The Avalanche could commit the biggest cheat in history during the 2024 playoffs
Currently at the Colorado Avalanche, there is only $525,000 available under the salary cap, thanks to the fact that the contract of captain Gabriel Landeskog is placed on the long-term injured list, otherwise, the organization would exceed the $83.5 million limit by more than $6 million.
The management made several wise acquisitions during the summer season, getting their hands on Ryan Johansen from Nashville with 50% of his salary retained, and making some low-cost additions, including Tomas Tatar and Jonathan Drouin.
The team should qualify for the playoffs without too much difficulty, and recent information coming directly from the Avalanche's GM, Chris MacFarland, has stirred reactions among hockey fans.
While he spoke on the DNVR podcast about Nikolai Kovalenko, who is one of the best forwards in the KHL and a prospect of the club, MacFarland stated that the plan was to bring him over from Russia at the end of his season.
In the best case for the Avalanche, if his team from Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod were to miss the playoffs, he would be in Colorado by the month of March. Otherwise, he should arrive towards the end of the season, just in time for the NHL playoffs.
For those who are not familiar with Kovalenko, he was a sixth-round pick in 2018 by the organization. He signed a two-year entry contract in recent weeks, which will begin at the end of his current season in the KHL.
Last year, the 23-year-old forward finished 10th in the league's top scorers, with a haul of 21 goals and 54 points in 56 games. He had the third-best points per game average in the KHL. This season, in just six games, he has already amassed three goals and eight points.
Taking into consideration that the Avalanche could benefit from Landeskog's return just in time for the playoffs, and also adding a forward of Kovalenko's caliber, the organization could get some absolutely divine help to win another championship in Colorado.
Quite frankly, given that the salary cap no longer counts in the postseason and that the Avalanche couldn't afford such a return during the regular schedule, this would possibly be the biggest cheat in history, even surpassing the magical return of Nikita Kucherov for the 2021 playoffs, which led to a Stanley Cup for the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Credit: HabsolumentFan
| POLL | ||
With the return of Landeskog and the addition of Kovalenko, do you believe that the Avalanche would be the favorite to win the Stanley Cup this year? | ||
| Yes | 13 | 40.6 % |
| No | 19 | 59.4 % |
| List of polls | ||
