The Nashville Predators have made their intentions pretty clear: they want to build something that looks a lot like the Colorado Avalanche.
That starts with the front office. Nashville brought in Chris MacFarland from Colorado, then followed that by picking apart the Avalanche roster with Jack Drury and Ross Colton. Those moves were only on the table because Colorado was dealing with a cap crunch, and Nashville was ready to take advantage.
But wanting to copy the Avalanche and actually matching them are two very different things.
The Predators still don’t have the kind of top-end firepower Colorado rolls out every night. Nashville can point to a strong core in Filip Forsberg, Roman Josi, and Juuse Saros, but that group doesn’t match the superstar punch of Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar.
Josi is a 100-point defenseman and a former Norris Trophy winner, which puts him in rare company. Even so, there’s still a clear gap between him and Makar, who sits in the top three blueliners in the world.
Josi is excellent. Makar is in another tier.
The same goes up front. Ryan O’Reilly and Steven Stamkos are high-end players, but they still don’t quite stack up with Colorado’s biggest difference-makers.
Where Nashville may be closing the gap is depth. After a rough start in 2025-26, the Predators found their footing and spent time in the playoff picture before fading late. This time around, the roster looks more stable on paper and built to hold up better over the course of a full season.
The additions of Mavrik Bourque, Alexander Kerfoot, Nils Hoglander, Vatali Pinchuk, and Ilya Lyubushkin should help in that regard. MacFarland also brought in a couple of former Colorado Eagles players in Chase Bradley and Jack Ahcan, adding even more familiarity to the mix.
That doesn’t mean Nashville is suddenly ready to chase down the top three in the Central Division. But the Predators do look like a team that should be in the wild card conversation, and that’s enough to make them a club Colorado has to keep an eye on.
The Avalanche may still be the model. The Predators are still trying to become one. And in a division this brutal, even that much can make things tougher for everybody else.
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 🡒]