Colorado Avalanche Season in Review

Sure, the season isn't over for the Av's. Sure they are not at the top. Sure they are also in the bottom of the standings needing every win just to be looking at post season glory.
I'm an Av's fan. I've been one every since they moved to Denver. I remember the glory days of Roy beating the living shit out of Osgood. I remember watching the "Mission 16W" speech given by Joe Sakic. I'll also never forget the day that Sakic became the only captain of an NHL team not to raise the Stanley Cup first, offering it to Ray Bourque instead.
I remember my first ever game in the Pepsi Center. I remember seeing the Pepsi Center for the first time.
I also remember game 1 of the 2014 NHL playoffs featuring the Avs vs the Wild. I remember the win, and how loud the place was. It was so loud that I heard ringing for 2 days after. Probably the best environment I've ever been in. I also remember being one of the last fans kicked out of the Pepsi Center after the horrific game 7 collapse. I remember Wild fans jumping in joy and dancing in the concourse. It sucked.
I read every review on what the Avs need to do in the off season to make the team better. Almost every one of them had Stastny going away for a big name free agent on D. Little did the writers or myself realize how much Stastny meant to the organization. He was the rock on any line he played on. He was the link between a goal scorer and the puck.
But the bitter realization for Paul didn't come until after opening day. By then most Avalanche fans realized that the organization had balked in the free agency period by not signing a D man to secure the 1st line with Erik Johnson. We've paid over and over for that mistake, and just about everyone saw it coming. The only thing that has stopped the Avalanche from entering full meltdown mode is the combination of Varlamov and Pickard.
The power play has been horrific. I've lost track of the amount of games where the Avs allowed over 40 shots in a game. It's also been a horrific year for scoring. This team is near last coming off a season where Roy won coach of the year, and Varly was in line for the Vezina while MacKinnon took home rookie of the year honors.
There won't be many NHL award trophies for the Avs to collect this year, and if they keep playing like this, they won't have the opportunity to play for the best trophy of them all: the stanley cup.

Here is what I think the Avalanche need to do:
1. Trade Ryan O'reilly. He has made it clear that he doesn't want to be here. He won't sign for less than 6 million a year and we really cannot afford that price. He could be part of a great talk for a defensemen.

2. Jettison Duchene. I've committed a sin! I know! If this happens I'll have two former Avs jerseys. I love Duchene in an Avalanche jersey, but he doesn't match the gritty front man that we've gotten from Landeskog and MacKinnon. Even though MacKinnon is smaller than Landy, he will still fight. Duchene almost seems like Crosby, without the blazing skill.

3. Pick up a long term D man. I think this can be accomplished by doing 1 of the first 2. We need a stable name. Honestly I don't think the Avs have the time to develop another D man. Siemens has been a disaster, and we've only become recently fortunate by having another goalie in the wings should this long term project go into the contract of another goalie.

4. Take more risk in the draft. Duchene and Siemens were both taken in the first round of the same draft. Duchene was sure to be a success, and Siemens was thought to be a 2 year project before coming to the NHL. Not the case.

If the Avs make the playoffs this year, I'll be very happy. If they don't, I hope they address some of these issues this off season rather than watching O'Reilly walk next year. I also think of Duchene as the Patrick Kane of our team. Great skill, but not a leader.