Checking Off The Colorado Avalanche's Summer To-Do List

DENVER (CBS4) - After a successful-but-not-good-enough season, Colorado Avalanche General Manager Joe Sakic and the rest of the team's front office are turning their attention to the club's lengthy summer To Do list.

"As great as the end of the year was, we still didn't accomplish the end goal," Colorado Avalanche General Manager Joe Sakic said of the 2018-2019 season. "We've got to find a way to get better and it starts here in the offseason."

"For us, the focus right now is to try and get better in the offseason and have a more consistent regular season," Sakic said.

First on the docket, adding depth in next month's NHL Draft. Colorado owns five picks in the first three rounds, including number 4 overall.

"We're going to listen to all options. We're comfortable at four, we know we're going to get a good player. We got to do our best to hit on those because you don't always have that opportunity to have that many picks in the first three rounds," Sakic said.

Sakic also has a plethora of expiring contracts on his hands. A total of 26 players are due up, including JT Compher, Alexander Kerfoot and Nikita Zadorov.

"We're not too concerned about signing all those guys, we'll get them done."

And finally, every GM's favorite offseason stressor: signing the star. The one deal that Colorado absolutely must get done is with top line stud, Mikko Rantanen. But who knows how long that's going to take.

"It's a priority to get him done. We prefer long term, but if it has to be short term than it has to be short term. We want to make sure that we have him signed. Don't ask me about the time frame," Sakic said