The Colorado Avalanche now know when the season starts, and for the first time in franchise history, that opening night will come in September.
That’s the headline out of Colorado, where the team’s opening-night date has been revealed. The opponent for that game was not included, but the Avalanche will get things rolling earlier on the calendar than ever before. Colorado has also been one of the league’s strongest teams in opening-night games, which only adds a little extra shine to the announcement.
There’s more schedule news on the way later this afternoon, but one of the other marquee dates is already in place: the Winter Classic. The Avalanche will be on the road against the Utah Mammoth in that game.
Elsewhere around the NHL, Detroit made the kind of move that stops the league in its tracks. Steve Yzerman is no longer the Red Wings GM, with the organization announcing after the draft and free agency that it will begin searching for a new leader of hockey operations.
The timing is what makes it such a shock. Yzerman had already been moved upstairs, but the decision to make the change now is the part that stands out.
What it means for a Dylan Larkin trade, a Simon Edvinsson extension, and a potential Alex DeBrincat trade or extension remains to be seen.
In Philadelphia, the post-Leo Carlsson offer sheet stretch begins with a major payday for Trevor Zegras. The new contract is in place, and the focus now shifts to just how much he’ll make.
And in New Jersey, Anthony Mantha has found a new landing spot. He’s joining the Devils under Sunny Mehta’s leadership.
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 Land Near Bottom Of Aggression Ranking And Fans Know Why
A new study from Casino Guru put a number to something Avalanche fans have long recognized: Colorado played with far more speed and skill than bite last season. The ranking used hits, penalty minutes, major penalties, fights, and suspensions or fines to build an Aggression Index, and the Avalanche ended up near the bottom of the NHL list, a reflection of a team that usually prefers to skate past trouble rather than lean into it.
Colorados place in the standings of that category fits the way this roster is built and the way it tries to win. The Avalanche have never been mistaken for a heavy, grinding club, and the postseason only sharpened that contrast as opponents looked for ways to make them uncomfortable physically. It also leaves an interesting comparison point for the teams that did manage to drag Colorado into a more punishing style, even if the most successful version of that approach came from a different Western Conference foe. [Read more 🡒]