Welcome to Evan’s mailbag, where each week Avalanche reporter Evan Rawal answers all your Avalanche- and hockey-related questions. Mailbag questions can be sent to evan.rawal@gazette.com.

Besides the Avs, which teams are you most excited to follow this season and why?

Inside the Central Division, it’s the Utah Mammoth. The Western Conference is a bit stale, with the same 6-7 teams making the playoffs every year with the occasional newcomer dropping in. I’m not sure this season will be any different, but Utah feels like the one team that could give the playoffs a fresh feel. I’m not 100% sold on their goaltending but they will be fun to watch with their talent up front. Selfishly, from the perspective of a traveling beat writer, going somewhere new would be nice. Getting a little sick of going to Dallas, if I’m being honest.

Outside of the division, Montreal, Ottawa and Anaheim are the three I’m looking at. Can Joel Quenneville still coach at the NHL level and, if so, is he the guy who can help the Ducks take that next step? Ottawa and Montreal have young talent and are just a bit rough around the edges. Their skill could help knock a few of those veteran teams down a notch in the East.

How do you think Nathan MacKinnon will age as his contract goes on?

I’m not too worried about it for the next few seasons. His last three years have been his best, and he’s found a good regimen that helps him stay healthy. Declines can sometimes come out of nowhere so it’s difficult to be certain, but I think everything is good for the next few years.

It’s not fair to compare him to Sidney Crosby because so much of Crosby’s game is based off his incredible hockey IQ. Not that MacKinnon doesn’t have that, but we all know speed is probably his biggest asset. Will the 30-year-old still be an elite skater at 35 or 36? It’s entirely possible but we’ll just have to wait and see.

Does Erik Johnson sign a ‘PTO’? A contract?

It sounds strange to say, but if Erik Johnson was a left-shot defenseman, I think he’d already have a professional tryout contract or even a contract with the Avalanche. They just might be the only team in the NHL that has more right-shot defenseman than left-shot, and we know that’s something Jared Bednar takes into consideration. If the Avalanche move someone like a Sam Malinski for a forward or a different style of defenseman, then bringing Johnson back seems like a no-brainer.

I still think a PTO is very possible, regardless of whether or not they make any moves. But it’s also difficult to say whether that’s something EJ would want. Some guys will take PTO’s; others won’t. You just don’t know.

What I will say is that if Johnson does decide to call it a career, he’ll be great on TV, assuming that’s what he wants to do.

Will Martin Necas sign before Kirill Kaprizov?

Anything is possible. But if I’m in Necas’ camp, why would I? It sounds like Minnesota is willing to back up the Brinks truck to Kaprizov’s house with a deal that would see him getting paid around $16 million a year. If you’re Necas or Kyle Connor or Adrian Kempe, why would you sign before that? Kaprizov will completely reset the market for wingers with the rising salary cap moving forward. Necas doesn’t have to wait, but it’s smart business on his end to do so.

What will be fascinating? If none of these big names sign before camp or the start of the regular season. The market is likely waiting on Kaprizov and Connor McDavid to make the first move. If they don’t, who does?

Which Avalanche player has the most to prove this season?

It’s easy to default to Necas because he’s due for a big contract, but what about the other guy in the Mikko Rantanen trade, Jack Drury?

Drury’s also entering a contract season. He’ll still be under team control beyond this season, but he could still earn himself a nice deal. He also is set to start the year at the position that is likely Colorado’s biggest question mark right now — third-line center.

If Drury shows he can handle it, GM Chris MacFarland’s job gets a little easier. He doesn’t have to acquire another center before the trade deadline, which would cost a significant asset to do so. Instead, he just has to worry about signing his third-line center to an extension. Having the 25-year-old Drury solve the problem internally would be really helpful for MacFarland.

And if it works out for Drury, he’s looking at a nice payday.