As the clock struck midnight, in the second overtime, after 90 minutes of play, Matt Duchene sent the puck past Georgiev, and the allusions of advancement evaporated like Cinderella’s ball gown. There would be no Stanley Cup in 2024 for the Avalanche. The Avs didn’t have a fairy godmother forewarning when the spell would end. Still, the Avs never needed her magic because we have the natural on-ice talent, which made this a gutwrenching early elimination. The pieces were there, but they didn’t align. And I’ll never forgive the Dallas Stars for sending us home early, forcing me to root for a Florida hockey team.
It’s been over six weeks since the Avs skated off the ice at Ball Arena. The Florida Panthers have raised the Stanley Cup, and we can finally move on from the 2023-24 season and look ahead. The Avalanche face an unprecedented situation in the off-season, with two of our key players facing questionable comebacks. There is nothing new about Landeskog’s progression; he is still hopeful of returning to his full caliber of play, whether that is next October or April or possibly never. The Avalanche organization has made it clear Gabe has a home with the Avs for as long as it takes.
In murkier circumstances, the Chu Chu train derailed again during the playoffs. Valeri Nichushkin is suspended at least until mid-November for violating the terms of the player's assistance program he entered last January. In 2022, Big Val signed an 8-year contract with the Avs, and as it stands now, the Avalanche are unable to terminate his contract, but if he can return, what that will look like and how his teammates will respond is a huge uncertainty. What isn’t in question is that the Avs are a better team with him in the lineup. He led the league in playoff scoring before his suspension, and his physical presence on the ice is literally huge. While it is unfortunate, it demonstrates that the players are people and struggle with real human issues. It can feel like winning is paramount, but he is still a young man with a future outside of hockey. The best-case scenario for both him and Gabe is that they can return to the ice, but their health takes precedence over the team.
However, despite these question marks, the Avs have signed a three-year deal with young Casey Mittlestadt, who joined the Avs at the trade deadline to fill the number two center position. He will only develop further with more time to adjust to the Avalanche system. Additionally, the Avs retained Johnathan Drouin for another one-year deal. Like most players, Drouin found his groove playing alongside his former teammate, Nathan MacKinnon. Drouin accepted a drastic pay cut last year for the chance to play with the Avs, and even in resigning at $2.5 million, he likely could have gotten more from another organization. Playing with the greatest player in the world makes everyone better, and we are happy to have Drouin back in burgundy and blue.
Speaking of Nathan MacKinnon, the king finally took home some well-earned hardware last week during the NHL awards in Vegas. For the first time, he won the Hart Trophy for the most valuable player to his team and is voted by the Professional Hockey Writer’s Association. MacKinnon also won the Ted Lindsay Award as the most outstanding player, voted by the NHL Player’s Association. MacKinnon doesn’t have a warm and fuzzy reputation. He is like the big high school senior who everyone is afraid of. He may not shove you in a locker, but he will push you to be better and tear that candy bar out of your hand with no apologies. MacKinnon’s intensity makes him great, and having his fellow players finally acknowledge his effort is enormous. “You don’t know what guys really think about your game,” MacKinnon said, “Honored that the boys in the League really like my game. Definitely super respectful of everyone in the League. Definitely an honor as well.” MacKinnon now has the accolades to prove his worth, not that we were ever in doubt. MacKinnon will go down in history, and the only title sweeter than “Stanly Cup Champion” would be “Two-time Stanley Cup Champion.”
Though the 2023-24 season ended in colossal disappointment, even being able to experience that sort of defeat is a privilege - it means we are lucky enough to have high expectations. And achievable expectations, the Avs window to claim another Cup has yet to close. However, it wouldn’t hurt to get a little nudge from our fairy godfathers, Pierre LaCroix and Peter McNab, naturally. Winning a championship does take a little bit of luck, after all. We are fortunate that the Avalanche have already had their happily ever after three times, but like any hit franchise, you don’t stop when the trilogy ends. We are looking for a Fast and the Furious style franchise here, but unlike the Fast and the Furious, hoisting the Stanely Cup will never get old. Bring on 2025!