*We are proud to introduce Zach Nichols to our writing staff. His insight of the Avalanche organization will be a tremendous resource for our readers and followers. Zach is a recent graduate of Mesa State College, a former player on their ACHA hockey team and The Hockey Guild’s official tournament scorekeeper.

September is finally here and that means hockey season is just around the corner. In fact, rookie camp begins on the morning of Sept. 9 at Family Sports Center. That will mark the official start of a new chapter in the Colorado Avalanche history books, as this will be the first season without long-time captain Joe Sakic leading the way.

This year is a pivotal season for the Avalanche organization. They finished 15th in the Western Conference last year and 22 points out of a playoff spot, making it the second time in three seasons they failed to make the playoffs. Before missing the post-season with 95 points in 2006-07, the Avs were playoff bound every single season since moving to Denver. That was until last season’s distastrous campaign of course, one that was plagued by costly long-term injuries to Sakic and Paul Stastny, the Avs’ top two centers.

The Avs’ off-season started with a frenzied fire-sale and a complete overhaul of the entire coaching staff. The moves were highlighted by the firing of former general manager Francois Giguere and the hiring of former assistant GM Greg Sherman. It was a move that initially raised some controversy, mainly due to the fact that Patrick Roy was also rumored to be considered for the job as GM, and possibly the head coaching job as well.

Towards the All-Star break, there were some changes that needed to be made if the Avs were going to make the playoffs. But only one deal was made before the deadline when Jordan Leopold was traded back to Calgary for a draft pick. It came as a surprise that Ian Laperriere was not moved at the deadline - not because the Avs were desperate to get rid of him - but because of the interest other teams had in acquiring his services.

Surely the Avs could have received one or more solid acquistions in exchange for Laperriere. Instead, they ended up losing him to the Flyers during free agency back in July. Amongst many other trade rumors back in July, one involved Ryan Smyth going to San Jose in exchange for Jonathan Cheechoo. For rebuilding purposes, the deal would’ve certainly made sense, but it never actually transpired.

Unfortunately, it turned out that the Avalanche didn’t have much wiggle room to sign free agents. But they did make a trade that could prove to be a good one in future seasons when they dealt Smyth, the high-priced veteran left winger, to Los Angeles in exchange for Tom Preissing, Kyle Quincey and a draft choice. Smyth was the Avalanche’s most consistent player last season and was a fan favorite due to his hard work ethic and grit around the net. Ultimately, however, it came down to salary cap issues, so off he went to LA and in return the Avs received a former Colorado College defenseman (Preissing) and a puck-moving blueliner that developed in the Red Wings’ system (Quincey).

With training camp less than ten days away, the Avs are now ready to enter new territory. Regarded as one of the league’s elite teams for nearly a decade, let’s not forget that they won nine consecutive Division Titles, two Stanley Cups, made four trips to the Conference Finals, accumulated 487 consecutive sellouts and 11 playoff berths in 13 seasons of play here in Colorado.

Now the team’s goal is to just make the playoffs.

Stastny and Wojtek Wolski are set to be the team’s top two centers, but having lost both Laperriere and Cody McCormick to free agency means the Avalanche will need a few more right wingers to step up. They have many young up and coming players at the center, so some of the natural centers in their system may be asked to play on either wing this season. second-year forward T.J. Hensick could possibly be one of those players asked to move.

Recent college graduates Justin Mercier and Brandon Yip are coming off of solid collegiate careers and both will enter their first professional seasons. Yip won an NCAA Championship last season with Boston University (along with recently drafted goalie Kieran Millan) and Mercier led the University of Miami-Ohio team to the championship game against Yip’s Terriers.

Simply put, this team has a lot of work to do before the roster is completed in late-September, so let’s take a look at ten players to watch for the upcoming season!

:: TEN PLAYERS TO WATCH ::

MATT DUCHENE - Duchene, the 3rd overall pick in this year’s NHL Entry Draft, is the highest pick the Avalanche have had since moving to Denver. He’s primed to make the team out of training camp, but the big question remains: Will he stay on the roster for the entire season or be sent back to his junior team in the OHL? One can only hope that the Avs keep him on the roster the entire season, as it’s exactly what the fans in Denver want to see.  Called “the best all-around player” in the draft by many analysts, Duchene should have no problem sticking in the lineup thanks to his playmaking ability, youthful enthusiasm and tremendous vision and ice awareness. Oddly enough, the Avs have never had an 18-year-old on their regular season roster.

CHRIS STEWART - Most fans will say that Stewart was the most impressive call-up last season, showing early promise of being a star power forward. It’s not a stretch to say that in the next five or six seasons he could be compared to the likes of Joe Thornton and Ryan Getzlaf.  Look for Stewie to not only make the team out of training camp, but play his first full season in the NHL. Stewart’s size is noticeable, but watch out for his great speed, which stems from a very powerful first stride. He’s also not afraid to knock knuckles with the league’s toughest, making him an extremely valuable player for a small Avalanche squad.

DAVID JONES - Jones is coming off a season that was plagued with injuries, so look for him to have a breakout year. His play while he has possession of the puck reminds me very much of Peter Forsberg. He’s very hard to defend against and extremely strong on the puck, especially in the corners.  He has fairly deceptive speed and plays the body well. The former Ivy League Player of the Year will be looking to rebound from last season’s setback and find a spot on the top two lines.

TJ GALIARDI – After Stewart, Galiardi was the second-most impressive call-up last year, showing incredible raw talent and offensive ability. Galiardi seemed to struggle a little bit making the adjustment to the NHL, making some “rookie mistakes” early in his call-up, but still has no problem making the team out of training camp. His ability to score goals in the prime slot area will be a major benefit considering Marek Svatos failed to find his scoring touch last season.

CRAIG ANDERSON - Don’t be surprised when Anderson starts on October 1st. The Avalanche signed him right away on July 1st from the Florida Panthers, a team that probably didn’t want to lose him. Anderson is one of the most elite US-born goalies in the league and has tremendous positioning and quickness to go alongside his solid size. He only played 27 games last season, but was sensational all season by making 40+ saves in a number of games. He will not only beat out Budaj for the starting role, but carry it throughout the season. His only sticking point would be that he’s never been a starting goaltender before, nor has he played more than 30 games in a single season. But it looks like the Avalanche are quite comfortable giving him the reins and letting him run with them.

TYLER WEIMAN - Weiman has improved every single season since turning pro in 2004 with the CHL’s Colorado Eagles. The Saskatoon native led the Eagles to a championship as a rookie, shattering every single goalie record along the way. Weiman was actually on the Avs’ roster to start the 2007-08 season after Jose Theodore had very minor knee surgery, allowing him to make his NHL debut by stopping all 10 shots he faced in 16 minutes of play against the Predators. Although Weiman fans have been frustrated by the lack of opportunity with the Avs, everyone is excited that he agreed to a qualifying offer. He quietly led the AHL in shutouts last season with Lake Erie, proving he not only belongs in the NHL, but can win games when given the chance.

RYAN STOA - Stoa, a recent graduate of the University of Minnesota will also look to make an impact this year, projected by many scouts to not only play for the Avs this upcoming season, but score 20 goals as well. Stoa was drafted four years ago in 2005 andhas spent the past four seasons with the University of Minnesota’s Golden Gophers.

KELSEY TESSIER - Tessier was the player that impressed me the most at this year’s development camp. He will in all likelihood be sent back to his junior team during camp, but the 4th round pick in 2008 easily could have gone in the 2ndor 3rd round if he had more size.  Tessieris generously listed as 5’9″ but makes up for size with quickness and shoots the puck very hard for a guy his size.

MATT HENDRICKS - Hendricks appeared in several games with the big club towards the endof last season. Hendricks will play a bigger role with Joe Sacco’s team because Hendricks understands Sacco’s system. Although Sacco hasn’t publicly discussed this yet, he will no doubt need hard-working 3rd and 4th line players like Hendricks to finish their checks, generate scoring chances and consequently make the Avs a more difficult team to play against.

CHRIS DURNO - Durno is a player that fell under the radar last season. The 6-foot-4 forward has put up solid numbers in the AHL and made his NHL debut last season in two games for the Avs. Not familiar with Durno? Picture Rob Blake, but a forward. He played four years at Michigan Tech and has been playing in the minor leagues since the 2003-04 season.