head coach: Marc Crawford

roster: C - Joe Sakic, Peter Forsberg, Mike Ricci, Stephane Yelle. LW - Valeri Kamensky, Yves Sarault, Rene Corbet, Eric Lacroix. RW - Claude Lemieux, Adam Deadmarsh, Keith Jones, Scott Young. D - Sandis Ozolinsh, Sylvain Lefebvre, Uwe Krupp, Adam Foote, Alexei Gusarov, Jon Klemm, Brent Severyn, Aaron Miller, Eric Messier. G - Patrick Roy, Craig Billington.
*-Unsigned free agent.

injuries: None.

transactions: XX/XX - Signed free agent right wings Rene Corbet and Keith Jones and left wing Eric Lacroix. 07/01 - Signed defenseman Jon Klemm to a three-year contract. Signed goaltender Craig Billington to a one-year contract. 07/11 - Signed free-agent right wing Jari Kurri (Anaheim) to a one-year deal. 08/13 - Matched a three-year, $21 million offer sheet tendered to Group II free agent center Joe Sakic by the New York Rangers.

standings:

1996-97 FINAL RESULTS
RECORD:     
 OVERALL      49-24-9 
 HOME         26-10-5
 ROAD         23-14-4        
POINTS:            107 (1st)
GOALS SCORED:      277 (2nd)   
GOALS AGAINST:     205 (5th)
POWER PLAY:      20.6% (3rd)
PENALTY KILLING: 87.6% (2nd) 

game results:

PRE-SEASON RESULTS
None.

team news:

by Michael Dell, editor-in-chief

JUST GIVE 'EM THE CUP

They may not have won the Stanley Cup last year, but the Colorado Avalanche is still the best team in the NHL. The only thing that stopped them from repeating as champs was a parade of injuries that diminished team chemistry and left them unable to match Detroit's intensity come playoff time. Things will be different this year. The off-season was almost a disastrous one when Neil Smith and the New York Rangers blindsided GM Pierre Lacroix with their massive contract offer to Joe Sakic. But luckily the club was able to scrape together the $17 million to re-sign their captain and ensure itself of another chance at glory. Sakic will be leading the deepest and most talented team in hockey. And they're hellbent on reclaiming what's rightfully theirs.

OFFENSE: Stacked

While he managed to match the offer to Sakic, Lacroix couldn't prevent Mike Keane from signing with the Rangers. Keane will obviously be missed. His strict work ethic and attention to defense made him a leader on and off the ice. But Lacroix couldn't rationalize paying a veteran checking winger, no matter how valuable to the team's morale, $2 million a season. It was a tough decision, but one that had to be made.

In an attempt to fill some of Keane's void, Lacroix did sign the great Jari Kurri. A five-time Cup winner, Kurri's bounced around the last few seasons with Los Angeles, New York, and Anaheim, being used mostly as a center in a checking role. He'll see similar work this season, killing penalties and being used in defensive situations, although he could be used at times on the wing. Perhaps skating with Sakic could rekindle his fabled scoring touch.

There has been some talk that Colorado will be forced to trade a few veterans in order to pare the payroll a bit. The names heard most often are Scott Young and Mike Ricci. Young is a swell player, but his ice time was cut back dramatically at the end of last season and he could be moved without much trouble, perhaps to Carolina for a mid-round draft choice. Ricci, on the other hand, would be much harder to replace. He may not score as much as he should, but he's still great on faceoffs and a fiery competitor during the postseason. Valeri Kamensky's name has also been mentioned once or twice as a possible trade candidate, but he's just too damn good to trade.

Aside from guys who could get moved, Adam Deadmarsh is the other wild card that's effecting how the lineup will look this season. Deadmarsh played like a hero during his time at center when Sakic and Peter Forsberg were out with injuries last season. But when the two superstars returned, Deadmarsh was either dropped to the third line or placed back on wing and he didn't respond too well, all but disappearing during the playoffs. The Avs can't afford to have Deadmarsh along for the ride. He needs to be an impact player.

Depending on where coach Marc Crawford uses Deadmarsh, there are a few possibilities for how the lineup will look. The first line is golden with Peter Forsberg centering Kamensky and Claude Lemieux. It just doesn't get any better than that.

Sakic anchored the second line last season with Keith Jones on his right side and Ricci on his left. By playing Ricci on the wing, that allowed Deadmarsh to center the third line with the likes of Rene Corbet and Young. Of course, Ricci could be dropped to the third line and Deadmarsh could play the wing with Sakic. That's probably where he should be playing, since he could become a big-time goal-scorer feeding off Sakic. However, any combinations involving Ricci and Jones have to be put on hold for a little bit, since both still aren't healthy enough to take part in training camp. Jones is still recovering from the knee injury he sustained in the playoffs and Ricci is on the mend following off-season shoulder surgery.

The fourth line was always centered by the vastly underrated Stephane Yelle and featured Keane on right wing and the hard- hitting Eric Lacroix on left. Yelle and Keane were practically inseparable on the ice, also forging the team's top penalty- killing unit. Keane's approach to the game definitely wore off on his 23-year-old apprentice, as Yelle is easily the best young checking center in the NHL. Kurri could replace Keane on this unit or he could center the third line.

Crawford has all sorts of options with his forward ranks. The one weakness the team really hasn't addressed over the off-season was the need for a fighter. Brent Severyn, who saw time at both wing and defense, tried to fit the bill last season by dropping the gloves 23 times. But he can't do it alone. And he doesn't really play enough to be a deterrent. Deadmarsh will fight, but the club needs him on the ice. The team invited a few young tough guys to camp, but look for a proven puncher to be acquired at some point. Stu Grimson has been mentioned.

Whether they have a fighter or not up front, Colorado's offense is stacked. Coming off the disappointments of the injuries last season, Forsberg and Sakic are both due for enormous seasons. They'll both be over 100 points. Count on it. Led by their two stars, the Avalanche will lead the league in goals this season.

DEFENSE: Stacked

The Colorado defense is as deep and talented as the forward ranks. Sandis Ozolinsh is the game's most dangerous offensive defenseman. He led all blueliners with 23 goals last season, and that included a cold spell that saw him get just eight over his final 35 contests. If there's a defenseman in the game capable of netting 30, it's Ozolinsh. He skated last season with the unspectacular, yet reliable, Jon Klemm. The two work well together. Ozolinsh knows Klemm will hang back and take care of business, so that frees him to gamble on offense.

The club's top defensive pairing is Adam Foote and Alexei Gusarov. Foote is the best young defensive defenseman in hockey and one of the most aggressive players alive. If he was any more aggressive he'd explode. Meanwhile, Gusarov is a wily Russian veteran that's seen it all in his 33 years. His cool, under- control style is the perfect compliment to Foote's red-hot intensity. There may not be a better pair in the league.

The third pairing features the almost unbeatable Sylvain Lefebvre and the gigantic Uwe Krupp. The duo wasn't together much at the end of the season because of an elbow injury and a bad back that sidelined Krupp. That gave rookie Aaron Miller a chance to step in and show what he can do. And he showed plenty. Miller's got great size and plays a steady, patient game. He'll only get better with time. He's ready to be one of the top six right now. Which means Krupp could get traded to save money or to acquire the physical presence the team needs.

Depth will be provided by youngsters Eric Messier and Wade Belak. Messier was called up during the playoffs and acquitted himself quite well, playing a solid all around game. Belak still needs to prove he can handle NHL caliber opposition, but he's a big, tough defender that can throw.

GOALTEDNING: Take a Guess...

Two words: Patrick Roy.

There was some speculation that young Marc Denis, the club's first-round pick in 1995, could back up Roy this season, but Crawford squelched those rumors when camp opened by saying that veteran Craig Billington will once again be the backup no matter how impressive Denis looks. Crawford wants Denis to see a lot of action, and that just wouldn't happen if he was playing behind Roy.

GEE, THAT'S SWELL

* Sakic and Forsberg give the club the best 1-2 center combination in hockey and pace a stacked offense.

* Ozolinsh and Foote headline a great defense.

* Roy is Roy.

TROUBLE

* Team could still use some toughness.

* Financial constraints could mean some vets get moved.

* Um, that's all...

1997-98 OUTLOOK: The Colorado Avalanche never really had their whole team together for a single game last season. Lemieux missed the first few months recovering from abdominal surgery, then Forsberg went out with a deep thigh bruise, followed by Sakic and his serious calf laceration, Krupp and his elbow and back woes, and finally Jones and his postseason knee injury. Barring a recurrence of such catastrophic events, the Avalanche will easily be the best team in the NHL. Their toughest competition will come from the Dallas Stars. The two teams should meet in a titanic Western Conference Finals matchup. Get your tickets now.

PREDICTION: First in the Pacific, first in the West, first overall, and a second Stanley Cup.

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