As the reigning Stanley Cup Champions, the Colorado Avalanche were expected to remain at top form during the 2022-23 season. Despite the expectations, the team only barely made it into the 2022-23 postseason. Unfortunately, they were eliminated in the first round by the Seattle Kraken.
It is still possible and perhaps likely that they face an uphill battle in 2023-24 with the absence of Gabriel Landeskog, which is expected to be for the entire upcoming season. This past year, the Avalanche were shorthanded in terms of player injuries quite often, with not only Landeskog being out the entire year, but other key players missing multiple games.