Every Friday during the offseason, Denver Gazette beat writer Kyle Fredrickson will take you around the NHL and inside the Avalanche

What they said

“I think it’s really an amazing experience for the Muslim community and it’s really inspiring for us. If he can win the Stanley Cup as a Muslim, he inspires more Muslim people to achieve their dreams.” — 15-year-old Zayan Khan at former Avs forward Nazem Kadri’s hometown celebration with the Stanley Cup entering a local mosque in London, Ontario (per the Associated Press)

Nazem Kadri brings the Stanley Cup to the London Muslim Mosque. This is believed to be the first time in history that the Cup has entered a mosque. @HkyNightPunjabi @NHL @Sportsnet pic.twitter.com/wRIZAm8hvv

— Amrit Gill (@AmritG) August 27, 2022

What I’m thinking

— Nazem Kadri’s Avalanche days are over after he signed a seven-year mega-deal in Calgary, but it’s worth reexamining his time in Colorado. Kadri grew immensely over the past three seasons to become one of the most sought-after centers in the NHL.

NHL Insider: Valeri Nichushkin celebrated in hometown despite Stanley Cup’s ban from Russia

— But that certainly wasn’t true on May 21, 2021, when Kadri got suspended for eight playoff games for an unnecessary and dangerous hit on Blues defenseman Justin Faulk. It marked a new low point for Kadri’s reputation with the sixth suspension of his NHL career, dating back to his time in Toronto.

— Avs GM Joe Sakic easily could have traded Kadri that offseason. But the front office and coaching staff never wavered in support of the top-six forward. Yes, Kadri constantly gets under his opponents’ skin. But the team coveted that ability in its quest for the Stanley Cup.

— Thank goodness Sakic stuck with his guy. Kadri’s final season in Colorado is the stuff of legends. He rolled into the playoffs with a career-best 87 points (28 goals) and became an Avalanche folk hero. His magnum opus: Second round, Game 4, in St. Louis.

— Kadri, a devout Muslim, dealt with racist online threats before puck drop from ignorant Blues fans taking issue with a non-penalized collision from the prior game — knocking goalie Jordan Binnington out of the series. Kadri rejected the noise. Two nights later, he scored a stunning hat trick to silence the road crowd.

— It’s not surprising Kadri left the Avs in free agency. Don’t hold it against him. There’s no chance Colorado could match the seven-year, $49-million contract offered by Calgary, and remain under the flat salary cap. The Flames were bold to offer such a long contract to an almost 32-year-old player. Kadri had to take it.

What I’m reading

Free agency update: What prominent players are still available on the open market? ESPN put together a list of seven names you should know with less than one month left before the start of NHL training camps.

Book recommendation: Part of my acclimation to the NHL is familiarizing myself with the best hockey books. First selection: ‘The Game’ by Ken Dryden. The legendary Canadiens’ goaltender documents his final NHL season in 1979 with an incredible first-person narrative. Dryden gives readers an inside look at life for professional hockey players from a bygone era. Go check it out.

Nazem Kadri to Calgary; how the Colorado Avalanche must adapt following key departure

What’s happening

— Need a hockey fix in the dog days of summer? The NHL and its official hydration sponsor — BioSteel Sports Nutrition Inc. — hosted a four-day training camp this week with 30 of the league’s top players. Avalanche stars Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar were in attendance and competed in on-ice workouts.

The NHL posted a video to its Instagram account with MacKinnon and other players wired for sound. MacKinnon discusses the finer details of his slapshot with the Knights’ Jack Eichel and the Sabres’ Kyle Okposo: “You guys like high glove, too? As a righty, I do a lot. I get obsessed with it,” MacKinnon said.

What’s on tap

Mid-to-late September: NHL training camps open

Sept. 25: Avs preseason opener (split squad at Minnesota and home against Vegas)

Sept. 27: Avs preseason game at Wild

Sept. 28: Avs preseason game vs. Knights

NHL Insider

The Avalanche could hand Nathan MacKinnon a blank check for his next contract extension.

It still wouldn’t be enough.

MacKinnon, the engine that makes Colorado’s Stanley Cup championship team roar, is entering the final year of his contract this season. Media reports suggest his next deal could make him the NHL’s highest-paid player — surpassing the $12.5 million annual average value earned by Oilers’ captain Connor McDavid.

New Avalanche GM Chris MacFarland must assemble a financially responsible and balanced roster. But the idea of overpaying MacKinnon is ludicrous when you consider his expiring deal. I’d argue that no player in the NHL is currently more undervalued in terms of salary.

Avalanche star Cale Makar’s day with Stanley Cup in hometown Calgary

In 2017, when MacKinnon inked a seven-year, $44-million deal to stay in Colorado, the team was struggling for relevancy. MacKinnon was also coming off a 52-point season that didn’t necessarily point to superstardom. It led to a team-friendly $6.3 million AAV contract that aged poorly for MacKinnon in his ascension to NHL royalty.

MacKinnon’s combined 442 points over the past five seasons trail only McDavid (549) and Leon Draisaitl (479) over the same period. Neither of the latter has won a Stanley Cup. It all sets up for a huge MacKinnon payday. The Avs might be wise to get it done before the season to eliminate distractions.

Another long-term commitment will ensure Colorado’s championship window remains open for the next several years. The team’s best players are still in their prime: Gabe Landeskog (29), MacKinnon (27), Makar (23), Mikko Rantanen (25) and Devon Toews (28).

His next evolution? Finally breaking the 100-point barrier in a regular season. He came close with 99 during the 2018-19 campaign. The key is to stay healthy for an entire year.

MacKinnon has already cemented his status as an Avs legend. His work ethic and tenacity are unrivaled among teammates. It’s time that’s reflected in his bank account. Pay the man.

The list

The likelihood of Nathan MacKinnon becoming the NHL’s highest paid player warrants some historical perspective. Here are the five richest player deals in NHL history.

1. F Alex Ovechkin (Capitals), 2008 — 13 years, $124 million

2. D Shea Weber (Predators), 2012 — 14 years, $110 million

3. F Sidney Crosby (Penguins), 2013 — 12 years, $104.4 million

4. F Ilya Kovalchuk (Devils), 2010 — 15 years, $100 million

5. F Connor McDavid (Oilers), 2017 — 8 years, $100 million