It was a busier offseason for the Colorado Avalanche than it might have seemed.
On the surface, the Avs did not make a lot of dramatic moves to alter the composition of a roster Colorado executives felt was good enough to win the Stanley Cup in early April. That doesn’t mean there weren’t a lot of changes, particularly behind the scenes, nor that the Avalanche is definitely done with its offseason shopping.
There was external pressure to shake up the Avs’ DNA after a third-straight early exit from the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but Joe Sakic and Chris MacFarland felt this group — transformed dramatically throughout last season with little time to congeal before the playoffs — deserved another chance.
Sakic, in particular, said in the hours after a Game 7 collapse against Mikko Rantanen and the Dallas Stars that he’d run it back with the same group in 2025-26 if he could. And the Avs aren’t far off from doing just that.
We are less than a month from the unofficial start of the new season — the Avs’ rookie tournament with Utah and Vegas is Sept. 12-14. Here’s a recap of what has happened during Colorado’s offseason, and what might still be to come before the Avs are back on the ice officially at Family Sports Complex.
Who are the new guys?
The only new player who will be in Los Angeles for opening night against the Kings is defenseman Brent Burns. Colorado let the opening day of free agency go by before filling its most obvious hole July 2, although where the 40-year-old Burns fits, and how coach Jared Bednar will navigate having four right-handed shooters among his top-six defensemen, remains to be seen.
Burns will cost $1 million against the 2025-26 cap for sure, with an additional $3 million owed to him after he plays 10 games. Part, or all, of that money could be pushed to the 2026-27 ledger, if needed. For some of his perceived flaws at an advanced age over the past couple of seasons with Carolina, Burns could easily be a bargain this season.
It’s possible all 12 forwards who play against the Kings will be guys who saw action with the Avs last year, even though Logan O’Connor is expected to miss the start of the season. There are a few interesting newcomers up front who could fight for a depth spot: veteran Alex Barre-Boulet, plus prospects Zakhar Bardakov and Gavin Brindley.
Who isn’t here anymore?
When the Avs decided to retain No. 2 center Brock Nelson on a three-year, $22.5 million contract in early June, they put the club in a bit of a salary cap squeeze. No. 5 defenseman Ryan Lindgren was a long shot to come back even before the Nelson contract, and he’s now in Seattle.
The big move to shed money was sending No. 3 center Charlie Coyle and depth wing Miles Wood to Columbus in a deal that netted Brindley, two draft picks and $7.75 million in cap space this season, but $2.5 million more in each of the next three.
Colorado used some of that savings to sign Burns and also bring back glue guy Joel Kiviranta on a one-year, $1.25 million pact. The one player who played for the Avs in the playoffs whose future is still unresolved is Erik Johnson, who remains an unrestricted free agent. After the Avs added Burns, it might be tough for them to carry a fifth right-shooting defenseman.
So, there were some other changes?
There will be several new faces on the ice at Avalanche training camp, including a quartet of guys in track suits.
Dave Hakstol is replacing longtime Bednar assistant Ray Bennett behind the Colorado bench. What he plans to do with the power play, and how it performs, should be a major storyline for this club after its shortcomings against the Stars in the playoffs.
One of the under-the-radar people who matter a great deal to an organization is the skills coach, who has a collection of duties. Toby Peterson left that role to become head coach of the Texas Stars in the AHL, and the Avs hired Mark Popovic to replace him. Popovic has been around the Avs plenty before this, so that transition could be smooth.
The Colorado Eagles have new faces after Aaron Schneekloth (Seattle) and Dan Hinote (Tampa Bay) both earned NHL assistant jobs. Mark Letestu, previously an assistant with the Columbus AHL club in Cleveland, is now the head coach in Loveland. Derek Army, son of ex-Avs assistant Tim Army, is up from Wheeling in the ECHL as one of Letestu’s assistants.
Brindley and Letestu worked together in Cleveland, and their arrival expands the lengthy list of connections between the two NHL franchises.
The Avs also locked up a pair of pending free agents, defenseman Josh Manson and forward Parker Kelly, with new contracts. Their potential goaltender of the future, 2024 draft pick Ilya Nabokov, also signed a two-year deal, but was loaned back to his team in Russia and will likely join the Eagles when his KHL season concludes. Nabokov could slide onto the NHL roster as Mackenzie Blackwood’s backup in 2026.
What’s left on the to-do list?
The obvious off-ice storyline is Martin Necas, who has one year left on his contract and would be an unrestricted free agent next July. How will the Avs handle the situation, particularly on the heels of sending Rantanen away?
Even with the O’Connor injury, the Avs have enough NHL players to begin the season right now. That said, Bednar probably wouldn’t mind one more bottom-six forward to give the competition for the last couple of spots a little more juice.
Keaton Middleton is probably No. 7 on the overall depth chart right now, but he’s third among the left-handed defensemen. The Avs have shown an increased level of trust in Middleton, but that’s another spot where a cheap, late addition (Jon Merrill? Ryan Suter, who is also still out there?) could pay dividends.
The obvious hole in the roster is the No. 3 center spot. A third line of Ross Colton, Jack Drury and Kelly would include three guys who are all potentially serviceable as the 3C. Maybe Drury has a step forward in his offensive game, and he locks down the spot.
More likely, that becomes a priority closer to the trade deadline in March. While a segment of the fan base might want action now, the Avs currently have something they haven’t had in years — breathing room below the salary cap.
If the Avs begin the season with 14 forwards (including O’Connor, instead of stashing him on long-term injured reserve), the seven defensemen they have now and two goalies, they should have about $2.1 million in cap space. If the Avs can get by until O’Connor returns, they can then go down to 13 forwards on the active roster and bank even more space.
That space grows every day the Avs don’t spend it, so it would be much more — and give the club much more flexibility — by late February. Just as we alluded to at the start of the shopping season, a little patience might go a long way for the Avs.
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