The Colorado Avalanche have opened the 2026-27 season with a burst of offense that has put them in a class all by themselves. Through four games, they’ve piled up 23 goals and gone 3-1, a pace no NHL team had matched to start a season since the 1993-94 Los Angeles Kings.
That Kings team had Wayne Gretzky and Barry Melrose, and Gretzky still posted a league-best 130 points. Even so, Los Angeles finished 27-45-12. Colorado’s start is drawing the kind of attention that comes with big numbers, but the Avalanche are after something far bigger than a hot first week.
T.J. Hughes has been part of the early surge, and he sees the room’s talent as the engine behind it all.
"Just the talent, the IQ in this room, and then guys just bearing down (and) scoring," Hughes said. "I know it's early. So got to keep that up and try to get the scoring touch with everyone, but I would just say the talent overall in the group, everyone's just so good."
Hughes also picked up the first point of his NHL career in Colorado’s 7-3 win over Calgary. At 6:34 of the third period, with the Avalanche already up 6-1, he received a pass from Brett Kulak and quickly fed Jaden Schwartz in the slot for the finish.
"It felt great," Hughes said. "Great pass to me and then I saw (Schwartz) in the slot there and great shot by him."
He said the line’s growing chemistry has come from talking through things on the bench, especially since he had never played with those two teammates before.
"I think just talking on the bench, a lot of communication," he explained. "I've never played with these two guys.
Great players, but, like, takes time to get the chemistry. So yeah, a lot of communication, they're just reading off each other.
So it's been working so far and it's gotta keep it up."
Colorado’s early scoring has come from all over the lineup, not just the usual headliners. Nathan MacKinnon leads the team with eight points, while Jaden Schwartz and Cale Makar have six apiece. Parker Kelly has five points through four games, and Devon Toews has already scored twice after not getting his first goal last season until Colorado’s 25th game.
Toews set the tone against Calgary with the opening goal at 15:54 of the first period, redirecting a Makar pass past Flames goalie Devin Cooley. Calgary briefly tied it, but Toews answered again in the second period to put Colorado back in front.
That second goal came on a wrist shot from the point that found its way through traffic and beat Cooley for a 2-1 Avalanche lead. Makar then added one of his own, MacKinnon made it 4-1, Makar scored again early in the third, and Schwartz finished the sequence off Hughes’ setup to push it to 6-1.
"Winning's fun. It's what you're trying to do," Toews said. "So anytime we help our team win is what we're going out there to do."
He also pointed to Makar’s role on the first goal, saying the defenseman delivered the puck exactly where it needed to be.
"I'm trying to give him an option and allow him to pick and choose what he wants to do," Toews said. "So, yeah, really nice play by him."
Calgary scored twice in the third period, but the Avalanche had already done the damage. The win moved them to 3-1, and while four games is only a snapshot, Colorado has already shown it can score with more than just its stars. MacKinnon and Makar are driving the attack, Toews is producing from the blue line, and players like Kelly and Hughes are giving the Avalanche more layers.
It’s a historic start. The real test is whether Colorado can keep that pressure on and turn it into another deep Stanley Cup run.
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Avalanche Send An Early Message With One Defense Decision
Sam Malinskis start to the season has quickly become one of the more interesting roster storylines for the Avalanche, especially for a player who was such a steady presence a year ago. After playing every game last season and earning a four-year extension, he found himself on the outside looking in as Jared Bednar shuffled the blue line and gave Noah Juulsen a shot in a recent matchup with Calgary.
The move fit the message Bednar has been sending early: no one on the defense is locked into anything if the play is not there. Juulsens insertion came in a 7-3 win over the Flames, and while the Avalanche clearly like Malinskis long-term profile, his early struggles have opened the door to more competition than he has faced since establishing himself. For a team trying to settle its defensive mix, that is a reminder that recent performance can matter more than what happened last spring. [Read more 🡒]
Former Avalanche Forward Suddenly Has A Shot To Return At Ball Arena
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For Colorado fans, Woods name still carries a memorable playoff imprint after his overtime winner in Game 1 of the 2024 second-round series against Dallas. Now theres at least a chance he surfaces in Denver again, this time in a different sweater and in a different role than the one Avalanche supporters remember, with his Toronto debut still hanging in the balance. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Reunion Night Comes With One Intriguing Lineup Twist
The Avalanche will get a familiar visit to Ball Arena when the Maple Leafs roll into town carrying a couple of old Colorado faces on the roster. Nick Blankenburg and Miles Wood both have recent ties to the franchise, and their presence adds a little extra texture to a night that already has a reunion feel for fans who still remember them in burgundy and blue.
Blankenburg is the more interesting name to watch because Toronto may need him to step in after an injury to Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Wood is also back with the big club after a recent AHL recall, though he is not expected to play, which leaves one small lineup wrinkle still worth monitoring before puck drop. [Read more 🡒]