The Avalanche wasn’t alone.
Colorado was one of five NHL teams that made the playoffs in 2005-06, the post-lockout season, but are idle now.
The group includes the 2006 Stanley Cup finalists – the defending champion Carolina Hurricanes and the defending Western Conference champion Edmonton Oilers.
It is further evidence that the cap has leveled the ice, and that not only parity is more of a reality, but both extremes – recovery and collapse – are more possible than ever.
A look at the other four teams that fell out of the playoff pool:
* Carolina: Like the Avalanche, the Hurricanes moved quickly after the end of the regular season, signing their leading scorer, Ray Whitney to a three-year, $10.65 million contract, and that quieted some fears of a downward spiral.
Goaltender Cam Ward, last season’s playoff MVP, can be a restricted free agent. Defensemen Glen Wesley, who is 38, and Bret Hedican, who has major hip problems, could be retiring. The Hurricanes need to shore up a power play that was 25th in the league and hope that Ward, who wasn’t much better than mediocre, shows that his playoff performance wasn’t only overrated, but also wasn’t a fluke.
Chances of returning to the playoffs next season: fair.
* Edmonton: The Oil was the eighth seed in the West a year ago – tying the No. 7 Avalanche in points – so Edmonton missing the playoffs the season after making the Finals wasn’t as much of a shock as the magnitude of the collapse.
But when Chris Pronger asked (well, demanded) to be traded, that was the beginning of the end, and Joffrey Lupul – who had four goals for Anaheim in one playoff game against Colorado last year – didn’t do enough for Edmonton to make the trade look decent. Plus, when general manager Kevin Lowe pretty much petulantly sent Ryan Smyth to the Islanders out of spite – the two sides weren’t far apart in contract talks – that told the Oilers the front office had given up. So why would it have been a shock that Edmonton completely collapsed down the stretch, going from longshot playoff contention to ineptitude?
Smyth might return in the offseason, and there is some talent here, but given the state of the West …
Chances of returning to the playoffs next season: poor.
* Philadelphia: What a nightmare. A horrible start led to the firing of coach Ken Hitchcock and general manager Bobby Clarke’s exit, and the Flyers eventually shipped out Peter Forsberg and braced for what might be a wholesale exodus of season-ticket holders after a season in which many of the seats in the Wachovia Center were empty on game nights.
The good news: The Flyers have some decent young talent – e.g., Simon Gagne – and will have about $20 million in cap room to play with. And after acquiring Martin Biron from Buffalo, they’re hoping they’re set in goal.
Chances of returning to the playoffs next season: good. And that’s just a hunch and has more to do with the state of the conference than anything else.
* Montreal: Owned by Colorado resident George Gillett Jr., the Habs understandably took a lot of heat for missing the postseason in the wild final weekend.
The Canadiens first will shoot to re-sign veteran defensemen Sheldon Souray and Andrei Markov, and they both seem to be leaning toward returning if the offers seem in the ballpark to what they might get on the open market after July 1. If they’re back and the Canadiens can sign a major free agent after July 1 – and GM Bob Gainey says he will have the room to do it – and the enigmatic Alexei Kovalev wakes up and earns the $4.5 million he is due to make next season, it will help.
Chances of returning to the playoffs next season: good.
Terry Frei can be reached at 303-954-1895 or tfrei@denverpost.com.
