Hockey Mountain High Podcast

We are back! The break is over, and season 4 is here with a bang as Jesse Montano joins the show for the first time as we get caught up on everything Avalanche as training camp is set to begin shortly. One last time, recapping the offseason and what the expectations are going into this coming season with a variation of new additions, and if this team has solved their depth issues. Finally, looking...

The offseason season review/preview series concludes with the players who departed from the Avalanche this offseason, reflecting on what they brought to the team and what roles they will fill on their new clubs. Erik Johnson's long tenure ends as he heads to Buffalo. JT Compher gets a big contact from the Red Wings. Alex Newhook is dealt to Montreal. Evan Rodrgues cashes in for a nice contract in...

The offseason season review/preview series continues with the new guys on the team, and looking what impacts these new players could have on the Avalanche. Can Ryan Johansen rediscover his old form with a fresh start? Is Ross Colton a perfect fit for where this Avalanche team is right now? Can Miles Wood bring some presence that the bottom six was missing last season? Will Jonathan Drouin find a n...

The offseason season review/preview series continues with the goalies, Alex Georgiev and Pavel Francouz. Georgiev proved to be the backbone of this Avs team last season, and surpassed all expectations placed on him. Can he continue that play this season and establish himself as a bonafide top 10 goalie in the league? When healthy, Francouz was one of the league's best backups, but can he stay heal...

The offseason season review/preview series continues with everybody's favorite team dad, Jack Johnson. Jack is back for another season, and has been surprisingly good in all of his stint's with the Avalanche over the last two seasons. However, is penciling in Jack Johnson as the 6th defenseman for the season the best move? Just how much can you get out of Jack Johnson at 36 years old? Welcome to T...

The offseason season review/preview series continues with one of the biggest wildcards heading into next season, Josh Manson. After an expensive investment into Manson last offseason, the Avs were barely able to see him healthy during the season, complete with throwing him out there in the playoff at nowhere near healthy. However, the short stretch of season last year for Manson was actually very...

The offseason season review/preview series continues with everybodies favorite topic of debate, Sam Girard. Girard is always a magnet for criticism, but how much of that is actually true? What are the positives to Sam Girard's game that can be expected to carry into next season? Is a player like Girard actually needed on this defense? How much value does his contract hold? Welcome to The Tell It A...

The offseason season review/preview series continues with one the team's biggest wildcards, Bo Byram. Is this finally the season that Byram can really show everybody what he can do with a fully healthy season? Can Byram eventually grow in a top tier defenseman in the NHL? What are the expectations for Byram to live up to now in his third full season in the league? Welcome to The Tell It Avs It Is...

The offseason season review/preview series continues with the cloud that is going to hang over this upcoming season, Devon Toews entering the final year of his contract. How vital is Devon Toews to the Avalanche's defense, and how much could he make on his upcoming contract? What are the chances that he stays? Is he in line for a career season after a long offseason of rest? Welcome to The Tell It...

The offseason season review/preview series continues with the two depth players who stuck around this offseason, Andrew Cogliano and Logan O'Connor. Cogliano's veteran leadership is going to be vital in a season without Gabe Landeskog or Erik Johnson, but what can the Avs expect from him on the ice? Will Logan O'Connor see an increased role this season on the third line? Welcome to The Tell It Avs...

The offseason season review/preview series continues with Val Nichushkin, after his controversial end to what was another strong, if not injury riddled season. Putting the still unexplained playoff absence behind, what can be expected out of Val next season? What can he produce with a fully healthy season after two straight years just under a point per game? Is he the most important player on the...

The season review and preview series continues with Artturi Lehkonen, after his best season to date. Lehkonen saw a big offensive explosion after being bumped up to the top line and getting significant powerplay time, and has become irreplaceable in the top six. Can he continue to grow offensively and be the perfect role player on the Avs? How will his role change next season? Welcome to The Tell...

The offseason season review/preview series continues with the best defenseman in the league, Cale Makar. Despite missing some time, Makar continued his league dominance, but still left some room to improve. Is anything short of another Norris trophy for Cale disappointing? How realistic is 100 points next season? Does anybody in the league even come close? Welcome to The Tell It Avs It Is Podcast,...

The offseason season review/preview series continues with Nathan MacKinnon, who proved himself to be one of the best wingers in the NHL this season. In a season where depth scoring and health was an issue, Rantanen was the answer to all of those problems, crushing his previous career highs with 55 goals and 105 points and putting it all together for what should've been an MVP caliber season. Can h...

The offseason season review/preview series begins with Nathan MacKinnon, fresh off of his best regular season to date. Despite missing 11 games in the regular season, MacKinnon still crushed his previous regular seasons with 111 points on the back of an incredible late season hot streak. Can MacKinnon finally bring home that elusive Hart trophy next season with a healthy season? Can he eclipse las...

Alex 'Raj' Rajaniemi joins the show once again to save us from the dead of the offseason! Have the Avalanche made the proper moves to respond to the loss against Seattle? What moves from Johansen, Colton, Wood, and Drouin are the most exciting? How important is it to sign another defenseman before the beginning of the season? How close are Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar to being the best player i...

The offseason has slowly grinded to a halt, but before August comes, let's re-examine the remaining stories of the offseason and what's still left to come. As the Avalanche roster starts to become finalized, what final upgrades could the Avalanche make at the far off trade deadline in March in preparation for another Stanley Cup run? What teams across the league could be sellers, and what players...

Evan Rawal joins the show once again! Where does he stand on the moves the Avalanche have made this offseason, and what move excites him the most for the coming season? Nikolai Kovalenko has finally signed his entry level contract with the Avalanche, and will join the team when the KHL season ends in the spring. Where will he fit into the lineup upon coming to America, and what could his ceiling b...

It's truly the doldrums of the offseason now, which means it's time to try something new. Today, the guys answer a whole bunch of 'Would You Rather' questions, ranging from 'would you take 1 more Stanley Cup for the Avalanche if it meant 3 straight for the Wild?' to 'would you rather be stung by 50 wasps every day or trade Cale Makar for Darnell Nurse?'. How much are they willing to sacrifice from...

Our Twitter got hacked, but we found exactly who did it! Also, Ross Colton finally signs his new contract at $4 million for 4 years. Is that too much to give to Colton right now? Can he grow into that contract? Now that the Colton contract is done, what's the plan for the rest of the offseason to finishing off building the last details of this roster in the bottom six? Who's even left to sign at t...

It's another mailbag episode! The guys are getting through the offseason one day at a time, and ready for your questions. Can Alex Georgiev repeat his great season again next year, and can Pavel Francouz be relied as backup? What's the biggest mistake the Avalanche have made so far this offseason, and what's the biggest mistake made in the NHL this offseason? What's the backup plan if Drouin doesn...

A few weeks following his trade out of Colorado, Alex Newhook signs a new deal with the Montreal Canadiens for four years, and shared some of his thoughts on his usage during Colorado. How much of that is true though? Speaking of young players, how do the young players in the Avalanche system stack up right now? What's still left to happen around the league this offseason? Where will Erik Karlsson...

Free agency is now a week old, and the roster picture for next season is starting to come together. Are the Avalanche a better team than they were last season with the additions of Miles Wood, Ross Colton, and Jonathan Drouin? What lessons did they take away from the first round loss to the Seattle Kraken in the playoffs? Assuming the Avalanche are not done building this team, what other options c...

Jack Johnson is Eternal. He is timeless. He is perpetual, immutable, and boundless. Jack Johnson returns to the Avalanche on a one year, league minimum contract, ready to provide the same steady defense he has provided the last two seasons. Ross Colton files for salary arbitration, and why you shouldn't be worried about it. Darren Helm retires after 16 seasons in the NHL and two Stanley Cups, will...

Day 1 of Free Agency is complete, and the Avs roster for next season is starting to come together at last. Bo Byram has signed a two year contract extension, preventing the Avs from being handicapped by an offer sheet. In terms of new UFAs, the Avalanche have brought in Miles Wood on a baffling six year contract, and reunited Jonathan Drouin with Nathan MacKinnon on a one year contract. What other...