Every August, when the ice is still just a rumor and the only “action” is fantasy drafts and contract gossip, the NHL rumor mill needs something to chew on. Enter this week’s Cupcakes tray, and sitting right in the middle of it is a name Avalanche fans have been quietly whispering for two seasons now: Justus Annunen.

Colorado has spent the better part of a decade being an offensive fireworks show trying to figure out its goaltending situation. Remember the carousel? Grubauer, Kuemper, Georgiev, a rotating door of “is this the guy” energy that would make even the most patient fan base twitchy. So when a young Finnish netminder starts quietly stacking solid outings behind the scenes, of course people start asking the question out loud.

The Case for Believing

Annunen isn’t walking into Denver with a flashy resume or a Vezina hype train behind him. He’s been the “other guy” in net, the reliable backup who doesn’t blow up your save percentage but also doesn’t make you throw the remote at the TV. That’s actually the blueprint for a lot of goalies who eventually take over a crease for good. Think about how many franchise starters spent a year or two as the “solid backup” tag before the leash got longer and the numbers started climbing. Annunen fits that mold: calm positioning, good rebound control, doesn’t panic when the game gets track-meet fast, which, let’s be honest, happens a lot with this Avalanche roster.

Why it matters for Colorado:

• Cap flexibility: A cheap, effective backup who can steal starts means Colorado can spend elsewhere on the flashy stuff, like keeping the front office from having an aneurysm every July.
• Playoff insurance: The Avs have learned the hard way that one hot goalie in April can save (or sink) a Cup window.
• Long-term plan: If Annunen keeps trending up, Colorado might not need to overpay for a “proven” starter on the open market ever again.

The Reality Check

Rising star talk this early in August is basically the goalie equivalent of preseason hype for a rookie running back. Fun to talk about, easy to get carried away with. Annunen still has to prove it over 82 games, not just highlight-reel stretches. Backup numbers can be deceiving too, smaller sample sizes, softer matchups, less pressure. The jump from “reliable relief pitcher” to “true number one” is where a lot of promising goalies stall out. Colorado’s already burned by wishful thinking in net before, so nobody’s exactly rushing to crown anybody just yet.

Verdict

Cautious optimism is the right lane here. Annunen has the tools and the temperament to be more than a placeholder, and if his trajectory keeps climbing, Colorado could be sitting on the kind of cost-controlled goaltending stability they’ve been chasing for years. It’s not a sure thing yet, but it’s the good kind of storyline, the one worth watching all season.

Do you buy the hype, or is this just another summer mirage in the Mile High crease?