The Avalanche’s offseason turnover has left a very different-looking roster footprint, and the list of departures tells the story of a team that kept moving pieces around well after the season ended. Some exits came through trades, some through free agency, and one came with a return to the KHL.
A few of the names were easy to see coming. Others still carry a little sting.
Valeri Nichushkin is the headliner, and for good reason. Colorado sent him to the Columbus Blue Jackets on June 25 in a deal that brought back second-, third-, and fifth-round picks.
Nichushkin finished last season with 49 points in 72 games, good for fifth on the Avalanche, and his departure lands as one of the more jarring moves of the summer. He came to Colorado in the summer of 2019 on a one-year prove-it contract, turned that into a second deal, and eventually landed a maximum-term extension.
By the time he left, he had become one of the organization’s biggest success stories and a core piece of its Stanley Cup window.
Jack Drury’s exit was less surprising, even if the timing still mattered. The Avalanche dealt Drury, Chase Bradley, and a third-round pick to the Nashville Predators on June 24 for Fedor Svechkov and Zachary L’Heureux.
Drury had 27 points in 82 games and ranked 12th on the team. Once Colorado spent much of last season extending pending free agents such as Martin Necas, Gavin Brindley, Scott Wedgewood, and Sam Malinski - while Josh Manson and Parker Kelly had already been extended a year before they could hit unrestricted free agency - Drury stood out as the exception.
He wanted more than Colorado was willing to commit, and Chris MacFarland ultimately gave him that contract in Nashville, where Drury later signed a five-year, $22.5 million deal.
Ross Colton’s path out of Colorado also wound up in Nashville. The Avalanche traded Colton and Isak Posch to the Predators on June 16 for Magnus Chrona and two third-round picks.
Colton played three seasons in Colorado, but his role shrank each year. His best run came early in 2024-25, when he was producing at a strong clip alongside Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen.
An injury interrupted that stretch, and he never fully got it back after returning.
Victor Olofsson is back where he started. Colorado traded Olofsson, Maximilian Curran, and first- and second-round picks to the Calgary Flames on March 6 in exchange for Nazem Kadri and a fourth-round pick, and Olofsson later signed a one-year, $1.638 million deal with the Vegas Golden Knights on July 1.
He gave the Avalanche useful depth scoring, though his offense cooled after a fast start. Joel Kiviranta also headed back to a former club, signing a one-year, $1 million contract with the Dallas Stars on July 1.
Kiviranta spent three seasons in Colorado and will now reunite with former Avalanche teammate Mikko Rantanen in Dallas.
On defense, Samuel Girard’s move felt like it had been building for a while. Colorado traded Girard and a second-round pick to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Feb. 24 for Brett Kulak.
The Avalanche exchanged their smaller puck-moving defenseman for a bigger, more defensive-minded veteran. Girard remains in Pittsburgh, while Kulak signed a five-year extension with Colorado at a cap hit $500,000 lower annually than Girard’s previous one.
A few other departures came in quieter fashion. Zakhar Bardakov signed with SKA St.
Petersburg of the KHL on June 17 after appearing in 60 games last season; the Avalanche extended him a qualifying offer and kept his NHL rights. Alex Barre-Boulet signed a two-year deal with the San Jose Sharks on July 1 worth $875,000 per season.
Ivan Ivan was traded to the Boston Bruins on June 27 for Fabian Lysell.
There are also two players still waiting for their next landing spot. Nick Blankenburg, acquired ahead of the March 6 trade deadline, remains an unrestricted free agent after appearing in 12 games.
T.J. Tynan, who played one game for Colorado, is also still an unrestricted free agent.
In Other News...
Avalanche Fans May Need To Rethink Fabian Lysell Fast
Fabian Lysell is the kind of summer addition that can look like a depth move in July and something much more interesting by the time camp opens. The Avalanche brought in the former first-round pick earlier this summer, and that alone gives the deal a different feel than a routine flyer. Lysell still carries the upside that made him a premium selection, which is why Colorado can view him in more than one way as it sorts out the rest of its roster.
For the Avalanche, the real question is whether Lysell can make himself hard to ignore at the NHL level. If he does, he could force his way into the conversation as a roster player rather than just another name in the system, and his place in the organization will also be shaped by the contract picture around him. Colorado does not have to decide everything right away, but the next stretch will go a long way toward showing whether Lysell is part of the plan or simply part of the asset pool. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Opening Night And Winter Classic Dates Are Finally Set
The Avalanche finally have their opening-night date set, and for the first time in franchise history theyll be kicking off a season in September. It gives Colorado a little extra runway before the grind begins, and it also locks in the kind of early-season spotlight that comes with being one of the leagues marquee teams.
Colorados calendar also now includes a Winter Classic date, adding another showcase game to a season that already has plenty of intrigue. Around the league, the Red Wings are moving on from Steve Yzerman as president and general manager, Trevor Zegras has landed a lucrative extension in Philadelphia, and Anthony Mantha is headed to the Devils, but for the Avalanche the immediate focus is on how the first stretch of the schedule will shape up once the puck drops. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Land Near Bottom Of Aggression Ranking And Fans Know Why
A new study from Casino Guru put a number to something Avalanche fans have long recognized: Colorado played with far more speed and skill than bite last season. The ranking used hits, penalty minutes, major penalties, fights, and suspensions or fines to build an Aggression Index, and the Avalanche ended up near the bottom of the NHL list, a reflection of a team that usually prefers to skate past trouble rather than lean into it.
Colorados place in the standings of that category fits the way this roster is built and the way it tries to win. The Avalanche have never been mistaken for a heavy, grinding club, and the postseason only sharpened that contrast as opponents looked for ways to make them uncomfortable physically. It also leaves an interesting comparison point for the teams that did manage to drag Colorado into a more punishing style, even if the most successful version of that approach came from a different Western Conference foe. [Read more 🡒]