The Colorado Avalanche are heading into opening night with a hole in the lineup.
At Tuesday’s final practice at Ball Arena, the Avs worked with the same 20 skaters they used on Sunday at Family Sports Center, and Logan O’Connor and Zachary L’Heureux were still out. Head coach Jared Bednar said that’s how the club will line up for Game No. 1 against the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday night, leaving veteran defenseman Noah Juulsen to slide into the fourth line.
That gives Colorado this forward alignment for the opener:
Artturi Lehkonen - Nathan MacKinnon - Martin Necas
Gabriel Landeskog - Brock Nelson - Nazem Kadri
Jaden Schwartz - Fedor Svechkov - T.J. Hughes
Parker Kelly - Nicolas Roy - Noah Juulsen
The blue line and goaltending picture were set the same way as well:
Devon Toews - Cale Makar
Brett Kulak - Sam Malinski
Josh Manson - Brent Burns
Mackenzie Blackwood
Scott Wedgewood
Bednar also kept the special teams groups untouched from Sunday. On the top power-play unit, Necas worked the left wall, MacKinnon the right side, Hughes handled the bumper role, Landeskog stayed in front of the net, and Makar ran the point.
The second unit featured Nelson on the left wall and Kadri on the right, with Lehkonen in the bumper spot, Schwartz in front of the goal, and Toews at the top.
On the penalty kill, Kelly and Svechkov were paired together, while Roy worked with Nelson. Colorado also mixed in a few other forward combinations on the PK, which makes sense with the current injuries. O’Connor and L’Heureux are expected to be major penalty-killing pieces once they’re back, and Lehkonen should also remain part of that group.
In Other News...
Nathan MacKinnon Gave Avalanche Fans A Wild Opening Night Debate
Opening night had plenty of offense for Colorado, but Nathan MacKinnon still found a way to create a different kind of buzz. The Avalanche star dropped the gloves with Kings defenseman Brandt Clarke during the 2026-27 NHL regular-season opener, then later said he was the one who challenged Clarke after an exchange earlier in the game.
The fight did not slow MacKinnon down much from an on-ice standpoint, either. He finished with two goals in Colorados 8-4 win, turning a tense moment into just another part of a night that gave Avalanche fans plenty to talk about beyond the final score. [Read more 🡒]
Brock Nelson Just Put Early Pressure On A Key Avalanche Question
Brock Nelson wasted little time giving the Avalanche something to build on in the opening game of the 2026-27 season, scoring Colorados first goal against the Kings on the power play. It fit the pattern the Avalanche have developed over the past five years, with a different player finding the net first in each season, and it also served as an early reminder of why Nelson was such an important addition after putting up 33 goals in 81 games last season.
For Colorado, the goal did more than open the scoring. It also nudged an underlying question back into view: who will emerge as the most reliable early-season finisher and help settle the clubs offensive hierarchy as the games start to matter? Nelson answered on night one, and the Avalanche will spend the next stretch finding out whether that first strike is the start of something bigger. [Read more 🡒]
Nathan MacKinnon Sent An Early Message Avalanche Fans Loved
Opening night had the usual buzz around the Avalanche, but Nathan MacKinnon added a jolt of edge right away against the Kings. After a hit on Cale Makar, MacKinnon went after Brandt Clarke and dropped the gloves, a rare scene for a player known far more for his offense than for spending time in the penalty box.
It was MacKinnons ninth career fight and his first since 2022, a reminder that even Colorados most dynamic star can still set a tone the old-fashioned way. The Avalanche rolled to an 8-4 win, and the sequence stood out as much for what it said about the teams response as for the scoreboard. [Read more 🡒]