Avalanche training camp preview

With training camps set to begin on July 13 as part of Phase 3 of the NHL Return to Play Plan, NHL.com is taking a closer look at each of the 24 teams in the Stanley Cup Qualifiers.

Today, the Colorado Avalanche.

The Colorado Avalanche were 42-20-8 (.657 points percentage) and will play in the round-robin portion of the Stanley Cup Qualifiers in the Western Conference against the St. Louis Blues (42-19-10, .662), Vegas Golden Knights (39-24-8, .606) and Dallas Stars (37-24-8, .594) to determine seeding for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Center Nathan MacKinnon, a candidate for the Hart Trophy voted as the most valuable player in the NHL, led the Avalanche this season when they were plagued by injuries. He scored 93 points (35 goals, 58 assists) in 69 games before the NHL season was paused March 12 due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus, 14 more goals and 43 more points than any of his teammates.

Among the players who missed significant time were forward Mikko Rantanen (28 games), center Nazem Kadri (19), forward Gabriel Landeskog (16), defenseman Cale Makar (13) and forward Andre Burakovsky (12), Colorado's top five scorers after MacKinnon. Each is expected to return for the round-robin.

"Obviously we'll have this training camp to allow us to come back together, work on systems, get in, shake the rust out and whatnot," said Landeskog, Colorado's captain. "I think it sort of levels the playing field. All teams are going to be healthy for the most part. Everybody's had time to heal bumps and bruises and injuries. Now it's just a matter of who's going to get off and running the fastest.

"I like our chances. I think obviously we're still a pretty young team and we're an exciting group, and I like what we can do. Yeah, it should be fun."

Player to watch

MacKinnon scored 13 points (six goals, seven assists) in 12 games in the playoffs last season, when the Avalanche won a round for the first time since 2008, defeating the Calgary Flames in five games in the Western Conference First Round before losing to the San Jose Sharks in seven games in the second round. With Landeskog and Rantanen healthy, the speedy, skilled and ultracompetitive MacKinnon could center perhaps the best line in the League.

Biggest question

Will goalie Philipp Grubauer return to form? Grubauer won the Stanley Cup as a backup for the Washington Capitals in 2018 and was 7-5 with a 2.30 goals-against average, a .925 save percentage and one shutout in the playoffs for Colorado last season. But he battled injuries this season and was 18-12-4 with a 2.63 GAA, a .916 save percentage and two shutouts, opening the door for Pavel Francouz, who was 21-7-4 with a 2.41 GAA, a .923 save percentage and one shutout. While Grubauer was injured and missed the final 13 games before the pause, Francouz was 8-2-2 with a 2.37 GAA, a .919 save percentage and one shutout in 12 starts.

Injury updates

Andre Burakovsky, F -- Healthy after missing the last seven games before the pause with an upper-body injury.

Matt Calvert, F -- Healthy after missing the last 13 games with a lower-body injury.

Philipp Grubauer, G -- Healthy after missing the last 13 games with a lower-body injury.

Nazem Kadri, F -- Healthy after missing the last 16 games with a lower-body injury.

Mikko Rantanen, F -- Healthy after missing the last 12 games with an upper-body injury.

Colin Wilson, F -- Out with a lower-body injury.

Fresh face

The Avalanche acquired Vladislav Namestnikov in a trade with the Ottawa Senators on Feb. 24 to bolster the depth at forward. He scored 31 points (17 goals, 14 assists) in 65 games, including six points (four goals, two assists) in nine games for Colorado.

Telling stat

MacKinnon led the NHL with 318 shots on goal. He is the first player other than Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals to lead the League in consecutive seasons since Pavel Bure of the Florida Panthers in 1999-01.

They said it

"The world feels at times like it's turned upside down right now, and so everything else is different. So why would the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs be normal? You know what I mean? Everything is a little bit different this year, and we're just going to have to make the most of it, and I hope the fans can get behind it and get excited about it just as I am, because I'm excited just to have a chance to take a run at the Stanley Cup this year." -- captain Gabriel Landeskog

Projected lineup

Gabriel Landeskog -- Nathan MacKinnon -- Mikko Rantanen

Andre Burakovsky -- Nazem Kadri -- Joonas Donskoi

Tyson Jost -- Vladislav Namestnikov -- J.T. Compher

Matt Nieto -- Pierre-Edouard Bellemare -- Matt Calvert

Ryan Graves -- Cale Makar

Samuel Girard -- Erik Johnson

Ian Cole -- Nikita Zadorov

Philipp Grubauer

Pavel Francouz