Colorado Avalanche: What to know before NHL restarts pandemic-shortened season

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The Colorado Avalanche are arguably one of the most competitive opponents going into the Western Conference round-robin.

After being plagued by injuries that saw most of their top scorers sit out, the Avalanche dominated the start of the season, going 5-0 and finishing out the abbreviated season going 9-2-1. With months off to recover, the Avalanche will be close to a full roster when the NHL season resumes on Aug. 1.

Colorado’s biggest hurdle will be locking in a goaltender. Pavel Francouz stepped in for Philipp Grubauer after he sustained a lower body injury but Grubauer has more playoff experience.

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QUICKLOOK

Division: Central (2nd)

Record: 42-20-8

Coach: Jared Bednar

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ROSTER

Forwards: 

Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, Shane Bowers, Andre Burakovsky, Matt Calvert, J.T. Compher, Joonas Donskoi, Sheldon Dries, Tyson Jost, Nazem Kadri, Gabriel Landeskog, Nathan MacKinnon, Vladislav Namestnikov, Valeri Nichushkin, Matt Nieto, Logan O'Connor, Mikko Rantanen, T.J. Tynan

Defensemen: 

Mark Barberio, Bowen Byram, Ian Cole, Kevin Connauton, Samuel Girard, Ryan Graves, Erik Johnson, Anton Lindholm, Cale Makar, Conor Timmins, Nikita Zadorov

Goaltenders: 

Pavel Francouz, Philipp Grubauer, Michael Hutchinson

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SCHEDULE

The Avalanche will play a three-game round robin at Rogers Place in Edmonton to determine seeding in the first round. They will take on the St. Louis Blues on Aug. 2 at 6:30 p.m. ET, then face the Dallas Stars on Aug. 5 at 6:30 p.m ET, and finish with a game against the Vegas Golden Knights on Aug. 8.