Avalanche, Lightning & Other Offenses on the Decline

It’s that time of year when the predictions are coming in hot like the weather outside. A lot of fans and experts alike are getting ready for the NHL season and with that comes the appropriate and often incorrect forecast for how things will turn out. 

Two offenses that are staples of the top five are the Colorado Avalanche and the Tampa Bay Lightning, ironically, the two teams that met in the 2022 Stanley Cup Final. They are poised to decline next season and possibly struggle on the offensive end of the ice. 

It’s not just the Avalanche and the Lightning. There are a few offenses that will have down years. Let’s look at why.

Avalanche Top-End Talent Can Only Do So Much

The Avalanche had a roster filled with issues last season. It didn’t matter because they had four of the top 20 skaters in the league on their team. Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, Cale Makar, and Devon Toews bailed out an otherwise bad team and made the offense one of the league’s best.

That won’t happen this season. The Avalanche don’t have a scoring presence on their third or fourth line and outside of their top two defensemen, they lack a skater who can make a difference at the point. This non-existent depth will get to them.

The Avalanche won’t be a bad team on the offensive end of the ice. MacKinnon, the reigning Hart Trophy winner, won’t let that happen. However, they aren’t a top-of-the-league offense like they used to be and the same can be said about the Lightning.

Lightning Adding Guentzel Only Does So Much

The Lightning are a team on the decline. They have an aging roster and not a lot of depth to help the cause. Like the Avalanche, it didn’t matter last season as they had multiple star players leading the way. 

They added Jake Guentzel in the offseason with the hopes that he would change things. He’s a great skater who will keep the competitive window open.

The problem is that the Lightning still lack reliable playmakers on the offensive end outside of their core skaters. It’s going to cost them in the long run and their offense won’t be the same this season because of it.

Other Offenses Poised to Decline

There are a few around the league to take note of as teams that might struggle to find the back of the net next season. The New York Rangers are one team that comes to mind. They finished last season with the best record in the league but a lot want right for that to happen. 

Likewise, the Boston Bruins and the Vegas Golden Knights have two older rosters and even their star power might struggle to keep up with the rest of the league. The Bruins and Golden Knights were led by great offense last season but their forward units can get old really fast. 

The common theme is that some teams don’t have the depth to maintain a potent offense. This becomes a problem when the team starts to decline with age. It’s happening to the Avalanche and the Lightning and it will happen to teams around the NHL.