Primers: Sp

No other team in the NHL has three players in the prime of their careers at the level of Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar and Mikko Rantanen. Conversely, no other team that fancied itself a Stanley Cup contender during the 2024 playoffs has the type of uncertainty awaiting it this offseason like the Colorado Avalanche.

Like many hot-shot prospects, Zac Veen figured he’d rocket to the big leagues. Instead, once rated as the 29th overall prospect by MLB Pipeline, the 22-year-old outfielder has ridden a roller coaster. Maybe that’s a good thing. “There’s a blessing in this somewhere,” Veen said. “It all depends where you look.” The Rockies selected Veen with the ninth overall pick in the 2020 draft out of Florida’s Spruce Creek High School.

Adhir Ravipati heard rumblings about a kid from East Palo Alto who had taken over the California youth football scene. But it wasn’t until he attended an eighth-grade all-star game that he put a face to Troy Franklin’s name. At Silver Creek High School in San Jose in 2017, Ravipati became a believer in Franklin, a tall and slender wide receiver who did wonders every time he touched the ball.

The lasting image from one of the most hectic Game 7 endings in NBA history was of two young guards embracing in mutual admiration. Donovan Mitchell had collapsed to the floor, devastated, after Utah’s final 3-point attempt spun out of the cylinder as time expired, leaving Mitchell with only an 80-78 loss to show for his Herculean effort in the bubble: 36.3 points per game on 52% outside shooting in the seven-game saga.

Another instant classic of a Rocky Mountain Cup match at America First Field in Salt Lake City. Another time the Colorado Rapids were on the wrong end against Real Salt Lake. After Cole Bassett, Rafael Navarro and Djordje Mihailovic contributed to a 3-2 lead which was alive until the 85th minute, the Rapids gave up three more goals before the final whistle despite bringing on multiple defensive subs and even going for a five-man defensive unit, resulting in a forgettable scoreline of 5-3. For now, coach Chris Armas and the Rapids will take their three goals scored as a positive, especially given it was against the best team in the Western Conference away from home.

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