NHL Insider: Nuggets and Avalanche use same Kroenke blueprint for championship contention

Jun. 11—Every week during the offseason, Denver Gazette beat writer Kyle Fredrickson will take you around the NHL and inside the Avalanche:

WHAT THEY SAID

"It's all about relationships, the depth that you create in that and the trust factor when the player knows you care about him and are invested in his growth. I think that goes a long way. Like any relationship, there are going to be bumps in the road. And there are times where they want to run me over in the parking lot. I'm willing to do that, as long as we know that we're working together to create a vision and then execute it."

—Former Colorado Eagles (AHL) head coach Greg Cronin in his introductory news conference as NHL head coach of the Anaheim Ducks.

***

WHAT I'M THINKING

—It will be tough to replace Greg Cronin as coach for the Colorado Eagles (AHL). The 60-year-old Massachusetts native is making the NHL jump to now lead the Anaheim Ducks. A well-deserved opportunity. Cronin was an NHL assistant coach (Maple Leafs and Islanders) before leading the Eagles to the AHL playoffs in four of the past fivewe seasons. Cronin helped develop a slew of young talent such as Logan O'Connor and Alex Newhook into NHL-caliber players.

—Here's what Avs coach Jared Bednar said back in September about Cronin: "He knows the message that we're going to give to the players that we let go; what do they need to work on, what do we need to see, where do we see their strengths, where do we see their weaknesses. Then he goes to work with those guys. ... We do see the game similar."

—Kudos to Anaheim for taking a chance on a rising star instead of a typical retread, like in Columbus. The Blue Jackets are reportedly targeting Mike Babcock, a journeyman coach, last fired in 2019 after four-plus seasons leading the Toronto Maple Leafs. Sure, Babcock reached two Cup finals coaching the Red Wings (winning it all in 2008). But that's ancient history in a modernized NHL. The league needs new voices like Cronin.

—Now, the challenge for Colorado is reloading their AHL club with another NHL-caliber coach. I won't be surprised to see the team promote from within. Aaron Schneekloth is a name to keep in mind. The former Eagles player hung up his jersey for a spot behind the bench and has been an integral part of the team's AHL success since 2013. He might be ready to take the next step in his coaching career.

***

WHAT I'M READING

—This behind the scenes look at the TNT studio broadcast team, specifically host Liam McHugh, gives viewers an inside look at the chemistry between analysts: "It's got to feel like herding cats. You just never know where the conversation's going to go." A fun read by Michael Russo (The Athletic).

—How about a non-hockey selection for the dog days of the Avalanche summer? The most fascinating story happening in professional sports right now is from the golf world, with the PGA and LIV reportedly set to join forces. The political fallout captured by The Ringer's Kevin Clark is truly fascinating.

***

WHAT'S HAPPENING

—The Avalanche re-signed Wyatt Aamodt to a one-year contract last week. The AHL defenseman tallied three goals and 15 assists last season with the Colorado Eagles (52 games). The former Minnesota State captain is the second AHL player re-signed this offseason, with Aamodt joining Boulder native Nate Clurman.

—It appears that Jonas Johansson is not headed back to play in Sweden. The Avalanche depth goaltender had reportedly agreed to a contract last month, but that deal has since been negated (per hockeynews.se). It's clear that Johansson still has NHL aspirations and he's been solid in relief duty for Colorado.

—It's unusual to see a summer blockbuster NHL trade happen before the Stanley Cup champion is crowned. But Columbus didn't waste any time. The Blue Jackets acquired Ivan Provorov from the Flyers in a three-team deal (including the Kings) that moved six different players, a first-round draft selection and two second-round picks. Trade season is officially upon us.

***

NHL INSIDER

Name a professional sports team owner in North America with a bigger grin on his face lately than Stan Kroenke.

I'll wait.

The Avalanche won the Stanley Cup one year ago. The Nuggets are on the doorstep of their first NBA championship in team history. And it wasn't long ago the Rams won a Super Bowl and the Mammoth claimed a National Lacrosse League championship. Like Broncos coach Sean Payton recently told ESPN: "It's good to be a Kroenke the last two years."

Of course, Kroenke rightfully deserves criticism for the lack of TV distribution of Avalanche and Nuggets games on their title runs. The years-long Altitude/Comcast saga is a slap to people who spend thousands of dollars each year on tickets and merchandise. But let's save that conversation for another time.

Kroenke's success running a sports empire is unquestioned, and when it comes to the Avalanche and Nuggets, the blueprint is almost identical. Ownership rightfully deserves credit for applying these standards:

Reward front office growth: Chris MacFarland (Avalanche) and Calvin Booth (Nuggets) were promoted to their respective GM roles from within the organization. One sign of good team culture. Both excelled in assembling championship-caliber rosters with smart trades and signing top players on long-term contracts.

Trust your head coach: Jared Bednar (seven seasons) and Michael Malone (eight seasons) are among the longest tenured head coaches in their respective sports. There were certainly times when both fan bases called for heads when the Nuggets and Avalanche fell short of playoff expectations. But Kroenke didn't panic and it has paid serious dividends.

Draft and develop generational talent: It's not a stretch to suggest there are at least three future Hall of Famers between the Avalanche and Nuggets; Nikola Jokic, Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar. All three legitimate stars are under the age of 30. That fact alone keeps their title windows open for years to come. The biggest challenge is building around them.

***

THE LIST

The Top 3 most valuable professional sports ownership groups in 2022, according to Forbes.com.

1. Liberty Media ... President/CEO Greg Maffei and chairman John Malone. ... Value: $17.2 billion. ... Properties: Atlanta Braves, Formula 1, Drone Racing League*, Drone Racing League*, Kroenke Arena Company*, Meyer Shank Racing*

2. Kroenke Sports and Entertainment ... Chairman Stan Kroenke. ... Value: $10.54 billion. ... Properties: Los Angeles Rams, Colorado Avalanche, Denver Nuggets, Arsenal FC, eSports investments, Colorado Rapids, Colorado Mammoth, Altitude Sports and Entertainment, Kroenke Arena Company

3. Fenway Sports Group ... Principal owner John Henry and chairman Tom Werner. ... Value: $9.81 billion. ... Properties: Boston Red Sox, Liverpool FC, Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing*, NESN, Fenway Sports Management, Pittsburgh Penguins

*50% or less ownership