With a potential championship roster on paper, here's why the Colorado Avalanche's big Russian winger could make all the difference.
The Colorado Avalanche are once again poised to have one of the most talented rosters in the National Hockey League. With top-tier players Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar in Denver, the club has two legitimate contenders for best-in-the-world discussions.
Even so, when sitting down to analyze the big picture, it occurred to me that those models of consistent excellence might not determine Colorado's ultimate fate.