The Colorado Avalanche have finally won the Stanley Cup after a 21-year drought since the last time they hoisted the coveted trophy in 2001. While the players will surely spend the next week, or more, celebrating their hard-fought victory, the front office will be busy plotting out the next steps for the franchise. There are some key free agents who could potentially be leaving town this offseason, as well as some other moves the Avs must make in order to keep key players happy.

While they currently boast as much as $25 million in cap space, they'll have to address the contracts of impending free agents Valeri Nichushkin, Nazem Kadri, and Darcy Kuemper, among others. Realistically, at least one of those players won't be brought back.

Still, in all, the majority of the team's core players will be back in 2022-23, meaning the Avs probably don't have to make too many moves in order to be back in the mix for the Stanley Cup Finals in 2023. With Cale Makar, Nathan MacKinnon, Gabriel Landeskog, Mikko Rantanen, Devon Toews, and more locked down beyond this season, the immediate future of the Avs looks to be in good hands. That said, they'll still need to make some moves if they want to fortify the already formidable roster.

3 moves Avalanche must make in 2022 NHL offseason to repeat as Stanley Cup champions

3. Re-sign Nazem Kadri and Valeri Nichushkin

While Nazem Kadri is 31, he played a crucial role for the Avs during the playoffs this season, showing off an extraordinary amount of toughness in order to return from a six-week injury in a span of just two weeks. Kadri came up clutch in the playoffs on multiple occasions, not to mention his phenomenal regular season with the team. While a long-term Kadri deal may be a risk for the Avs, he's still got a few elite years left in the tank, and is clearly a great fit in the high-octane offense Colorado loves to deploy.

As for Nichushkin, re-signing him would also be a great move for the Avs. It's unclear what exactly he'll demand in free agency, considering he went from being something of an afterthought in Dallas to becoming one of the Avalanche's most dangerous goal-scoring threats. His true breakout came this season, however, when he registered a career-high 52 points. The issue, however, is that he may have priced himself out of the Avs' market with his excellent play. If the Avs are able to re-sign both Kadri and Nichushkin, that would likely mean the end of Darcy Kuemper's spell as their goaltender.

2. Promote Pavel Francouz, sign backup goalie in FA

While Darcy Kuemper was prolific during the second half of the regular season, his play during the postseason was inconsistent. At times he was the elite netminder the Avs needed, parrying insane shots from all angles, and at other times his play was less than inspiring. While he's certainly worthy of a starting role, his contract situation may make it more prudent for the Avs to move on and usher in Pavel Francouz as their starting goalie. He's been excellent in his role as the backup to Kuemper, logging a career save percentage of .921 over his three years in Colorado.

Letting Kuemper hit free agency and signing a more cost-friendly backup would enable the Avs to have more bargaining power in their deals with Kadri and Nichushkin, while also giving Francouz the starting opportunity he's been patiently waiting for.

1. Extend Nathan MacKinnon, whatever the cost

Nathan MacKinnon is due for a lofty contract extension, and the Avs need to hand him whatever he's seeking in order to keep him happy. MacKinnon is one of the most important players on the Avs and is a team leader, as well as an absolute nightmare for opposing defenses.

MacKinnon is due to make $6.85 million next season, per Spotrac, which is an absurdly low sum for someone of his caliber. Considering he'll likely be in the running for the Hart Trophy next year, he's due to make around twice his current wages in any extension with the Avs. Ensuring MacKinnon's contract gets extended, and quickly, will be a crucial component of the Avs' offseason plans, and will help dictate how much cap space they have left to work with for free agents.