Colorado Avalanche: News from around the NHL September 15th, 2014

30 in 30's are starting to come out... this one is on Liberty Voice.

What to Watch for Next Season – The Colorado Avalanche should be an exciting team to watch next season, if only for the unpredictability of their players. It seemed just about everything went right for the Avs last year, which allowed them to make the playoffs with ease. However, one must remember this organization is also just a year removed from finishing dead last in the league. To earn the same benefit of a doubt that teams like Boston, Chicago, Pittsburgh and Los Angeles receive, the Avalanche will have to repeat similar success consistently.

Nathan MacKinnon will play a large part in determining whether the team is successful or not. With Stastny gone, expect MacKinnon to play a larger role on the team. He had an explosive rookie season, running away with the Calder Trophy for the NHL’s best rookie. However, many players go through a "sophomore slump" in their second year in the league, as other teams have more tape to study the player, which allows them to put more focus on the youngster. MacKinnon is talented enough and creative enough with the puck to survive any additional coverage, but a "sophomore slump" remains a possibility.

Geertsen will be at the Avs training camp.

It looks like Mason Geertsen will miss the Vancouver Giants’ season opener Saturday against the Victoria Royals at the Pacific Coliseum.

The rugged rearguard left for Colorado Avalanche training camp on the weekend. Colorado opens rookie camp on Monday. The Avalanche start their main camp on Friday, and Geertsen got into the Colorado preseason opener last year against the Anaheim Ducks. He was reassigned to the Giants  the day after.

This time around, Colorado opens preseason with a split-squad twinbill against the Ducks on Monday. They continue exhibition action Sept. 25, taking on the Montreal Canadiens.

The 6-foot-4, 205-pound Geersten, 19, was a fourth-round pick of the Avalanche in 2013.

You know a guy played for Montreal when the fact that he gets a Twitter account makes the Gazette.

Brière only lasted one season in Montreal after signing a two-year, $8-million free-agent contract last summer. He posted 13-12-25 totals in 69 regular-season games last season with the Canadiens while averaging only 12:46 of ice time per game.

The Canadiens traded Brière to the Avalanche on June 30 in exchange for P.A. Parentau and a fifth-round draft pick in 2015.

In his first-ever tweet on Sept. 11, Brière wrote: "Excited to be a part of the @Avalanche organization and ready for the season to start #newtotwitter #giveafollow"