NHL Preview 2024-25 39 SportsForecaster.com

Forwards

Ross Colton [W/C]

  • Age: 28
  • Ht: 6-0
  • Wt: 194
'23-24 GP G A P +/- PIM P/GP
Col 80 17 23 40 -8 61 0.50
Career 360 85 81 166 -4 174 0.46
Forecast 81 19 21 40 - - 0.49

Colton's first season with the Avs saw the speedy forward reach the 40-point mark for the first time and set a career high in assists. Mixing grit with skill, the 28-year-old was second on the Avs with 141 hits despite averaging just 13:43 of ice time in '23-24. He was useful on the second power-play unit and as the third-line pivot.

Jonathan Drouin [RW/LW]

  • Age: 29
  • Ht: 5-11
  • Wt: 189
'23-24 GP G A P +/- PIM P/GP
Col 79 19 37 56 12 28 0.71
Career 633 110 279 389 -67 236 0.61
Forecast 77 21 45 66 - - 0.86

Drouin's 10th NHL season was his best in terms of assists (37), points (56), plus/minus rating (+12) and average ice time (18:11 TOI/GP). After a change of scenery, he also became a reliable defensive player, something he had not been for almost all of his first nine seasons. In the right situation, he can still be an impact forward.

Parker Kelly [W/C]

  • Age: 25
  • Ht: 6-1
  • Wt: 185
'23-24 GP G A P +/- PIM P/GP
Ott 80 8 10 18 -8 30 0.23
Career 286 31 35 66 -13 166 0.23
Forecast 80 9 8 17 - - 0.21

The 25-year-old Kelly has established himself as a useful bottom-six forward (171 hits in 2023-24) who has added a dash of offense to his game. Kelly is looking to build off a '23-24 campaign that saw him post career highs in goals, assists and points. The offensive improvement has earned him more ice time and added responsibilities.

Joel Kiviranta [LW/RW]

  • Age: 28
  • Ht: 5-11
  • Wt: 185
'23-24 GP G A P +/- PIM P/GP
Col 56 3 6 9 -1 12 0.16
Career 310 36 26 62 1 94 0.20
Forecast 75 6 4 10 - - 0.13

The Finnish winger has spent parts of five seasons in the NHL, but he has only produced double-digit points once (26 GP, 6-5-11 in 2020-21 with Dallas). In his first season with Colorado, Kiviranta made 56 appearances but scored just three goals. When in the lineup, he kills penalties and takes care of business in the defensive zone.

Nikolai Kovalenko [LW/RW]

  • Age: 25
  • Ht: 5-10
  • Wt: 180
'23-24 GP G A P +/- PIM P/GP
Col 0 0 0 0
Career 57 7 13 20 16 0.35
Forecast 64 10 21 31 - - 0.48

The son of former Avs winger Andrei Kovalenko came to North America last spring after six seasons in the KHL. He played briefly in the AHL before making his NHL debut during the first round of the '24 Stanley Cup playoffs–after recovering from a knee injury. His offensive game finally developed during his last two seasons in the KHL.

Gabriel Landeskog [RW/LW]

  • Age: 31
  • Ht: 6-1
  • Wt: 215
'23-24 GP G A P +/- PIM P/GP
Col 0 - - - - - -
Career 767 253 332 585 622 0.76
Forecast 41 14 18 32 - - 0.78

Colorado's captain has not played since he accepted the Stanley Cup after the Avs won it in 2022. A right knee ailment has cost him the past two seasons, and he had cartilage transplant surgery in May 2023. Landeskog said he definitely plans to be back in the Avs lineup sometime during the 2024-25 campaign. He has been sorely missed.

Artturi Lehkonen [LW/RW]

  • Age: 29
  • Ht: 5-11
  • Wt: 179
'23-24 GP G A P +/- PIM P/GP
Col 45 16 18 34 11 14 0.76
Career 619 154 159 313 79 192 0.51
Forecast 70 24 33 57 - - 0.81

A neck injury cost Lehkonen nearly half of last campaign, but he was productive when able to play–both in the regular season and playoffs. His 82-game scoring pace would easily have surpassed his previous career highs in goals and points. The 29-year-old Finn goes to the dirty areas and puts himself in position for tips and rebounds.

Nathan MacKinnon [C]

  • Age: 29
  • Ht: 6-0
  • Wt: 200
'23-24 GP G A P +/- PIM P/GP
Col 82 51 89 140 35 42 1.71
Career 899 391 673 1064 207 401 1.18
Forecast 80 56 73 129 - - 1.61

Will MacKinnon (ever) be able to top last campaign? He scored 50 goals for the first time, also set career bests in assists, points and plus/minus rating (+35) and placed second in the NHL in power-play points (48). The 29-year-old is almost impossible to stop if he finds an opening because of his blazing speed, skill, size and shot.

Casey Mittelstadt [LW/C]

  • Age: 25
  • Ht: 6-1
  • Wt: 195
'23-24 GP G A P +/- PIM P/GP
Buf/Col 80 18 39 57 10 32 0.71
Career 458 87 161 248 -75 106 0.54
Forecast 81 21 45 66 - - 0.81

Finally staying healthy has fueled the two best seasons of Mittelstadt's NHL career. He proved to be an excellent fit and provided consistency as Colorado's No. 2 pivot in '23-24, after being acquired at the trade deadline. He then looked even better in his first trip to the playoffs; he never went more than one game without a point.

Logan O'Connor [RW]

  • Age: 28
  • Ht: 6-0
  • Wt: 175
'23-24 GP G A P +/- PIM P/GP
Col 57 13 12 25 13 34 0.44
Career 343 45 58 103 34 143 0.30
Forecast 74 12 16 28 - - 0.38

O'Connor's best offensive showing was derailed by hip surgery that ended his 2023-24 season in March. However, he expects to be ready for 2024-25. Despite playing only 57 games, he posted career highs in goals (13), plus/minus rating (+13) and game-winning goals (4). He provided an offensive boost from an unlikely source last season.

Mikko Rantanen [RW]

  • Age: 27
  • Ht: 6-4
  • Wt: 215
'23-24 GP G A P +/- PIM P/GP
Col 80 42 62 104 19 50 1.30
Career 681 307 437 744 90 473 1.09
Forecast 82 48 64 112 - - 1.37

Rantanen's second straight 100-point season has moved him into elite company. He piles up points at even strength and on the power play, and he has registered at least a plus-15 rating in each of the past four seasons. The Finn also posted a career high in assists in '23-24 and led all NHL forwards in average ice time (22:54 TOI/GP).

Miles Wood [LW/RW]

  • Age: 29
  • Ht: 6-2
  • Wt: 209
'23-24 GP G A P +/- PIM P/GP
Col 74 9 17 26 -5 75 0.35
Career 536 99 95 194 -77 560 0.36
Forecast 77 12 17 29 - - 0.38

He was the same performer in his first season with Colorado as he had been throughout his NHL career–a blazingly fast bottom-six forward who can play on either wing, kill penalties and contribute 20-35 points per season. His 17 assists in '23-24 were a career high, and he scored the overtime winner in game 1 of round 2 versus Dallas.

Defensemen

Goaltenders

Erik Brannstrom

  • Age: 25
  • Ht: 5-10
  • Wt: 185
'23-24 GP G A P +/- PIM P/GP
Ott 76 3 17 20 5 36 0.26
Career 294 10 67 77 -17 162 0.26
Forecast 77 4 22 26 - - 0.34

The Swedish defenseman is coming off his best offensive campaign in '23-24, despite seeing limited power-play time. His lack of optimal size (5'10'', 185 pounds) means he can be overwhelmed physically in his own zone at times, but he is an effective defender as long as his ice time is limited. Brannstrom can also play on either side.

Samuel Girard

  • Age: 26
  • Ht: 5-10
  • Wt: 170
'23-24 GP G A P +/- PIM P/GP
Col 59 3 15 18 0 10 0.31
Career 562 34 191 225 10 109 0.40
Forecast 70 6 23 29 - - 0.41

The 26-year-old missed 23 games last season, mostly during his time in the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program while dealing with the effects of depression. Girard was coming off the best offensive production of his career in '22-23 and had been a consistent defenseman whose output ranged from 27-37 points in the previous five years.

Oliver Kylington

  • Age: 27
  • Ht: 6-0
  • Wt: 183
'23-24 GP G A P +/- PIM P/GP
Cgy 33 3 5 8 -6 12 0.24
Career 220 18 42 60 22 60 0.27
Forecast 64 4 16 20 - - 0.31

After sitting out one and a half seasons while dealing with mental health issues, Kylington is happy to be back on the ice. Before stepping away following the 2022 playoffs, he enjoyed his best NHL season and seemed to be emerging as a solid top-four D-man. He did not post great numbers after his return but did not look out of place.

Cale Makar

  • Age: 25
  • Ht: 6-0
  • Wt: 187
'23-24 GP G A P +/- PIM P/GP
Col 77 21 69 90 15 16 1.17
Career 424 125 338 463 163 124 1.09
Forecast 80 24 71 95 - - 1.19

No defenseman in the 21st century has put up points the way Makar has. In fact, he was one game shy of matching Bobby Orr's mark for the fastest to 300 points! The Calgary native was second in the NHL among defensemen in scoring, first among blueliners in power-play points (39) and ninth overall in average time on ice (24:46 TOI/GP).

Josh Manson

  • Age: 33
  • Ht: 6-3
  • Wt: 218
'23-24 GP G A P +/- PIM P/GP
Col 76 8 17 25 11 87 0.33
Career 655 41 135 176 63 630 0.27
Forecast 71 5 17 22 - - 0.31

The son of long-time NHL defenseman Dave Manson did a little bit of everything last season. He was one of four NHL players with at least 200 hits, 100 blocked shots and 25 points in '23-24. He also set a career high in goals despite almost no power-play time. The vet is a good bottom-four defenseman who checks a lot of fantasy boxes.

Devon Toews

  • Age: 30
  • Ht: 6-1
  • Wt: 191
'23-24 GP G A P +/- PIM P/GP
Col 82 12 38 50 28 18 0.61
Career 502 63 225 288 206 138 0.57
Forecast 80 10 36 46 - - 0.58

Three consecutive 50-point seasons, during which he has averaged a plus-40 rating, have made Toews one of the NHL's most underrated players. He is arguably his team's best defensive defenseman, can put up points without first-unit power-play minutes and has averaged more than 23 minutes on ice in each of his four seasons in Colorado.

Justus Annunen

  • Age: 24
  • Ht: 6-4
  • Wt: 210
'23-24 GP W L OT SO GAA Sv%
AHL 23 14 5 4 0 2.65 0.908
Career 61 26 24 4 2 3.09 0.889
Forecast 25 14 - - 1 2.88 0.907

The Avalanche gave the 6'4'' Finnish netminder a crack at the backup role last campaign. Annunen made the most of his opportunity by finishing 7-2 in his last nine decisions, posting his first two NHL shutouts and not allowing more than three goals in any of those games. He has helped himself by cutting down on his bad goals allowed.

Alexandar Georgiev

  • Age: 28
  • Ht: 6-1
  • Wt: 178
'23-24 GP W L OT SO GAA Sv%
Col 63 38 18 5 2 3.02 0.897
Career 303 151 108 26 15 2.99 0.903
Forecast 59 36 - - 3 2.78 0.908

The NHL's winningest goaltender last campaign, his second with the Avalanche, was the beneficiary of his team's potent offense in 2023-24. He won 38 games despite finishing 35th in goals-against average and 40th in save percentage. Georgiev is a workhorse capable of playing brilliantly in one game–and getting shelled in the next one.