We are back on NHL Saturday with a look at another WHA rescue effort, the Colorado Avalanche. Originally the Quebec Nordiques, the team moved to Denver in 1995 and immediately won the franchise’s first Stanley Cup. There would be more to follow, of course, as the Avs became one of the best organizations in the NHL for a period of time. The ol’ Nordiques? Well, they left a legacy behind, too, see below, for sure.

No. 10: Gabriel Landeskog, LW—66 PS (2011-2022)

An Avalanche lifer, he won the Calder vote in 2012 as the No. 2 overall pick in the draft. However, the rest of his career was rather bland: no All-Star nods, no league-leading stats, etc. His best season came in 2018-2019 when he posted 9.0 Point Shares. But he did have 67 points in 69 career postseason games; his plus-15 rating in the 2022 postseason led the league, as the Avalanche won their third Stanley Cup in his final year.

No. 9: Mikko Rantanen, RW—70 PS (2015-present)

The No. 10 overall pick made his only All-Star squad in 2021, as he led the NHL in plus/minus rating that year. He helped the team win that Stanley Cup title in 2022, of course, and his best season so far was 2022-2023 with 12.8 PS. In fact, excluding the Covid season, he’s cleared 9.0 PS in every season since 2017-2018. He has delivered 101 points in 81 playoff games, helping Colorado become a dominant force in the league.

No. 8: Semyon Varlamov, G—74 PS (2011-2019)

Acquired from Washington before his age-23 season, he was the franchise’s top backstop for eight seasons—including one All-Star year (2014) when he posted the most victories (41) in the NHL. He finished second in the Vezina voting and fourth in the Hart vote that campaign as well. Sadly, the Avs only made one postseason appearance during his time with the franchise, and eventually, the front office let him walk.

No. 7: Michel Goulet, LW—78 PS (1979-1990)

He started his career in the WHA with the Birmingham Bulls but came to the NHL with the Nordiques. He made five All-Star teams from 1983-1988, missing out only in 1985 when he posted 95 points in 69 games. He topped the league in short-handed goals in 1982, and he also led his peers in game-winning goals once (1984), too. Overall, he put up 946 points in 813 regular-season games with the organization. Impressive.

No. 6: Peter Štastný, C—66 PS (1980-1990)

An international signing, he won the Calder in his first NHL season (1981), although he was 24 at the time with several pro seasons under his belt already in European play. Despite never making an All-Star team, he is in the Hall of Fame—and he posted 1,048 points in 737 games with Quebec. He added 81 points in 64 playoff games as well, although the Nordiques never got past the Eastern Conference Finals. He was sweet.

No. 5: Peter Forsberg, C—85 PS (1994-2004, 2008, 2011)

The No. 6 overall pick, he won the Calder vote in the final season of the Nordiques—and then made three All-Star teams while with the Avalanche. He also won the Hart vote in 2003 when he topped the NHL in scoring with 106 points. He also led the league in assists and plus/minus rating that year. He was a part of two Cup-winning teams in 1996 and 2001, as he compiled 914 points in 731 games overall for the team.

No. 4: Patrick Roy, G—93 PS (1995-2003)

One of the best goaltenders of all time, he came to the Avs midway through their first Cup-winning season and helped propel the team to new heights. He finished in the Vezina Top 10 every year he was with Colorado, although he never won it there—and he made just one All-Star team (2002) while with the Avs. But he did win the Conn Smythe in 2001, so there’s that. Overall, he posted a 343-192-65 record in Denver.

No. 3: Milan Hejduk, RW—95 PS (1998-2013)

A fourth rounder, he joined the Avs in the middle of their first dynastic run, making one All-Star team (2003) in the process, the year he topped the NHL in goals (50). He’s on this list, mostly for his longevity—not for any singularity. He did help win the Cup in 2001, and he posted three seasons of 10-plus PS, too, during his career. But generally, he was along for the ride most of the time and played with some studs.

No. 2: Nathan MacKinnon, C—103 PS (2013-present)

The No. 1 overall pick in 2013, he won the Calder vote (2013) and the Hart vote (2024) while leading the team to its 2022 Cup championship. Three times he’s been an All Star (2018, 2020, 2024), though he’s never dominated the stat sheet like you might expect the first pick in the draft to do at some point in his career. he posted 899 points in 791 regular-season games and 114 points in 88 postseason games. He’s delivered, eh?

No. 1: Joe Sakic, C—168 PS (1988-2009)

He’s so far ahead of everyone else on this list, due to his deep roots in Quebec and long-sustained success in Colorado. He won the Conn Smythe in 1996 as the Avs won their first Cup, and he also made three All-Star teams after that (2001-2002, 2004). He also won the Hart vote in 2001, and generally, you won’t find anyone who says a bad word about him. Perhaps that’s his best legacy overall: most accomplished and most liked.