Training camp cuts are coming, and the Colorado Avalanche still have some real sorting to do.
The club is carrying 32 players right now, which means nine names have to come off the board before the season starts and the roster gets down to the 23-man limit. Most of the possible waiver candidates make sense. Some of the projections, though, are raising eyebrows.
PuckPedia listed players such as Parker Kelly and Logan O’Connor as possible waiver candidates, which was described as silly. The one suggestion that drew the strongest reaction was Brent Burns. That idea was called flat-out insane.
The argument is simple enough: if the Avalanche had even considered sending Burns to the Colorado Eagles, they would not have signed him this summer in the first place. Burns signed for league-minimum and accepted an incentive-laden deal because he wanted a shot at winning a Stanley Cup. In that context, the notion of putting him on waivers now is being dismissed entirely.
Names like Zachary L’Heureux and Noah Juulsen were acknowledged as less far-fetched, even if they still seem unlikely. Still, Burns was the projection that went too far.
There are, however, real decisions ahead for Colorado. Fabian Lysell is the one waiver candidate who might not clear, and he has been discussed as someone who could make an impact this season and push for a roster spot. If the Avalanche believe he belongs, that could leave L’Heureux on the outside looking in.
Defenseman Domenick Fensore is another player to watch. He has played well enough to be considered for a seventh- or eighth-defenseman role, and his $850K cap hit makes him appealing to teams seeking depth on the blue line.
The next couple of days should bring those final roster battles into focus. But one thing was made very clear: Brent Burns is not going on waivers.
In Other News...
Avalanche Suddenly Face A Bigger Problem Than The Score Against Winnipeg
The Avalanche spent most of the night in a familiar kind of trouble, chasing the puck in their own end and giving Winnipeg too many looks off defensive-zone mistakes. Even with a strong penalty kill keeping the damage from getting worse, Colorados five-on-five structure was the bigger issue, and the Jets made the Avs pay for the turnovers that kept extending shifts and tilting the ice the wrong way.
By the time Colorado headed into the third period down 2-0, the score was only part of the concern. The game had already turned choppy and physical, with penalties interrupting the rhythm, and the Avalanche needed a cleaner, calmer final frame just to give themselves a chance at a comeback. For a team that usually wants to dictate pace, the problem was less about chasing goals than finding a way to stop creating new ones against itself. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Preseason Loss Put A Few Early Roster Battles In Focus
The Avalanches preseason meeting with the Jets at Canada Life Center offered an early look at a roster that is still taking shape, even in a 3-1 loss. Colorado dressed only a limited number of players who are likely to be in the opening-night mix, which meant the game was as much about sorting out depth and roles as it was about the final score.
Winnipeg got goals from Gabriel Vilardi, Cole Perfetti and Dylan DeMelo, while Colorados offense came from Georgii Merkulov, with Brett Kulak and Fabian Lysell setting him up. For a team still weighing a few early roster battles, nights like this tend to matter less for the result than for the way individual players handle bigger minutes and a less settled lineup. [Read more 🡒]
Another Former Avs Forward Just Picked A Contender Over Colorado
Victor Olofsson is headed back to a familiar place, and it comes after a season that took him from Colorado to Calgary and then into free agency. The winger spent 60 games with the Avalanche last year, finishing with 25 points, before a brief stop with the Flames kept him moving through a year of transitions.
Vegas has now brought him back on a one-year deal, giving the Golden Knights another experienced forward who already knows what playoff hockey feels like there. Olofsson said he was happy to return, which adds another layer to a Colorado storyline that has seen a former Avs forward choose a contender and keep the Avalanche watching from the sidelines. [Read more 🡒]