Jared Bednar keeps landing in a strange kind of spotlight: the kind reserved for coaches who have already won big, but are still judged by what comes next.
That’s the tension around the Colorado Avalanche bench boss, who checks in at No. 4 in TheHockeyNews.com’s NHL coaches ranking. He’s not on the verge of being shown the door, not with Colorado coming off a 55-16-11 season as the NHL’s defending Presidents’ Trophy winner. But the expectations around him are enormous, and that’s exactly why his name is still getting dragged into the firing conversation.
Bednar, 54, has built a long runway in Denver. He has coached 782 career games, going 445-262-75, and has added 101 playoff games to that total.
Along the way, he’s guided the Avalanche to two Presidents’ Trophies and the Stanley Cup in 2021-22. In a league built on parity, that kind of consistency stands out.
The ranking itself is based on a coach’s short- and long-term impact, reputation and expectations, though it’s also subjective. Bednar’s resume makes the case for him pretty quickly.
He still hasn’t won a Jack Adams Award, but he finished fourth in the voting this past season. It’s hard to look at what he did and think he needed much more. The award went to Tampa Bay Lightning coach Jon Cooper, and it felt more like a career lifetime-achievement honor than a clean reflection of the season.
Colorado’s 2025-26 campaign was one of Bednar’s strongest yet. The Avalanche came flying out of the gate and went 37-9-9 before the Olympic break.
They also finished first in goals-for, fewest goals against and the penalty kill. For most of the season, they weren’t just good - they were controlling games.
Of course, Bednar isn’t doing this with a bare cupboard. Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar are generational talents, and Colorado’s blue line is one of the deepest in the NHL.
But that doesn’t make the job easy. The Central Division is a grind, and Bednar has had to keep the Avalanche ahead of the Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild while making sure the roster actually delivers on paper.
That’s where the pressure starts to creep in. When a team is this loaded, the standard isn’t just winning the division or piling up regular-season points. It’s finishing the job.
And Colorado didn’t do that. The Avalanche were swept by the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference final, a result that exposed them at the worst possible time. For a team that was clearly good enough to win the Stanley Cup, it was a jolt.
There’s also still work to do on special teams. The power play finished sixth-worst in the NHL last season, which leaves a clear area for improvement in 2026-27.
Even so, Bednar’s track record gives him protection. If Joe Sakic ever does decide to end his run in Denver, Bednar wouldn’t be waiting long for another job. Coaches who win at this level usually buy themselves time, and they buy themselves second chances.
That’s where Bednar is now: successful enough to be trusted, accomplished enough to be judged by championship standards, and good enough that anything short of another deep run will keep the heat turned up. If the Avalanche don’t reach the Cup Final next season, the conversation around him could look very different a year from now.
In Other News...
Avalanche Suddenly Have A Real Gavin Brindley Decision Looming
Gavin Brindley gave the Avalanche a useful look last season, getting into 56 games and chipping in six goals and seven assists while working in limited minutes. For a young player still trying to carve out a permanent NHL role, that kind of production matters, especially on a roster that values speed and energy and has shown it can find room for players who fit the pace.
Brindleys case is a little trickier because of how he profiles. He is smaller, but his quickness and work off the puck make him intriguing, and there is also a sense that he may be better suited on the wing than in the middle after holding his own on faceoffs. Even so, the path to a secure roster spot for 2026-27 is far from clear, with more competition coming and a decision point starting to come into view. [Read more 🡒]
Cale Makar Delay Puts Avalanches Biggest Summer Move In Focus
Cale Makars next contract has become the biggest summer item hanging over the Avalanche, even if the finish line already feels close. A trade is not the real storyline here, and both sides seem intent on getting an extension done without turning it into a public saga. The situation has the look of a top player and a contender simply working through the normal mechanics of a major deal, with Colorado hoping to lock in one of the NHLs defining defensemen for the long haul.
The delay may have more to do with timing than tension, with Makar still working back from offseason shoulder surgery. Theres also a sense that the important part may already be settled, leaving only the formal signing to come once everything is ready. It has a bit of the same feel as Connor McDavids recent contract talks, where the noise never quite matched the level of concern, and for the Avalanche that is probably the best sign of all. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Prospect Depth Is Real But The NHL Path Isn't Clear
The Avalanches prospect picture is deeper than it often gets credit for, and a fresh look at the organizations under-25 talent pool reinforces that there is real inventory in the system. Mile High Hockeys staff ranked the top 25 players under 25 in the organization as of Sept. 1, 2026, while also working from an extended list of 35, and the exercise turned up a few near misses who show just how crowded the path can be for young players trying to break through.
Among the players just outside the top 25 were forward Nolan Roed, goaltender Tobias Tvrznik and defenseman Saige Weinstien, each of whom drew enough notice to earn honorable mention status after recent performances that kept them in the conversation. The broader takeaway is familiar for a team trying to balance contention with development: the Avalanche may have more young talent on hand than outsiders realize, but sorting out which prospects can realistically translate that promise into NHL roles is still the hard part. [Read more 🡒]