Three weeks ago, he punctuated the decision to leave college for junior hockey in Canada with a Memorial Cup triumph while playing for the Kitchener Rangers. Now, he’s getting ready to go back to school.

“It was surreal,” Humphreys said during the Colorado Avalanche’s summer development camp. “It¶¶Ňőap just kind of just starting to soak in right now. We had an incredible team, and what an accomplishment. You’ve got to beat out 61 teams to get there. Our team was just so good and so tight, on and off the ice. Just being there and going through that process, going through seven-game series, it teaches you a lot.

“It was three weeks ago today, and it is still so cool.”

Everything has changed for players with NHL aspirations, and no one exemplifies that more than Humphreys, a seventh-round pick by the Avalanche in the 2024 NHL draft. He spent the year leading into the draft with the USA Hockey National Team Development Program.

He went to Michigan as an 18-year-old freshman, and it didn’t work out. Humphreys played 10 games, had one point and in January decided to leave for Kitchener.

“Every player’s path is different,” Humphreys said. “You’ve got to find the right fit. That was a real humbling experience for me. I was grateful for my time at Michigan, and to them for having me. Whenever I picked up the phone and called Kitchener, it was the best thing for me. To go out with a Memorial Cup, it¶¶Ňőap so special. It¶¶Ňőap something I’ll never forget.”

A sea change for prospects with NCAA shift

For decades, that was the end of his amateur career. Players who played games in one of Canada’s three major junior leagues were ineligible to play NCAA hockey. When he left Ann Arbor for Ontario, his college eligibility was revoked.

The Avs would have either had to sign him by last month or let him go back in the draft. Humphreys would be preparing for life as a pro hockey player, starting next season at 20 years old — likely either in a limited role with the Colorado Eagles or even in the ECHL with the New Mexico Goatheads.

But then the rules changed. This past season, CHL players were granted NCAA eligibility.

Humphreys, who had 27 goals and 85 points in 63 regular-season games for the Rangers, then nine goals and 22 points in 18 playoff games, initially wanted to sign and turn pro. But after discussions with the Avalanche and his inner circle, Humphreys committed to play for another Big Ten school, Minnesota, next season.

“I really think the original switch from Michigan to Kitchener was the right thing to do development-wise,” Colorado director of player development Brian Willsie said. “He went in there and got a great opportunity to play in a top-six role with Kitchener in the OHL, and then obviously this year was a huge success individually, and then the team wins the Memorial Cup.

“For 20-year-olds coming out of the CHL, we’ve said it before, going to the American League is tough. The American League is a tough, tough league. So, to have that extra runway and the rules changing mid-development for him is a huge advantage, both for him and for us.”

Humphreys is absolutely the type of prospect that the rule changes were meant for. Listed at 5-foot-11 and 170 pounds, he is going to need to build up his body as much as his hockey skills in the next couple of seasons.

For so long, a player like him had to choose between the game-centric rigors of the CHL versus the extra practice and workout time with an NCAA program. Now, he’s going to reap the benefits of both.

“You can use the clichĂ© line of I want to get faster and stronger, but I think for me it¶¶Ňőap the little details,” Humphreys said. “Whether it¶¶Ňőap getting a bump or being hard on the forecheck, the playoffs taught me every little detail has got to be sharp or you’re going to lose hockey games.

“Management here does a great job of helping players get to where they want. When that opportunity came, it was a no-brainer for me. I think you’re going to see a lot of players do the same thing.”

FOOTNOTE: The Avs will play two games at the 2026 Rookie Faceoff Tournament in San Jose, the club announced Thursday. Colorado’s prospects will play Sept. 12 against Anaheim and the following day against Vegas.

Colorado chose Egor Shilov with the No. 43 pick in the second round Saturday, and followed up with Beckett Hamilton at choice No. 74 in the third round. The Avs selected nine players in total — tied for the most in any draft by the club since it switched a seven-round format in 2005.

Shilov, listed at 6-foot-1 and 180 pounds, had 32 goals and 82 points in 63 games for the Victoriaville Tigres of the QMJHL this past season. He finished seventh in the QMJHL in scoring, but first among rookies. He is expected to play for Victoriaville next season and then join Penn State for the 2027-28 campaign.

“We were really high on him — our staff, our analytics department, the scouting staff through and through was was high on him,” Avs scouting director Nick Pryor said. “It’s a high-talent player. We see him as a guy with a high offensive upside and a lot of skill, dynamic skill, playmaking.”

Hailing from Tyumen, Russia, Shilov has also played for the Long Island Gulls in the AYHL and Green Bay Gamblers in the USHL prior to joining Victoriaville. Shilov was previously committed to Boston University, but flipped to Penn State in May.

The consensus from several draft experts on Shilov is he’s a dynamic offensive prospect, but there are questions about his defensive commitment and compete level.

Hamilton, listed at 5-foot-11 and 173 pounds, is in some ways the opposite type of prospect compared to Shilov. He had 24 goals and 62 points in 67 games for Red Deer, plus three goals in five games for Canada at the U-18 world championships.

He’s expected to stay with Red Deer next season, and hasn’t committed to an NCAA program for the future. Hamilton earned praise from multiple draft experts for his play away from the puck and his straightforward offensive attack.

“Beckett’s a high-motor, high-energy speed player, and that’s probably the first thing that drew us to him,” Pryor said. “But then he’s got some skill to go with it, and goal scoring. We like the pace of play that he plays at, and the drive that he plays with.

“Egor is more cerebral, really good on the power play. He can pick it apart. He’s good from the half-wall on the power play. Beckett’s north-south game is what was really attractive for us, but he does have skill and a goal-scoring touch to go with it as well.”

Both Shilov and Hamilton have played center for their CHL teams and gained some penalty-killing experience. The Avs have a very thin pipeline, and these two players immediately slot in among the top five or six prospects in the organization.

Colorado’s pipeline particularly thin at center. The Avs have a few prospects who can play center, like TJ Hughes and Gavin Brindley with the Eagles during the Calder Cup Playoffs and Jake Fisher at the University of Denver, but whether or not any of them can stick in the middle at the NHL is certainly in question.

Avs general manager Joe Sakic traded for both of these draft picks in recent days. The No. 43 selection arrived Thursday from Columbus in the Valeri Nichushkin trade, while No. 74 came from Nashville in the Ross Colton deal.

Colorado added four defensemen, a wing and two goaltenders with its remaining picks.

FOOTNOTES: The Avs made a player-for-player trade during the draft, sending Ivan Ivan to the Boston Bruins for Fabian Lysell, a 23-year-old forward. Lysell, who played 12 NHL games two years ago, is a 5-foot-11, 186-pound wing and was a first-round pick in 2021. … Two more University of Denver incoming freshmen were drafted Saturday — defenseman Ben MacBaeth was the No. 64 pick by the New York Rangers and Mikey Berchild was the 105th selection by the Carolina Hurricanes. All eight members of DU’s incoming recruiting class are now NHL draft picks.

Rudolph, who will be a freshman at the University of Denver next season, was the No. 4 pick in the 2026 NHL draft. Even better, he was selected by the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Arena in downtown Buffalo.

“It’s an incredible feeling,” Rudolph told reporters after being drafted. “To be selected by Buffalo in Buffalo, it means a lot. Just hearing the applause was a really cool moment.”

He also made history for the Pioneers in multiple ways. Rudolph is now the highest draft selection in DU program history. He and Ryan Lin, who went with the No. 21 pick to the San Jose Sharks, are now the first pair of first-round picks to be on the DU roster at the same time.

Rudolph, a 6-foot-2 defenseman, had 28 goals and 78 points in 68 games for Prince Albert in the WHL this past season. He also had nine goals and 27 points in 19 playoff games.

Lin, a 5-foot-11 defenseman, had 14 goals and 57 points in 53 games for Vancouver in the WHL. He’s also played for Canada at the U-18 world championships in each of the past two years.

Rudolph and Lin are part of the most anticipated recruiting class in Pios program history. The defending champions lost four defensemen from their title-winning team, but Rudolph, Lin, 2025 second-round pick Blake Fiddler and Ben MacBeath, a projected second-round choice in this draft will arrive to replace them this fall.

The landscape of college hockey has changed dramatically in recent years. The 2026-27 season will be the second year in which players from the CHL — a combination of Canada’s three top major junior leagues — will be eligible to play NCAA hockey. This Pios freshman class has seven CHL players (six from the WHL, one from the OHL) plus center Mikey Berchild, who spent the past two years at the USA Hockey National Team Development Program.

“I think it¶¶Ňőap exciting for our fans. There’s a notoriety that comes with (multiple first-round picks),” DU coach David Carle told The Denver Post earlier this week. “I think our challenge is not change at all who we are or the people we’re bringing in. That¶¶Ňőap what we’re most excited about. This has more to do with the CHL rule change than anything else.”

Denver has built itself into a college hockey powerhouse without the benefit of multiple first-round picks. The Pios have only had five in program history before this. There’s been plenty of future NHL talent, but not at the same levels of the sport¶¶Ňőap other traditional powers.

“They’re not picking Denver because we’re the fastest road to the NHL, or we’re offering the most money or we have the shiniest stuff,” Carle said. “They’re coming here because they want to be part of something bigger than themselves and they want to add to what we’ve already been able to do on this historic run.”

Sakic spoke shortly before the 2026 NHL draft began Friday night. The Colorado Avalanche don’t pick until Saturday, but Sakic and Co. have made three trades and signed two key defensemen since he returned to the general manager role after Chris MacFarland left for Nashville.

The first two trades were with MacFarland and the Predators, before he sent Valeri Nichushkin to Columbus on Thursday. The Avs used some of the salary cap space created Friday to sign defensemen Brett Kulak and Brent Burns to new contracts.

“We weren’t friends,” Sakic said of making deals with MacFarland. “No, I mean, it was good. He did what he thought was best for his group. I thought we did what was best for our group. Those decisions for us really were cap decisions.

“We couldn’t have brought everybody back. You see where we are now after the two signings today with Kulak and Burns. Cap’s not at ($110 million). It’s ($101 million) for us, and so we had to do things to free up cap space while accumulating draft capital which hopefully tomorrow we can get some good prospects in our system. We’ve got a lot more draft picks now next year that we can use during the year or trade deadline or whenever to try and help our team.”

The cap ceiling for the 2026-27 is $104 million, but the Avs have nearly $2.3 million in dead money because Burns signed a one-year, bonus-laden contract last year. That allowed Colorado to exceed the ceiling last year, but also means the bill is due this season.

With the moves Sakic has made, the Avs currently have 11 forwards, six defensemen and two goaltenders on one-way contracts. They also have about $5.6 million in cap space to work with.

“There’s things we’re going to look to do, but it’s going to be with players that we feel are a good fit for us for what we’re trying to do,” Sakic said. “Hopefully it works out. If it doesn’t work out, we’re going to have a good amount of cap space and draft capital for things to happen during the year. So there’s no panic on our end. We’re not rushed. If we’ve got to start out with some kids this year to see what they’ve got, what they can do, we’re perfectly happy with that as well.”

Sakic did say he’d like to sign two more forwards and another defenseman. If the forwards don’t materialize, the Avs do have some interesting young forwards in the organization. Two of the guys who are among the 11 now arrived Wednesday.

Fedor Svechkov and Zachary L’Heureux were both first-round picks in the 2021 draft. They’re both 23 years old. They’ve both played mostly in fourth-line roles for Nashville.

“We liked getting the two younger players that can immediately go on your roster,” Sakic said. “Svechkov, he’s like a (Jack) Drury. He’s not quite at Drury’s level yet, but we think he can get there. We do see a similar player that could play that role.

“L’Heureux, he’s going to be exciting for us. He’s type of player that we were looking for. … We probably wish we had that player in the (2026) playoffs. He’s going to bring a lot of enthusiasm, excitement, physicality and he goes to the net. He’s always around that net, so we’re excited to have both of them.”

The Pioneers — defending NCAA champions, winners of a record 11 titles, including three of the past five — have never had multiple first-round NHL Draft picks in the program at the same time. That is expected to change Friday, when incoming freshmen Daxon Rudolph and Ryan Lin will hear their names called at KeyBank Arena in Buffalo during the opening round of this year’s draft.

Rudolph and Lin are the headliners from the most anticipated recruiting class in program history. Two other incoming Pios are expected to be drafted Saturday — defenseman Ben MacBeath is projected to be a second-round selection, while center Mikey Berchild should go in the middle rounds. The other four guys in the eight-member class are already NHL draft picks, including Blake Fiddler, the No. 36 selection in the 2025 draft.

“I think it’s exciting for our fans. There’s a notoriety that comes with (multiple first-round picks),” DU coach David Carle told The Denver Post. “I think our challenge is not change at all who we are or the people we’re bringing in. That’s what we’re most excited about. This has more to do with the CHL rule change than anything else.”

Tapping the CHL pipeline

The landscape of college hockey has changed dramatically in recent years. The 2026-27 season will be the second year in which players from the CHL — a combination of Canada’s three top major junior leagues — will be eligible to play NCAA hockey. This Pios freshman class has seven CHL players (six from the WHL, one from the OHL) plus Berchild, who spent the past two years at the USA Hockey National Team Development Program.

Gavin McKenna, expected to be the No. 1 pick Friday night, spent this past season at Penn State after previously playing in the WHL. The Pios had six former CHL players in their 10-person freshman class last season, including postseason star goalie Johnny Hicks.

Recruiting players from the CHL has changed the process for college programs — not just the who but the when. Before CHL eligibility, amateur players would often commit two or three years before arriving on campus. Now, college hockey recruiting looks a bit more like football and basketball, with key prospects making their decisions much later in the process.

“Tavis did a remarkable job with this class. It’s not easy. At the start of the year, Lin, Rudolph and Fiddler — none of them were committed,” Carle said of Tavis MacMillan, who was promoted to general manager/assistant coach Wednesday. “Tavis, to his credit, just really built relationships with the players and their representatives throughout the year. We’re not surprised with the work Tavis was able to do with this group, but it’s a remarkable group that adds what is already a great group of returners.”

Randolph, Lin and MacBeath are all part of a dynamite crop of WHL players in the 2026 draft class. McKenna and North Dakota’s Keaton Verhoeff are projected top-10 picks with WHL roots, while Rudolph, Lin, Carson Caels (a NoDak signee) and JP Hurlbert (a Michigan signee) could all end up in the top 15-20 selections.

They will arrive at DU at a critical time. Hobey Baker finalist Eric Pohlkamp and senior captain Kent Anderson were expected to turn pro, but sophomore Garrett Brown and junior Boston Buckberger joined them after the title run. That’s the entire right side of the defense corps plus the No. 1 guy on the left side.

Insert righties Randolph, Lin and Fiddler, plus a lefty in MacBeath, to remake a defense corps that still includes Colorado Avalanche draft pick Tory Pitner, former WHL captain Eric Jamieson and senior Cale Ashcraft.

Changing landscape of college hockey

Denver has built itself into a college hockey powerhouse without the benefit of multiple first-round picks. The Pios have only had five in program history before this. There’s been plenty of future NHL talent, but not at the same levels of the sport’s other traditional powers.

Can the Pios still win big with a new level of player steadily finding its way to Magness Arena?

“I think that’s a fair speculation, and time will tell,” Carle said. “I’m very confident in our staff’s ability, our program’s ability, our culture’s ability to do it. … Great players want to be coached, want to be in environments where they are held accountable and they want to win. We’re not changing at all how we’re operating. Our intent is to win on the ice, in the weight room, in the classroom and develop these players as people first while helping them achieve their dreams of winning a national championship.

“They’re not picking Denver because we’re the fastest road to the NHL, or we’re offering the most money or we have the shiniest stuff. They’re coming here because they want to be part of something bigger than themselves and they want to add to what we’ve already been able to do on this historic run.”

The new talent pool isn’t the only major change. This will be the second year of revenue sharing for college athletes.

Carle said the Pios did not offer any revenue-sharing money last season, opting to wait and plot out best practices for allocating the resources. DU players have earned compensation through Name, Image and Likeness contracts in recent seasons, but that money did not come through the university.

The Pioneers are extending revenue-sharing money to their players this coming season, and not just the incoming freshmen. Retaining current roster members has become a critical part of the modern recruiting process, given the transfer portal and financial means for other schools to poach players.

“I think just the best developmental path for me,” Rudolph told reporters in Buffalo ahead of the NHL draft about choosing the Pios and college hockey. “I think my time in the WHL was so much fun and really helped my game progress. Moving on to Denver next year will help me adjust to the NHL when that time comes.

“I think there’s a few reasons (for Denver). Obviously the coaching staff is a big one. Who I’m going to be around — there’s lots of my buddies there and western Canadians.”

Not only are the Pios defending champs with an exciting recruiting class, but the 2026-27 schedule is also one of the most anticipated in program history. After a trip to Alaska-Anchorage, the first three home weekends of the season are all bangers.

DU will welcome the NTDP U-18 team to Magness Arena, followed by Michigan and then Boston College. It’s the Wolverines’ first trip to Denver since 1981. The Pios beat the Wolverines in an instant classic at the 2025 Frozen Four and will make a return visit to Yost Arena next season.

Carle said the Pios are talking with the Wolverines about scheduling future games. They’re also working on future series with blue bloods like Minnesota and Boston University.

“We remain very hungry to continue to add to what we’re doing,” Carle said. “There is zero interest to take any steps backwards. It is pedal to the floor to capitalize on our success and to continue to build our brand and our momentum. I mean … certainly the five-year run, we feel like we’re in this golden age of Denver hockey and we want to capitalize on it to its full extent.”

Colorado has a bunch of picks , which is Friday and Saturday in Buffalo, but currently only two (Nos. 43 and 74) is in the first 125 selections. The Avs also have pick Nos. 126, 128, 149, 152, 195, 214, 215 and 222.

The newest addition to the group came Thursday, when the Avs traded Valeri Nichushkin to the Columbus Blue Jackets for three picks, including No. 43 in the 2026 draft.

Having 10 picks, even with most in the latter stages of the draft, could help the Avalanche replenish a very thin pool of prospects. The Avs have traded away several prospects in the past few years, along with a lot of premium draft selections.

The 2024 draft is a good example of how the Avs have used later picks to help the team win right now. William Zellers was the No. 76 selection, and he was part of the trade that sent Casey Mittelstadt to Boston for Charlie Coyle. Max Curran was a great find at No. 161, developing into a legitimate NHL prospect before heading to Calgary in the Nazem Kadri deal.

Colorado needs more picks like Zellers and Curran, either to be part of trades over the next couple of years or to help replenish an aging roster. The Avs haven’t drafted a player after the first round with 200-plus games of NHL experience since A.J. Greer in 2015 and they haven’t selected a player after the first who has played more than 200 contests for Colorado since Ryan O’Reilly in the second round in 2009.

The franchise’s needs in the prospect pipeline are pretty broad. Colorado has a decent collection of young goaltenders, headlined by Ilya Nabokov, but the Avs are very thin at forward and defense. The Avs have nearly as many goalies (three) as forwards (four) on their reserve list — those are players the club holds rights to, most of which are draft picks who are still in college or playing overseas.

It’s not a coincidence that Joe Sakic’s first two trades after returning to the general manager role involved acquiring draft picks and two young forwards. The Avs need to get younger over the next season or two to help extend the championship contention window, and they need more assets to use in future trades as well.

Nabokov is the club’s top prospect, with defensemen Mikhail Gulyayev, Sean Behrens and Francesco Dell’Elce behind him among the drafted players in the pipeline. The Avs have compensated for a lack of premium draft picks with a significant foray in college/European free agents like defensemen Alex Gagne and Gustav Stjernberg, forwards T.J. Hughes, Matthew DiMarsico and goaltender Nikita Novosyolov.

There have been six trades involving NHL players in the past week, including one by the Colorado Avalanche to free up more space below the salary cap ceiling. The first big move of Joe Sakic’s second term as the Avalanche general manager sent Ross Colton to the Nashville Predators for a pair of third-round draft picks.

What further moves will Sakic and Co. make? Who are some options that might be available?

We dug into the current state of the roster in a four-part series. The Avs look pretty set in goal.

Moving Colton also creates a hole in the forward group. The Avs have a few young players who could make a push for a full-time job during training camp, but one path forward for the club this offseason could include another forward or two on the move to refresh the roster a bit, even if Sakic said at his year-end press conference that this current group was put together with a 2-3 year run in mind.

Let’s take a look the forwards that could be available, either on July 1 in free agency or via trade. One thing to remember: There are lots of NHL teams with lots of cap space, and few impact players to spend it on. That could lead to some crazy-looking free agent contracts in July.

As an example, Bobby McMann was one of the first names on this list before he signed a six-year contract worth $5.75 million per season to stay with the Seattle Kraken. The Avs aren’t going to be able to afford that type of contract with any player unless someone else beyond Colton is moved off the current roster.

Unrestricted free agents

Oliver Bjorkstrand
2025-26: 12 goals, 32 points in 80 games

Bjorkstrand has spent most of his career as a really solid, sometimes underrated player. He wasn’t that guy last season with the Tampa Bay Lightning. He also turned 31 in April. Bjorstrand just wrapped up a contract at $5.4 million per season, but could his dip last season make him a more affordable bounce-back candidate?

Andrei Kuzmenko
2025-26: 13 goals, 25 points in 52 games

Kuzmenko had an out-of-body experience with 39 goals four years ago, but he’s settled in as a solid player who would likely produce at the same level that Colton did with the Avs. He’s bounced around a bit, but a fresh start with a better team could give Kuzmenko a boost. Given other needs, the Avs aren’t likely to replace Cotlon with a similarly-paid depth wing, though. They’d likely need a cooler-than-expected market, though Kuzmenko might thread the needle and be that player in this class.

Jack Roslovic
2025-26: 21 goals, 36 points in 69 games

Back-to-back solid seasons on cheap, one-year contracts. He will also be 29 when the season begins, which makes him one of the younger UFAs who can produce in a middle-six role. The red flags? Four teams in three years isn’t one on its own, but combine that with three goals in 51 career playoff games, and teams are probably doing a little extra homework here.

A.J. Greer
2025-26: 17 goals, 32 points in 78 games

Ex-Avs journeyman who found a home with the Florida Panthers and had a breakout year in a bigger role because of all the injuries. Did he finally get the extra opportunity needed to show he’s more than just a fourth-line energy guy? He’s a big, rugged guy who still has some championship glitter on him, so there might be a team out there that really overpays if last year was a one-hit wonder offensively.

Beck Malenstyn
2025-26: 7 goals, 14 points in 81 games

Malenstyn is big and fast. He has some of the same traits as Greer, minus the one outlier year on offense. In a normal offseason with a deeper pool of players and less collective cap space available, Malenstyn could be a nice under-the-radar pickup for a club like the Avs that might like to add someone of his profile. It’s going to be hard for anyone to make any under-the-radar value signings in early July 2026, though.

Trade candidates

Mason McTavish
2025-26: 17 goals, 41 points in 75 games

Dylan Larkin has received the most attention because of his trade request, but the chances of the Avs getting into that sweepstakes are pretty slim. McTavish is also a high-profile name in trade speculation. He’s young, and he was the No. 3 pick in the 2021 NHL draft, but he and Joel Quenneville were not simpatico this past season. Does he just need a change of scenery to fulfill his potential, or is Quenneville’s deployment a harbinger of what’s to come? Would one of the Avs’ veteran wings be enough to get a package started for McTavish, who turns 24 in January?

Warren Foegele
2025-26: 13 goals, 17 points in 68 games

Foegele scored 44 goals in the previous two seasons combined before a step back last year. He’s a UFA after next season, plus the Ottawa Senators could look a lot different with captain Brady Tkachuk reportedly on his way to Florida to play with his brother. Foegele is only $500K cheaper than Colton, but would add a little more size and has been a similar, but slightly more productive player.

Jesperi Kotkaniemi
2025-26: 2 goals, 9 points in 42 games

Kotkaniemi has size, draft pedigree and fell out of favor with a one of the other top organizations in the sport. Sound familiar? Could he be the next Avs reclamation project? He turns 26 next month. There is a chance the Carolina Hurricanes will buy out Kotkaniemi, which would make him potentially available on a shorter, cheaper contract. There could be several teams intrigued if that is what happens.

The goaltending position is a near-perfect reflection of where the Colorado Avalanche stand heading into the summer of 2026.

Scott Wedgewood and Mackenzie Blackwood combined for one of the best regular-season performances in franchise history, winning the William Jennings Trophy for yielding the fewest goals in the NHL. “The Lumberyard” combined for a solid showing in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, but by the end of the Western Conference Final, there were questions about whether the duo can get the Avs where they ultimately want to go.

“They’re in a good spot,” Cory Schneider, a former NHL goaltender, teammate of both Avs netminders and analyst for NHL Network and MSG Networks, told The Denver Post. “You can sit there and blame the goaltending. It was one of a few reasons (they lost), but I don’t think it was the reason. They’re a team built to survive with good enough goaltending, kind of like in ’22 when they won with (Darcy) Kuemper and (Pavel) Francouz.

“I think most teams would be pretty envious of those two. If you went around the league and asked you trade your two for our two, I think most teams would take those guys.”

What just happened

Wedgewood led the league in save percentage, goals against average and finished fifth in Vezina Trophy voting. The 32-year-old career backup was one of the great stories in the NHL this season, smashing career bests in every statistical category.

Since arriving first, 10 days ahead of Blackwood during the 2024-25 season, Wedgewood quickly integrated with the Avs’ leadership core and became a fan favorite. Whether it was his style of play, underdog story or immersion into some of the club’s key theme nights, “Wedge-ie” chants became synonymous with his rise to opening the playoffs as the starter.

His play in the first round was near flawless, but he was replaced by Blackwood in each of the next two rounds.

“Scott had an amazing season and did everything you could ask of him,” Schneider said. “It¶¶Ňőap not a knock to say he just bumped into his ceiling a little bit. You need a good 1B and a guy like Scott. But I think when the chips are on the table, Mackenzie has got to become the guy who is going to carry you there.”

Blackwood had an up-and-down year. It started late because of an offseason surgery, and that in part allowed Wedgewood to kick off his career-best season. When Blackwood’s season did begin, he roared to a 13-1-1 start and ultimately was the first alternate for Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano, Italy.

The middle of his campaign was undone by another injury. His play slipped after his return: 5-7 with an .880 save percentage across 14 games between Jan. 16 and March 16.

He watched while Wedgewood started the first seven postseason games. He had two great starts, including Game 4 against Vegas, but also one that he didn’t finish.

“It¶¶Ňőap freaking hard not to play for so long and come into a big game,” Blackwood said after the Game 4 loss. “But you know, I just said, ‘(expletive) it and go play the best I can and give them the best chance to win and just battle.’ ”

Down a level, Trent Miner had a similar end to Wedgewood — great start to a postseason run, but the guy at the other end of the ice outplayed him in Games 6 and 7 of the AHL conference finals. Miner, 25, collected his first NHL win and a really nice year as the club’s No. 3 goalie, but will also face stiff competition to keep that place next season.

What’s next

The Avs haven’t been this stable, up and down the depth chart, in net in a long time.

Blackwood has four years remaining on his contract and currently has the 22nd-highest cap hit for the 2026-27 season at $5.25 million. Wedgewood is signed for another year at $2.5 million. There are eight goalies slated to make more than the Jennings Trophy-winning duo combined.

Still, Blackwood turns 30 in December. It’s going to be a massive year for him.

“I think Mackenzie really has to establish himself as the guy,” Schneider said. “He’s got so much talent, so much upside. But he’s starting to get older, and then it¶¶Ňőap not upside anymore, it¶¶Ňőap unrealized potential. When he’s healthy and confident, he can be an elite goaltender.

“He’s got to prove that he can be healthy and have his head on straight for an entire year. That is going to be his challenge. I think he can rise to it, but you kind of don’t know until he does it.”

Colorado has four more goaltenders under contract for next season. The headliner is Ilya Nabokov, the club’s top pick in the 2024 NHL draft and top prospect, regardless of position. The 23-year-old joined the Colorado Eagles at the end of his KHL season, but has yet to play in a North American game.

Nabokov is a wild card. He was great in the KHL for two years, though his numbers dipped this past season. Can he unseat Miner as the Eagles’ No. 1, or even challenge Wedgewood? The latter might be a stretch, but what impact he makes next year could alter the course of the depth chart behind Blackwood in 2027 and beyond.

“Goaltending was not an issue all year,” Avs president and general manager Joe Sakic said. “I like the way that it was operated. They both played well, and we expect, to be honest, I expect them to get a little bit even better next year and a little stronger. You go to Blackwood, and he had a tough start last year (with) injuries. It’s hard for goaltenders to miss all the training camp, basically, and get back and try and get in a rhythm.

“He’s 100%. He was 100% down the stretch. He’s got a whole summer to get ready and focus.”

Future depth chart

* Unrestricted free agent in 2027; + Restricted free agent in 2027

He was just waiting for the new leader of his hockey operations department to inform his former coworkers before the news broke. When Haslam called Chris MacFarland, the former Colorado Avalanche general manager told his new boss he needed a minute to compose himself, and he’d call back.

It wouldn’t be the last time MacFarland would get emotional about leaving his previous post.

The Predators introduced MacFarland as the club’s new president of hockey operations and general manager on Wednesday morning. He spent the past 11 seasons with the Avs, helping the club win the Stanley Cup in 2022 and becoming one of three finalists for the Jim Gregory NHL GM of the Year Award in 2026 after leading Colorado to its best-ever regular season in franchise history.

MacFarland spent several minutes thanking numerous members of the Avs organization during his opening remarks, and at times it was a struggle for him.

“It was going to take a hell of an opportunity and situation to get me to think about leaving Colorado,” MacFarland said. “I loved everything about it. The players and the team there, I was very attached. Still am, to a degree, I’m not going to lie. I wish them the best.”

The Predators announced Barry Trotz would step down as GM and transition into an advisory role in early February. Haslam and his ownership group, which includes former Alabama football coach Nick Saban, spent months conducting their search, but in recent days it became clear that Nashville was waiting for the chance to speak with at least one person whose team was still playing in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Haslam received permission to speak with MacFarland, who had one more year left on his contract with the Avalanche, shortly after Vegas swept Colorado out of the Western Conference Final, and the process went from a slow crawl to hyperspeed.

“When we finally could talk to Chris, we immediately took every advantage to jump in there quick with a conversation,” Haslam said. “It wasn’t a given thing that he would like us, or that the Avs would say you can talk to him. So I want to start by saying I’m really appreciative to the Avs to, I think, doing the right thing for somebody that they had a great appreciation for.

“And I’ll say up front, they didn’t let him go easily. This was a … they were very eager to keep Chris there, understandably.”

An Avalanche source told the Denver Post that the franchise made multiple offers to MacFarland in hopes of retaining him. Multiple league sources said the Predators’ offer was a significant one, beyond just the promotion to president of hockey ops.

Alex Daugherty of The Tennessean reported MacFarland’s contract with Nashville is for six years. MacFarland confirmed that the process was swift on his end.

“Bill and I had a long chat yesterday,” MacFarland said. “When you get word that a team has reached out … I had a contract and was super happy there, but it was a whirlwind for sure.”

MacFarland inherits what he called a “very attractive” situation, but with some caveats. The Predators failed to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs this season, though ex-Avalanche goaltender Justus Annunen — whom MacFarland traded to Nashville in November 2024 for Scott Wedgewood — led a late-season surge that kept the club in contention for the second wild-card spot.

Nashville has veteran players with excellent resumes — Filip Forsberg, Roman Josi, Juuse Saros, Steven Stamkos — but hasn’t won a playoff round since defeating the Avs in 2018. Why MacFarland called it a very attractive situation is the collection of future assets.

The Predators have one of the best prospect pools in the NHL, led by Brady Martin, the No. 5 pick in the 2025 NHL draft. They also have a whopping 33 selections in the next three drafts, including No. 10 overall later this month and two of Colorado’s 2027 picks — a third-rounder from the Juuso Parssinen trade and a fifth from the Nick Blankenburg deal.

“I asked Mr. Haslam, is the goal here to make the playoffs, make a wild card, feel good about that and high-five each other, or is the goal here to build a team that can compete and try to bring a Stanley Cup to Broadway?” MacFarland said. “He didn’t hesitate. He said the goal here is to try and win. That¶¶Ňőap really, quite honest, all I needed to hear. The city speaks for itself. The organization speaks for itself. I’ve come here as a visiting GM and scout for 25 years.

“When he answered that, that got me really excited. … That answer to me was everything.”

Filip Gustavsson will replace Jesper Wallstedt in the net Tuesday night for the Wild at Ball Arena. Wallstedt allowed eight goals in a 9-6 Colorado win in Game 1.

Bednar declined to answer any lineup questions ahead of Colorado’s morning skate. Scott Wedgewood has started the first five games of this postseason run. He allowed just five goals in a four-game sweep of the Los Angeles Kings, but allowed six in the Game 1 win. Wedgewood was in the “starter’s net” during the morning workout and was the first goalie off the ice, both of which are typically indicators of who will be between the pipes that night.

Defenseman Josh Manson has missed the past two games for the Avs, but has been skating for a few days now. Bednar would not say if he’s available to play in Game 2. Nick Blankenburg has played the past two games and scored his first Stanley Cup Playoffs goal in Game 1.

Another defenseman, Jack Ahcan, did not play Monday night for the Colorado Eagles in Calder Cup Playoffs action and joined the Avs this morning. Blankenburg played 12 games for the Avalanche after being acquired just before the trade deadline from Nashville. Ahcan played in 11 games for the club earlier in the year when he split time with since-departed Ilya Solovyov as the No. 7 guy on the depth chart.

In other Colorado goalie news, top prospect Ilya Nabokov posted on social media that he has played his final game for Metallurg Magnitogorsk in the KHL, and Daria Tuboltseva of SportsRU reported shortly after that he will join the Avalanche on Wednesday.

Nabokov, the No. 38 pick in the 2024 NHL draft and one of Colorado’s top two prospects, signed a two-year contract with the Avs on May 30, 2025, and was loaned back to Magnitogorsk for this season. Nabokov helped his KHL club win the Gagarin Cup in 2024 and was named the postseason MVP. He had another strong season last year, but his numbers slipped across the board this year and he appeared in just seven of the team’s 15 playoff games.

Colorado has both Wedgewood and Mackenzie Blackwood under contract for next season, along with Nabokov and both of the Eagles’ top two netminders this year, Trent Miner and Isak Posch.