The Colorado Avalanche have spent plenty of time near the top of the NHL in the categories that usually matter most. Last season, they finished as the league’s best regular-season team, led the NHL in goals per game at 3.63, and also paced the league in goals against per game at 2.40. That kind of balance is exactly why they walked away with the Presidents’ Trophy.
But there was one area where Colorado landed at the wrong end of the standings: aggression.
A study from Casino Guru, which ranked the NHL’s most aggressive teams in 2025-26, used hits, penalty minutes, major penalties, fights, and suspensions/fines to create an “aggression” score. Tampa Bay came out on top with an 87.89 out of 100, a number that fits the way the Lightning played last season.
Colorado, meanwhile, checked in 31st with a 10.71. That put the Avalanche near the very bottom of the league, with only the Detroit Red Wings lower at 6.80.
That doesn’t mean the Avalanche are soft. It does mean they win a different way.
Colorado isn’t built around a heavy, punishing style. The team leans much more on speed, skill, and puck possession, with Nathan MacKinnon serving as the most obvious freight train in the lineup.
The contrast also lines up with what happened in the postseason. The LA Kings and Minnesota Wild tried to wear the Avalanche down with physical play, but that approach didn’t really stick.
Vegas, though, found a more grinding answer in the Western Conference Final, and it worked. The Golden Knights ranked ninth in the Aggression Index, which helps explain why they were able to slow Colorado down when it mattered.
None of that means the Avalanche are about to change who they are. They do have some hard hitters, but this is not a team that’s going to morph into a goon squad.
In Other News...
Avalanche Fans May Need To Rethink Fabian Lysell Fast
Fabian Lysell is the kind of summer addition that can look like a depth move in July and something much more interesting by the time camp opens. The Avalanche brought in the former first-round pick earlier this summer, and that alone gives the deal a different feel than a routine flyer. Lysell still carries the upside that made him a premium selection, which is why Colorado can view him in more than one way as it sorts out the rest of its roster.
For the Avalanche, the real question is whether Lysell can make himself hard to ignore at the NHL level. If he does, he could force his way into the conversation as a roster player rather than just another name in the system, and his place in the organization will also be shaped by the contract picture around him. Colorado does not have to decide everything right away, but the next stretch will go a long way toward showing whether Lysell is part of the plan or simply part of the asset pool. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Opening Night And Winter Classic Dates Are Finally Set
The Avalanche finally have their opening-night date set, and for the first time in franchise history theyll be kicking off a season in September. It gives Colorado a little extra runway before the grind begins, and it also locks in the kind of early-season spotlight that comes with being one of the leagues marquee teams.
Colorados calendar also now includes a Winter Classic date, adding another showcase game to a season that already has plenty of intrigue. Around the league, the Red Wings are moving on from Steve Yzerman as president and general manager, Trevor Zegras has landed a lucrative extension in Philadelphia, and Anthony Mantha is headed to the Devils, but for the Avalanche the immediate focus is on how the first stretch of the schedule will shape up once the puck drops. [Read more 🡒]