This is where things could get interesting.

The Avs look set in net, both at the NHL level and beyond, for next season. The defense corps needs some work, but there’s an excellent top four to build around.

But the place to look for where newly named general manager Joe Sakic might shake up this roster for next season is on the wings. It already started Tuesday, when the Avalanche sent Ross Colton to the Nashville Predators, reuniting him with Chris MacFarland, for two third-round picks.

And Colton might not be the only wing who isn’t on the roster on opening night.

What just happened

When all of Colorado’s wings were healthy last season, it was hard to name more than one or two teams with a better collection of them in the NHL.

Martin Necas had a career season, setting new highs with 38 goals and 100 points. He was also Czechia’s best player at the 2026 Winter Olympics, had a great second round against the Minnesota Wild and then was one of Colorado’s least impactful players against Vegas in the Western Conference Final.

Gabe Landeskog’s brilliant comeback story continued. He won the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, did not miss a game in the regular season because of his reconstructed knee and then had five goals and 11 points in 13 playoff games.

Valeri Nichushkin and Artturi Lehkonen were both very good and very important players, though neither produced goals at the same per-contest rate as they have in recent seasons. Both also missed time during the playoffs with injuries, and their effectiveness was limited by said ailments in other contests as well.

Colton scuffled for long stretches in the regular season and spent the first two games of the playoffs as a healthy scratch, but was one of the club’s more consistent players once inserted into the lineup. Nicolas Roy, who also saw some time at center, was a great fit as a depth scorer and versatile player after arriving from Toronto ahead of the trade deadline.

Parker Kelly had a dream season, smashing career-best totals with 21 goals and 35 points. Logan O’Connor missed nearly the entire regular season, but looked like the critical depth playoff performer of old once the postseason began.

Joel Kiviranta’s year after a breakout offensive campaign did not look as impressive on the scoresheet as the 2024-25 season, but he remained a trusted depth guy for coach Jared Bednar. Zakhar Bardakov made the team in training camp and showed flashes of intriguing energy, but the NHL rookie played in just four of the final 12 regular-season games and did not play in the playoffs. He is a restricted free agent and could return to Russia because there isn’t an obvious path to more regular time next year in Denver.

Gavin Brindley was the club’s best rookie and an early-season spark plug, but he was sent to the AHL shortly after the Avs loaded up at the deadline and did not return. Taylor Makar made the most appearances (12) of a forward who began the season with the Colorado Eagles and looked like a player who might turn out to be a fourth-line regular at some point in the future.

What¶¶Ňőap next

Colton is gone … will anyone else from this group join him?

Necas is about to start the first season of an eight-year, $92 million contract. His full no-move clause kicks in July 1. He could finish with 110 points next season, but he can’t answer the big-picture questions about his ultimate value until the 2027 playoffs.

When Nichushkin and Lehkonen are healthy and in form, they give the Avs star-level value on very team-friendly contracts. But, the first part of that sentence feels more in question, given their ages and style of play. Lehkonen is also entering the final year of his contract, so all options — an extension, playing it out or a trade — seem plausible.

In each of the past two postseasons when Colorado advanced beyond the first round, Lehkonen’s impact declined. That was definitely injury-related in 2026. Nichushkin’s availability issues have been well documented.

Not everyone in this core group will age at the same rate. Finding a way to inject another impact player into this group that is closer to Necas’ age or even younger would be ideal, but the Avs don’t have the future assets (nor the cap flexibility) to do that right now. Trading another outer-circle core piece might be the only avenue.

Landeskog had no tangible issues with his knee this year, but that doesn’t mean it’s fine in perpetuity. His value obviously goes far beyond the production. Colton has to be replaced, though there could be an internal candidate or two — at least to start next season.

Either Roy or Kelly could end up back at center if Jack Drury doesn’t return. Conversely, Nazem Kadri could slide to the wing to help one of the top-two lines if Bednar thinks one of the depth guys can handle the No. 3 center spot.

Brindley and Makar will be two guys to watch during training camp, along with T.J. Hughes, who had no trouble being an impact guy for the Eagles, but his ultimate NHL ceiling is both unclear and fascinating.

There are lots of questions here:

1. Will the Avs just run this group back, minus Colton, and expect either better health luck, improved postseason results or both?

2. Will the Avs be able to find a younger top-nine forward while still rebuilding the back half of the defense corps?

3. Could the Avs afford to part with a top-end forward to specifically add one more impact defenseman, and is there enough depth up front to cover for that, at least until the trade deadline?

Moving Colton for cap flexibility kicked off the Sakic 2.0 regime and the 2026 offseason. It might not be the last big shakeup, either.

Future depth chart

^ Unrestricted free agent on July 1; * UFA in 2027; + Restricted free agent on July 1; # RFA in 2027

The 36-year-old captain’s eyes were watering. The impact of an injury that he rushed back weeks ahead of schedule to play in this Game 7 for the Colorado Eagles was still obvious, though the bruising was fading a bit.

The wound will heal. The scars left by this Western Conference Final defeat to the Chicago Wolves in seven games will linger.

“It takes everything,” Megna said Monday night. “You can’t dip your toe in. It¶¶Ňőap all-out sacrifice. That¶¶Ňőap why it¶¶Ňőap so hard to win championships at any level. Super proud of the guys. It¶¶Ňőap not the end that any of us wanted.”

Megna and the Eagles returned home to Northern Colorado ready to triumph, needing to win one more game to reach the Calder Cup Final for the first time in franchise history. Through 20 minutes Sunday night, it looked well within their grasp.

Forty minutes later, the Wolves had a stunning come-from-behind Game 6 victory. Twenty-five hours after that, a raucous crowd at Blue FCU Arena was left silent. The Wolves won Game 6, 3-2, and Game 7, 4-3, in enemy territory to advance to the 2026 Western Conference Final.

The best AHL season in franchise history for the Eagles ended in sadness and dismay. The scene afterward felt similar to the one in Las Vegas after the Avalanche were pushed out of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in a year that often felt earmarked for greatness.

“I’m disappointed for them, not in them,” Eagles coach Mark Letestu said. “I believe this team is championship-level. Tonight, and the series, reveals just how hard winning is. To be able to outplay them, in my opinion, probably six or seven games, but you don’t always get results. It’s very disappointing, because I know what they put into it. You just feel for them.

“This one will stick with me for a while.”

The AHL is, at its core, a developmental league for the NHL. It is the second-best hockey league in the world, but it’s also a key stop on the path for many NHL players.

There are several young players on the Eagles roster who can profit from this deep playoff run in the future. Players like forwards T.J. Hughes, Taylor Makar and Gavin Brindley, plus defensemen Sean Behrens and Alex Gagne, are all guys who believe their journey has better days ahead at the next level up.

This was the first time the Eagles reached the AHL’s conference final since moving up from the ECHL for the 2018-19 season. NHL clubs will always say that all AHL game reps are valuable for development, but it is during the Calder Cup Playoffs, when the competition ramps up and the space available on the ice shrinks, that it comes closest to NHL quality.

“I hope it propels them,” Letestu said. “I hope it makes them hungrier. You get a taste of success. A long playoff run, it¶¶Ňőap invaluable for their experience, but they don’t want to hear that right now. Coming up short never feels right, never feels good. And this one, when you feel like you have the pieces for it, makes it feel a little bit worse.”

The Eagles had the joint fifth-best record in the regular season. An upset-filled AHL playoff bracket broke their way, so they had home-ice advantage for the Western Conference Final, and would have had it for the Calder Cup Final as well.

For veteran players like Megna, Keaton Middleton and Jacob MacDonald, this was 5-6 years of service with this organization in the making. That’s why Megna, who hadn’t played in a month, returned for Game 7 two or three weeks before he was projected to, a full face shield attached to his helmet.

Megna scored with 70 seconds remaining in Game 7, at the business end of a great play by Makar, but the sand in the hourglass ran out at the end of a chaotic game.

“They cautiously gave me the green light and just said ‘make sure you protect yourself,’ ” Megna said. “I wanted to leave it all out there for Game 7, and make sure I was there for the guys.

“This group will never be the same. That¶¶Ňőap part of hockey, but it¶¶Ňőap tragic. You get so close to these guys and battle together for such a long time. Thought we were right there.”

Just before Megna spoke in the hallway outside the Eagles locker room, Gagne lumbered by on crutches. He had been injured in the first period of Game 7, leaving the Eagles with five defensemen in the fight of their AHL lives.

The injuries he speculated he might have were ones that should leave a player out of the lineup for weeks, if not months. He was on the bench in the second period, still trying to get back into this fight.

This was unquestionably a successful season for the Eagles, including for Letestu as a first-year head coach. There will certainly be big changes before next year.

Assistant coach Kim Weiss, who broke barriers this season, is expected to be named head coach of the Las Vegas expansion franchise in the PWHL. Roster construction in the AHL is in a constant state of motion.

But just like the Avs, the Eagles will remember the scars from this one. It was a year, and a championship, that slipped away at both levels.

“I love these guys. I love this team. I love what they stand for,” Letestu said. “I love standing behind them and letting them do their thing. I think that¶¶Ňőap something maybe a couple weeks from now in reflection, but right now this one stings.

“I wanted to win. I wanted my guys to win. I wanted our team to win a championship. Right now, anything short of that just feels a little empty, a little hollow.”

He arrived at Colorado Avalanche training camp a year ago fresh off a tough first AHL season, and promptly went out and won a spot on the opening-night roster. After spending two-thirds of the season with the Avs, he was sent back to the AHL with the Colorado Eagles.

He’s going to have to prove himself again next year at Avs training camp. It’s just what he does.

“If I’m being honest, I think this is his training camp,” Eagles coach Mark Lestestu said. “With the Avs being out, the full staff is here watching games, watching him play against his peers at the most important time of the year. I think what they do at this time, him in particular, says a lot about who he is.

“I think he’s passed (the test), like his playoff numbers and how he’s playing and taking on a new position. He’s done some things that I think have probably opened up eyes and given himself a leg up on maybe others at training camp.”

Brindley played for Letestu last season, when both were in the Columbus Blue Jackets organization with the Cleveland Lake Monsters. The former was coming off a decorated sophomore season at Michigan, where he was the Big Ten player of the year.

He was injured at the start of the year, and the transition wasn’t easy. Brindley finished with six goals and 17 points in 52 AHL games. He was the No. 34 pick in his draft class, but after one year of pro hockey, the club that drafted him was willing to part ways.

That looked like a mistake when he became one of the early-season surprises for the Avalanche. On an older team, Brindley injected youth, speed and versatility, moving up the lineup when injuries struck. His production slowed as the year went on, and this return to the AHL has allowed him to play more and in more offensive situations.

“Couple big acquisitions at the deadline, and I know the spot that I’m in,” Brindley said. “It is what it is. It¶¶Ňőap a good opportunity for me to come here and help the team win, and get a little more offensive, just get more minutes and develop my game, round it out, and just try to be the best pro that I could be. So it’s been great so far, and hopefully keep this thing going.”

Brindley had six goals and 13 points in 56 games with the Avs. He’s got five goals and 12 points in 21 contests for the Eagles, including three goals and six points in the 2026 Calder Cup Playoffs.

The Eagles won Game 2 at home on Saturday night against the Chicago Wolves and are now tied 1-1 in the best-of-seven Western Conference Final. Game 3 is Tuesday night in Rosemont, Ill.

Brindley, at 21, is the youngest player to play for the Eagles in the AHL playoffs.

“It’s kind of been that way my whole life, just playing against older players, bigger players, stronger players,” Brindley said. “Just trying to find the ins and outs in the game that try to help me and learn from mistakes. It¶¶Ňőap been good so far. It’s kind of crazy how it all works, being the youngest kind of everywhere you go, but wouldn’t trade it for the world.”

He might be the youngest, but Brindley has played a big part in helping his old Michigan teammate, T.J. Hughes, get settled with the Eagles. He’s also moved to center, in part because captain Jayson Megna was injured earlier in the playoffs after taking a puck to the face.

Brindley and Hughes could be part of a group of young players jostling for a spot on the Avs roster next season. Colorado has 11 forwards under contract plus Jack Drury as a restricted free agent, but one or more of those 11 forwards could be on the move this offseason to free up some salary cap flexibility and also help reshape the back half of the defense corps.

If there’s a competition to take part in, Brindley will be ready.

“He has a tremendous amount of belief in himself, and I think when you’re 5-8, you have to get to this point,” Letestu said. “What I see now is a more confident player with the puck. He has a better understanding of what pro hockey and success in pro hockey is, and playing on the inside, and how hard he checks and competes.

“It’s good to see him take those steps. I’m sure there are a few more that he’d like to take along the way.”

FOOTNOTE: The Avs signed goaltender Nikita Novosyolov to a two-year, entry-level contract Monday. Novosyolov, 21 is an undrafted goaltender in the Avtomobilist system. He appeared in three games for Avtomobilist in the KHL this season, but mostly played for Gornyak-UGMK in the VHL, Russia’s AHL equivalent.

T.J. Hughes was the most high-profile college free agent of this cycle, and after a decorated career at Michigan, he chose to sign with the Colorado Avalanche. His contract with the parent club starts next season, so he joined Letestu’s Colorado Eagles and quickly became an integral part of a deep postseason run.

“You go through the bio and I see a similar player to myself,” said Letestu, who played 567 NHL games and is in his first season as the Eagles’ head coach. “Somebody who played in the Alberta Junior League, an undersized right shot that did really well in college and signs a college free agent, so right away him and I have had some common ground.”

Hughes and the Eagles lost Game 1 of the Western Conference Final to the Chicago Wolves on Thursday night, but this is the deepest the club has advanced in the Calder Cup Playoffs since becoming an AHL franchise. Game 2 is Saturday night at Blue FCU Arena.

A four-year star at Michigan, Hughes helped the Wolverines to a pair of Big Ten championships and three trips to the Frozen Four. He could have left the program early, but decided to stay through his senior year because he wanted to graduate, trusted the Michigan staff to help him keep developing and wanted another shot at a national title.

That run ended when the University of Denver knocked the Wolverines out in a double-overtime classic semifinal. Two days later, he had signed with the Avalanche and was on a plane to Colorado.

“I think it’s a mix of a few things,” Hughes said about choosing the Avs. “One, just the coaching staff and the front office. They were expressing a lot of interest, and came to see me play a lot at Michigan. I think we built a great relationship over the year. Then obviously, the Colorado Eagles and the Colorado Avalanche — just two really good teams. I wanted to go play for a great team and try to find a spot that I kind of play similar to the way that they like to play. They like to play with the puck, play fast and make plays, so that was very appealing to me.

“Then, of course, Colorado is an amazing place to play and place to live. I’ve really liked my time here, just the weather and everything about Colorado and Loveland. Everything’s been great.”

The 24-year-old Hughes was a great player for the Brooks Bandits in the AJHL before Michigan. He played with current Eagles teammate Taylor Makar for two seasons and then won a league title in his third.

Hughes was not drafted but has remained a star at every level. He’s listed at 6 feet and 185 pounds, and he’s not a high-end skater. Hughes has made up for those perceived deficiencies with his brain and his skill level.

“His offensive IQ is certainly ahead of the rest of his game,” Letestu said. “I mean, that’s what got him noticed. That’s what gets him in the door.

“Right away you can see how smart he is, how he processes the game. He’s earned a lot of trust with me, obviously, immediately on the offensive side. That’s always going to be there, but he’s taking direction on the defensive side, trying to become more complete because he wants to be an NHL player. That’s the part of his game that he has to earn trust from (Jared Bednar) when he gets up there.”

The jump from NCAA hockey to the AHL has been a smooth one for Hughes. He played in two regular-season games for the Eagles and is now an integral part of their lineup in this postseason.

He has three goals and seven points in 11 games, including a beautiful assist in Game 1 against the Wolves. Hughes played on a line with Makar in Game 1. He’s also played with Gavin Brindley as well — another familiar face.

Hughes and Brindley were freshmen together at Michigan. Brindley left after two years, but they’re back together again after Colorado acquired Brindley in a trade last summer.

“Awesome. Yeah, it’s great to have him,” Brindley said. “He’s done a great job stepping in here. He’s one of the big pieces on this team now. It’s been just awesome to see his face every day and interact with him at the pro level and try to help him with anything he needs.

“I think his IQ is elite. The way he thinks the game — he’s not the fastest player, but man, he thinks the game at a high level. Kudos to him. He’s had a long season and I’m sure he’s a little drained, but he doesn’t look like it on a day-to-day basis.”

Hughes said that having Brindley and Makar here made the transition much easier for him. He was the captain at Michigan, and his former coach Brandon Naurato raved about Hughes when the Avs signed him.

Multiple people in the organization offered similar praise for Hughes since he arrived in Loveland. A “first in, last out” type of guy, a rink rat, a gym rat — Letestu said he’s not just easy to coach but that Hughes craves it.

There could be a place for Hughes with the Avalanche next season, depending on how this offseason plays out. He and his old friends Brindley and Makar might be the three guys on this Eagles team with the best chance of earning a spot in training camp next year.

For now, Hughes is chasing another championship. The Avs have had great success with college free agents, most notably Logan O’Connor and Sam Malinski.

Hughes could be up next.

“(The AHL) is definitely a step up. It’s been a little faster, a little heavier, and just trying to adjust each game, and just trying to do what I can to help the team win,” Hughes said. “This is an amazing experience. Just planning to have a great offseason and continue to work on things I need to work on. Wherever I end up, just trying to make an impact and help the team win and do my thing and do my part.

“I have such a great passion for this game of hockey, so I just want to keep grinding and keep playing.”

Is it the GM who did the most this season to affect his club’s performance? Or is it the work he’s done over the past few seasons to set his team up for success this year?

Colorado Avalanche GM Chris MacFarland made it easy on the voters this year. He should be the Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year, regardless of which way they interpret it.

No GM in the NHL has done more over the past two seasons to improve his club. No GM increased the chances of his outfit lifting the Stanley Cup since July 1, which is the start of the NHL’s 2025-26 calendar year.

When the Avalanche welcome the Vegas Golden Knights to Ball Arena for Game 1 of the Western Conference Final, Colorado will be the favorite to win the Stanley Cup. It is likely that 10 of the 20 players who dress for that game were not part of the organization two seasons ago, when the Avs reached the second round of the playoffs.

Building ‘The Lumberyard’

MacFarland’s retool on the fly, for a team that felt it was a Cup contender the day Valeri Nichushkin was suspended in that second round, effectively ending the season, until now, while the Avs continued to win big, is nothing short of remarkable.

It started with the goaltending, of course. Colorado had the league’s worst save percentage the day MacFarland sent Justus Annunen and a sixth-round pick to Nashville for Scott Wedgewood, then flipped Alexandar Georgiev, Nikolai Kovalenko and two picks to San Jose for Mackenzie Blackwood.

“The Lumberyard” allowed the fewest goals in the NHL this year, earning the William Jennings Trophy, for a combined price of $6.75 million. There are 10 goalies who make more than both combined.

Winning the Rantanen trade

The defining move was obviously sending Mikko Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes for Martin Necas, Jack Drury, two draft picks and the promise of building a deeper team. Even if someone disagreed with trading Rantanen at the time, that deal — and the subsequent moves the Avs have made while Necas counts $6.5 million against the cap this year when Rantanen would have cost at least $5 million more — looks emphatically strong for Colorado this season.

Necas found a new level during the regular season and has been an impact guy in the playoffs. Drury is anchoring arguably the best fourth line in the NHL. Necas and Brock Nelson at nearly the same cost as Rantanen and a league-minimum guy have been a huge win.

Flexibility pays off

Every major transaction MacFarland has made this season has worked out for the Avs, helping them reach the second half of the NHL’s postseason for the first time since 2022. Technically, signing Nelson to a three-year contract and the trade that sent Charlie Coyle and Miles Wood to Columbus for Gavin Brindley, a draft pick, and cap relief happened before July 1, but they were in service of the 2025-26 team.

That space allowed the Avs to sign Brent Burns to a contract with a $1 million base salary plus incentives. The flexibility allowed Colorado to add Brett Kulak, Nicolas Roy and Nazem Kadri before the trade deadline.

Burns and Kulak were critical against the Minnesota Wild, particularly when either Josh Manson or Sam Malinski was missing in every game, and when Cale Makar was clearly not at 100% by the end of the series.

Roy and Kardi have helped buttress an already loaded forward corps to the point that Colorado went 2-0 without Malinski and Arrturi Lehkonen, one of the great all-around playoff glue guys in the league. Roy and Kadri have six points each in this postseason — they are the co-leaders among forwards who were added before the deadline.

“It’s massive. That’s what you need,” Manson said of the club’s depth. “Our management has done a great job in bringing in players that we can all trust on the ice in all situations. That’s what you get. That’s what it takes to win.”

Wild GM Bill Guerin swung the biggest trade of the season, landing Quinn Hughes from Vancouver. But MacFarland outflanked him and three-time GM of the year winner Jim Nill in Dallas at the deadline. Anaheim GM Pat Verbeek has done a great job surrounding a talented young core with veteran players.

The votes are already in and second-round results don’t matter, but MacFarland was the correct choice before that, anyway. The job of the GM is always to keep one eye on the present and one on the future.

Well, MacFarland has signed four players to contracts that don’t start until next season since July 1. Wedgewood, the NHL’s leader in goals against average and save percentage, is inked for $2.5 million.

Malinski, one of the breakout players at his position in the NHL this year, is locked in at $4.75 million. Parker Kelly, a completely under-the-radar addition two offseasons ago, just scored 21 goals and is signed for $1.7 million.

Then there is Necas, who just racked up 38 goals and 100 points, and now has 11 points in nine playoff games. He is signed for $11.5 million.

This whole era of Avalanche hockey was teetering a bit after a sluggish start to the 2024-25 season. Gabe Landeskog was an unknown. Nichushkin’s future felt like an unknown. The goaltending was a mess.

The core was still world-class, but it needed help. MacFarland delivered. The city might celebrate another Stanley Cup championship in about a month as a result.

He built the NHL’s team of the season on the fly. He deserves to be the NHL’s GM of the year.

Hughes, a 24-year-old senior from Michigan, signed a one-year entry-level contract for the 2026-27 season, the Avs announced Saturday. He will also sign a professional tryout contract with the Colorado Eagles and join them immediately.

“On the ice, he’s a two-way, 200-foot player with and without the puck,” Michigan coach Brandon Naurato said. “Great hockey IQ. We play a similar style to the Avs, so I think he’ll fit in well. Off the ice, I think he’ll be a great fit in that locker room. He was a captain and great leader for us. Those guys tend to know how to act when they get in a room with the (Gabe) Landeskogs, (Cale) Makars and (Nathan) MacKinnons) of the world.”

Michigan’s captain this season, Hughes was the highest-profile undrafted free agent in college hockey. He finished the year with 22 goals and 57 points in 40 games for the Wolverines, including a goal Thursday night in their semifinal loss to the University of Denver at the Frozen Four.

“There’s really no words,” Hughes said about his time at Michigan after the Wolverines lost in double overtime Thursday night to DU. “It means everything. I tried my best to leave it better than I found it. There’s so many unbelievable people within Michigan hockey that have impacted my life in a positive way.”

He was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award and also earned first-team All-America honors. Hughes, like fellow Michigan alum Gavin Brindley, also won Big Ten player of the year, helping the Wolverines to the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tourney.

Hughes, listed at 6-foot and 185 pounds, was a star in college hockey for multiple years. He and Brindley were freshmen together in 2022-23 and played together for two seasons. Hughes finished his college career with 69 goals and 179 points in 150 games. The Wolverines made the Frozen Four three times in his four years.

“Oh my gosh, he changed the program,” Naurato said. “For him to come back this year, that’s a story we will be telling future players for years to come. He showed that you can come back and lead Michigan to championships, to Frozen Fours, while also making himself even more NHL ready.”

Hughes also spent three years with the Brooks Bandits in the Alberta Junior Hockey League.ĚýHe was the AJHL MVP in 2021-22, and spent two years as teammates with Avs prospect Taylor Makar.

He is the latest victory for Colorado in the UDFA market. The Avs have had great success with signing players like Logan O’Connor and Sam Malinski and helping them become key NHL contributors. Malinski, who signed a four-year, $19 million contract extension with the Avs in late January that begins next season, is represented by the same agency as Hughes.

Colorado’s quest for another Stanley Cup has led the Avs to trade away many prospects and draft picks, which both motivates the Avs to be aggressive in the UDFA market and makes the franchise an attractive landing spot, as evidenced by the success of some of their signings. The Avs have also added Penn State forward Matthew DiMarsico and Bowling Green defenseman Gustav Stjernberg as UDFA’s in the past month.

Sam Malinski, Hank Kempf and Matt Stienburg were there, with a couple other Cornell alums. Logan O’Connor and Sean Behrens were not in the building to watch the University of Denver Pioneers cruise past the Big Red in the first-round of the NCAA tournament, but the 5-0 victory is almost certain to come up again in the locker rooms of the Colorado Avalanche and Colorado Eagles in the near future.

Behrens won two national championships at DU in 2022 and 2024, but Malinski’s Big Red knocked the Pios out of the 2023 NCAA tournament. History lessons, especially with the NCAA tournament and the IIHF world junior championships, are common source material for chirps in an NHL locker room at certain times of the year.

With the NCAA hockey tournament in full swing, we’re going to borrow an idea from Nuggets writer (and Avs beat alum) Bennett Durando. Given that hockey has a more robust path for players to reach the professional ranks, we’re not just going to focus on the NCAA guys.

It’s a little tricky, but we’re going to classify this as “before North American pro hockey.” So playing in a pro league overseas as a young player will count, but the AHL will not.

So, who were the most accomplished Avs players in their younger days? Some of the names won’t be surprises, but a couple might be.

1. Cale MakarĚý

It’s a pretty interesting debate between the top two guys on this list, just like it can be an intriguing discussion at times about their value to the present-day Avalanche. Makar won the Hobey Baker Award as the best player in college hockey and helped UMass reach the Frozen Four. He also won the Hockey East Player of the Year and was an NCAA All-America selection. He also helped Canada win gold at the world junior tournament. Before that, he also swept every major award in the Alberta Junior Hockey League and helped the Brooks Bandits win the league championship twice.

2. Nathan MacKinnon

MacKinnon won the QMJHL and, famously, the Memorial Cup with the Halifax Mooseheads. He was the MVP of the Memorial Cup, which included outplaying fellow potential No. 1 pick Seth Jones. He wasn’t the MVP of his team before that — Jonathan Drouin was. MacKinnon also won the Hlinka Gretzky Cup and led the tournament in scoring, but he was a depth guy on the WJC team, and Canada did not medal.

3. Artturi Lehkonen

It’s a pretty good debate about third and fourth on this list, as well. Lehkonen played for Finland at the world junior tournament three times, and won a gold medal. He also won the Liiga Rookie of the Year and a bronze medal at the U-18 world championships. Lehkonen spent a year in Sweden before coming to North America, and he won both the Swedish Hockey League and the Champions League with Frolunda.

4. Martin NecasĚý

Necas was a more productive junior player than Lehkonen, but it shouldn’t be a surprise that Lehkonen has done so much winning at all levels of his career. Necas has done plenty of that as well, and he’d be higher if we included his Calder Cup title with the Charlotte Checkers. Necas won the Czech Extraliga twice and was named both the league’s rookie of the year in 2017 and MVP in 2018. He also won the Hlinka Gretzky Cup and led that tournament in scoring.

5. Nicolas Roy

Roy was a superstar in the QMJHL. He was named a first-team all-star twice and led the ‘Q’ in goals one year. He has a nice collection of international medals as well — gold at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, silver at the world juniors and bronze at the U-18 tournament.

6. Gavin Brindley

Brindley played for the Americans twice at the WJC, winning both gold and bronze medals. He also won silver at the U-18 tournament. He won Big Ten player of the year and earned NCAA All-America honors while at Michigan.

7. Valeri NichushkinĚý

Nichushkin won a gold medal at the U-17 world championships and a bronze medal at the WJC. He also won rookie of the year in the KHLin 2012-13 with Traktor Chelyabinsk. During that season, he played in international tournaments with Igor Shesterkin (U-18) and Andrei Vasilevskiy (WJC) as the starting goalies.

8. Nazem KadriĚý

Kadri won a silver medal at world juniors. He also played in the Ontario Hockey League with Kitchener, a team coached by Peter DeBoer, and was named a second-team OHL all-star.

9. Brock Nelson

Before he became an American Olympic champion, Nelson won bronze at the world junior tournament. He also had a strong career at North Dakota, winning the old WCHA twice and playing in the Frozen Four.

10. Logan O’ConnorĚý

O’Connor won an NCAA championship with the Pioneers. He also won the Clark Cup in the USHL as captain of the Sioux Falls Stampede.

Honorable mentions: Devon Toews won the British Columbia Hockey League with Surrey before winning the ECAC and reaching the Frozen Four with Quinnipiac. Parker Kelly won the WHL with Prince Albert. Mackenzie Blackwood won OHL goalie of the year, made the all-rookie team and was a first-team all-star with Barrie.

Colorado scored twice with the man advantage Friday night and overwhelmed the Chicago Blackhawks in a 4-1 victory at United Center that would have been far worse were it not for some stellar work by goaltender Arvid Söderblom. With the win, the Avalanche reached 100 points became the .

Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Necas had three points each, and the Avs outshot the Blackhawks 49-20. Necas and Nazem Kadri scored on the power play.

“I feel like it’s an attack mindset,” Avs forward Brock Nelson said. “First couple, I think we did a really good job of just executing, bringing the puck to the net. … Just getting guys in the right spot and continuing to attack over and over and not getting stuck in the process.”

The Avs went into the break for the 2026 Winter Olympics with the worst power play in the league at 15.1%. Colorado is now 9-for-32 (28.2%) in March and 10-for-42 (23.8%) since the hiatus.

This was just a one-goal game after two periods, before Kadri’s power-play goal 36 seconds into the third and a Valeri Nichushkin insurance tally at 8:34.

The Avs worked on the exact play Kadri scored on — Necas sending the puck to MacKinnon near the net before he shoveled it across to Kadri in the right circle — during the morning skate.

“You watch a little video, (see) different tendencies and try to find a way to exploit it,” Nelson said. “Then just be prepared for those scenarios. … I mean, that was perfect execution on that goal. It was sweet.”

Colorado looked like the team that played a great hockey game two nights in the first period, and the opponent … did not look like the Dallas Stars. The Avalanche controlled the opening period, pretty much from the opening shift.

The Avs had 20 shots on goal, 32 shot attempts and 19 scoring chances, according to Natural Stat Trick. The Blackhawks had five shots on goal, just 12 shot attempts and six scoring chances.

Necas put the Avs in front at 13:19 of the first. MacKinnon got the puck to Nichushkin, who went right to the net but laid it off to Necas in the left circle for a one-timer that went off Chicago goalie Arvid Söderblom’s shoulder and across the goal line.

It was Necas’ 32nd goal of the year. MacKinnon collected point No. 112 on the play, which is now his third-most in a season, four shy of his second-best set last season.

Colorado had only one shot attempt on the power play in the first period, because it went in. Cale Makar faked a slap shot from the top of the zone, then slipped a pass to Nelson in the slot. He redirected it past Söderblom at 15:22 for his 31st goal of the year.

The Avs dominated most of the second period as well, but a strange sequence led to a Chicago goal. Colorado’s fourth line was near the end of what had been a great shift, but Gavin Brindley tried to leave the puck for a defenseman and head to the bench for a change.

The problem was that there wasn’t a defenseman waiting for it. The Blackhawks collected it and started a 2-on-1, which led to a shot off the left post behind Mackenzie Blackwood. Just as that line sent the puck towards the other end and did get off the ice, Chicago defenseman Sam Rinzel snapped it back the other way.

His partner Wyatt Kiser got behind the Avs, took a saucer pass from Ryan Greene and tucked one past Blackwood at 6:48 of the middle period.

“I think the process, besides that Pittsburgh game, has been good,” Avs forward Parker Kelly said. “I think against Dallas and this game tonight is just really everyone firing on all cylinders. You can see the chemistry building. It’s going to get better with the guys coming back into the lineup here in the next few days.”

FOOTNOTE: Gabe Landeskog, Artturi Lehkonen, Logan O’Connor and Ross Colton all skated Friday morning. Bednar said at least one of them could be ready Sunday against Washington, while all of them could play by the end of this four-game road trip.

No, no, no. Not the ones skating in Calgary. The ones circling around Lian Bichsel’s head after he messed around with Nazem Kadri.

While the Avalanche were taking a chainsaw to Anaheim,

About five minutes into the second stanza at the Scotiabank Saddledome, Bichsel, Dallas’ 6-foot-7 defenseman, pushed Kadri into the boards behind the net. Naz retaliated with his right elbow. As you do.

The two danced into the crease. Bichsel shoved the 6-foot Kadri, against whom he’s got an advantage of 7 inches in height and 46 pounds in weight, twice — until they were past the right post.

Naz had enough. He landed a left jab on the big lug’s jaw. Then a right cross with stick still in hand. The Swiss D-man dropped a quick 1-2 on Kadri’s head before a pack closed in to separate the pair.

Seven inches.

Forty-six pounds.

Ain’t the size of the dog in the fight.

It’s the size of the fight in the dawg.

Go get that dawg, Chris.

The NHL trade deadline expires just after lunch on Friday. As of late Wednesday afternoon, MacFarland, the Avs’ general manager, was still looking for a third-line or second-line center. And Kadri — one of the heroes of Colorado’s 2022 Stanley Cup champions, Denver’s favorite “bad” cop — was looking to join a playoff team again.

“We’ve had internal chats,” Kadri told NHL.com last month

“Obviously, those we’ll keep private, but, yeah, we’ve had discussions and communicated. I think that’s what makes it great, is having that open line of conversation and just being able to understand where everybody’s at.”

Kadri is 35 and on the fourth season of a seven-year, $49-million deal on a team going nowhere. The Avs (41-10-9) are the best team in the NHL.

They’re also in a heck of a position to get this generational core of MacKinnon-Makar-Landeskog another summer parade. If, of course, they can patch up some holes before the trade window shuts tight.

“Because other teams are doing the same. So if you don’t change, then you may fall behind,” Avs defenseman Josh Manson told me recently. “Obviously, it’s a risk upsetting (locker room) culture or whatever it may be. But I think you always have to be trying to fine-tune.

“And that’s up to management. I think (they’ll make) the best decision for our team moving forward because, at the end of the day, I think it reflects on them the most. Besides how the players and the way they play, how the team and what’s been assembled reflects on them.”

To that end, Kadri the player ticks a whole bunch of boxes. He’s physical. He’s scrappy. He’s clever. He’s persistent. He’s stubborn. He’s not just a pest. He’s a skilled pest.

Yeah, but …

Sure, Kadri’s scoring (41 points in 60 games as of Wednesday morning) is down from last season’s pace. But his face-off win percentage (47.9) is up, and a better clip than Parker Kelly (36.3), Ross Colton (46.2) and Gavin Brindley (38.2) have been producing to date.

Yeah, but …

Naz also hasn’t missed a regular-season game since leaving Denver as a free agent four summers ago.

Yeah, but …

I know, I know.

It’s … not … ideal. PuckPedia.com said Wednesday But three more seasons left on the books for Kadri, at $7 million per year? Woof.

Basically, if you’re the Avs, you’d be paying for the back end, and probably the worst end, of a deal the Kroenkes weren’t willing to give Naz three years ago — at the peak of his value. Unless someone else is willing to help offset those costs, that’s a tricky needle to thread for a 35-year-old forward.

Especially because Cale Makar is about to get paid. The best D-man in the world is eligible for an extension on July 1. And the next one should be a doozy, a deal that’s expected to hike his cap number from $9 million this season to $18 million or $19 million going forward. The eye of that needle shrinks by the day.

Still, a team with a 30-year-old Nathan MacKinnon, a 33-year-old Landeskog, a 34-year-old Brock Nelson, a 34-year-old Manson and a 40-year-old Brent Burns has kind of already laid its cards out for everyone to see. Whatever chips you’ve got left, you’re pushing them to the center of the table.

When he’s right, Naz is as chippy as they come. Remember 2022? The March To Lord Stanley is an HBO spin-off series in and off itself. To produce enough episodes to get you to June, you need compelling villains or anti-heroes who relish the smoke and keep the narrative moving.

It takes a village to win a Cup. Every series is a self-contained storyline waiting for someone to grasp the spotlight.

Four springs ago, Naz grabbed it by the thorax. If the ’22 playoffs were a “Game of Thrones” arc,

Jordan Binnington. Water bottles. Threats. Sweet revenge. They don’t get over the line without him. Or beat the Lightning in Game 4 of those Finals on that Florida slush pond.

According to longtime NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, Kadri has 13 teams on his no-trade list. Colorado isn’t believed to be one of them.

“I mean, you want to try and be as deep as you possibly can going into this (postseason), right? ” Avs coach Jared Bednar reflected late last month. “We like the guys we have. They’re all doing a great job, no question. If we can get deeper, stronger in certain positions, then I’m sure C-Mac and Joe (Sakic) and their staff will try and do that.”

Kadri has put up 11 points and four goals over his last 10 games vs. the Stars. Let that dawg in. Let him eat. In these playoffs, Naz Guys get the silverware. Nice Guys go home.

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Gavin Brindley and Cale Makar both snapped goal-scoring droughts and the Avs grinded out a 3-1 win against the Chicago Blackhawks. Makar scored twice, including one into an empty net, and Nathan MacKinnon had a pair of assists to help Colorado win for the second time in three games since a three-week break for the 2026 Winter Olympics.

“Yeah, that was a big one,” Brindley said. “Cale had a big goal at the end of the second, just to get us going. I thought we did a great job tonight. We controlled the pace of the game. I thought we were really good and probably deserved a couple more goals.

“That’s how it goes sometimes. Good job by the boys to finish it off.”

Sam Malinski’s second try from the top of the offensive zone created a rebound near the left post, and Brindley was there to pounce on it at 7:31 of the third period. It was Brindley’s sixth goal of the season, but his first since Dec. 11.

Brindley, acquired in an offseason trade from Columbus, had a fast start to his rookie season with Colorado, but had just two assists in his past 25 contests before this game-winning goal.

“This guy comes out every day and does the ‘goalie school’ shootings with me and (Scott Wedgewood). It’s an unforgiving job,” Avs goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood, who made 14 saves, said. “He’s got to get on the ice a little extra early, but it’s paying off for him. He’s getting his reps in, and he’s going to be a good player.”

The Avs had three power-play chances in the second period, and part of a fourth that carried over from the opening period. It was more than six minutes with the man advantage, but Chicago has the top-ranked penalty kill, and Colorado remains last on the power play.

The home side did not score with the extra man in the period, but Makar’s goal with 8.3 seconds remaining in the middle frame was spiritually a tally for the top power-play unit. Oliver Moore came out of the box seven seconds before the goal, but the rest of the Blackhawks on the ice were gassed from a lengthy PK shift, and the Avs took full advantage.

MacKinnon sent the puck from near the goal line to the left of the Chicago net to Makar in the right circle. He didn’t get close to max power on his one-timer, but placed it well, and goaltender Spencer Knight was moving the wrong direction as the puck fluttered past him.

“It was good,” Makar said. “I think we still would have got it in the third. It felt like we were grinding all the way from halfway through the first period into the second and doing so many good things. We just weren’t getting the right bounces.”

That was Makar’s 16th goal of the season, but his first in nine games for the Avs. While Makar earned all-tournament honors at the Olympics in Milan, he had no goals and three points in the past eight NHL contests, which is pretty easily the least-productive stretch of his season.

“I think I was more just hoping that it would be a power-play goal for us,” Makar said.

The Avs officially went 0-for-4 with the man advantage, and are now 2-for-35 on the power play since Jan. 12. Colorado has allowed four shorthanded goals in that span, though one was into an empty net.

“We wish we could score every single power play,” Makar said. “I think that’s what the fans expect. But for us right now, we’ve just got to continue building it. I feel like there were times tonight that we did good things. We did get puck movement and generated some opportunities.”

“I think that’s just going to come the more and more we continue to work.”

Connor Bedard put Chicago on the board first with a power-play goal. Tyler Bertuzzi got behind Devon Toews on a rush, so the Avs defenseman took a penalty to prevent a scoring chance.

It only took 21 seconds for the Blackhawks to capitalize. Bertuzzi sent a cross-ice pass to Bedard in the right circle, and the lethal release that helped make him the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NHL draft led to his 25th goal of the season. Colorado’s penalty kill reached the Olympic break ranked No. 2 in the league, but Utah, Minnesota and Chicago have combined to score four times with the man advantage in the past three contests.

Colorado held a 14-4 advantage in shots on goal through 20 minutes, but the Avs didn’t create many great chances in the period, either. Similar to two days prior against the Wild, the Avs found some mid-range scoring chances, but not a lot close to the net or plays where Knight had to be great to keep the puck out.

Makar’s empty-netter sealed the win for Colorado. After a 31-2-7 start, the Avs have struggled to regain their league-best form. This win got them back to “hockey .500” since the historic start at 8-8-2 in the past 18 contests.