gold star for USAHOF

Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the top 50 of each major North American sports team. That being said, we have existing Top 50 lists and consistently look to update them when necessary and based on necessity. As such, we are delighted to present our post-2023 revision of our top 50 Colorado Avalanche.

As for all of our top 50 players in hockey, we look at the following:

1.  Advanced Statistics.

2.  Traditional statistics and how they finished in the National Hockey League.

3.  Playoff accomplishments.

4.  Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles that are not reflected in a stat sheet.

Last year, the Avalanche made another deep run into the playoffs and entered this season as contenders. A new entrant cracked the top 50 and five elevations last year.

As always, we present our top five, which saw a significant change:

1. Joe Sakic
2. Nathan MacKinnon
3. Peter Forsberg
4. Michel Goulet
5. Peter Stastny

You can find the entire list here.

MacKinnon vaulted from #6 to #2 after winning the Hart Trophy and Ted Lindsay Award and securing a First Team All-Star. Overtaking Joe Sakic for the top spot will be a daunting task, though.

Two-time All-Star Mikko Rantanen moved from #13 to #8.

Former (and possibly future) Norris Trophy winner Cale Makar rocketed up the list again, this time from #20 to #12.

Defenseman Devin Toews moved from #35 to #30.

Fellow Defenseman Samuel Girard climbed two spots to #36.

The new entrant is Right Wing Valeri Nichuskin.  He debuts at #40.

We thank you for your continued support of our lists on Notinhalloffame.com.

Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we here at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the 50 of each major North American sports team.  That being said, we have existing Top 50 lists out and we always consistently look to update them when we can and based on necessity.  As such, we are very happy to present our post 2022/23 revision of our top 50 Colorado Avalanche.

As for all of our top 50 players in hockey we look at the following:

1.  Advanced Statistics.

2.  Traditional statistics and how they finished in the National Hockey League.

3.  Playoff accomplishments.

4.  Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles not reflected in a stat sheet.

Last year, Colorado had another good year, but disappointed in the playoffs and were bounced in the first round.  With a lot of potent players on their roster, there were significant elevations, as well as two new inductions.

As always, we present our top five, which saw no changes:

1. Joe Sakic

2. Peter Forsberg

3. Michel Goulet

4. Peter Stastny

5. Patrick Roy

You can find the entire list here.

Nathan MacKinnon, inched his way to the top five, moving from #7 to #6.  He is also coming off of his best year to date, and is inches away from supplanting Patrick Roy for the fifth spot.

Forward, Mikko Rantanen climbed to #13 from #16.

Former Norris Trophy winner, Cale Makar, advanced from #28 to #20.

Two more Defenseman, Devin Toews and Samuel Girard make their first appearance on the list at #35 and #38 respectively.

We welcome your input and comments and as always, we thank you for your support.

The New York Islanders used a Fourth Round Pick to select Devon Toews in 2014, but it would be four years before he played a game for the Isles.  After two years of service on Long Island, New York unloaded the Canadian Defenseman to Colorado for two Second Round Picks, and history is quickly showing that the Avalanche knew exactly what they were doing.

A good end-to-end player, Toews saw more ice time in Colorado was paired mostly with Cale Makar, the young superstar and future Norris Trophy winner.  Toews himself was able to show off his offensive skills, and had 31 Points in the COVID-shortened 2021/season and was 11th for the Norris.  Over the next two seasons, Toews broke the 50-Point threshold the next three seasons, and received Norris votes (8th and 14th)  in 2021 and 2022, and he played a large part in the 2022 Stanley Cup win.  He has also finished in the top four in Defensive Point Shares three times.

Toews begins this season with a sparkling +148 as a member of the Avalanche.