Friday Faceoff: What’s the most important offseason development for Avalanche, Nuggets?

Evan Rawal, Avalanche reporter

Answer: Hire Jay Woodcroft, assistant coach

The signing of Brock Nelson makes Chris MacFarland’s summer job a little easier. He has his center depth locked down; there are no questions in net heading into next season; the duo of Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar is still here.

The Avs are in pretty good shape right now.

Sure, there are on-ice additions they could and should make, but the one big addition they must get right isn’t someone who will be lining up next to MacKinnon.

It’ll be the new coach joining Jared Bednar and Nolan Pratt on the bench.

With the power play failing the Avalanche miserably in the first round of the playoffs, Colorado let go of Ray Bennett, who had run the unit since 2017. The power play had gotten stale and easy to defend.

Did you watch Game 1 of the Stanley Cup final and the Edmonton Oilers’ power play? It’s anything but stale. There’s constant movement, and that movement was on display for Leon Draisaitl’s game-winning goal in overtime. Connor McDavid is never in one spot. He’s always moving around. So why not try to steal a little bit of what Edmonton does?

Last year, Edmonton fired Jay Woodcroft as their head coach. With Woodcroft manning the bench in 2022-23, the Oilers had far and away the best power play in the NHL, converting 32.4% of their chances.

Woodcroft was an assistant coach for the San Jose Sharks from 2008 to 2015. During that time, they had the second-best power play in the NHL. The 48-year-old coach might just be the guy to help bring some fresh ideas to Colorado’s power play.

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Paul Klee, sports editor

Answer: No sentimental attachments

For the next Nuggets general manager, keep an eye on Minnesota front-office favorite Matt Lloyd. Or for a darkhorse candidate who should be on their radar, take a peek at Toronto brain Dan Tolzman, who once worked here as the Nuggets’ scouting coordinator.

But what’s with all the doom and gloom in Nuggets Nation?

You’d think Nikola Jokic plays for the Lakers or something. The best player I’ve ever seen is 30 years young and getting better with age. Joker’s greatest strength is his big basketball brain, which expands with each NBA season and opposing defense that doesn’t work.

Shaq won a title after 30. Hakeem won two, Kareem four. But Joker needs help. STAT.

When Stan Kroenke made the jarring decision to fire both Calvin Booth and Michael Malone, I hope the team owner was sending a message no one aside from Joker is untouchable.

Long-suffering Nuggets fans are forever indebted to the 2023 funky bunch that landed Denver’s first NBA title. I wouldn’t trade Jamal Murray. But mushy memories are no reason to stick with Michael Porter Jr. if a trade pops up… or to consider a reunion with Bruce Brown, whose production has fallen while injuries have risen since he skipped town.

This is a business, and the Nuggets’ only business is maximizing the Joker era.

If he comes from the outside, the next GM won’t have sentimental ties to the roster. And if the Nuggets hire from within, Tommy Balcetis and Ben Tenzer are wise to the objective, having seen their buddies fired in April.

Their finances has the Nuggets stuck between a rock and the Thunder. But it’s crucial they land a backup center and add shooting around Joker.

If that means moving on from fan favorites, so be it. The Jokic era is no time for mushy memories.