The offseason acquisition of Darcy Kuemper from the Arizona Coyotes signaled that a new leading man had entered the Colorado Avalanche crease after the departure of Vezina Trophy finalist Philipp Grubauer. Under the searing floodlights cast upon the presumed Stanley Cup favorites, Kuemper stumbled to start the season and appeared unsettled as he acclimatized to a new system of play behind the Avalanche frontmen. Unfortunately for Kuemper, Pavel Francouz – the oft-injured backup – made his first NHL appearance in nearly two years in mid-December, and he looks poised to challenge for the starting role.
The Avalanche have a worryingly slim margin of error in regards to their competitive timeline and an impending salary cap timebomb in Nathan MacKinnon’s next contract, and who they appoint as the postseason starter has enormous ramifications on their Stanley Cup aspirations. Let’s dig into how Francouz’s inspired play has forced Colorado’s top brass to grapple with a complex…
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