The Colorado Avalanche are one of the best teams in the NHL. Once again, it appears as if Nathan MacKinnon and his teammates are poised to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs. And with the talent on this roster, it’s hard to keep them out of the conversation for the Cup itself.
At the same time, this is not a perfect roster. In fact, one of the team’s biggest flaws is rearing its ugly head once again. The Avalanche’s offense is extremely top-heavy, and the team has little in the way of legitimate scoring depth.
To be fair, there is a little more depth this year than last. Last year, only three players had more than 50 points — Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and Mikko Rantanen. But Rantanen was traded midseason. His replacement, Martin Necas, did score at a near point-per-game pace in 28 games, and finished with 83 total points between Colorado and the Carolina Hurricanes.
So far, six players are on pace to eclipse 50 points. The improved scoring depth is welcome, but they could use a little bit more. More than this, another of the team’s long-standing issues remains unsolved: second-line center.
The Avalanche traded for Brock Nelson last season in a deal with the New York Islanders. However, he is struggling this year. One NHL writer believes the team could reunite with a former star to replace Nelson on the second line. Daily Faceoff writer Mike Gould sees Nazem Kadri as a potential fit in Denver.
“The Colorado Avalanche know all about what Kadri can bring to a team, considering that they wouldn’t have won the Stanley Cup in 2022 without his incredible playoff performances. There’s been a Kadri-sized hole in the Colorado lineup ever since he left in 2022 to sign with the Flames,” Gould wrote.
Avalanche Could Take Advantage of Calgary Flames Rebuild
Sean M. Haffey/Getty ImagesCalgary Flames star Nazem Kadri could return to the Colorado Avalanche after leaving in 2022.
Last season, the Avalanche made the playoffs. Kadri, now with the Calgary Flames, did not make it in. However, he and his Calgary teammates came as close as a team could to making it without actually qualifying. They lost out on a tiebreaker with the St. Louis Blues for the final Wild Card spot.
Unfortunately, Calgary has not had the best start to the 2025-26 NHL season. As things stand, the Flames own a record of 4-10-2. They are last in the NHL in points, trailing the Blues by two points at the bottom of the league.
Calgary has not indicated a willingness to rebuild. However, if the losses continue piling up, they may not have another choice. The Flames may need to open their roster up to the trade market. If this happens, Kadri is certainly likely to be the most sought-after player in southern Alberta.
Nazem Kadri Could Spark Colorado Once Again
The Avalanche have no shortage of star-level talent. This is a team that, as Gould pointed out, is not far removed from a Stanley Cup. At the same time, Gould is right on another point. Colorado has tried and failed to replace Kadri since he left in NHL Free Agency.
Kadri’s performance in the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs may not have been historic. But it certainly helped the Avalanche take home hockey’s ultimate prize. He scored seven goals and 15 points in 16 games that year.
Colorado needs another proven playoff performer, especially with Rantanen no longer on the team. Kadri would give them that sort of performer. And he may be able to reignite the magic of the 2022 run if he’s reunited with his Avalanche teammates this season.
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