Why the Colorado Avalanche's First Month of the 2025-26 Season Could Define Their Entire Year

The Colorado Avalanche open the 2025-26 season with a balanced schedule, offering the team an opportunity to get off to a strong start.

The NHL officially released its 2025-26 regular season schedule on Wednesday. While the schedule release is part of the offseason business, the fact is that the Avalanche now have something to look ahead to.

In particular, the first month will be crucial for the Avalanche’s success this upcoming season.  

The Avalanche open the season on the road against the LA Kings on October 7. Winning the season opener is a must for Colorado. The Avalanche need to get the first win of the season out of the way immediately. The last thing the Avalanche need is another 0-4 start like this past season.

Then, the Avs head back to Colorado for the home opener against the Utah Mammoth on October 9. Two nights later, the Avalanche will face Mikko Rantanen and the Dallas Stars. This game is another must-win to set the tone for the Avalanche’s season.

Losing to Rantanen and the Stars on October 11, while hardly devastating in the standings, would be atrocious for the team’s confidence. The Avalanche need to get some form of revenge on the Stars following their heartbreaking playoff exit this spring.

The Avalanche then play three winnable games from October 13 to 18. They play the Buffalo Sabres, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Boston Bruins. Colorado must at least take two of these three games in order to get off on the right foot.

The following week, the Avs face the Mammoth once again, the Carolina Hurricanes, and then the Bruins once again. It’s worth noting the Avalanche will face the Bruins on back-to-back Saturday nights.

Colorado closes out the month with a back-to-back set with the New Jersey Devils and one game against the Vegas Golden Knights on Halloween.

That’s 12 total games to open the season’s first month. The schedule looks balanced and offers the Avalanche a chance to get off to a strong start.

Colorado Avalanche could realistically win seven to nine games to start season

The Avalanche have a realistic shot at winning seven to nine of their first 12 games of the season. The Avs play the Bruins twice, Utah twice, Columbus once, and Buffalo once. It’s not to say that these teams are pushovers. But they are certainly winnable games.

The Avs will face their toughest challenges against the Golden Knights and the Stars. Plus, the back-to-back set against the Devils could go either way.

As such, Colorado has a solid chance to go 9-3 in their first month. Even going 7-5 to open the season would be a solid way to come out strong out of the gate.

Most importantly, the Avalanche cannot afford to drop winnable games early in the season. Doing so could make it hard for the Avs to make up for lost ground. This season, the Central Division looks to be a highly competitive one.

That’s why getting the most points out of the first month will be crucial to the team’s overall success in the 2025-26 season.