Bright Future Coming for Avalanche

After nine solid years of Stanley Cup contention, the vagaries of a new CBA and salary cap laid waste to the Colorado Avalanche roster. In the summer of 2005, Peter Forsberg left, signed by the Flyers. Adam Foote departed, due to financial and youth-oriented reasons, to Columbus. They were only the first steps toward tearing down the old and raising up the new in the Mile High City.
This past summer, long-time GM Pierre Lacroix stepped down, and the team struck an unbalanced deal with Calgary, giving up 2nd line winger Alex Tanguay for the yet-to-play-because-of-injury Jordan Leopold. Rob Blake departed for Los Angeles, leaving a huge gap in experience and leadership on defense. Most shockingly, Steve Konowalchuk, fresh from wrist surgery and ready to be the jack-of-all-trades, was forced to retire in training camp due to a congenital heart defect related to an irregular heartbeat.
All these changes have had a minimal effect on the Avs' youth movement thus far. After 15 games, Colorado is 7-6-2, third place. No worse than last season at this point. Marek Svatos, Wojtek Wolski, and Brett McLean, three of the new kids, scored and Paul Stastny and Brett Clark picked up assists in last night's 6-5 loss at home to the Kings.
Sure, in the old days if the Kings came into McNichols or the Can and put up a 4-goal second period, the Avs might have comeback to win, and if they didn't, they'd routinely take it out later on a Vancouver or San Jose. Last night, the significantly weaker Los Angeles club blew through the Avs in that second period, leading 5-2 after 40 minutes. But this year's model didn't fold. If it weren't for a blown defensive assignment allowing Sean Avery to score, Colorado would have ended regulation with a 5-5 tie and chance to win in overtime. Down 5-2 and 6-3, the Avs closed the gap to 6-5 before time simply ran out.
With Paul (son of Peter) Stastny, Clark, McLean, Wolski, Svatos, Liles, Brunette, McCormick and Richardson, a young core with tons of potential is in place. An extra advantage that will do them well down the stretch is that the defense, in spite of losing Blake, still has veteran presence. Having Theodore as the starter ain't bad either.
What may not bode well for the next couple years is the eventual retirement of Joe Sakic. He is the Avalanche.
Simply put, no combination of players who are tapped to step up could equal the presence Sakic brings, even in his 18th season. Maybe he'll go for a point of pride and pack it in after his 20th year in 2009. Right now, it's year to year and even Joe admitted he won't know how he'll feel until the 82nd game. It's evident from the Forsberg saga unfolding in Philadelphia, nobody will get to become the leader simply by spending years basking in Joe's reflected glow. He's going to have to roll up his sleeves and take a hands-on approach to passing the torch. But that's a ways away. In the present, his steady influence may be keeping the Avalanche near the top of the mountain.
One thing is for certain, Colorado is fun to watch. They've always been, even in the days when Claude Lemieux and Mike Ricci prowled the ice waiting for their next victims while Sakic, Forsberg, Kamensky and company lulled the opposition to sleep with their quick transition game. Those teams were marked by a cool veteran savvy. This team is marked by youthful exuberance, and the smiles that come from learning how to lose, and turning those lessons into exciting wins.