Colorado Avalanche
A preview of the 2026-27 NHL season for the Colorado Avalanche, including predictions from VSiN NHL Expert Jonathan Davis. For all other NHL team previews, check out our NHL page.
Key Additions: Jaden Schwartz, Vinnie Hinostroza, Fedor Svechkov, Zachary L’Heureux
Key Departures: Valeri Nichuskin, Ross Colton, Jack Drury, Ivan Ivan, Joel Kiviranta
Overview
The Colorado Avalanche finished the 2025-26 regular season with a franchise-best 121 points and the league’s best record (55-16-11), losing just once in regulation in the first two months of the season. They not only led the league in goals scored (298), but also allowed the fewest goals against (197). Their goal differential (+99) was the best since the Bruins (+128) in the 2022-23 season.
After sweeping past the Los Angeles Kings in the opening round and eliminating the Minnesota Wild in five games, key injuries to Cale Makar and Nathan MacKinnon were too much to overcome, and the Avs were swept by the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference Final, mustering just seven goals. It marked the Avs first trip to the Western Conference Final since 2022, when they went on to win the Stanley Cup. With Cale Makar set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season, general manager Joe Sakic made good on his promise to lock up Cale Makar long term and made him the league’s highest-paid player with an 8-year contract at 20.4 million per season.
Offense
Nathan MacKinnon accounted for 53 (league high) of Colorado’s league’s best 298 goals. Martin Necas, who played alongside MacKinnon, and had career highs in goals (38), assists (62) and had his first 100-point season in the NHL. Brock Nelson cracked the 30-goal mark (33) for the fourth time in five seasons, was a Selke Trophy finalist, but was stymied in the postseason, scoring just twice.
With Cale Makar due a sizeable salary bump, the Avalanche were forced to trade Val Nichuskin to Columbus. The Avs signed free agent Jaden Schwartz to help offset the loss of Nichuskin. He is coming off an 11-goal season (50 games) in Seattle but did crack the 20-goal mark in two of his previous three seasons. After scoring 25 goals in his first 257 NHL games, Parker Kelly exploded for 21 goals last season. One concern for the Avalanche last season was their power play, which finished 27th. It was the first time since the 2019-20 season that they finished out of the top ten when they finished 19th overall. The poor performance cost assistant coach Ray Bennett his job, and he was replaced by Dave Hakstol.
Defense
No team gave up fewer goals than Colorado last season (also had the best penalty killing unit), but I do wonder if father time will catch up with some of their defensemen. Cale Makar is 27, and Sam Malinski is 28, but Devon Toews and Brett Kulak are both 32, Josh Manson is 34, and Brett Burns, who is a freak of nature, is 41 years old. Burns is 57 games shy of tying Phil Kessel’s ironman streak of 1,064 consecutive games played.
Goaltending
Scott Wedgewood and Mackenzie Blackwood provide the Avalanche with one of the better goaltending tandems in the league. Even with Wedgewood’s 2.02 goals against average, I am not ready to put him in the elite category as a goalie that I would turn to in a winner-take-all Game Seven, but Wedgewood rarely gives up a bad goal. His 2.02 goals-against average and .921 save percentage led the NHL for goalies who played at least 30 games. MacKenzie Blackwood was solid as the backup. He picked up 23 wins, and three of those were of the shutout variety.
Player to Watch
Nathan MacKinnon was once quoted as saying, “It’s hard to win with young players.” With the Avs trading a couple of their depth forwards, now is the time for a player like Gavin Bradley (selected 34th overall in 2023) to seize a role on this team. Brindley had 25 goals and 53 points (40 games) in his final year at the University of Michigan. He had six goals and thirteen points in 56 games for the Avs last season.
Outlook
The Avalanche are still one of the best teams in the Western Conference, but I do see them taking their foot off the gas for the upcoming regular season and conserving some energy for a deep playoff run. Their point projection of 107.5 clearly reflects that sportsbooks expect the Avs to take a step back from the 121 points they put up last season. One player prop for me is Martin Necas to record 100+ points (+330).
Team Futures
Regular Season Points: 107.5 (Over -115, Under -115)
To Make the Playoffs: (-1800)
Miss the Playoffs: (+900)
To Win the Division: (+120)
To Win the Western Conference: (+320)
To Win the Stanley Cup: (+700)
2025-26 Recap
Record: 26-15
Over/Under: 33-46-3
Home Favorite: 26-15 // Home Dog: 0-0
Road Favorite: 28-11 // Road Dog: 1-1
Win Score 4 or more: 36 of 55 // Lose Give Up 4 or more: 17 of 27
Puck Line Wins: 42 of 55 // Puck Line Losses: 12 of 27
Front End Back-to-Back: 9-3 // Back End Back-to-Back: 6-6
Points Leader: Nathan MacKinnon – 127
Goal Leader: Nathan MacKinnon – 53
Teams First Goal Leader: Martin Necas -12, Nathan MacKinnon – 11
Assist Leader: Nathan MacKinnon – 74
Shots on Goal Leader: Nathan MacKinnon – 350
Blocked Shots: Cale Makar – 118
Depth Chart
Forwards
Arturi Lehkonen / Nathan MacKinnon / Martin Necas
Nazem Kadri / Brock Nelson / Gabriel Landeskog
Jaden Schwartz / Nicolas Roy / Logan O’Connor
Parker Kelly / Fedor Svechkov / Zachary L’Heureux
Defense
Devon Toews / Cale Makar
Brett/ Kulak / Sam Malinski
Josh Manson / Brent Burns
Goalies
MacKenzie Blackwood / Scott Wedgewood
