The Colorado Avalanche started the season worried they didn’t have enough healthy forwards. Two games later, they may be staring at the kind of problem every coach would take in a heartbeat: too many forwards for too few lineup spots.
Colorado opened 2026-27 without Logan O’Connor and Zachary L’Heureux, both out with lower-body injuries. That left Jared Bednar with only 11 healthy forwards and pushed the Avalanche into a seven-defenseman setup to begin the year.
So far, it has worked.
The Avalanche are 2-0 after two games, and they’ve done it in style, outscoring the Los Angeles Kings and St. Louis Blues 14-5. It’s a tiny sample, and the opposition hasn’t exactly been the league’s toughest early test, but the results are hard to argue with.
Now the roster picture is about to get crowded.
Bednar said after Sunday’s practice that O’Connor and L’Heureux are both getting closer to returning, and that both could possibly get into a game during the upcoming road trip.
Colorado heads to Winnipeg on Wednesday, then goes to Calgary for the second half of a back-to-back Thursday before finishing the trip in Dallas on Saturday night.
"I'd like to see both of them play on the road trip," Bednar said. "We'll see how it goes."
O’Connor practiced Sunday in a regular jersey after previously wearing a non-contact sweater, a sign that he’s nearing a return. Bringing either player back would deepen the lineup. Getting both back would force some decisions.
That’s because Colorado has been rolling with 11 forwards and seven defensemen, and the arrangement has clearly not hurt them. Shifting back to a more standard 12-forward, six-defenseman look would ease one issue, but it would also mean someone has to come out once everyone is healthy.
There are several names in the mix.
T.J. Hughes earned his NHL chance with a strong training camp and has looked steady through his first two games.
Fedor Svechkov got a bottom-six opportunity after joining the team in the offseason. Parker Kelly remains a key piece of the defense and penalty-kill structure, while Nicolas Roy has already made an offensive impact.
Then there’s O’Connor, who brings speed, forechecking and penalty-killing ability and can move around the lineup. He’s not the kind of player who sits and watches from the sidelines.
L’Heureux adds a physical edge and was brought in during the offseason to provide young depth.
That leaves Colorado with more players than spots.
It’s not a bad issue to have, but it is an issue.
And just like training camp suggested, Hughes is the name to watch. The 24-year-old played his way onto the Opening Night roster after posting five points in three preseason games, including a hat trick against Winnipeg.
He already cleared the first hurdle by making the team. That part is done.
Hughes is waiver-exempt, which means Colorado could send him to the AHL without risking losing him for nothing on waivers. But that doesn’t mean Bednar has to use that option.
The Avalanche didn’t keep Hughes around just to fill space. He earned the spot, and nothing he has done in the first two games has suggested he should be the first one out.
Still, with O’Connor and L’Heureux closing in, Colorado is going to have to make room somewhere. And waiver status may end up being the detail that decides it.
In Other News...
Avalanche Still Have One Lineup Issue Hanging Over Winnipeg
The Avalanche are still working through their forward depth picture as they get ready for Winnipeg, with Logan OConnor and Zachary LHeureux both drawing attention as availability questions. If the group stays at 12 forwards, Colorado will head into a tough divisional matchup with a lineup that could look a little thinner than planned, and that matters against a Jets team that usually makes opponents earn every shift.
It is the kind of early-season issue that can shape more than one game, especially for a team trying to keep its lines intact while juggling health and availability. The Avalanche are used to being judged by the big-picture expectations, but for now the immediate concern is simply who can suit up against Winnipeg and how much flexibility they will have if those updates break the wrong way. [Read more 🡒]
Nathan MacKinnon Suddenly Has The Help Colorado Needed Most
The Avalanche did not spend much time easing into the season, and Nathan MacKinnon had plenty of company in the offensive explosion that followed. Colorado put up 14 goals in its first two games, tying a franchise record, and the latest outburst came in a 6-1 win over the St. Louis Blues. Martin Necas stood out with two goals and an assist, giving the lineup another dangerous piece to go with MacKinnon and Artturi Lehkonen.
For Colorado, that kind of support matters as much as the scoring itself. The top line combined for three goals and eight points against St. Louis, and the Avalanche backed it up with strong defensive play, a combination that has long been the formula for October success. If Necas can keep fitting into that mix the way he has so far, the Avalanche may have found exactly the kind of help MacKinnon needed most. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Hot Start Is About To Face Its First Real Test
The Avalanche got a soft landing to open the season, with just two games in the books over the first week and enough time to bank extra recovery and practice work. That lighter schedule has helped Colorado ease into the year, but the pace is about to change fast as a demanding three-games-in-four-nights stretch arrives, with Winnipeg, Calgary and Toronto waiting in sequence.
Colorado will have to lean on its depth and handle the workload carefully over the next few days, especially with forwards Zachary L'Heureux and Logan O'Connor back in the mix. The goaltending rotation also figures to matter, with Scott Wedgewood expected to get a start as the Avalanche try to stay sharp through a run that should reveal a lot more about their conditioning and roster flexibility. [Read more 🡒]