Nathan MacKinnon was not alone with his thoughts Saturday night.
The Colorado Avalanche had just been stunned by Mikko Rantanen and the Dallas Stars. MacKinnon and his teammates were 13 minutes from the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Now, there are 22 weeks until opening night.
“I don’t know what we’re going to do,” MacKinnon said.
“Now what?” is the feeling of the moment for the Avalanche. Last season, the Avs built a roster capable of winning the Stanley Cup, but Valeri Nichushkin’s suspension ended any hope of that.
This season, general manager Chris MacFarland undertook the most ambitious in-season remodel of a Cup contender in league history. The Avs even got captain Gabe Landeskog back. It still didn’t work.
Here are the biggest questions of what will be a long offseason for the Avalanche:
1. Will there be front office or coaching changes?
When a Stanley Cup-winning core remains very much in the prime of its contention window, everything could be on the table after a third consecutive playoff disappointment. The Avs were 13 minutes from the second round, and MacFarland likely becomes a finalist for the NHL’s GM of the year award without the Game 7 collapse.
Jared Bednar has two years left on his contract, and there are seven other NHL openings out there. Replacing him would be about a different voice, not upgrading at the position. Because there isn’t a better coach available, and plenty of competition for the ones that are.
2. Who will be the No. 2 center?
Brock Nelson is the Avs’ biggest free agent, and one of the top 3-5 in the league. The salary cap ceiling will increase to $95.5 million next season. Colorado is currently at $86.8 million, with 11 forwards, five defensemen and two goalies under contract.
The Avs have enough space to make a Nelson contract work and the ability to create a little more flexibility, if needed. Will they be willing to meet his demands? It’s no secret that his hometown Minnesota Wild will be very interested in making a pitch if he reaches the market.
What are the other options if he doesn’t sign? The other top potential free agents are Sam Bennett, who will likely cost more than Nelson, and John Tavares, who is a year older but coming off a better season.
It’s entirely possible that Charlie Coyle will be the No. 2 center on opening night if Nelson doesn’t sign, and then the Avs may be in the market for one at the deadline yet again.
3. What is the plan for Gabe Landeskog?
Landeskog played in seven games this season — five with the Avs, two with the Eagles. He was one of Colorado’s best players. It’s an incredible story. Now … is Landeskog good to go next season without any restrictions? Will he get more games in with Sweden, because the world championships are in his hometown?
If Landeskog can play as well as he did in the playoffs moving forward, the Avs will still have one of the best forward groups/offenses in the NHL next season, with or without Nelson.
4. Does Jonathan Drouin get a third contract?
Drouin was the incredible story last year. This year was a lot tougher for him. Injuries really cost him. He was a non-factor by the end of the Dallas series. What kind of market will there be for him if he reaches July 1? It’s hard to see him returning to the Avs on a heftier contract, but something close to what he was making this year ($2.5 million) could work.
5. Will the Avs trade someone under contract?
Colorado could just re-sign Nelson, Drouin or add a middle-six forward, sign a third-pairing defenseman and call it a summer. But, there could be an avenue to more flexibility and the possibility a better option at one of those two spots if the Avs trade someone off the current roster.
Two potential options are Miles Wood, whose difficult season and four years left at $2.5 million each could be a hard sell for other clubs, or Ross Colton, who has two years left at $4 million per and a no-trade clause. A real shake-up move would be something involving the next guy on this list …
6. Will Martin Necas sign an extension this summer?
Necas has one year left at $6.5 million. After 27 goals and 83 points this year, his next contract is going to include a raise. How much of one is unclear, as is whether his agent and the Avs can find the right number this offseason.
As we just alluded to, if the Avs feel like a real jolt to the roster is needed, Necas likely has the highest trade value of any player who isn’t untouchable (MacKinnon, Cale Makar and Devon Toews).
What happens next with Necas is going to become part of the long-term tale of the tape on the Rantanen trade.
7. Who fills the last spot on defense?
Makar, Toews, Samuel Girard, Josh Manson and Sam Malinski are 5/6 of a strong defense corps. Ryan Lindgren and Erik Johnson are free agents. Lindgren might be out of Colorado’s price range, just like Sean Walker was a year ago. Johnson is more of a 7/8 guy at this point, and the Avs would likely welcome him back on a one-year deal.
What type of defenseman the Avs can shop for is tied to whether or not Nelson returns, or what the plan becomes at that position. This is another spot where the Avs could start the year with one plan, but have an eye toward an upgrade ahead of the deadline.
8. Will either of the top two prospects arrive?
Defenseman Mikhail Gulyayev and goaltender Ilya Nabokov are the club’s top two prospects. Could Gulyayev be the missing defenseman? Would Nabokov sign knowing he’ll spend one year as the No. 3 and then take over for Scott Wedgewood after next season?
9. Will anyone from the Eagles find a regular role?
It doesn’t look like the Avs need reinforcements up front right now, but another step forward for Ivan Ivan or Nikita Prishchepov would make it easier for Colorado to move on from someone above them to free up cap space. Next season also might be Oskar Olausson’s last chance to prove he’s an NHL player for the Avs.
10. How will this offseason affect Cale Makar’s next contract?
Mitch Marner is the biggest name left in the free-agent class this year and could reset the market for wings. But the bigger deal is the Class of 2026, and who signs a year early. Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel and Kirill Kaprizov could all sign massive deals. And that could alter what the market looks like for the Class of 2027. Makar and Quinn Hughes, the two best defensemen on the planet, are part of that group.
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