The stakes will be high once again for the Colorado Avalanche in 2021-22. The club remains one of the league's best teams and the odds-on favorite to win the Stanley Cup. Blah, blah blah.
As exciting as this is for Colorado fans, expectations, and predictions don't win you squat. No more than hopes and dreams do. Ultimately, results are determined by what happens on the ice.
(insert Captain Obvious joke here)
The Avalanche are built around Nathan MacKinnon, one of the league's best forwards, and Cale Makar, one of the league's best young defensemen. They can no longer be considered a team on the rise. Rather, they are a team moving squarely into a championship window.
This team is flat-out good. However, the biggest question mark heading into a season is the goaltending - this includes 2021-22.
We've already discussed several changes to the current roster and how they will affect the club's success. We know different players will be looked to for added goal scoring. We know the defense lost Ryan Graves but gained Ryan Murray and a full-time Bowen Byram. We also know the goaltending situation is vastly different and that this alone will become your Avs 2021-22 X-factor.
When Philipp Grubauer told Colorado to go pound sand as he signed a lucrative deal with an expansion team, the Avalanche had to act fast to replace him. They did by acquiring Darcy Kuemper from the Arizona Coyotes the same day.
Kuemper has been one of the best goalies in the NHL over the last three seasons, he's tied for third in the league in goals-against average (2.35) and save percentage (.922). His nine shutouts are tied for 11th most in the NHL during that span.
The 31-year-old played 27 games last season and finished with a 10-11-3 record, a 2.56 goals-against, a .907 save percentage, and two shutouts with Arizona. He played a key role in the Coyotes' upset of Nashville in the play-in round two seasons ago. Additionally, he was cash-money for Canada in its win at the IIHF World Championships. Kuemper posted a .916 save percentage in eight games in leading Canada to gold.
He's a very good goalie and I believe he will elevate his game even higher for Colorado.
Make no mistake, the overall results of this season will greatly depend on the situation between the pipes. And I believe Kuemper will be exactly what this team needs to have a successful playoff run.
Vegasinsider.com has Kuemper with the 5th best odds to win the Vezina next season at +1300. Interestingly enough, Grubauer has the 2nd best odds at +800.
The plan going into the offseason may not have been to sign Grubauer right off the bat. The Vezina Finalist had been a good soldier for Colorado when healthy but occasionally fell victim to his brain farts. This hurt the Avs and I believe he did them a huge favor by choosing an expansion team over a perennial Cup contender.
Insert a proven winner in Kuemper and the Avalanche have themselves a true difference-maker between the pipes. They will go as he goes.
Thanks for reading,
Steve
Colorado Avalanche Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»