“I made a couple of nice plays and got a couple of shots on that (Kings crease) and obviously was lucky to get one,” Avalanche forward Nicolas Roy reflected when asked about his scrappy overtime goal, the one sending Colorado into Los Angeles on Thursday night with a 2-0 series lead.

“But again, I like to be in this area (of the crease), and a lot of those goals are scored there. So I try to be there as much as I can.”

The Nic of Time came 7:44 into overtime late Tuesday, not long after the referees had gifted the K.O. Kings a 1-0 cushion — forcing Marty Necas to go reverse 5-hole with Gabe Landeskog and claw the Avs back.

The 6-foot-4 Roy, acquired from Toronto for a first-round pick at the trade deadline this past March, is built like the girder of an old-time baseball park. He’s strong, lean, sturdy, and hard as all heck to see around during parts of the action.

In the Colorado spirit, once Big Nic started camping in Los Angeles goalie Anton Forsberg’s crease, it was only a matter of time before somebody started a fire. While Roy and Kings defender Brandt Clarke swapped shoves in front of the L.A. net, the Avs’ Josh Manson collected a feed from Nazem Kadri, cocked his stick back, and fired from the blue line.

With that, Brandt blocked Manson’s wrister, only to lose the rubber as it trickled under him. An alert Roy leaned in and shoveled the loose puck past Forsberg to end one of the weirdest playoff nights in Ball Arena history.

“(Roy has) been awesome,” Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon said later. “I mean, he’s a great player. He’s a really smart player, awesome guy. (Joel Kiviranta) almost scored right before him, and then (Roy) found a way to get it done.”

Avs 2, Kidney Punch Kings 1. They found a way. They found a Roy, in spite of it all. Hockey justice is supposed to be blind in April. But not nearly as blind as the zebras that worked Avs-Kings Game 2.

Artemi Panarin lofted the puck over Colorado net-minder Scott Wedgewood on the power play with 6:56 left in the third period to break the deadlock, giving the underdogs a 1-0 lead. But ain’t it funny how officials didn’t notice the cross-check in front of the Avs goal, as Los Angeles’ Scott Laughton shoved Devon Toews halfway to Littleton?

Cale Makar? Elbow to the chin.

Marty Necas? Elbow to the nose.

That second one, a cheap shot by the Kings’ Mikey Anderson, is a felony in 45 states. On Tuesday, it was two minutes for roughing.

From four blind mice in stripes to in-game stadium repair, it turned into one long, strange trip of an evening. The second period had a little bit of everything. Everything, that is, except a goal.

Some goaltenders raise the roof. Wedgewood rattled the windows — helping to break the glass that separates Avs fans from the Kings’ bench.

Not directly, mind you. See, roughly 3:12 into the second stanza, Wedgie stoned a penalty shot awarded to the Kings’ Quinton Byfield, the result of a particularly curious call on Cale Makar. The Avs goalie dove hard to his left, extending a glove to stop the Los Angeles forward’s backhanded try.

With that, the superb gave way to the surreal. Ball went justifiably bonkers over Wedgewood’s stop. So bonkers, in fact, that the glass partition behind the L.A. bench completely shattered due to repeated banging by Avs faithful. The collision sent a shower of shards into the back and shoulder of unsuspecting Kings coach D.J. Smith and his staff.

And cue the oddest of odd playoff delays. The away bench had to be cleared as cleaning and maintenance crews rushed in to sweep up debris. New glass was installed after a 17-minute delay, during which both teams remained on the ice.

In hindsight, the stoppage might have slowed down a chance for the Avs to immediately capitalize on the juice generated from Wedgewood’s penalty save.

“That’s a different one,” said Avs coach Jared Bednar, who took a stray puck to the face against Vegas earlier this month. “I mean, stuff happens.”

The rough stuff happened early and often. Manson separated Laughton from his spine with 10:28 to go in the first. After Wedgewood smothered a Trevor Moore wrister on a Kings 2-on-1, a full-scale donnybrook exploded near the Colorado net.

Once order was restored, the assailants skated to the Los Angeles end of the ice. But not all — Necas got sandwiched between the Kings’ Mathieu Joseph and Anderson at center ice, a collision punctuated by Anderson reaching up to elbow the Avs winger right between the nostrils.

Meanwhile, Artturi Lehkonen boarded a dude behind the Los Angeles net with the subtlety of an Estes Park elk. Somebody grabbed Sam Malinsky, and we had another scrap, only on the other end, and with everybody on the dance floor.

When the dust settled for a second time, Brett Kulak got four minutes — two for roughing, another two for cross-checking — in the box, and Anderson only had to serve two in his box on a roughing charge.

Nevertheless, the chippy persisted. The Kings’ 6-foot-5 forward Jeff Malott bopped the 6-foot Makar in the face with 4:18 left in the opening period as they hovered above Wedgewood’s crease just before a stoppage in play.

Necas got a little of his back in the Avs’ last possession of the opening 20 minutes, shoving Anderson into the boards behind the Kings’ net a few seconds ahead of the stanza-ending horn. Why should Vegas and Utah have all the fun?

“I guess I’d better keep my head up, huh?” . “No bicycles on the highway.”

The goalie duel continued, even as the Avs generated a 3-on-1 with 4:26 left in the second stanza, a rush that had the natives rising to their collective feet again.

Only Necas dished to Landeskog rather than ripping one while he had a good look. That little hesitation gave Forsberg enough time to snuff out the danger.

Shoot, Marty!

Ah, shoot, Marty.

Playoff Necas rebounded. With 3:35 left in regulation and the Avalanche down, 1-0, Marty camped out behind Forsberg’s left shoulder, waited for help, and found an open Landy cutting into the crease. No. 88 slipped a perfect diagonal pass between Forsberg’s leg pads and onto the stick of the Captain, who didn’t miss — lighting the lamp and sending another grindy contest into overtime.

In case of awful officiating, just break glass. And call on Roy to clean up the NHL’s mess.

“I’m joining a group of guys (in Colorado) that have built something really good here,” Saint Nic said of Avs life. “(I’m) just trying to chip in as much as I can, help these guys out in any way I can.”

No bicycles on this highway, kids. Here today. Goon tomorrow.

Thump Detroit 5-0 in Motown. Come home and get blanked by those same Wings, 2-0, some 48 hours later. Who flips from cooking like Gordon Ramsay on a Saturday to playing with their food on a Monday night?

Teams without a captain, that’s who.

“You know, you try to help out wherever you can, but at the end of the day, there’s only so much you can do (from the bench),” Landeskog said last week. “You want to be out there on the ice. You want to compete with the guys. You want to be a part of it. But, yeah, you’re a sounding board. You’re a part of it. You’re in some of the meetings. You’re not in others. Keeping sane really hasn’t been an issue for me.”

The Avs will be well-represented at the Winter Olympics over the next two weeks. Save your rosary beads — and your sanity — for whenever Sweden comes on the TV. Landeskog, the Colorado captain who hasn’t played since January 4 after suffering a nasty upper-body injury against the Panthers, intends to suit up for his home country soon — then use it as a launch point for the second half of the Avs’ season.

We don’t know how Landy will look in Italy with the Swedish national team. Or how long it’ll take him to find his feet. But we do know this: The Avs have been a rudderless ship without him. We know how badly they need him back in one piece at the end of the month.

“You just see the impact that (Landeskog) has,” told me by phone a few days ago. “He’s still such an effective player, and with him being out all this time, it just kind of throws a little bit of a curveball at coach (Jared) Bednar and the lineup. And some guys are playing spots probably higher up (in the lineup) than they should.”

For the last month, the Avs have too often resembled their spring 2023 form, that bunch who’d tried to defend the Stanley Cup with all speed and no soul. They’ve lacked focus, poise and physicality. The power play has gone from historically bad to hysterically inept.

Midseason slumps are inevitable during the marathon of an NHL regular season. And the Avs’ latest funk is about more than one guy, we’ll grant you. Like the Nuggets and Aaron Gordon, we’ve gotten used to not seeing Landeskog in the lineup. But like AG, isn’t it funny how the captain seems to make everything else in the rotation sort of … come together? And not just in the box score?

“I felt like (Landy’s) game was just starting to get to a really good spot before he got hurt, which was disappointing,” Bednar said recently. “Now he’s missed significant time again. No. 1, I’m excited that he’s going to be able to go and play (in the Olympics). No. 2, I think, for him playing those games, he’ll just come back sharp and ready to go for us. So that’s a good thing, instead of missing another three weeks with a break and then trying to get up to speed after two months off.”

On Jan. 4, the Avs took the ice in Sunrise, Florida, against the Panthers. At one point, Landeskog appeared to lose his left skate and went careening into the net and end boards.

The Avs haven’t been the same since. Colorado had a record of 31-2-7 that Sunday morning. With no Landy, they’ve gone 6-7-2. Over the last 10 games before the Olympic break, they went 4-5-1.

And it’s the grindy stuff where they’ve felt it the most. During that 4-5-1 stretch, they’ve taken 23 hits per game from their opponents. They’d gotten hit 20 times per game over the previous 45. In the 41 games before Jan. 5, Colorado ranked 18th in power-play goal difference (plus-18) and 26th in power-play scoring percentage (16.3%).

Since Landy’s injury, Colorado ranks last among NHL teams in power-play goals scored (four in 14 games), last in power-play goal difference (zero) and last in power-play scoring percentage (10.5%).

On Jan. 3, the Avs scored two power-play goals early in the third period to rally past Carolina on the road, 5-3. In the 15 games that followed, they’ve scored four goals with an extra man. Total.

told me Friday that he thinks this is just one of those rocky stretches that every team goes through — especially in the dog days of late January.

“Listen, they’ve played the last three seasons without (Landeskog),” Johnson noted, “to good regular-season success.”

True. But postseason success? Not so much. The Avs can skate circles around bad teams, and even most of the good ones. Yet the great ones, once in the playoffs, are inevitably going to slow things down — and try to drag the burgundy and blue into the mud right along with them.

Dallas. Vegas. Bums, the lot. Yet to survive and advance in the playoffs, you’ve got to be able to play ugly. To cash in on special teams. To do the talking with your elbows. Your shoulders. And even your fists, when necessary.

Which is why there’s more to Landeskog’s presence than a stat line of seven goals and 22 points over 41 appearances so far in ’25-26. When Gabe’s right, he’s everybody’s big brother. A calming voice who’s seen everything in the game twice over. A protector who will demand the best from his brothers, but also happily throw down if another team ever dares to mess with them. A counterpoint to Nathan MacKinnon’s relentless drive and blunt, flinty persona.

“They’ve really missed him here this last stretch (of games) because he does have the ability to change the game, to change the momentum of a game,” Olczyk continued. “If you need a guy to stand in front of the net, if you need a big hit, he can do that.”

They need both. Oh, how they’ve missed both. Get healthy. Get nasty. Get right. Without a captain on the bridge, this glorious ship could sink into the springtime again. And take the last gasps of a dynasty right along with it.

It was a gathering of MacKinnon’s friends and teammates, past and present. The guy destined to hear the loudest boos at Ball Arena this season, Mikko Rantanen, was one of them.

“It was great,” Rantanen said Friday after the Dallas Stars practiced at Ball Arena ahead of their first showdown with the Colorado Avalanche this season. “Unreal setup and a lot of fun hanging out with the guys. It was a short flight for me, so it was easier for me than some of the others.

“Hockey is still my job, but off the ice, especially in early August, we’re not really thinking about the season stuff or whatever happens. It was not really awkward.”

The passion from fans is a huge part of what makes sports so special. The unpredictability, the spectacle, the emotions any one game can produce — all of it was on display last season during the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Dallas and Colorado waged an incredible seven-game war, with multiple overtimes, a remarkable comeback from Avalanche captain Gabe Landeskog and phenomenal performances by superstar players.

But when it’s over, the players are able to put those emotions aside. When they use a phrase like “it’s part of the business,” it’s because they’ve been through enough situations like it before, even when a beloved teammate like Rantanen is involved.

“I just think it highlighted and proved once again that some things are bigger than hockey,” Landeskog said of seeing Rantanen at MacKinnon’s wedding. “Friendships are one of those things. Whatever team he’s playing for, it����ap not going to change my friendship or anything like that. I think we’ve talked enough about understanding both sides of it in the business, and it����ap past us.

“I don’t know what else there is to say, other than I love the guy. I loved playing with him. I loved competing with him and having him on our team. Now, he’s not on our team. He’s moved on. We’ve moved on.”

Of course, it wasn’t just that the Stars defeated the Avalanche for the second straight season and a third time in six years. Or that it was a Game 7.

How it transpired will make it one of the most memorable Game 7s in NHL history. The Avs played a near-perfect road game for about 47 minutes and held a 2-0 lead at American Airlines Center. Then Rantanen, a once-beloved figure in Denver who was traded to Carolina in January and then again to Dallas just before the trade deadline, scored three goals and assisted on another in a stunning 4-2 victory for the Stars.

“It was a hard series against Colorado,” Rantanen said. “Probably the tightest series, with the back and forth, went to seven games. It was weird for me. I was happy to move on and help the team in Game 7. I think you look back and I was able to help my team in that moment, which was important.”

Now, Rantanen returns to Denver this weekend for the first time since Game 7. He still owns a house here, and an apartment downtown — with current Avs forward Joel Kiviranta as his tenant.

There was a bit of a mixed reaction at Ball Arena when Rantanen first returned with the Stars during the regular season, shortly after the second trade in March. It was mostly positive, particularly the ovation after a tribute video.

He was fully expecting that to not be the case Saturday night.

“Yeah, I am prepared for that,” Rantanen said Friday afternoon. “I understand totally their view. It����ap kind of a rival team, divisional matchup, and two years in a row in the playoffs. Not a lot of Avs fans probably don’t like the Stars, so I understand if they don’t like me either. That����ap how it goes. But I had a good 10 years here, so I’m happy for that.

“Ten years is a long time. We won in ‘22. It����ap always going to be fun to come here, and always have a lot of respect for the fans and how supportive they were in 10 years here. They were really good to me for 10 years, so only good thoughts about the fans.”

It is only the third game of a long regular season for the Avalanche. The Avs don’t see Dallas again until March 6, the day of the trade deadline. The two sides will see each other three times in the final month of the season.

Both clubs know the chances of a third straight postseason battle are pretty high. One member of the Stars noted on Friday before the team’s practice, “We’ll probably be back here again” during the 2026 playoffs.

“They beat us in the playoffs. They crushed our dreams last year,” Landeskog said. “It is a little bit different than just a regular game No. 3 against any opponent. They’re going to want to prove themselves, and we’re going to want to do the same. I guess it����ap a little bit more at stake, and I think that����ap the way it should be.”

Johnson, who announced his retirement Wednesday after 17 seasons in the NHL, revealed his near-future plans Monday at a news conference to reflect on a career that included more than 1,000 NHL games and a Stanley Cup championship in 2022.

One of the most popular players in Colorado Avalanche history, “EJ” will spend time during the 2025-26 season on local television screens while also exploring other roles in hockey. He’s going to be an analyst for Altitude Sports, which includes commentary on University of Denver and Air Force games, plus some work in the studio for Avalanche contests.

Noting the great relationship he has with Philadelphia Flyers general manager Daniel Briere, Johnson is also going to do some scouting for that franchise. He has another venture in the works as well, but couldn’t reveal those details Monday.

“I’m going to kind of try and do a few different things this year and see what I like,” Johnson said at Family Sports Center. “That’s kind of where I’m at, not going to try and overwhelm myself. I’m going to try and do things that I haven’t been able to do this time of year in the past, and do that as well.”

Johnson joked that he is going to be a regular at weddings and birthday parties, family events that he often missed while playing. He’s still going to be involved in horse racing as well, but it will remain more of a hobby.

When he wasn’t holding back tears or thanking everyone who helped him along his journey, Johnson offered some life lessons that helped him carve out an interesting NHL career. As he noted, Johnson went from an offense-first defenseman in the early part of his career to a defense-first guy later on.

“Always remember, even though something may not be the best for you as an individual, it’s what’s best for the team that matters most,” Johnson said in a nod to how he accepted a lesser role as the Avalanche roster evolved into a Stanley Cup contender.

Johnson certainly evolved over the course of his career. He was the No. 1 pick in his draft class, which produced a level of expectations and pressure that few professional athletes face. Avs general manager Chris MacFarland pushed back on Johnson’s notion that he went from being a really good player on bad teams to an OK player on good teams, but the player’s point about adaptation and putting aside ego and personal glory remains.

Along the way, “The Condor” became a beloved teammate, a veteran mentor and someone who positively impacted countless people throughout his career.

“I don’t think I was probably the best teammate early on. I think over time, I got better,” Johnson said. “You snap your fingers and your career is over, and it’s so short. In the big picture of your life, I just figured that why not come to the rink every day like it’s the best day ever? And I hope that rubbed off on people over time.”

Johnson and his family plan to stay in Colorado for his second act. He may have been selected by the St. Louis Blues, but Johnson feels as much like an adopted son of Denver as anyone who put on an Avalanche jersey at the NHL draft.

“The one thing about EJ … he’s going to be successful no matter what he decides to do in the future,” Avalanche captain Gabe Landeskog said.

Footnotes: Gavin Brindley, who celebrated his 21st birthday Sunday, has made the opening-night roster. Brindley said he will be in the lineup Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Kings. It will be his second NHL game.

Zakhar Bardakov began training camp as the No. 4 center and never relinquished the job. The 24-year-old rookie will make his NHL debut against the Kings.

Samuel Girard will also be in the lineup. He missed all but the last few days of training camp with a lower-body injury. He said it was an offseason ailment that popped up, but being ready for the final preseason game Saturday in Dallas was the target, and after playing in that contest, he is ready to go.

Mackenzie Blackwood joined the Avs for part of practice on Monday, but he’s not ready and won’t join the team in Los Angeles. Scott Wedgewood is expected to start in net with Trent Miner backing him up.

Ilya Solovyov, claimed off waivers Friday from Calgary, was on the ice Monday morning on his own. He cannot join the team officially until his immigration paperwork is cleared.

That year ended with Gabe Landeskog lifting the 35-pound trophy over his head, and an ensuing collection of forever memories too vast to count. One of them was 2-year-old Linnea, standing with her arms wrapped about hockey’s most coveted prize.

That night, June 26, 2022, was also the last for 1,020 days before Linnea’s father played hockey again. After missing three regular seasons with various procedures on his knee, Landeskog returned April 11, 2025, with the Colorado Eagles. He played twice in Loveland, then the final five games of the Colorado Avalanche’s first-round series defeat against the Dallas Stars.

Now, one of the most incredible comebacks in any sport enters a new phase. Landeskog made it all the way back, the first NHL player to do so after having knee cartilage transplant surgery. Next up is a new challenge: The grind of an 82-game season, and the resumption of being a full-time hockey player.

There are a couple of noticeable differences.

Linnea, and her younger brother, Luke, have a baby sister, Ella, after the Landeskogs welcomed their third child in June. And the logistics with drop-offs and pick-ups for school, gymnastics and hockey practices have grown along with them for Gabe and his wife, Melissa.

But there’s another part of this that is more exciting for the two oldest Landeskog children, who turn 6 and 5 years old, respectively, during the 2025-26 season.

“They’re going to be old enough to watch,” Gabe Landeskog said to The Denver Post. “We watched the Broncos game (Monday night), and they were excited. They’re learning numbers, so they’re trying to figure out who’s winning the game based off the score at the bottom. It����ap fun, and they’ll be able to do the same thing for our game.

“I’ve explained to them that daddy is going to be traveling a lot more now that I’m back and healthy and going to be playing with my team. And my daughter is just comforting me. She’s like, ‘Yeah, but we’re gonna be able to watch it on TV, though, right?’ So, yeah, it’s exciting.”

“Don’t even think about it anymore”

Plenty has changed around Landeskog and the Avalanche since the 2022 Stanley Cup Final.

Several players arrived, and then left, without ever playing a game with the Colorado captain. His longtime friend, Erik Johnson, returned at the trade deadline last year and has now retired.

But here’s one thing that hasn’t changed, and part of what continues to add to this incredible comeback story: How Landeskog looks on the ice.

He returned for Game 3 of the Avs’ series against the Stars. One game later, he was promoted to the second line and the top power-play unit. The announcement of his name in the starting lineup for Game 3 was one of the loudest moments in Ball Arena history. His goal in Game 4 was one of the most magical.

For five games, he was one of the best players on the ice in a series chock-full of stars. That was a short-term situation, though.

How would his repaired knee handle a full summer of offseason training? If that was step one for this season, put a check mark next to it.

“Overall, (the offseason) was relatively normal,” Landeskog said. “A little bit different. A little bit of planning. It’s not as straightforward. It����ap still a lot of managing my health and my knee, especially.

“I know my life and my training is going to be different moving forward. It just has to be a lot more detailed. I can’t just do what anybody’s doing in the gym. I still have to make sure it’s something I can handle.”

Next up was training camp. Longer, more intense practices. A couple of games against lineups with unknown opponents.

And one of the most consistent themes of this Avalanche training camp is how often everyone raves about how the captain looks. To this point, he had one scheduled day off.

“We’ll be ready to manage it however we have to manage it. He’s doing well right now,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said. “The workload is the test, right? If we have to back him off a little bit and give him some rest days, we’ll do that. He’s been on the ice a lot. He’s gone through the practices. It’s just doing this last 10 days over and over again throughout the course of the season.”

When the Avs open the season Tuesday in Los Angeles, there will be no minutes restriction. There’s no cap on how many games he might play this year, either. It’s all unknown, but all of the data to this point has been overwhelmingly positive.

His first preseason game, Landeskog had a pretty assist, helped create another goal with a screen in front of the opposing goalie and punched a guy in the face a few times for hitting Cale Makar up high with an elbow. His second preseason game, Landeskog scored the club’s lone goal in a game with two NHL-heavy lineups in Las Vegas.

“I don’t even think about it anymore,” said Avs defenseman Josh Manson, who still hasn’t played a regular-season game with Landeskog since arriving in March 2022. “It’s just like … we have Gabe. He’s on our team. He’s always been a part of our team, but now he’s on the ice with us, skating with us. I don’t think about it really anymore. It’s just gotten to that point.”

“It����ap how it should be”

What comes next is the grind, but it also feels like the dynamics of how Landeskog’s comeback could go from here have already changed.

For three years, it felt like a race against time and probabilities for Landeskog to just play one more NHL game in his career. Now, with some evidence that the guy who was one of the best players in the world in 2022 might be able to turn back the clock, optimism abounds.

“I think all the stuff he’s been doing off the ice has been really good for his game,” Avs star Nathan MacKinnon said. “Things are always evolving. His work away from the rink is really great and smart. He’s doing all the right things. He’s got a new knee, I guess. It must be weird, but he doesn’t look any different. It’s incredible.”

On the ice, Landeskog’s full-time return helped add clarity in the offseason that the franchise hasn’t seen in years. Colorado locked up Brock Nelson to be the No. 2 center behind MacKinnon, and with Landeskog, Martin Necas, Valeri Nichushkin and Artturi Lehkonen, the Avs could have the best collection of top-six forward talent in the NHL.

He and Nichushkin will create havoc in front of the opposing goaltender. The physical element, whether it is battling with defensemen in the hard areas of the ice, creating space with big hits or the charge of emotion that comes from the team’s captain dropping the gloves, has already been palpable.

When Landeskog played in the exhibition game at Magness Arena, the loudest crowd pop of the night was when the public address speaker announced his fighting major.

“He’s a great person and a great leader, but at the end of the day, you’ve got to be good at hockey, too. And he is very, very good at that,” MacKinnon said. “It����ap like Dallas having Jamie Benn, or not. It����ap a big man, a big presence that you can’t really quantify with the numbers sometimes. There are only a handful of those types of players in the league, and we have one.”

Being an NHL player of any type and returning from this surgical procedure has made Landeskog one of one. But he has also been considered one of the sport’s great leaders for years, and that hasn’t changed.

“The presence he carries on the ice, off the ice, he’s vocal,” Manson said. “He’s got a good feel, right? He has that kind of feel to know when to say things, what to say.”

Brent Burns has played nearly 1,500 regular-season games and logged many battles with Landeskog in the corners and in front of his net. After signing with the Avalanche in July, he arrived in Denver early to get his family settled, and he’s gotten an up-close look at how Landeskog has earned his reputation as a leader.

“You always hear how special of a guy he is, but to see it every day, it’s been great. It’s been really great,” Burns said. “He just does all the little things right. With those guys, it’s like, ‘Man, just fall. Or do something so we can see you’re human.’ His hair’s probably always perfect under his helmet, too.

“He is a really special guy. Just the way he takes care of everybody — you can tell right away he’s got a great beat for how everybody’s doing.”

For the Avs, it feels like back to business as usual. For Landeskog, there are going to be a lot of “first time since” experiences.

There are cities he hasn’t been to as a player in four years. There will also be a return to the Winter Olympics in February with Sweden.

“I always talk to my wife about this — like, I eat to live. I don’t necessarily live to eat,” Landeskog said. “So for me, it’s not about a restaurant or a certain type of food. I’m just excited to be with my teammates again and get that camaraderie and get to spend that time with the guys on the road and just be part of the grind again.”

For players like MacKinnon, Makar and Devon Toews, they’ve spent the past three seasons growing into bigger leadership roles, with not only Landeskog missing but guys like Johnson moving on. Now their captain is back, but more importantly, so is one of their best friends.

“It����ap just nice,” MacKinnon said. “It����ap how it should be.”

The stats and the accomplishments are part of it. When everyone, from the lowest levels of the organization to the very top, refers to you by a nickname at all times, is a pretty good indicator as well.

But maybe nothing tells the story better than when that person moves on. Erik Johnson, or EJ to everyone in Denver, is moving on, again, from the Colorado Avalanche. He announced his retirement Wednesday morning, and for a second time in a few years, his teammates were able to regale his legacy in this city, this state and this sport.

“When he was traded back here (in March), it was exciting,” Avalanche captain Gabe Landeskog said. “This place always kind of felt like it had a little bit of him in the walls, and felt like he was kind of always here.

“He meant a lot to this organization, meant a lot to me throughout my career. He was the first guy that reached out to me when I was drafted in 2011, and then we developed a special friendship. … He’s got this ability to always kind of treat you the same, no matter who you are or what you’re going through. That’s a great quality.”

Johnson had the type of career that every young sports fan dreams of while growing up. He was a phenom, the No. 1 pick in the 2006 NHL draft, and one of the first American stars from the USA Hockey national team development program.

He was part of a massive trade, from St. Louis to Colorado in 2011, that altered the course of the Avalanche franchise. There were enormous highs, and also two long, dark seasons. His commitment to the organization did not waver. His impact on the club, both on and off the ice, remained steadfast.

He was rewarded in 2022, when Johnson became a Stanley Cup champion. One of the indelible moments from that night in Tampa, Florida, was when Landeskog handed his longtime friend and teammate, EJ, the Stanley Cup.

“Just an awesome person, awesome teammate, great player, great big part of all of our success over the years,” Avs star Nathan MacKinnon said. “The season is so long. It is such a grind that you need good people around. You need fun people, just people you want to hang out with … just having fun people around, like EJ, is very important.

“Just to have that moment. There were a lot of tough times here. … To get that to, to come in last and then five years later, winning the Cup is pretty cool. It’s always something we’ll be able to share and talk about. It����ap definitely special.”

Johnson finished his career with 1,023 regular-season NHL games, plus another 57 in the playoffs. He won medals for the United States at the U-18 and U-20 youth levels, plus the IIHF world championships, and at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

He was a bit of a chameleon on the ice over the course of his career, but his presence and overall impact for the organization were consistent and created a legacy.

“I think the thing about him was he had to adapt as he was playing,” Landeskog said. “Maybe he was drafted as an offensive guy, and then some injuries. But he adapted. He adapted and became a really hard-working, dedicated defenseman who was just willing to pay the price and do whatever it took for the team to win, whether that was on-the-ice roles or off-the-ice roles.

“At one point, he was asked to give up his letter on his jersey, and he did that, no questions asked. So whatever it took for the team to take that next step, he was willing to do it.”

Johnson is third in franchise history in hits, third in total time on ice and first in blocked shots by a mile since the club moved to the Mile High City. He is eighth in games played, but much higher on the list in belly-busting laughs, tough days brightened and lifelong connections created.

The Avs brought Johnson back at the 2025 trade deadline after nearly two years away in Buffalo and Philadelphia. Landeskog was able to attend his 1,000th game ceremony in Philadelphia and had dinner with him that night.

Just like the Avs’ 2025 playoff run was unexpectedly cut short after Game 7 in Dallas, the 37-year-old Johnson didn’t necessarily want his career to end now.

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"EJ really loved playing for the Avs," Colorado coach Jared Bednar said. "Loves the city of Denver and the state of Colorado. He showed trust in Joe (Sakic) and Chris (MacFarland) that we’d be able to turn it around. He wanted to be here and be part of the solution. I have a lot of respect for guys like that, who are willing to go through a little bit of unknown and a little bit of the grind in order to get where they want to go with the people that they like."

Johnson spent the summer getting ready for the season, just in case a team wanted to give him another chance.

The most recent video of him on the ice was, in true EJ fashion, a hilarious mixtape of him being goofy but also still letting the 32 NHL general managers know he was available.

"He always says, if you told him when he was a kid, he could have this career, he’d have taken it in a heartbeat," MacKinnon said. "It's a great way to look at things. We all would, just even to be here. He always has things in a positive perspective.

"Obviously, he was an amazing player, too. First overall pick, had a great career, 1,000 games after the injuries — concussions and his knees. He went through a tough time, and he still played 1,000 games, which is amazing. He is super accomplished, and deserved all of them."

Through good times and bad, Erik Johnson is a unique character in Avalanche history: “Awesome person, awesome teammate, great player”

The 37-year-old played 14 years in Colorado and was a member of the team's 2022 Stanley Cup championship squad.

“After 18 incredible years in the NHL, I am retiring with a heart full of gratitude,” Johnson said in a news release. “To the St. Louis Blues, Buffalo Sabres, Philadelphia Flyers and most of all the Colorado Avalanche: thank you for the opportunities and memories, especially the 2022 Stanley Cup.

"To my teammates, coaches, and staff: your support, camaraderie, and dedication shaped my career. To the fans: your passion made every moment unforgettable. To my family and friends: your unconditional love and support carried me through. Hockey has been my life, and I’m grateful for every second. I’m excited for what����ap next and will always cherish this journey.”

The 6-foot-4, 225-pounder was selected as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2006 NHL draft by the St. Louis Blues. He was traded to Colorado during the 2010-11 season and became a staple of the Avs' blue line.

He finishes his career with 348 points (95 goals and 253 assists) in 1,023 games. He played 731 games in Colorado, second-most among franchise defensemen behind Adam Foote (967).

"He's a great friend, obviously. We played a long time together, and yeah, just an awesome guy to be around, day to day," Avs center Nathan MacKinnon said. "A fun, great teammate -- one of the first people I met when I came here. Just an awesome person, awesome teammate, great player, great big part of all of our success over the years."

He made it.

So, after five months with the Colorado Avalanche and what looks like a spot sewn up on the NHL roster before training camp even began, how did Middleton approach his first exhibition contest? He met with the biggest, meanest-looking dude on the other team at center ice during warmups and agreed to a fight.

“I don’t have an identity crisis. I know who I am,” Middleton said. “I’ve known who I am for years. That won’t be a problem for me. I know my game and I know what to do to help our team win.”

Aside from a quick stint with an injury-riddled Avalanche team in April 2021, Middleton spent the previous six seasons in the American Hockey League. He began year No. 7 of his professional career in the minors, too, but then the Avs gave him another chance.

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Middleton played Nov. 30, 2024, for the Colorado Eagles, was called up to the big club two days later and hasn't played in the AHL since. He appeared in 41 games for the Avalanche last year and settled into the NHL as a guy who played on the third pairing when needed.

"It was a learning experience," Middleton said. "It was like a cup of coffee, maybe even half a pot, but I want another pot now. I spent a lot of time playing professional hockey at the AHL level, and now you get a taste of this, you want to do whatever you can to stick around."

When last season ended, Middleton was Colorado's No. 8 defenseman. Ryan Lindgren signed with Seattle, and Brent Burns arrived in early July. Erik Johnson was seventh on the depth chart and remains available as an unrestricted free agent, but there isn't a spot in Denver for him because, with Burns, the Avs already have four right-handed shots at the position.

While the Avs added further depth at forward late in the summer, the NHL depth chart on the blue line hasn't changed. That certainly looks like a vote of confidence from the organization.

"He’s a physical, hard, stay-at-home defender and he improved his puck play enough to the point where now he’s come up and played games for us and played well and been able to help us," Avs coach Jared Bednar said. "Just has to continue to do that. He has an element there of toughness that is nice to have in the lineup sometimes. He earned the right to come up last year and hopefully he earns the right to stay here again this year."

When everyone is healthy, Middleton slots in as the No. 7 guy. Given that Samuel Girard is in a race against time to get healthy with a lower-body injury, Middleton might even get to play on opening night for the first time in his career.

So this camp feels a lot different for the 27-year-old Edmonton native, right?

"Yes, but also no, because I know I'm still fighting for a job," Middleton said. "I'm always fighting for a job. That's a position I'll be in for my career. The only difference is now I know I'm an NHL defenseman, and I have the capability to be one. But there's always new guys, young guys, guys having good camps.

"I have to fight for a spot. I'll be like that 'till I'm 40. It����ap just how it is, just the mindset that I have."

Middleton spent a couple of seasons with the San Jose Sharks organization, so he knew Burns from training camps years ago. They might be partnered at times this season, if Bednar wants his two biggest defensemen on the ice together.

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They also skated together this summer for a few weeks before camp began.

"The way he shoots and gets pucks to the net and gets it through lanes, I’ve been trying to watch," Middleton said. "I had one shot that was similar to what he does in the preseason game (Saturday). So maybe I can add that. I’m not going to break an ankle on the blue line, but just getting more pucks through and finding different ways to do it."

Trying to find little ways to improve his overall game has been a staple of Middleton's career and part of the grind that eventually led to his NHL breakthrough. But he's still a 6-foot-6, 240-pound guy who has to embrace the rugged aspects of hockey.

So, when Curtis Douglas, who is listed at 6-foot-9 and 242 pounds, was in the lineup for Utah at Magness Arena, Middleton offered a reminder of what isn't going to change. He and Douglas spoke briefly during warmups and then dropped the gloves for a spirited fight 1:51 into the first period.

"I’ve been playing against (Douglas) for years and he’s just that big, tough presence," Middleton said. "It����ap just the physicality of the game. It����ap part of my game. So that����ap just how it is."

It����ap been a while since the Avs have had a relatively quiet, “normal” offseason.

There’s no Valeri Nichushkin-related drama to dwell on. There aren’t any non-updates about Gabe Landeskog’s knee to parse. There is one important contract situation to resolve, but it����ap not quite the same as Landeskog’s 11th-hour deal in 2021 or Mikko Rantanen’s impasse a year ago.

There also might be some consternation that Colorado didn’t do more in light of how last season ended, but team president Joe Sakic said a few days after the Dallas debacle that he’d run that team back again if the Avs could. Some players will be missed, but this Avalanche team will start the season with fewer big questions than recent years and with one of the most talented rosters in the NHL.

Here are the biggest questions, with the start of training camp less than two weeks away:

1. How will Martin Necas’ contract situation play out?

Necas is an excellent hockey player who is going to thrive and produce offense in Colorado. It����ap a tricky negotiation for both sides, for multiple reasons.

The financial landscape of the NHL is changing, but no one really has a handle on where it����ap going. Rantanen and Mitch Marner likely took less than an open market would have provided, but other superstars with potential market-resetting deals are still unsigned.

For the Avs, the pressure is two-fold. Colorado needs to get Necas signed to a contract that works for them now and after Cale Makar’s mega-deal is in place. If not, a potential trade would be a huge pivot point after sending Rantanen away. The return would need to be significant.

It could easily be the defining story of the Avalanche season, depending on how it plays out.

2. How will Gabe Landeskog’s knee respond to “normal” offseason, training camp?

The captain’s comeback was sensational, but now the real grind begins. The word has been it����ap full systems go for Landeskog, but there could certainly still be instances when he needs a day off. Will the Avs make those days off when the club practices? The second half of back-to-backs? A little of both?

Colorado needs Landeskog to be an impact player, but it still feels crazy to set the expectations too high. He’s still doing something no one has ever done before in the sport. Having him healthy and ready for a potentially long playoff run has to be the focus, however that looks.

3. How will Jared Bednar juggle four right-handed defensemen?

Four of the top six defensemen on this team are right-handed shots. One of them has to play on his off side for all six of them to be in the lineup together.

It����ap not a big deal when a team has four-plus lefties, but it can be tricky at times with the starboard siders. Will the addition of Brent Burns mean …

• Sam Malinski gets a veteran mentor — either Burns or Josh Manson — and one of them shifts over?
• Cale Makar spends some time on the left side, presumably with Malinski or Burns?

If it works, the Avs could have one of the best defense corps in the NHL. If it doesn’t, a left-handed defenseman could be priority No. 1 by the trade deadline.

4. Is Jack Drury ready to be full-time No. 3 center?

The Avs have a couple of other guys who have spent time as the third-line center — Ross Colton and Parker Kelly — but the most ideal solution to Charlie Coyle’s departure is Drury. He, like Necas, is also a pending free agent, so this could be a very big first four months of the season for him.

Succeed as the 3C, and he could end up with a pretty lucrative long-term contract by March. If not, No. 3 center could be a priority by the deadline.

5. What is power play going to look like?

Will swapping out Ray Bennett for Dave Hakstol lead to changes, either tactically or philosophically, on the power play? Maybe.

The more fascinating thing is who gets to play where. A healthy Landeskog, retaining Brock Nelson, and adding Victor Olofsson means the Avs are suddenly flush with options. They have the depth to roll out two dangerous units … but that doesn’t mean Makar and Nathan MacKinnon are suddenly going to get half the PP time, either.

6. Where does Victor Olofsson fit?

Olofsson is an intriguing late-summer addition. He has better underlying numbers than his coaches have seemed to give him credit for, recently. He could also be the perfect fit in Rantanen’s old spot on the power play. Will Bednar trust him to play a meaningful role at even strength? And will the Avs play him over more established stars on PP1?

7. Is Zakhar Bardakov ready for NHL?

Taking what has been said since the end of last season on its face, it feels like the Avs sure think so. General manager Chris MacFarland dropped Bardakov’s name twice — both times unprompted — when talking about the 2025-26 edition of his team.

His style of play in Russia suggests he could be a nice fit on the fourth line. Less skill but more jam than Nikolai Kovalenko, maybe?

Bardakov is definitely the wild card of camp. It might look like he’s got a spot locked down a few days in, or “Does he need time in Loveland?” could become a storyline.

8. How does Brent Burns fit in locker room?

This is more curiosity than potential concern. He is certainly what people call a “big personality” in a dressing room. Burns fit in well with Carolina. He’s going to love driving up into the mountains on off days. He should connect with MacKinnon and Bednar over shared passions. It could be a great fit for player and club, on and off the ice.

9. Is this everyone?

The Avs don’t need to add anyone else, but there are still some intriguing players out there. Colorado has found some help through the camp tryout contract route. Will the Avs give one of those to Erik Johnson, even if it’s just to showcase him for another club? Is there another veteran forward out there as potential insurance in case the younger guys aren’t ready, at least until Logan O’Connor is ready?

10. Is there going to be any hangover from Game 7?

It����ap not easy for a team to rebound after yielding a two-goal lead late in a Game 7. That alone makes for a long offseason. Toss in the opponent, and Rantanen’s role, and … it����ap a lot to move on from.

Is that night in Dallas going to motivate this team? What happens if this group blows a few late leads early in this season? It could be an underrated test of the club’s collective mental fortitude.

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.