The Colorado Eagles jumped out of October with a record that put them on top of the AHL’s Pacific division, and the month came with a few clear standouts driving the pace.
Through 10 games, the Eagles went 6-3-1 in a busy opening stretch of the 2026-27 season. That run featured a mix of new arrivals and familiar contributors, but a handful of names rose above the rest.
At the top of the list was goaltender Ilya Nabokov, who looks ready to be a fixture in these monthly honors. The new Colorado netminder was billed as one of the Avalanche system’s best prospects at any position, and he backed that up right away.
Nabokov opened his Eagles career with a 32-save shutout, then kept rolling from there, going 4-2-0 with a 2.16 goals-against average and a .931 save percentage. Those numbers put him in a tied lead for wins in the AHL.
The one wrinkle for Colorado is that Trent Miner is back healthy after an offseason setback, and he closed the month with a 27-save shutout in the Eagles’ final game of October.
Gavin Brindley made his own case with steady production across the month. Even after missing two games because of a call-up to the Avalanche, Brindley still finished as the Eagles’ leading point producer with nine. He posted two goals and seven assists in eight games, giving Colorado a reliable scoring presence even when he wasn’t finishing chances himself.
Adam Beckman rounded out the month’s top three. The 25-year-old veteran ended October with a team-best five goals and added one assist for six points in 10 games.
Working in a top-six role, Beckman kept supplying offense and continued to stand out as a big body who can line up anywhere in the bottom six. Given that profile, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Avalanche call on him for an opportunity.
In Other News...
Cale Makars Deal May Not Squeeze The Avalanche Much Longer
Cale Makars contract has long been one of the biggest moving parts on the Avalanches books, but the landscape around it may not stay the same for much longer. NHL salary-cap chatter has already shifted into the next decade, with league projections pointing toward a ceiling as high as $150 million by 2029-30, a change that would make todays biggest deals look more manageable in relative terms.
For Colorado, that matters because the clubs core is built around stars whose value will only keep climbing if the cap keeps rising. Nathan MacKinnon is already part of that conversation, with the possibility of another massive extension somewhere around 2030 depending on how he ages and performs by then. For now, the Avalanche can keep planning around a deal that once looked like a squeeze, but may not feel nearly as restrictive in a few years. [Read more 🡒]
Former Avalanche Pick May Finally Be Becoming What Colorado Expected
Alex Newhooks latest turn with Montreal gave a little more proof that his game is moving in the direction the Avalanche once hoped it would. In a 5-2 win over the Stars, the former Colorado first-round pick scored twice, giving him his ninth multi-goal game in the NHL and adding to a season start that has already produced six points in 13 games.
For Avalanche fans who followed Newhooks uneven path after the trade, the encouraging part is not just the scoring night itself but the trend behind it. He is building on last seasons playoff showing and doing so after injuries had slowed his progress, with signs that he may finally be settling into the kind of steady offensive role that once felt just out of reach. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Blue Line Question Just Got More Complicated At Worst Time
Sam Malinski has been trending in the right direction for the Avalanche, and his latest game alongside Brent Burns offered a pretty clear sign of progress. Head coach Jared Bednar called it Malinskis best outing of the season, which matters for a Colorado blue line that has been looking for steadier play from its younger pieces as the schedule tightens and the margin for error shrinks.
The problem is that the better Malinski looked, the more the Avalanche were reminded how fragile the defense can be in the short term. Josh Manson left with a lower-body injury and is expected to miss some time, which immediately forces Colorado to sort through lineup options before the next game. The team is waiting for more clarity on Manson, and whatever the answer is, the ripple effects could stretch beyond one night. [Read more 🡒]