Avalanche milestones to watch for

With the newest NHL season right around the corner (*rimshot*), I thought it would be fun to take a look at some milestones that the Avalanche might be on the lookout for. Okay, truth in advertising, I'm not sure I really thought it would be fun, but I couldn't really think of anything else to do today.

The great Milan Hejduk is 9 regular season games away from 1,0, 29 goals away from 400 and 6 points away from 800 on his career. He is also 19 career points away from 813...which would tie him with Peter McNab on the all-time list. No player has 1,000 games or 400 goals as an Avalanche (Joe Sakic had 870 and 391 with the Avalanche, respectively).

J.S. Giguere is 4 wins away from #250 in his career.

Paul Stastny is 26 regular season points away from 400, with would tie him with Alex Tanguay for 4th on the Avalanche all-time list. Chuck Kobasew's next point will be the 200th of his career.

David Jones is 33 regular season goals away from #100. Matt Duchene is 35 away. Only 8 players have notched 100 career goals as an Av - Sakic, Hejduk, Peter Forsberg, Tanguay, Stastny, Valeri Kamensky and Claude Lemieux.

Erik Johnson is two games away from 300. Ryan Wilson is 13 away from 200. Steve Downie is 28 away from 300. Ryan O'Byrne is 34 away from 300. Matt Hunwick is 52 from 300. Cody McLeod is 52 away from 400. Shane O'Brien is 45 games away from 500.

McLeod is 175 penalty minutes away from tying Adam Foote as the Avs' all-time Avalanche leader (Dale Hunter is the franchise leader at 1,562). McLeod also is ranked 203rd - dead last - on the team's all-time +/- list at -37. He has some ground to make up to get to 202, where Tyler Arnason sits with -25. However, Jan Hejda (-17), Matt Duchene (-18), David Jones (-22) and Matt Hunwick (-22) could all threaten McLeod's spot with cruddy seasons. FML.

Need a reminder that the Avs haven't been in Denver all that long? Ryan O'Reilly's next goal will be #40 in his career, tying him with Ian Laperriere, Steve Reinprecht and Ryan Smyth for 21st on the Avs' all-time list.

That wasn't mind-blowing enough? On the current roster, the defenseman with the most career points as an Avalanche is...Ryan Wilson, who has a commanding lead with 58 points. Next up is Erik Johnson with 36. Third? Shane O'Brien, with 20. Dear Stefan Elliott, be good soon, please.

Assuming PA Parenteau, John Mitchell and Greg Zanon play on opening night, they'll become the 222nd, 223rd and 224th players to play for the Avalanche. 245 players have suited up for the Nordiques.

Sometime this year, the Pepsi Center will host the 500th regular season Avalanche game (currently, that's slated to happen November 17th against Montreal). Since opening in 1999, the Avalanche have played 492 games at the Can, with a record of 271-172-49.

The Avs are three wins away from 100 all-time playoff wins (Avalanche only).

When the Avalanche next play Detroit (currently scheduled for December 4th in Michigan) it will be the 100th meeting between the Avalanche and Red Wings, regular and postseason. 17 of the 99 games to date have gone to OT and the Wings currently hold a 42-54-3 series record (I've lumped ties and OT losses together). Since moving to Denver, the only teams the Avs have more games against than Detroit would be Edmonton (109) and Vancouver (107).

Also this year, the Avalanch will play game #1,500 (regular season and playoffs). They currently are at 1,481 so the Avs should get there if this stupid upcoming season is at least 29 games long. Sigh.