from Rick Sadowski at NHL.com,

The Colorado Avalanche will need to tighten their defensive play for a return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs after falling short last season. Overworked goalies Semyon Varlamov, Reto Berra and Calvin Pickard faced 40 or more shots on goal a combined 16 times, and they permitted four or more non-shootout goals 21 times.

The Avalanche also need to regain their swagger on offense. Their goal production fell from 250 to 219, the power play skidded from the fifth-best percentage in the NHL to 29th, and they were shut out eight times.

Game management and puck possession were other troublesome areas.

Here are three questions facing the Avalanche this season:

Did they do enough to improve a leaky defense? It remains suspect, but the additions of Francois Beauchemin and Nikita Zadorov should help. Beauchemin will be a stabilizing presence. He's 35 but logged major minutes with the Anaheim Ducks and will be expected to do the same while paired with Erik Johnson. Zadorov, 20, plays a physical game and his size (6-foot-5, 235 pounds) should make him a good partner for the puck-rushing Tyson Barrie.

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