Joe Sakic adopted a very practical approach to the task of molding the Colorado Avalanche roster that will attempt to repeat as Stanley Cup champions.
“We know we’re not going to be able to sign everybody,” the NHL’s reigning general manager of the year said not long after his team hoisted the Cup. “We know that. But we’ve got our priority.”
That priority has been shared by many recent Cup winners that have bid adieu to key players in order to keep others in the hope of staying atop the league. Colorado is now banking on keeping its championship core of Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Mikko Rantanen and Gabriel Landeskog together long term and making changes around the edges to keep things fresh — a recipe that has worked for rivals like Chicago, St.