The Colorado Avalanche keep getting to the postseason, but the same issue keeps following them into it: too many of their key players haven’t delivered enough when the games tighten up.
That is where Martin Necas and Brock Nelson come in. Both are expected to be part of the solution, yet their playoff numbers leave plenty of room for concern.
Necas has appeared in 79 playoff games across seven playoff-qualifying seasons, producing 13 goals and 35 assists. He has only two playoff goals for the Avalanche, with one coming in each of the past two years. The assist total is there, but for a top-line winger, the scoring needs to be louder.
Nelson’s track record is similar in its own way. He has reached the playoffs in 10 NHL seasons and has played 98 postseason games, scoring 29 goals and 28 assists.
That works out to an average of .29 goals per playoff game, along with 2.9 goals per playoff year and 2.8 assists per playoff year. In his two playoff runs with Colorado, he has managed just two goals and five assists.
The Avalanche as a whole came up short against the Vegas Golden Knights in a 4-0 series defeat, and there was no hiding from how quiet the offense was. Colorado’s biggest goal output in the series was three, and that came in a 5-3 loss.
Gabriel Landeskog, Nazem Kadri, and Jack Drury scored those goals. The team’s top stars never found the net, and that was a major problem.
This isn’t really about Nathan MacKinnon, but the point still connects: if Colorado’s top line becomes more dangerous in the postseason, it gives Necas a better chance to matter in those moments.
Nelson, meanwhile, is the kind of second-line center who has to be steadier in the playoffs. The Avalanche signed him to a three-year contract knowing full well what his postseason history looked like. The move, along with the decision to bring in Necas, is hard to make sense of when you consider how much the Avalanche already depend on regular-season success.
Two top-six forwards not producing enough in the playoffs, while making a significant amount of money, is a tough formula to justify. Jared Bednar and Dave Hakstol need to find a way to unlock more from both players. That kind of adjustment has been done before in other sports, and Colorado needs to believe it can happen here too.
There is still time for that to change. Necas and Nelson both have plenty to prove once the playoffs arrive again, but they won’t be able to fix it by themselves. With an 84-game season ahead, the Avalanche will have a little more runway to figure out how to turn two underwhelming postseason performers into players who can generate chances, find space, and create more offense when it matters most.
If Colorado goes through another playoff series without meaningful scoring from those two, it will be time for a hard look in the mirror.
In Other News...
Beloved Avalanche Favorite Just Found His Next NHL Chapter
Erik Johnsons next chapter is already taking shape, and it keeps him close to the game that made him a fan favorite in Denver. The longtime former Avalanche defenseman has signed a multi-year contract extension with ESPN, where he will continue working as an NHL analyst after transitioning into broadcasting following the 2024-25 season.
Johnsons place in Avalanche history is secure after 18 NHL seasons, including 14 in Colorado, and a Stanley Cup run that ended with the franchises championship in 2022. For a player who spent so much of his career in burgundy and blue, the move gives him a new platform while keeping a familiar voice in the league conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Blue-Line Decisions Are Revealing Colorados Roster Plan
The Avalanche made another round of blue-line trim work on Tuesday, placing defensemen Christian Wolanin and Domenick Fensore on waivers as they continue sorting out the last details of their roster before the regular season. It is the kind of move that can feel routine this time of year, but it also says plenty about where Colorado stands as camp winds down and the lineup picture gets clearer.
If neither player is claimed over the next 24 hours, both are expected to head to the Colorado Eagles, giving the Avalanche more certainty as they lock in their opening-night group. For a team with postseason expectations, these end-of-camp decisions are less about headlines than about fine-tuning depth, and the front office is clearly using every available move to shape the defense the way it wants it. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Camp Decisions Are Tightening Up Faster Than Some Fans Expected
Training camp has already started to feel a lot more orderly than chaotic for Colorado, with the coaching staff splitting the roster into two groups that made the picture pretty clear. One side looked a lot like the Avs expected Opening Night lineup, while the other had more of a Colorado Eagles feel, a setup that suggested the team is wasting little time separating the near-locks from the long shots. Nathan MacKinnon, Martin Necas, Artturi Lehkonen, Devon Toews and Cale Makar were all part of the projected structure, giving a good sense of how close this group is to being formed.
What remains less settled is the back end of the roster, where the Avs appear to have 21 spots spoken for and only two openings still in play. Those final jobs could go to forwards or defensemen, which keeps the door open for a few different types of camp performers, including names like Taylor Makar and TJ Hughes. For a team that seems to know most of its answers already, the real intrigue now is whether the last decisions are about upside, versatility or simply who fits best into the last few available chairs. [Read more 🡒]