from Sean Keeler of the Denver Post,

And what do you get a team that seemingly has … everything? If goaltenders Darcy Kuemper and Pavel Francouz can handle the spring the way they’ve crushed the last six weeks, you’re more than halfway home.

Mind you, the NHL postseason is a different beast. It can smell your fear from 150 yards out. Skittish? It’ll eat you alive. Nowhere to run. No place to hide.

The shopping list, in no particular order: Toughness, grit, faceoffs, defense, goaltending.

Philadelphia captain Claude Giroux, the primary name kicking around the rumor mill, ticks the first three boxes all by himself.

At 34, Giroux is the sort of veteran tide that lifts all boats. On paper, he’s a perfect fit.

On the flip side, he’s also carrying a reported $8.275 million cap hit. And the Avs have less than $1 million of cap room to play with.

Giroux should be Plan A. But if Philadelphia asks for the moon — and by the moon, we mean Avs center Alex Newhook — you move on.

Dallas forward Joe Pavelski brings a lot of the same juice, and for about $1.275 million less.

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