Brock Nelson’s 2025-26 season had just about everything a player can pack into one winter: an Olympic gold medal, a 1,000-game milestone, a 30-goal campaign and a finalist nod for the Frank J. Selke Trophy.
That Selke recognition fits the shape of his year. The award goes “to the forward who best excels in the defensive aspects of the game,” and Nelson backed it up with the kind of all-around production that made him stand out in more than one way. Among players who took at least 500 face-offs in 2025-26, he was one of 10 to score at least 30 goals while winning at least 50% of those draws.
His first full season with the Avs was loaded with impact on both ends. Nelson finished with 65 goals and 32 assists in 81 regular-season games, while ranking third among Colorado forwards in shorthanded ice time for the NHL’s best penalty kill.
He was also on the ice for only 10 power-play goals against. And when games tightened up, he delivered there too: Nelson tied for third in the NHL with nine game-winning goals, including an overtime goal against the Washington Capitals on March 22.
The international stage brought another layer to the season. At Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, Nelson posted three points, with two goals and one assist, and played a key role on the United States men’s team’s perfect penalty kill.
That effort helped the U.S. win its first Olympic gold medal since 1980. Nelson also joined a remarkable family line, becoming one more Christian to win Olympic gold for the United States men’s hockey team, alongside his uncle Dave Christian, grandfather Bill Christian and great uncle Roger Christian.
The milestones kept coming. Nelson reached 600 career points on November 29 and then picked up his 300th career assist on December 31.
He also found plenty of rhythm across the season, stringing together eight multi-game goal streaks, including three separate three-game scoring runs. Those were part of his 12 multi-game point streaks, highlighted by a seven-game run from December 27 through January 8, when he piled up 12 points on seven goals and five assists.
Nelson heads into 2026-27 with 1,001 games played, 334 goals, 318 assists and 652 points.
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 Opening Night And Winter Classic Dates Are Finally Set
The Avalanche finally have their opening-night date set, and for the first time in franchise history theyll be kicking off a season in September. It gives Colorado a little extra runway before the grind begins, and it also locks in the kind of early-season spotlight that comes with being one of the leagues marquee teams.
Colorados calendar also now includes a Winter Classic date, adding another showcase game to a season that already has plenty of intrigue. Around the league, the Red Wings are moving on from Steve Yzerman as president and general manager, Trevor Zegras has landed a lucrative extension in Philadelphia, and Anthony Mantha is headed to the Devils, but for the Avalanche the immediate focus is on how the first stretch of the schedule will shape up once the puck drops. [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 🡒]