AVALANCHE

Avs voted most dominant Stanley Cup champion of salary cap era

Aug 3, 2023, 1:41 PM

Nathan MacKinnon...

(Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

(Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

The 2022 Colorado Avalanche were spectacular on their way to winning the franchise’s third Stanley Cup.

But just how good were they?

Well the 16-4 playoff record speaks for itself, as Colorado never faced an elimination game and had two sweeps. That resume got the attention of the “Locked on” podcast hosts who recently voted for the top-10 champions of the salary cap era, which began with the 2005-2006 season.

The results will please Avs fans all over the Rocky Mountain region and around the world.

For the Avalanche to be No. 1 on the list is remarkably cool. Think about some of the players and teams they beat out to claim the top spot. The likes of Sidney Crosby and the Penguins, Alexander Ovechkin and the Capitals and Patrick Kane and the Blackhawks.

But the Avs were stacked themselves. Cale Makar was special on his way to winning the Conn Smythe Trophy. Nathan MacKinnon scored some of the most beautiful goals you’ll ever see. Gabriel Landeskog gutted through a knee injury that will now cost him two full seasons.

For Joe Sakic it was a culmination of building a phenomenal roster through the draft. And head coach Jared Bednar showed he could break past Round 2 and ultimately win the whole thing.

It’s nice recognition for that Avalanche team. Hopefully they can win another Cup soon to validate it wasn’t just a one time thing with this group.

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