If it still feels surreal to the general public that the Avalanche season is over, imagine how the front office feels.

It ended so abruptly that, like everyone else, Chris MacFarland, Joe Sakic, Andrew Cogliano and company must still be processing what just happened — a stunning 4-0 series loss to the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference finals.

Next they’ll have to get to work, and fast, because the majority of NHL offseason action will happen over the next 35 days or so.

The salary cap will skyrocket next season to $104 million, an $8.5 million raise from the cap this past season. The Avalanche right now have a little under $3 million in cap space with 17 players on their roster. Penciling onto the roster a prospect like Gavin Brindley would change that number, but there’s no doubt the Avalanche will have to get creative to make some room under the cap.

It will fascinating to watch how teams, and not just the Avalanche, approach the offseason. Labeling the unrestricted free agent class “poor” is an understatement. Alex Tuch, a 30-year-old who posted 66 points this season, is the top free agent set to hit the market. That says all you really need to know. All the big names that were set to hit the market re-signed with their respective teams, meaning some middle-of-the-road players might get nice (and scary) contracts because teams have too much money to throw around.

Will a below-average free agent market entice more trades? That’s possible. Here are the top priorities for the Avalanche for the summer ahead:

Make a coaching decision

Jared Bednar is the best coach in franchise history. If the Avalanche decide to move on from their all-time wins leader, his phone will ring 3 seconds after the announcement with job offers. This is the first decision the Avalanche must make this summer, and it’s a big one. Is it time for a new voice? If so, can they even find a better coach than Bednar? Does it make more sense to stick with him?

After a sudden end to the season, everything is on the table. If Bednar does return, do they shake up the assistant coaches again? Regardless, this is the first decision the franchise must make. Maybe we’ll know before the front office meets with media next week.

Unrestricted free agents

Defenseman Brett Kulak: A tremendous addition to the defense at the trade deadline, but this could be the 32-year-old’s last chance at a nice payday. Given the free agent market, he could be a sought-after acquisition. The Avalanche would love him back, but can only afford to give him so much money and term. After a season in which he played for three teams, you’d have to imagine he’s looking for some stability.

Defenseman Brent Burns: One reason why the Avalanche are so tight to the cap is due to some of the bonus money Burns received that will carry over into next season. The first question with Burns is one for him: Does he want to keep playing? If the answer is yes, do the Avalanche bring him back? Money is tight and he was a nice fit, but there was a noticeable dip in his play during the second half of the season. For him, it’s a contender or nothing.

Forward Joel Kiviranta: A safe forward to have around on the penalty kill, but his production predictably fell back to earth when he wasn’t shooting 19%. The Avalanche could bring him back for league minimum if they wanted to. Might be time to move on, though.

Defenseman Nick Blankenburg: From a player perspective, it would make sense for him to hit the market. He was having the best season of his career before getting dealt to the Avalanche and can find a bigger role (and paycheck) elsewhere. He just never seemed to jell or find trust with the coaching staff.

Restricted free agents

Forward Jack Drury: This will be a tricky one. The Avalanche no doubt like the player, but can they afford a new extension? I wrote a few months back Drury’s camp was looking for something in the $3 million range. That’s a pretty penny for a fourth-line center, especially after the team acquired Nicolas Roy, who is signed next season for $3 million. With MacKinnon, Nelson, Kadri and Roy under contract, it may just be a numbers game. Drury had a good season and a nice playoff run to help his case. If he comes back, it’ll be because the Avalanche freed up space, and if he gets dealt, it’s simply due to money. Drury is only 26 and if the Avalanche are forced to trade him, they could recoup some nice assets.

Forward Zakhar Bardakov: With one goal and 10 points in 60 games, it’s fair to question whether Bardakov is a full-time NHL player. When he played, he barely played. He could easily find a good gig back in Russia if he wanted to, so it’ll be interesting to see if he wants to play a limited role in the NHL again.

Soon-to-be free agents

Defenseman Cale Makar: He’s under contract for next season, but it’s the last year of his current deal. On July 1, the Avalanche can officially sign him to a contract extension, and you can bet they’ll want to get that done as soon as possible. It would actually be a surprise if it didn’t get done, with the only real question being the grand total. Quinn Hughes is also eligible to sign an extension on July 1, and the two will no doubt reset the market for what the top defensemen in the NHL will make moving forward. Do they both end up signing for more than the $17 million awarded to Kirill Kaprizov? That remains to be seen. Either way, the expectation is this will get done.

Forward Artturi Lehkonen: Like Makar, Lehkonen is entering the final year of his contract and can be extended on July 1. This one is slightly more complicated, though. Lehkonen turns 31 next season and has not had a fully healthy season since moving to the Avalanche full-time. Injuries have impacted him in two of the last three postseason runs. He’s a really good player, scores timely goals and does a little bit of everything for the team. But given his fearless style and his size, will his body (and game) deteriorate? It seems unlikely the Avalanche could find a better player elsewhere, but they’ll have to be careful when it comes to term on any extension.

What to do with these guys?

Forward Ross Colton: After starting the playoffs as a healthy scratch, Colton re-entered the lineup and played very well. That might not be enough for the Avalanche to bring him back after two inconsistent regular seasons where his role diminished, but maybe it helps his trade value. He has one more season on a contract that sees him carry a $4 million cap hit. If the Avalanche are going to use him sparingly, it would make sense to shop him. Colton has a 12-team, no-trade list, so he would have some say in where he would go if the Avalanche move on.

Forward Valeri Nichushkin: The 31-year-old forward just had his least productive offensive season in five years and was a non-factor offensively in the playoffs. With four years left at $6.125 million and a 12-team, no-trade list, they’d have to find the right fit. But if the Avalanche are going to make a big move up front, he would be the one most likely to get shipped out.

What I’m hearing

• I was told defenseman Mikhail Gulyayev, a first-round pick for the Avalanche in 2023, will decide his future soon. His KHL contract expires this weekend. From what I’m hearing, it’s not a guarantee he’ll come to North America. Gulyayev had a tough season in the KHL but did bounce back with a nice playoff run. He struggled to find ice time most of the season. From an Avalanche perspective, it makes sense to get him over, but Gulyayev has publicly stated in the past he doesn’t have much interest in playing in the AHL.
• I have no doubt Avalanche players were angry with what happened against Vegas, but most of them seemed so stunned they couldn’t process it — except for Logan O’Connor. He was the one guy who consistently voiced his displeasure with what was going on. “Disappointed, humiliated. I think to a man (we) just weren’t good enough, not a single guy was the whole entire series,” O’Connor said after Game 4.

What I’m seeing

• Is Carolina really that good or has it just lucked into the easiest path to the Stanley Cup final — ever? Montreal never has the puck.
• Just an observation, but the one thing the final three teams left in the Stanley Cup playoffs have in common? They’ve all exclusively used one goaltender. Rotating goalies for reasons other than injuries just has historically not worked in the NHL playoffs.

What I’m thinking

• The NHL’s TV ratings have been incredible this postseason, but it will be interesting to see how much interest there would be in a Carolina-Vegas series.
• I would recommend every NHL fan attend a game in Vegas. They put on one heck of a show, which you should come to expect from that city. However, make sure to bring earplugs. All the audio in that building is blasted at an obnoxiously high volume. The bass levels shook the press box.