Avalanche upset by Kraken as injuries and depth issues lead to early playoff exit

The Avalanche lost in the first round to the Seattle Kraken despite being defending Stanley Cup champions.
The Avalanche faced numerous injuries and scheduling difficulties this season that hampered their performance.
The team struggled against playoff teams late in the season and lacked secondary scoring beyond their top players.
There are questions about the health of captain Gabriel Landeskog and the team's ability to keep key players under next year's salary cap.
Goaltending and defense were inconsistent, while Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen had strong individual seasons.