The NHL is now defined by speed and skill, but heavy hard-hitting forwards and big shutdown defensemen are still vital. The Avalanche isn’t tough enough, and it should address that concern in free agency Wednesday — particularly if it fails to re-sign power forward Gabe Landeskog.
The Avs, who also need to re-sign goalie Philipp Grubauer or his replacement, must add more grit to their highly skilled core to avoid the wall they hit in the playoffs, when they finished 0-4 after a 6-0 start. Colorado, the latest President’s Trophy winner to fizzle out in the postseason, must alter its high-flying identity by upgrading its physicality.