2021-22 Cup Champs Avalanche vs 2023-24 Avalanche: Which team is better?

[McShogun99]

21-22 team was deeper and hungrier and were the clear favorites going into the playoffs that year.

 

[John Mandalorian]

I said the avs aren't as good as they were in 2022 AND the competition improved.

A team trying to threepeet doesn't indicate anything about the competiton. Tampa lost several guys from their earlier runs and also carried a roster under the cap compared to 2021.

And you did a fine job making a point.

 

[voxel]

2022 Avs were one of the most dominant teams of the cap era.

16-4 in the playoffs with bad goaltending. There were barely any games in that run where they didn´t outplay the opponent.

100% This.

The 21-22 team is better than last year's Cup champions (Vegas) also. They reminded me of the Kings/Hawks teams when they were repeating.

 

[DamonDRW]

So the Avs are celebrating already.

 

[missionAvs]

So the Avs are celebrating already.

Nope. We won the 1st round in order to have the opportunity to choke in the 2nd round again. Perfectly balanced.

 

[LOFIN]

2022 is one of the best teams in the cap era, arguably the best when you also consider they had the worst goaltending for a cup winning team in 30ish years and still went 16-4 with two sweeps.

Let's discuss this again if the Avs actually win a cup this year.

 

[Polite HKYDiscussion]

100% This.

The 21-22 team is better than last year's Cup champions (Vegas) also. They reminded me of the Kings/Hawks teams when they were repeating.

The stats agree with you on LA, but not so much on The Hawks.

This was posted at the end of the ‘22 finals:

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

If this 23-24 team wins, it's a conversation worth happening. But we're a very long ways away from that conversation still quite frankly.


It could be an interesting conversation though. That 2021-22 Avs team absolutely dominated their run only losing 4 games and managing to go 8-2 on the road as well is pretty impressive. But I'd argue they had a pretty easy road through the Western conference. All the teams they played in the West were kind of jokes quite frankly. Obviously being the ones to stop the Tampa dynasty is prettt huge though.


 If the Avs manage to win the cup this year(Again still a massive if) they will have done it through a significantly more difficult road IMO. Jets were already a far more formidable opponent then the Preds in 2022. Next is either Vegas or Dallas. Then probably an aactually good Edmonton team, and then who knows from the East still.

 

[Turbonium]

By far 21-22. This year they got some of that depth back, but they still had better depth that year and Makar had been fully healthy and coming off a Norris season.

I would take the depth of this team once Drouin returns. I don't expect Landy to return, ever.

 

[DamonDRW]

Nope. We won the 1st round in order to have the opportunity to choke in the 2nd round again. Perfectly balanced.

Actually, hoping you go all the way. I hate to admit but Avs is playing excellent hockey.

 

[nightonthesun]

Weird thread. On paper who doesn’t take the cup team? And in reality - Who can say? Will get back to you in a month.

 

[Nihiliste]

Cup team had 1C level Kadri, Landeskog, two better goalies. They had the luxury of putting a depth guy with gamebreaking shooting and zone entry ability in Burakovsky on the bench or on the 3rd line. At times that year they played JT Compher as a 4th line winger - to his credit he also plugged in for Kadri as a 2C. They had Francouz come in for Kuemper with the eye injury and outplay Kuemper. They had Byram playing better than he ever has, Makar and Toews both peaking. Mackinnon and Nichushkin were both on cheap deals. That team was crazy deep, and comparable to the dominant Kings or Hawks teams.

The current team played a good first round, but many more question marks, and several other teams are looking as complete or more and are well poised for deep runs this year.

 

[GirardSpinorama]

No team this year would have beaten the 22 Avs.

 

[John Mandalorian]

If this 23-24 team wins, it's a conversation worth happening. But we're a very long ways away from that conversation still quite frankly.


It could be an interesting conversation though. That 2021-22 Avs team absolutely dominated their run only losing 4 games and managing to go 8-2 on the road as well is pretty impressive. But I'd argue they had a pretty easy road through the Western conference. All the teams they played in the West were kind of jokes quite frankly. Obviously being the ones to stop the Tampa dynasty is prettt huge though.


 If the Avs manage to win the cup this year(Again still a massive if) they will have done it through a significantly more difficult road IMO. Jets were already a far more formidable opponent then the Preds in 2022. Next is either Vegas or Dallas. Then probably an aactually good Edmonton team, and then who knows from the East still.

In 2022 the Avs jetttisoned St Louis into irrelevance. But at that time they were respected as a recent champion with championship mettle. They’ve faded since so it’s easy to diminish how they were viewed at that time.

 

[AvsFan29]

Our bottom 6 is better this year, but I'd still give the edge to the cup winning team. We'll see how things pan out. They have a bit more difficult of a path this year.

 

[syz]

The stats agree with you on LA, but not so much on The Hawks.

This was posted at the end of the ‘22 finals:
View attachment 864132

Interesting to see LA on both ends of the graph with only 2 years in between.

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

In 2022 the Avs jetttisoned St Louis into irrelevance. But at that time they were respected as a recent champion with championship mettle. They’ve faded since so it’s easy to diminish how they were viewed at that time.

No they weren't. A weaker Avs team had already swept the Blues in the first round a year earlier.

They were already irrelevant.

 

[John Mandalorian]

No they weren't. A weaker Avs team had already swept the Blues in the first round a year earlier.

They were already irrelevant.

You might be right about that. A lot of Blues fans are still not aware of this. Maybe you should send them a letter?

 

[Lonewolfe2015]

So the Avs are celebrating already.

I can assure you not a single Avs fan is celebrating until at least we pass Dallas or Vegas. Those two teams have been the Avs kryponite for half a decade now in the playoffs.

After that... Some fans might get excited. The rest of our collective cheeks will remain clenched until 16 wins, as we know all too well of our Achilles heel in net.

 

[The Abusement Park]

Taking this Avs roster over 2022 when only one has actually won the Cup is nuts. If in June it turns out this roster wins too (that’s a big long shot, tough road to get there), this becomes an interesting discussion

Even if this team wins the cup the 21-22 team will be better. The forward depth on that 21-22 team is insane.

Lehk-Mack-Nuke
Landy-Kadri-Rantanen
Bura-Compher-LOC
Newhook-Helm-Cogliano

vs

Nuke-Mack-Mikko
Lehky-Mitts-Parise
Wood-Colton-Kiviranta
Duhaime-Trenin-Cogliano

This years forward core is good no doubt and MItts adds a matchup C that is desperately needed, but that 21-22 forward group was just stupidly deep.

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

Even if this team wins the cup the 21-22 team will be better. The forward depth on that 21-22 team is insane.

Lehk-Mack-Nuke
Landy-Kadri-Rantanen
Bura-Compher-LOC
Newhook-Helm-Cogliano

vs

Nuke-Mack-Mikko
Lehky-Mitts-Parise
Wood-Colton-Kiviranta
Duhaime-Trenin-Cogliano

This years forward core is good no doubt and MItts adds a matchup C that is desperately needed, but that 21-22 forward group was just stupidly deep.

Not so sure about that. For one, you aren't counting Drouin on this years Avs team and he's likely back this series. If we're counting Burakovsky who only played 12/20 games for the Avs in 2022, we definitely will be counting Drouin this year. Then, if Landeskog does come back for rounds 3 and 4, if that happens all of a sudden you're looking at:



Drouin - Mack - Mikko
Nuke - Mitts - Lehky
Landy - Colton - Wood
Duhaim - Trenin - Cogliano


I'd argue that group is deeper then the 2022 team AND a number of guys on this years team are playing at levels even higher then they played at in 2022(Mack and Nuke especially).



Again, we're still a very long ways away from actually having this discussion. This years team has to actually go out and win the damn thing for it to even be a conversation. But if they get to that point, IMO it is absolutely a worthwhile discussion.

 

[flyfysher]

This years team has to actually go out and win the damn thing for it to even be a conversation.

This! Until then, it’s the SC championship team that was best.

 

[The Abusement Park]

Not so sure about that. For one, you aren't counting Drouin on this years Avs team and he's likely back this series. If we're counting Burakovsky who only played 12/20 games for the Avs in 2022, we definitely will be counting Drouin this year. Then, if Landeskog does come back for rounds 3 and 4, if that happens all of a sudden you're looking at:



Drouin - Mack - Mikko
Nuke - Mitts - Lehky
Landy - Colton - Wood
Duhaim - Trenin - Cogliano


I'd argue that group is deeper then the 2022 team AND a number of guys on this years team are playing at levels even higher then they played at in 2022(Mack and Nuke especially).



Again, we're still a very long ways away from actually having this discussion. This years team has to actually go out and win the damn thing for it to even be a conversation. But if they get to that point, IMO it is absolutely a worthwhile discussion.

I guess that's true, I did forget about Drouin. Hard to compare as he hasn't played any games yet. But regardless we're down a peak Landeskog and even if he or Drouin come back they aren't hitting that level imo. We have no comparable for him right now, well Nuke obviously, but Landy was there alongside him in 21-22. Drouin likely comes back at a similar level he was playing at this season, but even then this years top 6 isn't quite as good imo. Landy coming back would obviously be a boon, but whatever level he comes back at is a huge wild card. Either way I think the 21-22 team is probably better, but that doesn't mean this group isn't good either.

 

[Hennessy]

Champs. After the trade deadline Sakic gave a press conference detailing his roster.
I still get a chubby over it.