The NHL is on the comeback trail from the COVID-19 crisis.
Return-to-play Phase 2 (returning to practice facilities) is underway and the beginning of Phase 3 (training camp) is July 10. The only major decisions left to be made are picking a date for Phase 4 (24-team playoff) to begin and choosing two hub cities to host those games.
At this time, it feels like the offseason, which is normally the case in mid-June. But this year, there is no upcoming NHL draft in late June or the beginning of free agency July 1.
To that end, I’ll enter my two-week hiatus offering you some insight of what I’ve seen and heard about individual Avalanche players in my 20-some years of covering the team, including the last eight or nine as the primary or backup beat writer.