HOCKEY'S HERE: COLORADO AVALANCHE

It's time to air out your gear, sharpen your skates and tape your stick -- it's hockey season. Sure, your team flat-out ached last season, but there's hope, unless you're an Islanders fan. In that spirit, Out of Left Field offers looks at all 30 NHL teams. Presenting: The Colorado Avalanche.

Last season: 95 points, 2nd in Northwest Division; lost to Anaheim in second round of playoffs
Coach: Joel Quenneville (2nd season with Avs)
Young gun: Marek Svatos
Store this name away: Chris Stewart (2006 first-round pick currently playing junior in Kingston)
Hey, get a load of the new guys: Jordan Leopold, Tyler Arnason
Blogs: Avs Fans
Pop Culture Moment: Giving S.I.'s Rick Reilly his excuse for his one obligatory hockey column per year

In summer 2005, when the NHL lockout was settled around the same time of the annual Norfolk Pros charity golf tournament near Simcoe, Ont., so then-Avs star Rob Blake came in for some good-natured razzing about playing for the "now bottom-feeding Colorado Avalanche."

It looks like those jokes were only off by a year. Blake went back to L.A. for the sunshine years of his career, high-scoring Alex Tanguay was dealt to Calgary, and the latter's replacement is the super-soft Tyler Arnason, who has sweet skills but a disdain for checks -- the forecheck, the backcheck, and to hazard a guess, bed checks during his time as a Black Ace with the Senators last season. Oh, and their man-pretty goalie is the Ashton Kutcher of hockey, although even Ashton Kutcher would know better than to be caught canoodling with you-know-who.

It's not all bad, save for the fact Blake is still technically one of Colorado's top-paid defencemen, since $2.3 million U.S. of his bonus money will count against the salary cap. Marek Svatos, Paul Stastny and Wojtek Wolski will give the Avs a nice nucleus up front, and Leopold and John-Michael Liles should make for a nice top defensive pairing. Throw in a rejuvenated José Théodore, and Colorado should hold their place, somewhere between sixth and eighth in the conference.

Also in Northwest Division: Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, Minnesota Wild, Vancouver Canucks
Related:
Heiress-Raising Time For José Théodore (June 22)

Back with more later. Send your thoughts to neatesager@yahoo.ca