For the most part, when a player leaves a team, they almost never return. Sure you'll get a player returning in the twilight of his career for one last season or those infamous "one day contracts", but a player leaving a team only to come back a couple years later is pretty rare. But what former Avalanche players who are currently still in the league with other teams would we welcome back. Whether it's because he could be useful or we just simply loved having him as part of the Avalanche. We als...
Jan 24, 2024•35 min•Ep. 838
The Colorado Avalanche are getting ready to welcome back two very big pieces of their roster with Artturi Lehkonen and Bowen Byram. Both have been out with injuries, Lehkonen much longer than Byram, but the question is now what will the forward lines look like, and who is the odd d-man out? We take a look at the possibilities. We also talk about the names that are associated with the Avs when it comes to the trade market. Would Marc-Andre Fleury ok a deal to the Avs? Do they address the 2C and b...
Jan 23, 2024•39 min•Ep. 837
The final score might read like it wasn't a very competitive game, but in typical 2023.2024 Colorado Avalanche fashion, they didn't make things easy for themselves. Up 5-2, the Avalanche again struggled defensively and in goal to let the Philadelphia Flyers back into the game, pulling to within one goal at 5-4. But an untimely penalty on the Flyers gave the Avs a power play goal, followed by Nathan MacKinnon sliding the puck to Logan O'Connor for an empty netter and his first career hat trick th...
Jan 22, 2024•35 min•Ep. 836
Sure, it's fun to watch your team consistently come from behind. But only when they are winning those games. Too often, the Colorado Avalanche are finding themselves playing from behind, and there will be times they cannot overcome the deficit. Thursday night in Boston was one of those nights. The Avs let in the first goal of the game on the first shift of the game. Usually, not a big deal. And for a period (the 2nd) the Avs looked like they were trending in the right direction heading into the ...
Jan 19, 2024•35 min•Ep. 835
The Colorado Avalanche seem to like this comeback way of playing. Once again, the Avs found themselves down. This time it was 4-2 to the Ottawa Senators. But the one thing the Sens are known for is giving up goals. And one thing the Colorado Avalanche are known for is scoring them, and that's exactly what they did. The Avs rattled off five straight to take a commanding 7-4 victory and salvage the 2nd game of a back to back. One day after the Avs depth lines did next to nothing in Montreal, they ...
Jan 17, 2024•37 min•Ep. 834
The Colorado Avalanche came back down to earth a little bit Monday night in a 4-3 loss to the Montreal Canadiens. It's not that the Avs played a poor game, they just didn't capitalize on enough grade A chances, while letting the Canadiens do just the opposite. It was a puck nobody seemed to locate that ended up in the back of the net for Montreal that was the game winner. But the Avalanche can't dwell for too long as they are back at it Tuesday night against the Ottawa Senators. We also start of...
Jan 16, 2024•33 min•Ep. 833
This whole spotting the other team multiple goals, only to come back and win the game thing might not be what the Colorado Avalanche coaching staff likes, but it makes for some entertaining hockey! This time, the Avs gave up three 1st period goals to the Toronto Maple Leafs. But again, the Avs had a lot of game left to mount their comeback, which they did epically while scoring the next five goals en route to a 5-3 win. Nathan MacKinnon, not surprisingly, netted the game winning goal on a play t...
Jan 15, 2024•33 min•Ep. 832
The Colorado Avalanche are prepping for a five game road trip starting Saturday in Toronto, but before they left they were joined out on the ice by their captain, Gabriel Landeskog. Not in shorts and sandals either. Landeskog took the ice in full gear and started some very light skating around the ice for the first time in almost a year. The road to return is still a way down the road, but if you are an Avs fan, it was impossible to not have a smile painted on your face seeing the video and imag...
Jan 12, 2024•33 min•Ep. 831
On today's episode of Locked on Avalanche, we dive into our Morning Leftovers from the matchup between the Colorado Avalanche and Boston Bruins. Some good news coming out of the Avs camp with Artturi Lehkonen making the road trip with the team. No set date on when he will return, but it's a positive sign if he is joining the team for the road games ahead. We also discuss this ridiculous rule the NHL has that every team in the league must be represented in the All-Star Game. What this does is all...
Jan 10, 2024•37 min•Ep. 830
A back and forth game between two of the best teams in the league needed a shootout to decide a winner, and for this game the Colorado Avalanche took the extra point. Valeri Nichushkin netted the lone shootout goal to send the Boston Bruins home with the loss. In other league news, the Toronto Maple Leafs signed another player to another massive contract. This one going to William Nylander to the tune of 8 years at $11.5 AAV. This has a lot of people talking about what the Avalanche will do with...
Jan 09, 2024•38 min•Ep. 829
The Colorado Avalanche seem to be leveling out in 2 out of the 3 positions on the ice. The team's forwards and offense are on a roll, the defense is starting to put things together more, but where the Avalanche are failing is at the goalie position. That was on display over the weekend when the Avalanche surrendered eight goals (two ENG's) to the Florida Panthers. So while the goalie position needs to improve, the question is what changes do the Avalanche need to do to help the issues? All of th...
Jan 08, 2024•34 min•Ep. 828
Stop me if you have heard this one within the last 48 hours. Nathan MacKinnon scores in OT to lead the Colorado Avalanche to a 5-4 victory! He did it again. This time against division rival Dallas Stars. This was a hockey game people love to see. Two heavyweights going toe to toe. The Avs were knocked down a few times by the Stars. But they got back up and kept fighting. That fight in them led them to a last minute goal with the goalie pulled to send it into OT, then Nathan MacKinnon does what h...
Jan 05, 2024•32 min•Ep. 827
Another year, another big fish of the trade market linked to the Colorado Avalanche. This year that name is Elias Lindholm of the Calgary Flames. Lindholm is going to be moved. Where he will be moved to is what has everyone guessing. The Avs are linked to him and very likely have interest. The most recent rumor was the Avalanche needing to pony up a 1st round pick and Bowen Byram to make a deal happen. Why we feel like this will be another year the Avs don't land the big name. We also discuss th...
Jan 04, 2024•34 min•Ep. 826
Nathan MacKinnon is not of this earth. The Colorado Avalanche superstar continued his hot play Tuesday night against the New York Islanders, and they needed every bit of it as the Avs found themselves down at different times of the game due to early struggles from goalie Alexandar Georgiev. Georgiev would settle down and the Avalanche would play their game, eventually sending the game into OT where MacKinnon fired and absolute missile past Islanders goalie Sorokin for the win. We break it all do...
Jan 03, 2024•35 min•Ep. 825
The Colorado Avalanche won their last two games of the year 2023. In very different fashion against very different opponents. Now they look to keep winning as the calendar turns to 2024. But January offers up a lot of challenges for the club. We take a look at the January schedule as well as focus on the first game of the month, Tuesday night at home against the New York Islanders. Tune in, subscribe and enjoy! Subscribe to our Subtext to talk to us directly! https://joinsubtext.com/lockedonaval...
Jan 02, 2024•34 min•Ep. 824
With only two more games left for the Colorado Avalanche in 2023, now is a good time to take a moment and remember some of the moments from the calendar year of 2023 with the Colorado Avalanche. We also discuss what we want to see from the Avs once the calendar flips to 2024. It's been a ride so far this season for the Avs. Despite them being at the top of the Central Division, the losses are sticking out. How is GM Chris MacFarland viewing this season so far? Is he going to play the patient sty...
Dec 29, 2023•33 min•Ep. 823
What is going on with this year's version of the Colorado Avalanche? It continues to be one or the other. A great looking win, or a horrible looking loss. Wednesday night in Arizona was a horrible looking loss. But it didn't always look that way. The Avalanche seemed to pick up where they left off before the Christmas break. Then it all fell apart. The Avs built up a 4-0 lead. They ended up losing 5-4 in OT. It continues... Tune in, subscribe and enjoy! Subscribe to our Subtext to talk to us dir...
Dec 28, 2023•31 min•Ep. 822
The Colorado Avalanche played maybe their most complete game of the season right before the Christmas break against the Arizona Coyotes. Now, coming out of the Christmas break, they will face the Coyotes again and look to repeat their play that won them a convincing 4-1 victory in Denver. Nathan MacKinnon kept his scoring streak going during that game. He has now scored in 18 straight. Which didn't seem to impress the voters of the league's 3 Stars of the Week. Maybe because they didn't want to ...
Dec 27, 2023•36 min•Ep. 821
For the first time ever, a Colorado Avalanche player scored four goals in a game. And the sole man at the top of that hill is Nathan MacKinnon. In one night, Nathan MacKinnon got his 300th career goal, extended his point streak to 17 games and scored five points in a game, four of them goals. If he is not the Hart favorite right now, what are you watching? The Avs needed every bit of those five points as they found themselves trailing after three periods. But this was the MacKinnon that takes a ...
Dec 22, 2023•34 min•Ep. 820
The Colorado Avalanche are usually a very vanilla team when it comes to sound bytes. Maybe Nathan MacKinnon is the only one who really wears his heart and voice on his sleeve. You wouldn't expect Devon Toews to be a guy to call out teammates and show his frustration. Toews didn't do a Jerry Macguire freakout or anything like that. He was very cool and collected, but the words he used were like darts. Calling out players who "think they are playing well" and for not having the same goal. He used ...
Dec 21, 2023•35 min•Ep. 819
The Colorado Avalanche might be sitting in a good spot in the standings, but that doesn't mean everything is going according to plan. Especially when you lose to one of the worst teams in the league, the Chicago Blackhawks. We've seen this over and over again this year with the Avs. Good games followed by bad games followed by good games and on and on and on. But to not be able to turn up the dial when needed against a team you should be blowing out of the building leaves zero excuses. Some team...
Dec 20, 2023•33 min•Ep. 818
We usually don't get this type of trade talk action until mid February. But when the Colorado Avalanche moved Tomas Tatar over the weekend, we're getting much more trade discussion in mid December. So who could the Avalanche be targeting? We take a look at three names that have been floating around the hockey world and discuss if they are possibilities. We also jump into previewing the Avalanche and Chicago Blackhawks. The Blackhawks are a very bad team. Maybe worse than we expected. But with ho...
Dec 19, 2023•34 min•Ep. 817
The pendulum season continues! The Colorado Avalanche started their weekend with a little bit of a surprise trade as they sent Tomas Tatar to the Seattle Kraken for a 2024 5th round pick. Tatar's tenure in Colorado didn't last very long, and even though it looked like he was starting to come out of his shell a little, the Avalanche figured now was a good time to move him. On the ice, it was more of the same. A Saturday game in Winnipeg against the Jets went horribly wrong. That was followed up o...
Dec 18, 2023•34 min•Ep. 816
Did you shed a tear? Us too... Erik Johnson returned to Ball Arena for the first time since departing from the Colorado Avalanche, and you could see why he meant so much to this organization and the fans in a tribute that was perfectly presented. Even before the game, EJ needed a minute to collect himself as the emotion of returning to the arena he called home for 13 years was overwhelming. Everyone was happy to see the former Av defensemen, but nobody was going to give him or the Sabres a walk ...
Dec 15, 2023•31 min•Ep. 815
On today's episode of Locked on Avalanche, we do our usual Morning Leftovers segment where we discuss the things that have stuck with us following the most recent game. In this case the Colorado Avalanche and the Calgary Flames. Is this yet another moment where we can say "that was the turning point?" Following the game against the Flames, Mikko Rantanen had some choice words for Ismo Lehkonen, who went on a Finnish radio show and questioned Mikko's work ethic during the offseason. Mikko wasn't ...
Dec 13, 2023•33 min•Ep. 814
The Colorado Avalanche up and down season was on display all in one game Monday night, as the Avs needed three goals in four minutes to regain the lead and beat the Calgary Flames, 6-5. Sure, it's fun to watch your team mount an incredible come from behind victory in the fashion the Avalanche did, but the issues also cannot go unnoticed. Defensive issues remain and it is definitely something the Avalanche need to shore up ASAP. Alexandar Georgiev didn't last the duration of the game either, gett...
Dec 12, 2023•36 min•Ep. 813
The Colorado Avalanche season of ups and downs continues. After winning seven of eight (that lone loss being the Nashville Predator meltdown in the final minute of the game) the Avalanche have now found themselves with one win over the last six games. It's pretty much on par with how things have gone for the club this year. Win a handful of games, then lose a handful. The same has gone for the players. Just when Nathan MacKinnon is hitting his stride, Mikko Rantanen has gone cold. It can't conti...
Dec 11, 2023•37 min•Ep. 812
On yesterday's episode of Locked on Avalanche, we discussed if we could see some line shuffling for the game against the Anaheim Ducks. The answer to that was yes. Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar made some pretty big changes to the lineup, and for the most part, things seemed to work well. It was not a perfect game by any stretch and you could tell these new lines were getting used to one another. But for 54 minutes the Avalanche were on cruise control, finding themselves with a 3-0 l...
Dec 06, 2023•36 min•Ep. 811
Yes, the three game West Coast road trip did not go well. No sugar coating that. But does that make Jared Bednar shuffle the lines up a bit to try and get some players going? Or do we just chalk the bad trip up to just that? A bad three games we can all move on from and have confidence in our guys to bounce back for this home stretch? We also discuss why Bowen Byram seems to be the new whipping boy from the section of Avalanche fans who are just looking for someone to blame everything on since S...
Dec 05, 2023•38 min•Ep. 810
It was a big ask of the Colorado Avalanche to play an away back to back, have the first of those games be a later start, the second be an earlier start, have the second team you're playing have 4 days rest, and have no Cale Makar. That might sound like a lot of excuses, but despite all that the Avalanche were hanging in with the Los Angeles Kings until they just ran out of gas in the 3rd period where LA scored 3 goals in the final 6 minutes to run away with two points. It was a very successful t...
Dec 04, 2023•35 min•Ep. 809
