NHL EDGE stats for Colorado Avalanche

As part of NHL.com's 32 in 32 series, we will identify key EDGE stats for each team to preview the 2024-25 season. Today, we look at the impact of three advanced metrics for the Colorado Avalanche:

1. Forward Nathan MacKinnon led the NHL in 22-plus mph speed bursts in the regular season (118), nearly doubling second-place Connor McDavid (66) of the Edmonton Oilers. Defenseman Cale Makar was tied with New Jersey Devils rookie Luke Hughes for the most 22-plus mph speed bursts (25) among defensemen last season.

Colorado had two of the fastest players in the League in terms of max skating speed during the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, with MacKinnon ranking sixth (23.44) and Makar seventh (23.24). Each was instrumental in Colorado winning the Stanley Cup in 2022 and continues to spur zone entries and scoring chances whenever on the ice. MacKinnon led the NHL in shots on goal (405) last season, while Makar was third among defensemen in the category (231).

2. Goalie Alexandar Georgiev was the beneficiary of the most goal support in the NHL last season (219 goals for) and ranked sixth at the position in goal differential (plus-36). But Georgiev also faced the most high-danger shots on goal (511) in the League.

Georgiev led the NHL in wins (38) last regular season after finishing tied for the most victories in 2022-23 (40), but the advanced metric shows that his success certainly hasn’t come easily -- even with all the elite offensive talent on his side in MacKinnon, Makar and right wing Mikko Rantanen. Georgiev’s high-danger save percentage was slightly better in the playoffs (.800; 15 high-danger goals allowed on 75 high-danger shots faced) than the regular season (.796), but the high volume of Grade-A scoring chances allowed by the skater group caught up to Colorado in its loss to the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference Second Round.

3. Forward Artturi Lehkonen, despite being limited to 45 games last regular season, scored 12 high-danger goals, ranking in the 80th percentile of the NHL.

Lehkonen then scored three high-danger goals (92nd percentile) on 18 high-danger shots on goal (96th percentile) in the playoffs and also was a standout in offensive-zone time percentage (46.4; 91st percentile) in the postseason. Lehkonen has seen prime offensive usage and a spike in production ever since joining the Avalanche from the Montreal Canadiens in 2021-22.

With forward Valeri Nichushkin (NHL/NHL Players' Association Player Assistance Program) set to miss the start of the season after being suspended for a minimum of six months on May 13, Lehkonen will be relied upon even more heavily for secondary scoring.

More: NHL EDGE stats leaders