Jaden Schwartz didn’t arrive in Colorado as a headline grabber. He arrived as a proven winner, and in the first four games of the season, he’s already looking like exactly the kind of forward the Avalanche wanted to add.
The 34-year-old has scored three goals in his last two games, including a two-goal night Thursday in Colorado’s 7-3 win over the Calgary Flames. One night earlier, he opened the Avalanche’s scoring in a 3-2 loss to the Winnipeg Jets. For a team that already leans on Nathan MacKinnon, Martin Necas and Cale Makar, Schwartz is giving Colorado another layer of offense without asking the stars to do all the heavy lifting.
That’s the role the Avalanche had in mind when they signed him to a three-year contract in July. Schwartz brings 15 years of NHL experience and, more importantly, a championship pedigree.
He helped the St. Louis Blues win their first Stanley Cup in 2019, and he was far more than a passenger on that run.
Schwartz scored 12 goals in 26 playoff games that spring, including two hat tricks, as St. Louis finally reached the mountaintop after more than five decades without a title.
Colorado is banking on that kind of influence again. The Avalanche signed Schwartz through the 2028-29 season, believing his experience, versatility and comfort in tough areas of the ice could help deepen the forward group.
Last season with the Seattle Kraken, injuries limited him to 50 games, and he finished with 11 goals and 26 points. Still, Colorado saw enough to make the bet.
There’s also a little irony in the fit. Schwartz spent years going up against the Avalanche as a member of the Blues, and the Central Division rivalry came with plenty of edge. Now he’s in burgundy and blue, on the other side of it all.
For Colorado, the equation is simple enough: stay healthy, stay productive, and help deliver offense when the superstars aren’t carrying the night. Schwartz has done that before, and he’s already showing he can do it again.
In Other News...
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
Miles Woods path has taken another turn, and it could bring him right back to Ball Arena. Toronto recalled the forward from the AHLs Toronto Marlies, opening the door for him to potentially make his Maple Leafs debut against the Avalanche, the team he once suited up for before getting dealt away in the offseason move that brought him to the Leafs organization.
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 🡒]