14.
Colorado was ranked 25th in the league last season with 2.93 goals against per game. Certainly the blueline is to blame for many of those goals but Varlamov was the backstop in past years and last season he was less than reliable when the blueline broke down.
Speaking of the blueline, the Avs were 25th last season in penalty kill and 24th with a -25 on the campaign.
Some defensive support should come from newly acquired Fedor Tyutin and Patrick Wiercioch but that may not be enough to plug the gaps in coverage down low if Varlamov continues his slide.
Gabriel Landeskog can make a difference on the forward line for Avs – file photo by Lewis Bleiman
Where the Avs are really anxious this season is with defenseman Nikita Zadarov who has shown promise and inconsistency. And at 6’,5” he could be a force to reckon with for opposition forwards. But his limited success thus far makes him a liability for now.
The Avs’ offense was not that much better than the defense in the rankings last season and that made for opposing teams pushing the puck up ice to pressure the offensive zone.
Colorado ranked 20th in the NHL with 2.58 goals scored per game. On the power play, they were ranked 19th with an 18% success rate with the man advantage.
Matt Duchene, Nathan McKinnon, Gabriel Landeskog, and Tyson Barrie are all still in the fold in Denver and will need to push the puck up more willingly especially if the blueline is improved and Varlamov reverses his trending.
The problem for the Colorado Avalanche is they got better in the off season with acquisitions and the addition of a winning head coach but they did not get better than their competitors in the division.
The Chicago Blackhawks, Winnipeg Jets, St Louis Blues, and Nashville Predators all made appreciably better moves in the free agency season and trades.
This may be another season where the Avs miss the playoffs but they will be better.
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