It’s prediction season, and the Colorado Avalanche are right in the middle of the conversation again after a 121-point, Presidents’ Trophy-winning regular season. The question now is whether they can run it back in 2026-27, or whether a few warning signs point to a slight step back even if the team still looks dangerous.
One obvious reason for a dip is simple math: 121 points is a brutal number to chase twice. Winning the Presidents’ Trophy is hard enough, and no team has repeated since the Washington Capitals did it a decade ago.
Even if Colorado lands at 120 points and puts together another excellent season, that would technically count as regression. Jackie also pointed to the reality of the upcoming 84-game schedule, which could lead the Avalanche to manage the regular season a little differently rather than push quite as hard for every point.
There’s also the question of speed, especially in the lower half of the lineup. Jess noted that this isn’t a major concern at the top end of Colorado’s roster, but players like Brent Burns and Nic Roy could be exposed in certain matchups if opponents are able to target them.
That doesn’t mean the issue can’t be handled. Pairing slower skaters with quicker teammates can help cover for it.
Still, it’s a factor worth watching if it costs the Avalanche a few goals or a few games along the way.
Age is another reason for caution. PuckPedia currently lists Colorado as the third oldest team in the league at an average age of 30.5, and that number is even a little flattering because it includes 21-year-old Gavin Brindley as the 13th forward.
It also doesn’t account for Nazem Kadri turning 36 during the first week of the regular season. The Avalanche already have six players aged 34 and older: Burns, Kadri, Brock Nelson, Jaden Schwartz, Josh Manson and Scott Wedgewood.
Gabe Landeskog will join that group in November. With production often slipping in the mid-30s and injury risk rising, betting on the same level of output across the board is asking a lot.
On the flip side, there are plenty of reasons Colorado could be better. The biggest one is that the core is still intact.
Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Martin Necas, Devon Toews, Brock Nelson, Gabe Landeskog and Nazem Kadri are all signed for this season and beyond, with Artturi Lehkonen the one notable exception whose contract status past this season is up in the air. That gives the Avalanche a chance to add complementary pieces without having to make major swings.
They also didn’t need to chase big changes in free agency in July, and they won’t have to spend the season searching for stars they already have.
There’s value in familiarity too. This group has already shown it knows how to handle the long regular season, and that kind of experience matters.
With fewer in-season changes, the Avalanche could build even better cohesion before the playoffs. Compared with some teams trying to force their way into contention, like the Utah Mammoth, Colorado has the benefit of having lived in this environment for years.
The youth movement may end up being the swing factor. If the organization can get a middle-six scoring forward to lock down that role and produce, that would take pressure off the older players and reduce the need to fill another roster hole at the deadline.
It would also help with the financial puzzle ahead, especially with Cale Makar’s $20.4 million payday looming. More than anything, a young player or two providing real energy and impact could give the Avalanche a fresh jolt.
Colorado also has one clear area where improvement could make a major difference: the power play. The Avalanche finished 27th with a 17.1% success rate in 2025-26, and the man advantage has been a source of frustration for years.
If they can get back into the top 10, that alone would raise their ceiling. There were some signs of life in the playoffs, and with Kadri’s addition the Avalanche got up to a 20.6% conversion rate, though they scored only once on the power play in the Vegas series.
A more dangerous unit there would go a long way toward keeping Colorado’s offense among the league’s best.
In Other News...
Martin Necas Just Gave Avalanche Fans Another Reason To Love This Core
Martin Necas arrived in Colorado with the kind of upside that can change a teams ceiling, and his first full season with the Avalanche did exactly that. After being acquired from Carolina and then signing an eight-year extension in October 2025, he delivered career highs across the board, finishing with 38 goals, 62 assists and 100 points in 78 games while quickly looking like a natural fit in the Avalanches core.
The rest of the league took notice, too, with NHL Network placing him No. 49 on its top 50 players list and TSN ranking him No. 31. For Avalanche fans, the encouraging part is not just the production but the way Necas has already started to justify the long-term commitment, giving Colorado another high-end piece to build around as it keeps pushing to stay among the NHLs elite. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Face One Contract Question With Lehkonen Now
With most of their roster business settled before the NHLs Sept. 16 deadline for eight-year contracts, the Avalanche head into training camp with one major item still hanging over the books. Cale Makars record-setting extension has already reset the market at the top of the lineup, and Colorado is in the good place of starting camp with a full roster and most of its key financial decisions behind it.
The lingering question is Artturi Lehkonen, who is entering the final year of his five-year deal. His next contract is harder to pin down in a league where salaries keep climbing, and the Avalanche now have to weigh what his value looks like going forward against a cap picture shaped by the deals already in place. [Read more 🡒]
Alex Newhook Just Became An Avalanche Trade Reminder Again
Alex Newhooks rise in Montreal has quietly turned into another reminder of what Colorado gave up when it moved him out of the organization. Since arriving with the Canadiens, the former Avalanche forward has settled in as a useful middle-six piece, the kind of player teams lean on to keep the lineup moving and the offense balanced. Now Montreal has locked him up for the long term, a sign that his game has earned real trust beyond just being part of the return in a past deal.
The new four-year extension, which begins in the 2026-27 season, also shows how the Canadiens see his role growing as the cap picture changes around the league. For Colorado, it is the sort of development that naturally reopens the conversation around a familiar trade, because Newhook is no longer just a former first-round pick finding his way. He is a proven NHL regular on a team that clearly plans to keep him around. [Read more 🡒]