With or without second-line center Nazem Kadri, the Avalanche will again likely be the Stanley Cup favorite when NHL training camps begin in September.
The reigning champions, who are in the final stages of finalizing another star-studded roster, have thus far retained much more than they lost during free agency. They are poised to again be the powerhouse of the Western Conference. And if they can find the necessary cap money to keep Kadri, the league’s prized unsigned player, there will be absolutely no holes in the lineup.
Preventing power forward Valeri Nichushkin and shutdown defenseman Josh Manson from testing the UFA market were all-star moves.