Colorado Avalanche Offseason Preview: Built to Go All the Way

Colorado finished 55-16-11, led the NHL in goals scored and goals allowed (197), and won the Central Division by a comfortable margin. The front office shed some salary, brought in younger depth, locked up Cale Makar to the richest contract in NHL history, and kept the core intact. The only reason this is not a flat A is that the team enters 2026-27 with razor-thin cap space and questions about whether last season's goaltending can be repeated.

Last season in review

The numbers from 2025-26 are almost absurd. Colorado outscored opponents by 99 goals, posted a plus-7.6 shot differential, and held opponents to 26.1 shots on goal per game. Nathan MacKinnon won the Rocket Richard Trophy with 53 goals and added 74 assists for 127 points. Martin Necas hit 100 points on 38 goals and 62 assists, cementing himself as a genuine first-line threat. Cale Makar contributed 20 goals and 59 assists from the blue line while finishing second in Norris Trophy voting.

In goal, Scott Wedgewood led the NHL in goals-against average (2.02) and save percentage (.921), going 31-6-6. He and Mackenzie Blackwood shared the William Jennings Trophy after Colorado allowed just 197 goals, the fewest in the league. Blackwood missed the first month of the season with a lower-body injury but returned to post a 2.51 GAA, the best of his career. The power play was a weakness, finishing 27th at 17.1 percent, though it improved to 21.4 percent in 22 games after Nazem Kadri arrived at the trade deadline.

Ins and outs

• In: Fedor Svechkov (acquired from Nashville in trade)
• In: Zachary L'Heureux (acquired from Nashville in trade)
• In: Jaden Schwartz (signed as a free agent, three years)
• In: Brent Burns (signed, one year)
• In: Brett Kulak (re-signed, five years)
• In: Fabian Lysell (acquired from Boston)
• In: Georgii Merkulov (signed, one year)
• In: Ilya Nabokov (signed to entry-level contract, two years)
• In: Nazem Kadri (full season, acquired at 2025-26 trade deadline)
• In: Nicolas Roy (full season, acquired at 2025-26 trade deadline)
• Out: Valeri Nichushkin (traded to Columbus for picks)
• Out: Ross Colton (traded to Nashville)
• Out: Jack Drury (traded to Nashville)
• Out: Nick Blankenburg (UFA departure)
• Out: Joel Kiviranta (departed)
• Contract extension: Cale Makar signed an eight-year, $163.2 million extension (begins 2027-28, $20.4 million cap hit)
• Coaching note: Jared Bednar remains unsigned beyond this season

The big question

Can Wedgewood and Blackwood come close to last season's performance? Both goalies are flagged as regression candidates, and while the defence in front of them remains elite, sustaining a league-best goals-against total is a tall order. If either goalie slips significantly, the margin that made Colorado nearly unbeatable shrinks in a hurry.

X-factor

Fedor Svechkov is the name to watch. The 23-year-old averaged just 12:05 per game in Nashville last season, but Colorado has said it wants to give younger players more ice time. With Nichushkin and Drury gone, there is real opportunity on the penalty kill and in the bottom six for a player with Svechkov's speed and hockey IQ. How much he grows into that role could define Colorado's depth all season.

Bold prediction

The power play, which was a genuine liability at 17.1 percent last season, rebounds to a top-ten unit with a full season of Kadri running it, and Colorado posts the most goals in the NHL for the second straight year.

The outlook

Colorado opens at home against Los Angeles on September 30 with the deepest roster it has iced since the 2022 championship run. Makar is locked up for the long term, MacKinnon is still the best player in the world on most nights, and the defence corps is as good as any in the league. The Avalanche are built to win now, and the pieces are in place to make a serious run at the Stanley Cup.