Today the Colorado Avalanche are one of the top Stanley Cup contenders in the NHL, with an electric collection of forwards, a deep defence and good goaltending (though they may still decide to upgrade for a run there). But go back just five years to the 2016-17 season and the Avs were an utter disaster, with an historically awful finish that made them the worst 82-game season team of the salary cap era. It wasn’t supposed to go that way, though. That Colorado team wasn’t made to tank, it was supposed to be making an attempt to return to the playoffs for the first time in three years. They had a good base of youth, surrounded by some capable veterans and some in decline, and stable goaltending. Absolutely none of it came together. This year’s Montreal Canadiens aren’t directly comparable to those Avalanche. After all, the Habs made the Stanley Cup Final just last season and probably don’t have a top-threeish player in the world like Nathan MacKinnon. They’ve just turned over their...