Colorado Avalanche official line up for game 1 of preseason revealed

Last season, the Colorado Avalanche were hyped up as genuine Stanley Cup contenders, but after falling in the second round to the Dallas Stars, they've got plenty of questions to answer. Their quest for another Stanley Cup will begin against that same team on Monday as they begin their pre-season, with the lineup for game one now officially announced on social media.

Notably, the team will be without their biggest stars, with Cale Makar, Nathan MacKinnon, Devon Toews and Mikko Rantanen all absent from the lineup as the Avalanche look to get players fighting for a roster spot some playing time early in the pre-season. One player that has returned to the lineup however is Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, who makes his return to Colorado for the first time since the 2020/21 campaign after playing 122 games with the team over two seasons, with the veteran looking to secure a bottom-six spot in the lineup.

Beyond that, there are several intriguing names to watch, with two former Calgary Flames in the speedy Matthew Phillips and Oliver Kylington fighting for spots at the bottom of the lineup getting ready to make a name for themselves here. In net, Colorado turn to the pairing of Trent Miner and Justus Annunen, with the playing time uncertain between them in this one, with Annunen expected to be the backup again in 2024/25.

On paper, this is one of the most talented lineups in hockey when at 100%, but now, the Avalanche will use this game to look at potential depth pieces and breakout stars, so while there's little known about many of these players, this is their time to introduce themselves to the NHL world.