from Terry Frei of the Denver Post,

The planets must align for the Avalanche to become competitive — or more than that — next season. That means:

— Semyon Varlamov shows his hip surgery has rid him of his recurring groin muscle issues. He has to become one of the league’s elite goalies again, living up to the standards set by his annual $5.9 million cap hit through 2018-19. Trade him? Who’s going to take him now, especially with that contract? Expose him to the expansion draft? Sure, but he won’t be taken. He has ties to Vegas Golden Knights GM George McPhee, who was at Washington when Varlamov was with the Capitals. McPhee was skeptical of Varlamov’s ability to stay healthy before the goalie was traded to Colorado in 2011, and while Varlamov has been terrific in stretches here, McPhee turned out to be right.

— Joe Sakic again explores trading Matt Duchene and Gabe Landeskog. (I’d include MacKinnon in the explorations too.) If no deal is made, absolving the three forwards of blame for this dumpster fire because of the cast around them is understandable, but goes too far. They’re supposed to lead this team, and faith in them has been at the core of Sakic’s plan to tie them up contractually and fill in around them. They have to step up. Finally.

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