Mackenzie Blackwood’s unexpectedly brief conditioning stint with the Colorado Eagles appears to signal a pivotal step in his recovery, positioning him for an imminent return to the Avalanche’s NHL roster.

While the Avalanche have one of the best players in the world, if they want to progress in the playoffs, they need a few players to breakout.

One of the most significant turning points last season for the Colorado Avalanche was the acquisition of Scott Wedgewood from the Nashville Predators and, most importantly, Mackenzie Blackwood from the San Jose Sharks. Both completely turned around the team's goaltending situation for the better, earning the “Lumberyard” nickname from the fans. With their first season down, what does this tag team look like heading into the season, and how can they help the Avalanche get a better start this seas

We’ve passed the halfway point of The Hockey News’ NHL summer splash series – our rankings of the off-season of every NHL team. In these files, we’re examining each team’s lineup additions, departures, hirings and firings, and judging which teams improved, which teams got worse, and which teams stayed the same. And in this particular file, we’re focused on the team that came in 15th overall in our rankings – the Colorado Avalanche.