Sam Malinski is back at Avalanche training camp with a clear mission: keep climbing.
After a 40-point breakout last season, the Colorado defenseman isn’t interested in treating that production like a finish line. He played all 82 games and established himself as a full-time NHL blue-liner for a second straight year, but his message this week was simple - there’s more in there.
“I think there's still a lot of room to grow in my game,” Malinski said Thursday while speaking to Guerilla Sports' Jesse Montano. “So I definitely still have that hunger to just keep getting better.”
The jump he made last season was real. In his first full-time year with Colorado, he put up five goals and 10 assists for 15 points in 76 games.
Last season, that line turned into eight goals and 32 assists for 40 points over the full 82-game schedule. The offensive uptick turned him from an intriguing piece into a much more established part of the Avalanche’s defense.
Malinski’s game has always had a little snap to it. The Cornell product can skate, move the puck and create from the back end, and he’s comfortable sliding along the blue line until a shooting lane opens.
At times, his style even echoes fellow Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar, with the same kind of patient movement before firing a heavy wrister at the net. Last season made it clear that this isn’t just upside anymore - it’s part of what he brings every night.
Still, camp is about the other side of the puck.
“You go the whole summer and you work on a lot of skill stuff and shooting and all that,” Malinski said. “So just trying to dial in the little habits of, you know, going back for pucks and defending guys.”
That kind of focus has been a constant in his rise. Malinski has said before that he’s learned plenty from the Avalanche’s veteran room, picking up lessons on recovery, preparation and the day-to-day habits that keep NHL players effective over the grind of a season. Brent Burns stood out to him in particular last year.
There’s a natural curiosity to the way Malinski carries himself, which fits a player who came through Cornell and has shown a willingness to learn from everyone around him. That mindset hasn’t changed now that he’s become a regular in Colorado’s lineup.
“I don't think I need to treat it a whole lot different,” Malinski said.
He spent about a month away from hockey this offseason, heading home to Minnesota, spending time with family, watching his young nephews run around and getting some time on the golf course before getting back to work. Now the attention is back on sharpening the details that can make his game even more complete.
The numbers already say he took a big step. Malinski is acting like the next one is still waiting.
In Other News...
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For the Avalanche, the relevance is obvious. A suspension gives Winnipeg the ability to withhold payment because of the contract breach, and it has already sparked talk about where this could go next, from a possible contract dispute to trade chatter. Colorado does not have to do anything today, but with a name like Hellebuyck suddenly in a messy situation, this is the kind of opening that can change quickly. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Face A Roster Squeeze They May Not Escape Cleanly
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Some of the names in that group look more like AHL candidates than NHL locks, while others sit in a trickier gray area where the safest move on paper may still carry real downside. Colorado will have to sort through who can be exposed and who cannot, and the answers are not always obvious when a roster is this tight. The next few moves could tell just as much about the Avalanches depth chart as they do about the players themselves. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Fans Did A Double Take When Brent Burns Arrived At Camp
Brent Burns showed up at the Avalanches first media availability of training camp looking like the kind of player who can still surprise even after 22 seasons in the NHL. The veteran defenseman arrived with a noticeably cleaned-up face, a fresh trim to his signature facial hair and a smile that looked a little different, thanks to new front teeth replacing the gap-toothed grin fans have associated with him for years.
For Colorado, the visual change was the immediate conversation starter, but Burns remains very much part of the hockey story. He is entering his 23rd NHL season and is closing in on the all-time consecutive games played record while still contributing on the ice, giving the Avalanche a rare mix of durability and familiarity. The team will open its 2026-27 season on Sept. 30 against the Los Angeles Kings, and Burns will be one of the more closely watched figures when the season gets underway. [Read more 🡒]