Andrew Cogliano is moving up fast in Colorado.
The Avalanche have promoted Cogliano to assistant general manager after two seasons as a special assistant to general manager Chris MacFarland. He’s now set to work directly under Joe Sakic, who was named general manager again over the summer, and join fellow assistant GMs Kevin McDonald and Andrew Wilson on the front office staff.
Cogliano’s previous role gave him a broad introduction to the job. Over the last two seasons, he helped the organization in player development, scouting, and work with the AHL’s Colorado Eagles.
According to Corey Masisak of the Denver Post, Cogliano said Sakic and MacFarland brought him into different parts of the operation early and often, giving him a strong base to build on. With McDonald handling the Eagles and Wilson focused on salary cap management, contract negotiations, and the collective bargaining agreement, Cogliano can now center his attention on helping the NHL roster.
It’s a sharp turn for a player whose career was built on durability and consistency. Cogliano spent 17 seasons in the league with five teams, starting with the Edmonton Oilers, who selected him 25th overall in 2005. After two seasons at the University of Michigan, he stepped into the NHL and made an immediate splash, posting a career-high 45 points in 82 games as a rookie.
That production was followed by a long run of availability. Cogliano played every game of his first 10 NHL seasons, even after the Oilers traded him to the Anaheim Ducks in the 2011 offseason.
He kept producing in Anaheim, scoring at a 40-point pace in the shortened 2012-13 season before putting up 21 goals and 42 points in 2013-14. That stretch made him a steady presence for the Ducks through 2018.
His final years as a player took him all over the league. Cogliano was dealt to the Dallas Stars in January 2019, then moved on to the San Jose Sharks before joining the Avalanche ahead of their Stanley Cup-winning 2021-22 season. Over his career, he finished with 464 points in 1,294 regular season games and 40 points in 131 playoff games.
Now 39, Cogliano is taking the next step in a hockey life that has already covered a lot of ground. The promotion puts him on a path that could eventually lead to a GM job, but for now his focus is on helping Colorado chase another Stanley Cup run.
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