Joe Sakic is staying in charge in Colorado.
Multiple reports say Sakic will remain the general manager of the Avalanche, and the search for a replacement that had been planned is no longer happening. Sakic had been serving as interim GM after Chris MacFarland left the franchise earlier this offseason, with MacFarland later hired by the Nashville Predators as GM and president of hockey operations, replacing Barry Trotz.
The decision to keep Sakic in the role comes after what had been expected to be a change at the top. Instead, reports say he was “reinvigorated” after Colorado’s season ended with a four-game sweep at the hands of the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference Final this past spring. That finish followed a huge regular season, one that brought the franchise its first Presidents’ Trophy in five years, and a run through the first two rounds of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Sakic has been part of the Avalanche front office since 2011, when he was an alternative governor. He became general manager in 2014 after being named executive vice president of hockey operations the year before, and he kept both titles through the 2021-22 season. That year, he assembled the team that won Colorado’s third Stanley Cup and its first since 2001.
After that championship, Sakic moved up to president of hockey operations and oversaw MacFarland while Colorado continued to rank among the NHL’s best teams. Even so, the Avalanche have not gotten back to the top since Sakic’s first run as GM ended, winning just three playoff series over the last four seasons.
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Avalanche Rookie Weekend Put A Few Unexpected Names On The Radar
The Avalanches rookie weekend offered the usual first look at the organizations next wave, with a practice session leading into two games at the rookie tournament. Colorado handled Anaheim 7-2 in the opener before dropping the second game to Vegas 6-5 in a shootout, giving the staff a quick early read on who looked comfortable in a fast, competitive setting.
A few names stood out along the way, including Teddy Lechner, Alex Gagne and Beckett Hamilton, each of them making enough of an impression to land on the radar coming out of the weekend. For an Avalanche system that always has to balance immediate depth needs with longer-term development, these are the kinds of early showings that can matter when training camp starts to tighten the picture. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Add A Proven Winner To A Roster Still Facing Questions
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Schwartz is now getting ready to join the group and work his way into the lineup, a process that will matter as much as the contract itself. Colorado has talent, but it also has questions, and bringing in a player who has already lived through the grind of a championship run gives the Avalanche another voice in the room as they chase the same goal again. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Camp Suddenly Has A Forward Crunch Fans Should Watch
Colorados recent rookie tournament offered a useful glimpse at two names worth tracking as camp approaches, with TJ Hughes and Taylor Makar both making a strong impression. Hughes, the Avalanches top NCAA free agent signing, is viewed as a player who should get his first NHL look at some point, while Makars path is a little different after already logging limited NHL time and showing enough to at least enter the conversation for a fourth-line role.
Their rise matters because the Avalanche are already navigating a crowded forward picture, and that kind of internal pressure can ripple through the rest of the roster. Even if both players are likely to start in the AHL because of waiver rules and cap constraints, their performance gives Colorado more options, whether that means forcing a tougher camp decision or creating added trade flexibility down the line. [Read more 🡒]