NHL season preview: High-flying Colorado Avalanche poised to chase another Stanley Cup

Colorado Avalanche won the Stanley Cup last season. They had not advanced beyond the second round of the playoffs for three years.

The Colorado Avalanche are the team to beat for the NHL's other 31 teams. Cale Makar won the Norris Trophy as the league's top blueliner in 2021-22. Colorado won a Stanley Cup last season. The rest of the leagues is chasing the Avalanche's depth. Edmonton's Connor McDavid learned from the playoffs. Dallas Stars' Jake Oettinger says Colorado's attack is relentless. Anaheim Ducks' Trevor Zegras likes the way the players compete. The NHL is trying to reach the level Colorado reached in the last playoffs, which was intense.

Makar won his first Norris and the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP last season.

Colorado Avalanche are aiming for another Stanley Cup. Makar's success is not about topping the previous season's achievements.

Johnny Gaudreau signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Matthew Tkachuk was traded to the Florida Panthers. Jack Campbell left the Toronto Maple Leafs for Ottawa. Claude Giroux was acquired by Florida. Nazem Kadri signed a deal with Calgary after winning the Stanley Cup with Colorado.  Zach Werenski believes the fans in Columbus deserved a star like Gudreau.

13 teams will have different head coaches to start the schedule compared to a year ago. Bruce Boudreau, Jay Woodcroft, Martin St. Louis, John Tortorella, David Quinn, Bruce Cassidy, Jim Montgomery, Luke Richardson, Peter DeBoer, Derek Lalonde, Paul Maurice, Lane Lambert, New York Islanders, and Rick Bowness are among them.

Auston Matthews won last season's Hart Trophy as NHL MVP. McDavid is the favourite to win it again. Leon Draisaitl, the 2020 winner, and Igor Shesterkin, who finished third last year, are also in the running.

Jim from Philadelphia didn't get voted for by the PHW.A. but he can't help it.