Welcome to the Avalanche Blogger Roundtable. The preseason is over, the lines are getting set, and it’s time to look at this team, point by point, and find out what the fans who write about them think. Today, ten different Avalanche bloggers answer eight questions on eight different blogs. Mile High Hockey is hosting the main directory page, so you can head over there (after reading what the bloggers wrote here, of course) and find out what was said elsewhere.
I got question six, kind of the realist question.

Obviously, the goal is to win the Stanley Cup this season. Is that a realistic expectation with the way the team is currently set up, given the way the rest of the league has shaken out for this season?

It’s a good question. It’s one every fan asks themselves at the start of every season, so it should provide some good answers from the Avosphere.

First up, Draft Dodger from In The Cheap Seats and Mile High Hockey:

With the parity we have in the league today, any of the 16 teams that make the playoffs has a viable shot at winning it all. If the Avs make the postseason (and I think they will), anything can happen. With the improvements they’ve made on both offense and defense, this team should comfortably make the playoffs and possibly contend for the division title. Realistically, I think that’s about all we can expect – anything else would be a bonus. I don’t think we’ve quite reached the talent level where we should be expecting a Cup win. Perhaps next summer, when we should again have cap money to burn, we might be adding the final pieces to give us a legitimate Cup contender.

Next up, Jibblescribbits from … Jibblescribbits:

Well only one team per year wins the Stanley cup, and even when the Avs were loaded with Hall-of-Famers for nearly a decade they “only” won 2. So to make any season Stanley Cup or bust is a pretty dicey proposition.

That being said, I think the Avs are in the Top 5 in the west, which is in the tougher conference. The Beige Wings, Ducks (yes even without Nieds), Sharks, and Avs are all in the top 5. The problem for the Avs is going to be that they are in the toughest division, by far, in the conference.

When everything shakes out the Avs can hope for no better than a 3rd seed, since Detroit will walk through the Central and win the president’s cup, and the Ducks and Sharks will battle it out for the second seed. The 3rd seed will pull a team like Dallas, Vancouver, or Calgary, while not winning the west will probably draw the Ducks, Sharks or Still Canucks.

The goal should be to win back the Northwest, and lets the cards fall from there. By the way the goalies of all those teams: Kipper, Luongo, Turco, Nabokov, Giguere. None of those sound like someone to mess with in a 7 game series). In this season, more than most, the division title in the NW is crucial, and I think that’s a reasonable goal. From there it’s all about matchups.

Baba Oje from Melt Your Face Off is up next:

Division championship is fully within our reach and a solid goal for the regular season. Playoffs are a crapshoot, but we have the depth and experience to go far, but one step at a time, we need to get there first.

Ringleader Mike from Bleu, Blanc et Rouge:

I believe Colorado has the offensive firepower to put the fear of Lord Voldemort into most of the Western Conference teams. Their own division has some of the most dangerous teams. Calgary is a bit of a wild card this season with the new coach and the talent that they can bring to bear. Add in an elite goalie like Kipper, and they can be a tough beat. However, with the momentum from the end of last season, I think the Avs have a little bit of an edge in that matchup. Edmonton won’t be as doormat-like as the end of last season, but I still expect them to finish last in the Northwest. If Vancouver can get scoring consistency, they will be VERY tough to quash on the way to a division title. Everybody’s favorite Roberto will make sure of that. Minnesota is no slouch either. They have great scoring depth, they play a system that allows them to utilize all the parts in the machine, and if Gaborik plays more than 50 games, will probably pump in enough goals to challenge for the Rocket Richard Trophy. The weak link in their chain is similar to Colorado’s. Will Backstrom and Harding be able to keep the Wild in games against the powerful NW and Pacific conference foes?

In all likelihood, the Ducks are still the team to beat on the way to a Stanley Cup. They have scoring depth, talented youth, veteran leadership (even without Neidemayer and Selanne), and an elite ‘tender in Giggy. If any modern team can stand a legitimate chance at back-to- back Cups, it’s them. Even with Big Bertha in the lineup. Do I think the Avs can take ’em in a 7 game series? The homer in me says yep, but there’s a little voice in the back of my head that says we don’t have the grit and size to survive such a series. My only hope is that Avs fans get the chance to find out.

Please welcome Justin to the newly formed Avalanche Guild:

Joe Sakic would not have re-signed with the Avalanche the day after the regular season ended last year if he didn’t believe the expectations were in place to win the Stanley Cup. Ryan Smyth would not have come to Colorado unless the Stanley Cup was a realistic achievement.

The Avalanche had the most explosive offensive team in the Western Conference last season and that will certainly be the case this season. Unfortunately, the offense is a moot point because a lot will depend on who they play in the first round of the 2008 Stanley Cup Playoffs. If they can win their division and take one of the top three spots, they have a much better chance of winning it all, due to the fact that they will have home-ice advantage.

It’s so hard to gauge what can happen, but I believe that the San Jose Sharks will face the biggest challenge for the Avalanche in the playoffs. Colorado matches up much better against a team like Anaheim and Detroit than they do San Jose.

The Avalanche can, and will, compete for the Stanley Cup come April. The other 29 teams don’t matter until the first round is here.

Here’s Joe from Mile High Hockey and Dear Lord Stanley:

I wholeheartedly believe that the Avalanche can be a Cup contender THIS YEAR. That bold statement comes with a very large IF, however. They can be a Cup contender IF they waste as little time possible trying to “save” Jose Theodore’s career and Peter Budaj steps up and proves to the world what we already suspect: he’s a number one goaltender and solid as a rock.

The offense is definitely there. It was there last season. The defense, barring any injuries or a Samson-like haircut for Scott Hannan, is there. The only true wild card is the goaltending, and the good news is that it’s not that much of a wild card. The only person who can really mess things up is Coach Q, who has always had a horrible reputation among goalies. If he can motivate Budaj and abandon Theodore early enough, the Avalanche could win 50 games this season.

As for the Cup, well, there’s always Anaheim and the Sharks to contend with, not to mention Vancouver and their pesky bionic goaltender. And some lousy team from Detroit that always manages to over-achieve.

But, in all honesty, I think the Avalanche could make a lot of people eat their critical words this year.

Shane from Colorado Avalanche Talk:

This question will go down in history as the first Avalanche discussion I know of where a Harry Potter reference was tossed in.

Every season is Stanley Cup or bust for a team not in rebuilding mode. Thankfully it is a realistic goal as I have no doubt that the Avalanche will make the playoffs. From that point on, all bets are off as everyone knows from the last few years of playoff action.

However I’m just a fan, not a part of the team so I don’t need to have that as a goal for my definition of a successful season. A successful season for the Avalanche to me is, aside from playing consistently and ensuring I don’t go prematurely bald, to win the Northwest division and at least one playoff series.

It will ensure that butts are in the seats next season and keep Kroenke raking in cash to sign those big name players and up and coming youngsters.

Ah, the joy of being an armchair GM. Less lofty goals, less presssure, less money. Hmm…well 2 out of 3 ain’t bad.

My good friend Greg from the Post Pessimist Association and Hockey Rants:

I wouldn’t call the Avalanche favorites to win the Cup, but they certainly have a shot. Compare them, down the line, to the Hurricanes of two seasons back — I don’t see much if any talent-level difference.

But one step at a time — the division championship, at the very least, is definitely within reach. They don’t have a goalie at the level of Vancouver or Calgary, but have far more offense than either team, and Colorado is more complete than either Edmonton or Minnesota.

Sitting here in the preseason, I don’t see the Avalanche as being on the same level as Anaheim or San Jose or Detroit. But some crazy things can happen over the next 3/4 of a year.

Jori, who keeps an I on the up and coming Avs at the Colorado Avalanche Prospects blog:

In the salary cap era, anything is possible. It comes down to match- ups, health, chemistry and a goaltender playing well at the right time. When I look at the Colorado Avalanche, I see a playoff team; assuming they avoid major injuries and if the goaltending is consistent. This team should challenge for the Northwest Division title or finish in the 4-6 range in the Western Conference. However, I don’t see the Avs as a serious cup contender. Assuming Budaj is the man between the pipes, he’ll go into the playoffs without any experience.

I still view this as a team that will be able to score in a tighter postseason environment, but I question whether the defense will be able to hold up. I predict the Avs will at least make it to the second round of the playoffs, but I’m not convinced they’ll go much further at this point in time.

Finally, I have my little missive.

I don’t know how many of you saw the ESPN two part show “The Season” a few years back that featured the Avalanche. The show was like a backstage tour of the hockey season for the Avs. It was the year of the Selanne and Kariya signings, and they showed a team meeting at the beginning of training camp. The message they delivered was that the only goal was to win the Stanley Cup. It was what the team was dedicated to doing, and anything short of that was considered failure. (We all know how that season turned out)

That may sound unrealistic, but without that goal, there is no reason to play. Why ice a team without playing for it all? This year, they have that shot. I think it is a realistic expectation to take this team to the Conference finals, at the least.

The Cup? It’s all hopes and dream, but then again, isn’t it always?

So:

Overall, a pretty balanced look at the Avalanche, and their chances for the season. Around the Avs fan nation, some heads were brought back down to earth after missing the post-season last year, and I think that tone is well represented here.

There are still 7 other questions and answers to get to, so visit some of the blogs around the Avosphere, and check out what others are saying. You get a group of intelligent hockey fans talking about the Avalanche, your ultimate primer for the season.

Mile High Hockey is hosting the main page for the roundtable. You will find links to all the blogs hosting the roundtable there. But there are also links to each blog in this post, so do yourself a favor and click around the Avosphere. You can find plenty of interesting writing, and may even find a new blog or two to add to your daily reading list.

It’s been really fun doing this roundtable, and I want to thank Mike from Bleu, Blanc et Rouge for organizing this roundtable. He did one hell of a job getting everyone on board, and that isn’t easy when you are dealing with a bunch of artists bloggers. I hope we can do another one around the mid-season point.

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