(Ed. Note: It’s an Olympic year in the NHL. So, naturally, we decided to use the trappings of the Winter Games to preview all 30 teams for the 2013-14 NHL season. Who takes the gold? Who falls on their triple-axel? Read on and find out!)

Little went right for the Colorado Avalanche during the 2013 season. They struggled to score, especially from the back end, and they struggled to prevent other teams from scoring, which probably also had something to do with their defenders. As a result, the club finished outside the playoffs for the third consecutive year, and you know what they say: miss the postseason once, shame on you, miss it twice, shame on me, but miss it three times, and Joe Sacco is fired.

The day after Sacco's dismissal, things began to turn around, with the Avalanche winning the NHL draft lottery and the right to address their serious blueline issues by taking seemingly can't-miss prospect and homegrown talent Seth Jones first overall. (Or someone else, I guess, but ha ha ha why would they do that, am I right?)

Shortly after this, the Avalanche shook up their management structure, announcing that the great Joe Sakic was coming home to replace Greg Sherman (although Sherman was going to stay on, completely emasculated and shamed, perhaps to motivate Sakic with a constant reminder of the husk of a man he'll be reduced to should he fail). Later, Patrick Roy was brought in to replace Sacco as coach, as well as emasculate Sherman further by bleeding away a few more of his management responsibilities.

The Sakic/Roy combo wasted no time in putting their stamp on the team: rather than drafting Seth Jones -- perhaps soured on the idea of taking a defenceman first overall by the presence of former 1st overall pick and noted non-franchise defender Erik Johnson -- the Avalanche went with centre Nathan MacKinnon instead. He's reportedly quite good, but this is a decision that could be second-guessed for years.

In the meantime, however, it's an exciting time to be an Avalanche fan. There will likely be a 1st overall pick in the lineup, and two Colorado legends are changing the course of the team, looking to bring the Avalanche back to the respectability they gave it the last time they were at the helm. Will the new (old) faces be able to turn this ship around?

Matt Duchene is so talented the rules don't even apply to him! Offside? What is such a thing to a player like Matt Duchene?

The biggest outgoing name: Milan Hejduk, who hasn't retired, but won't be back with the Avalanche. The biggest incoming name is Nathan MacKinnon, whom Patrick Roy has already decided -- even though training camp hasn't even started yet -- will centre the third line between Steve Downie and Jamie McGinn.

Gone are David Jones and Shane O'Brien, traded to Calgary in exchange for Cory Sarich and Alex Tanguay, because if it wasn't clear by now, the Avalanche were really committed to their past this season. But not their recent past: Gone too are Greg Zanon and his fabulous beard, bought out by Sakic a year after Sherman signed him to a two-year $4.5 million salary. In his stead is Andre Benoit, who spent last season with the Ottawa Senators.

Forward: As mentioned, Patrick Roy has already revealed his top three lines for the start of the 2013 season, and they don't look too shabby. The top line will consist of Matt Duchene centering Ryan O'Reilly and P.A. Parenteau, a formidable trio, even if it does seem like a waste of O'Reilly's impeccable two-way game.

Below that, Team American glamour shot standout Paul Stastny will skate between captain Gabriel Landeskog and the newly-acquired playmaking winger Alex Tanguay, and MacKinnon will be brought along somewhat slowly on line three, protected by the skilled but feisty duo of McGinn and Downie. Don't touch the new kid. These dudes will wail on you.

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