Instead of advancing forward and contending for a Stanley Cup in the 2025 Playoffs, the Colorado Avalanche have some thinking to do. Since being eliminated by the Dallas Stars, the team has already made a decision on head coach Jared Bednar, announcing that he will remain the team’s coach after their disappointing exit.
Despite falling in Game 7, the Avalanche have the pieces in place to remain contenders in the immediate future. Though the Avalanche have their needs and a lot of things can happen in the offseason, they should remain contenders at least through the 2025-26 season and here’s why.
A Better Start to the Season
Going into the 2024-25 season, the Avalanche had more questions than answers. Seemingly half the lineup had injury woes, Valeri Nichushkin was still suspended, and though confidence wasn’t exactly high on the goaltending tandem they had, no one could know how bad things would be with Alex Georgiev as the default starter.
The Avalanche began the season winless in their first four games, and looked like Jekyll and Hyde, crushing teams before coming out flat and giving up a bushel of goals. It is safe to assume that they will have a better start to the 2025-26 season, and that could be the difference.
They may not have won the Central Division anyway, given the historic start the Winnipeg Jets had. It’s also safe to assume that they won’t be that hot to start 2025-26. The Avalanche, with a chance to win the division, could set themselves up to be in a much better position when the playoffs roll around.
Avalanche Still Have Two Gamechangers
There are always rumors attached to teams like the Avalanche, especially when a potential superstar becomes available. Depth in the NHL matters, but the teams that end up standing out deep into the season have the best individual players in the game. The Avalanche have two of them in Cale Makar and Nathan MacKinnon.
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MacKinnon, fresh off his first Hart Trophy season, was in contention to win his first Art Ross Trophy as the NHL’s scoring leader until sitting out the final three games of the season. He led the NHL with 84 assists and finished second with 116 points. When he turns it on, there are maybe two players in the league that can match him.
Makar, meanwhile, became just the second defenseman in 30 years to hit the 30-goal plateau. With 92 points, he earned a Ted Lindsay Award nomination and is clearly the frontrunner for the Norris Trophy. Quinn Hughes may challenge him for “best defenseman” honors when healthy, but Makar is the man right now.
Having a pair of gamebreakers is something very, very few teams can match. That alone gives the Avalanche an advantage on any given night, especially if both of them are clicking and using unmatched speed to dominate defenders.
Goaltending Will Be a Strength in 2025-26
Perhaps the single biggest reason that the Avalanche can contend in 2025-26 is because of their current goaltending situation. Entering this season, the Avalanche felt fine with Georgiev, only to see him completely fall apart to begin the season and never really recover.
With the tandem of Mackenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood, the Avalanche went a combined 35-16-4 after being acquired in separate trades. Blackwood, especially, emerged as a potential dark horse candidate for the Vezina Trophy, and took a major step forward as “the man” for the Avalanche.
It was clear early in the season that the Avalanche, particularly MacKinnon and Makar, had to press because of how bad the goaltending was. Exerting that kind of effort no doubt took a toll on them, and they had to feel it as the season wore on. With vastly improved goaltending to start the season, the Avalanche should play with more confidence and find much better results along the way.
Important Decisions Ahead
The Avalanche have a few important decisions to make, especially potentially re-signing Brock Nelson. He fit in well as the second-line center, a sore spot for the Avalanche since Nazem Kadri left a few seasons ago. With no clear replacement ready among prospects, bringing back Nelson or finding a suitable option will be pivotal.
The Avalanche have too much talent across the board not to be a contender again. They have some holes to fill, and better seeding may have helped them avoid arguably the best team in the Western Conference in the first round. It’s time to move forward, gear up for 2025-26, and get ready to be better from start to finish.
