Colorado Avalanche center Calum Ritchie (71) in the third period of an NHL preseason hockey game Monday, Sept. 23, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski) The Colorado Avalanche is still very much in Stanley Cup-or-bust mode as a franchise, but the start of the 2024-25 campaign is going to feature a youth movement. Against the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday, the Avalanche will likely have five players in the lineup who have not spent a full season in the NHL.