The third Stanley Cup triumph in Colorado Avalanche history took some while to arrive. The franchise which debuted in 1995-96 made a blazing start, winning the biggest prize in professional ice hockey twice in their very first campaign, then repeated that feat in 2000-01. In between, they also reached the Conference Finals and at the time, nobody else could match the same levels of consistent achievement.
Afterward, much patience was needed for the fans as the franchise failed to reach the same heights, as one decade of waiting for the next major success turned into two. Eventually, the Avalanche came good again following the appointment of Jared Bednar as head coach, even if his first 2016-17 campaign did little to inspire. But from then onwards, Colorado went from strength to strength, intelligently improving the roster and taking giant strides towards their ultimate objective.
Having ended the dominance of the Tampa Bay Lightning, who reached their third consecutive Stanley Cup Finals last season, Colorado Avalanche is on the road to realizing a dynasty era of their own. Buoyed by their phenomenal record last season, both during the regular season and throughout the Playoffs, nothing less than another stellar campaign will do for this exceptionally talented hockey team.
What the sportsbooks are predicting
As many avid NHL followers and bettors will already be aware, Colorado Avalanche was listed amongst the Stanley Cup favorites in each of the last three NHL seasons, and for good reason given the consistently strong roster on paper. While they ultimately fell short in 2020 and 2021, as Tampa Bay Lightning enjoyed back-to-back success, the Avalanche finally matched their potential and lifted the biggest prize in hockey last season.
But what are their chances of a repeat in 2023? Well, across the board the leading sportsbooks are pretty much in unison with their predictions, tipping the Avalanche to dominate again and retain their Stanley Cup title. Indeed, they are valued at roughly half the prices you'll get for any of the other contenders, including the Toronto Maple Leafs, Florida Panthers, and Tampa Bay Lightning.
This obviously implies doing a little more homework before deciding who to back, making the latest Sports Betting Online guide a great place to start. Their key objective is to provide insights that make a real difference, backed by unbiased expert sportsbook reviews. The aim here is to help users find the most competitive odds available, alongside information covering offers and promotions from the leading companies.
While there is plenty of time ahead of the 2022-23 NHL season start in October, rosters could yet change with some interesting additions, leading to more precise evaluations from the major betting sites. But as of July, and with a couple of months pre-season to go, the consensus of opinion remains clear, indicating the Colorado franchise will be the organization to beat in the season to come.
Nazem Kadri still undecided over future
Arguably the biggest challenge for any successful team is maintaining that success, which inevitably means retaining stellar players, whilst also bringing in fresh talents to provide added competition within the roster. This is currently the task facing the Colorado Avalanche hierarchy, as they continue to plan ahead for the 2022-23 NHL season.
One situation still up in the air is that of Nazem Kadri, who is currently testing the water in free agency, following a stellar career season with the Avalanche that culminated in celebrating the Stanley Cup win. According to the Mile High Hockey blog at SB Nation, the 31-year-old centerman is waiting on big offers from elsewhere, although he could yet return if Colorado does some salary cap juggling.
In the end, it could all depend on whether the Avs prefer to move on regarding Kadri, although his options elsewhere seem quite limited at the moment, largely due to high salary expectations. He insists that only competitive teams will be considered, which means that Colorado must surely factor as the best option. But only time will tell if we see him back in the Avalanche jersey when September preseason training rolls around.