Colorado signed Brett Kulak and Brent Burns to new contracts Friday, ensuring that the Avalanche’s top six defensemen from last season are now under contract. Kulak’s contract is a five-year deal with a $4.5 million cap hit, a source confirmed.

Burns signed a one-year deal with a base salary of $850,000, but with bonuses, the deal could be worth about $3 million. This is similar to his contract from last season, which featured a $1 million base salary and $4 million in potential bonuses.

The Avs have traded away Valeri Nichushkin, Ross Colton and the rights to restricted free agent Jack Drury in the past 10 days, which freed up the cap space necessary to sign Kulak.

Kulak, 32, joined the Avs ahead of the trade deadline this past season from the Pittsburgh Penguins in a deal that sent Samuel Girard the other way. He was a steady, defense-first presence for the Avs, and could slot in on the second or third pairing, depending on what else general manager Joe Sakic accomplishes this offseason.

Burns, 41, signed a one-year deal with the Avalanche before last season. He had 12 goals and 35 points in 82 games. He has played in 1,007 consecutive games, which is the second-most all-time behind Phil Kessel. Burns could break Kessel’s mark and be the NHL’s all-time Ironman in Game No. 58 this coming season.

Because he is older than 35, Burns can sign contracts that include bonuses. The Avs can also roll over bonus money to the following year if they make the club exceed the salary cap ceiling. Burns attained $3 million in bonus money last season, and nearly $2.3 million of that was rolled over onto the 2026-27 cap for next season.

The Avs now have 11 forwards, six defensemen and two goalies on one-way contracts for next season, and about $5.63 million in cap space remaining. One of the forwards currently on a two-way deal could win the final spot up front and would eat up a little less than $1 million of the remaining space, but there is still room for Sakic and Co. to add.

It is a historically weak free agent class, but the Avs have also added more draft capital over the past 10 days for potential trades. They now have 10 selections in the 2026 NHL draft, which begins Friday night in Buffalo.

The Avs’ defensive depth chart could look the same on opening night as it did after Kulak arrived, but Colorado could still use reinforcements beyond the top six. The guys who were Nos. 7 and 8 at the end of last season, Nick Blankenburg and Jack Ahcan, are both UFAs.

Given the breakout season from Sam Malinski in 2025-26, the Avs begin the offseason with a top four of Cale Makar, Devon Toews, Josh Manson and Malinski. They also have one of the best right-side depth charts in the NHL, and typically the starboard side is tougher to fill out.

The less good news is the next four guys on the depth chart are all unrestricted free agents and the Avs are still pretty tight on salary cap space even after trading Ross Colton. So that becomes one of Joe Sakic’s biggest challenges after returning to the general manager’s chair.

Colorado played with four right-handed defensemen for most of last season. It’s a rarity, but the Avs made it work. Right now, three of their top four are righties.

In an ideal world, the Avs will add at least two left-handed defensemen this offseason, and at least one that can regularly play top-four minutes. Doing so on a limited budget could be tricky, but trading one of the veteran forwards could also help with that endeavor.

Here’s a look at some of the options that could be available, either as UFAs or in the trade market.

Unrestricted free agents

Brett Kulak
2025-26: 1 goal, 12 points, 18:58 time on ice/contest in 83 games

Kulak was a really nice fit for the Avs after arriving in a trade from the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Avs needed a more defensive-minded defenseman and he provided that. His underlying numbers in the regular season, particularly before arriving in Denver, were not great. And he’ll be 33 years old in January. He’d be a solid fit for this team as the No. 5 guy, but it’s certainly plausible that another team would be willing to pay him more if he gets to July 1.

Brent Burns
2025-26: 12 goals, 35 points, 18:52 in 82 games

Does he want to play another year? Does he want to stay in Denver? Do the Avs want to bring him back? Burns repeatedly said he wasn’t thinking beyond this year during this past season, but he certainly looked like a player who has at least one more year of competent hockey in him. Given the Avs’ cap issues, bringing him back on another one-year deal with incentives that can be pushed to the 2027-28 cap if needed does make some sense. Will they want to have four righties in the top six again?

Jack Ahcan
2025-26: 0 goals, 2 points, 11:32 in 11 games

Feels like an obvious match, particularly if he’d accept another two-way contract. Not sure he’d find a one-way deal on the open market, but he’s shown he can play in a limited role in the NHL. The Avs would probably be comfortable starting the season with him as the No. 7 guy, but just like this past year, they’d also very likely be looking for an NHL veteran or two ahead of the deadline for more insurance.

Nick Blankenburg
2025-26: 8 goals, 24 points, 16:48 in 61 games

Blankenburg’s pre-Colorado numbers seem very likely to earn him a contract that doesn’t work for the Avs. It makes sense for him to look for a regular role, perhaps even as a No. 4/5 guy. The Avs are more likely to see him as a No. 6/7 guy, particularly with all the righties in front of him.

Ryan Shea
2025-26: 6 goals, 35 points, 18:53 in 80 games

Darren Raddysh just signed an 8-year, $68 million deal after one wildly successful NHL season. Shea is going to be a smaller version of that. He had 70 NHL games before last year, but was a very solid second-pairing guy for a playoff team. The offense was definitely helped by Pittsburgh shooting better than 13% when he was on the ice at 5-on-5. He’s a medium-sized lefty who is a strong penalty killer and he doesn’t turn 30 until midseason. He is also probably the best lefty on the market right now.

Jeremy Lauzon
2025-26: 1 goal, 13 points, 17:11 in 68 games

Lauzon could be an alternative to Kulak, if he finds greener pastures elsewhere. Not as dependable from an availability standpoint in recent years, but Lauzon would add size (6-foot-3, 225 pounds) and defensive solidity. He’d fit better as the No. 3 guy on the left side, if possible. He could give Jared Bednar the option of a true shutdown pairing with Manson, or an offense-defense duo with Malinski.

Mike Reilly
2025-26: 1 goal, 9 points, 14:58 in 42 games

Reilly has had solid underlying numbers for years, but he’s also played only 60 games over the past two seasons. He’s listed at 6-foot-2, can play both sides and handles sheltered minutes quite well. He played 42 games for the Carolina Hurricanes this season, but only twice during the club’s title run. He could be that type of player for the Avs — a regular for much of the season in a third-pairing role, then potentially the No. 7 come playoff time if they add another defenseman before the trade deadline.

Carson Soucy
2025-26: 5 goals, 12 points, 16:31 in 76 games

Soucy is very tall, at 6-foot-5. He had a solid start to his season with the New York Rangers. Most of his underlying numbers were pretty similar with the New York Islanders, but the latter was outscored 21-10 with him on the ice at 5-on-5 in just 30 games. The Isles collapsed near the end of the season. Other front offices will need to do their homework to understand what went wrong there. He should be a No. 6 on the Avs, but might get paid to be more elsewhere.

Vincent Desharnais
2025-26: 1 goal, 7 points, 18:11 in 53 games

Desharnais is very tall (6-foot-7) and offers almost no offense. But he’s also a better defensive player than a couple of the other size XL defensemen in this market. He is right-handed, so he’d only be an option if Burns doesn’t return and the Avs are OK with rolling out four righties at times again next year.

Colton White
2025-26: 0 goals, 4 points, 12:15 in 23 games

White is a medium-sized guy (6-foot-1, 187 pounds) who can move the puck and hold his own in sheltered minutes. Now that he’s 29 years old, getting a full-time gig might never happen. But as a potential No. 7, he could be a solid depth addition. The Avs could do worse than White/Ahcan as their No. 7/8 defensemen.

Trade market

Bowen Byram/Morgan Rielly

Here are the two best left-handed defensemen whose names are squarely in the trade market discussion. It’s hard to see a reunion with Byram. Samuel Girard is gone, but the top-two guys — and a blocked path to the power play — are still here. Rielly is an offense-first guy that doesn’t really fit what the Avs need, given both the acquisition cost and his cap number.

Pavel Mintyukov/Olen Zellweger

The Anaheim Ducks have about $43 million in cap space this summer, and basically an entire defense corps behind Jackson Lacombe to re-sign or rebuild. Any of all of the old guys (John Carlson, Jacob Trouba, Radko Gudas) could leave, but the Ducks could also move one of their young RFAs — Mintyukov or Zellweger — if the negotiations don’t go well or the available space starts to dry up (Leo Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier also need new contracts).

Jonas Siegenthaler
2025-26: 0 goals, 16 points, 19:29 in 82 games

Siegenthaler has been a bit up and down with the New Jersey Devils, but when he’s in form, he’s a solid defense-only guy on a very reasonable contract — two years left with a $3.4 million cap hit. The Devils have a new GM, and a bit of a logjam in the defense corps.

Mason Lohrei
2025-26: 7 goals, 26 points, 16:54 in 73 games

Lohrei is a 6-foot-5 defenseman with some offensive acumen who turns 26 in January. His future value lies in the answer to one question: What improvements did he actually make on the defensive side of things last season? Two seasons ago, the Boston Bruins were outscored 72-52 with Lohrei on the ice at 5-on-5. This past season, with very similar underlying numbers, Boston outscored foes 47-30. Whether or not he’s an intriguing trade target, or why the Bruins might be willing to move him, is somewhere in the answer to that question.

FOOTNOTES: The Avs announced their four-game preseason schedule Monday. It is reduced from the typical six or seven in years’ past because the NHL is moving to an 84-game regular season in 2026-27. Colorado will play Utah at home on Sept. 20 and Winnipeg at Ball Arena on Sept. 25. The Avs will travel to Manitoba to face the Jets on Sept. 21 and to Salt Lake City to play the Mammoth on Sept. 26.

Whatever level of patience and stability Joe Sakic truly believes the Colorado Avalanche need this offseason, he’s got some work to do with the defense corps.

There could be some interesting decisions with the forwards, while the goaltending is the most likely group to look exactly the same on opening night as it does today. The blue line could generate a bunch of headlines in the next few weeks, though.

“There’s always changes, but we have the core guys here,” Sakic said at his year-end press conference. “We have a nucleus. We’re a deep team. We feel we’re strong in all the positions. Obviously, we have some UFAs that we’re going to try and sign to keep the group together, but it’s a great group.

“They care about each other. They want to win. They’re very competitive. They’re disappointed, but their expectations are to try and come back and try and compete and win a Stanley Cup.”

Two of the team’s three key free agents are part of the defense corps, and there are depth concerns as well.

What just happened

When fully healthy, the Avs defense corps was arguably the league’s best in 2025-26. Cale Makar finished second in the Norris Trophy voting despite his lowest per-game offensive output since 2020-21. The start of Devon Toews’ year wasn’t at his best, but he had a strong finish after the Olympic break and into the postseason.

Sam Malinski was one of the breakout players of the entire NHL, earned a new contract and was playing like a No. 3 defenseman at his peak. He wasn’t near the new standard he set in the Western Conference Final, and was widely believed to be playing through a compromising injury after missing two games in the second round.

Josh Manson missed four games in the playoffs, but otherwise filled his role as the club’s most physical defenseman while collecting the second-most points of his career. Brent Burns played every game like always, was a hit in the dressing room and showed he can still play even past his 41st birthday.

The addition of Brett Kulak as a steady, defense-first guy at the trade deadline was a success, even if the price tag on the day of the trade seemed a bit steep.

Former GM Chris MacFarland admitted that he tried to add three defensemen ahead of the deadline, not just Kulak and Nick Blankenburg — a sign that Colorado knew the depth of its defense during a long playoff run could be an issue. Blankenburg played to mixed results as the No. 7 guy, and Jack Ahcan ended up getting three of the eight games available because of injuries to the top six.

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The top priority is a new contract for Makar, who can be a UFA in July 2027. He’s eligible to sign July 1, and Sakic made it clear the Avs expect to get a deal done this summer.

But there are a lot of moves to make to build out the defense corps for next season as well. Makar, Toews, Malinski and Manson are a great foundation to build from, but the next four guys — Kulak, Burns, Blankenburg and Ahcan — are all unrestricted free agents.

The Avs are currently short on salary cap space, so one or more of the forwards could be on the move to help allocate more resources to the blue line.

Does Burns want to keep playing and do the Avs want another year with him? He can break the NHL’s ironman record next year if he continues. A similar deal to this past year — $1 million in salary with bonuses makes sense, whether that is in Denver or elsewhere.

What could Kulak get on the open market? Hint: Probably a lot. There is a strong argument that Kulak would be the No. 1 left-handed defenseman on the market, and one of the 3-5 best overall.

That leads to the next big question: Can the Avs find more balance after entering the 2026 playoffs with five righties in their top seven?

Lining up Manson and Malinski (or flip them) down the right side behind Makar is excellent, particularly if Malinski is able to retain or even build on the gains he made this past season. But the Avs need to fill out the LHD side of the depth chart. Manson and Burns worked together, but Colorado needs more lefties.

Trading Samuel Girard for a guy in the last year of his contract (Kulak) created this conundrum, but if the Avs can’t sign Kulak, they’ll be looking for a similar-style player to replace him. In an ideal world, Sakic can land a young-ish left-handed defenseman who is capable of playing on the second pairing now and possibly be the heir to Toews as the club’s No. 2 guy as he ages.

Will the Avs be able to count on any help from the Eagles? There are a couple of guys with potential to be depth options for them next season, beyond just bringing Ahcan and/or Blankenburg back.

The Avs are clearly intrigued by Alex Gagne, a 6-foot-5 lefty who was a college free agent from New Hampshire and became a solid contributor for the Eagles in his first pro season. He’ll be 24 in August. Then there is University of Denver alum Sean Behrens, who missed all of two years ago with a knee injury and just completed his first healthy pro campaign.

It’s hard to see Colorado wanting to break camp with one of those guys in the lineup, but maybe one of them can work his way up the depth chart to the No. 6 or 7 spot over the course of next season. Behrens’ size will work against him, but his smarts could help him find a depth role.

It could take some creativity, but the Avs will likely sign or trade for at least three defensemen, if not more, between now and training camp. And that’s not counting a potential mega-deal for Makar, which will help shape the salary cap puzzle for 2027-28 and beyond.

Future depth chart

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

Count to 10. Deep breath. Exhale. Slowly. Put the pitchforks down and ask yourself this question:

Who could the Avalanche get to coach their team — right now — who would be better — again, right this very second — than Jared Bednar?

David Carle? Best coach in the time zone. I was in that camp a year ago, my friend.  The driver of DU’s hockey dynasty is allegedly not ready to walk through that door.

Jay Woodcroft? Can he draw up a defense? No thanks.

Craig Berube? Too much Maple Leaf. Pass.

Kris Knoblauch? Nah.

Bruce Cassidy? Sure, but there’s a catch: He’s technically off the market. The Golden Knights, classy to the last, refuse to let their former coach out of a contract that runs through 2027 — even though they’d relieved him of his duties with eight games to go in the regular season.

After Carle or Cassidy, whom the Vegas brass have locked up in in dungeon near Circus Circus, the pickings look awfully slim.

Which, we’ll grant you, isn’t the sexiest reason to run it back with Bednar. But we’ll give you another rationale: Joe Sakic is inheriting something of a hot mess, at least as championship-level teams go.

Sakic built the best house on the NHL’s block four years ago. But when he handed the keys over to Chris MacFarland, the maintenance costs went through the roof. Which, by the way, now leaks when it rains.

When MacFarland left the Avs’ general manager post to run the Nashville Predators on Tuesday, he left a pile of bills on the kitchen table and the basement unfinished. Colorado has roughly $3 million of cap space available for ’26-27 and only 17 players under contract. The Avalanche don’t have a first-round pick until 2029.

MacFarland took a Kyle Schwarber approach to roster management — C-Mac swung hard and swung from his heels, but the misses could be heard for miles. Trading Mikko Rantanen was supposed to ease the cap strain for ’26-27 and ’27-28, but the Avs landed back on that track anyway thanks to the Martin Necas contract. Swapping out Rantanen and Bo Byram didn’t age well. Neither did hanging onto Samuel Girard for as long as they did.

Cale Makar is expected to undergo surgery that will almost surely delay the start of his ’26-27 season. Also, he’s eligible for a contract extension on July 1 that could almost double his current cap number of $9 million. Necas is making $11.5 million a year through 2034 to be a playoff ghost. Brock Nelson, your 2C, is making $7.5 million a year to play defense.

Captain Gabe Landeskog turns 34 in November; Scott Wedgewood turns 34 in August. Devon Toews turns 33 next February. Valeri Nichushkin will be 32 in March. Nazem Kadri will be 36 in the fall. Nelson and Josh Manson will turn 35 in October.

, the Avs are on a track to use 56.1% of their expected ’26-27 cap space on players 31 years of age or older. That’s a lot of old dogs to try and teach new tricks.

Bednar isn’t nearly as divisive a winner as Sean Payton, but he’s getting closer by the summer. Like Sunshine Sean, Bedsy offers a high floor, good-to-brilliant regular seasons, and inevitable playoff heartbreak brought on by a combination of stubbornness and the inability to adapt on the fly. Every time that second title looks close, something happens that snatches the dream away.

A decade of Bednar has produced one Stanley Cup title, two conference final appearances and four second-round exits. For a team whose core has at least two future Hall-of-Famers in Nathan MacKinnon and Makar, and featured a third in Rantanen for most of Bednar’s era, that feels like a slightly underwhelming return on the trophy front. Very good suddenly feels very stale.

Fun fact: Seven of the last nine Western Conference championship coaches got to the Stanley Cup Final within their first 12 months on the job — including John Tortorella in Vegas, who’d only landed the gig in April.

Counter: Six of the last nine Eastern Conference-winning coaches were on their jobs six years or longer when they reached the Cup Final.

The last eight Cup championship-winning coaches did so with about four seasons with their current team already under their belts, on average. A quick-strike hire might get you there, but they usually don’t get over the line — the Final coach with the most tenure with a franchise has won three of the last five Cups and five of the last eight.

Bedsy also hasn’t lost the locker room, for whatever that’s worth. MacKinnon trusts him, which is no mean feat. Logan O’Connor has told me in multiple chats over multiple seasons that players appreciate Jared’s steady, calm voice during a nine-month grind.

“His work ethic and his preparation is something that there is zero complacency in what he does day-to-day,” O’Connor, the former Pios star, said last spring. “How (Bednar) operates, the meetings he runs, the message he delivers, what he expects from players, having good relationships with players — I think he creates a clear picture of how he wants us to play.

“And that goes from first line to fourth line, individuals to power play to penalty kill. I think you know exactly the expectations that he has for you. And then it’s on us to go out there and execute those expectations. I think he just has the utmost respect from us players. And it’s no surprise that he’s had as great of a run as he has, given the volatility in the (coaching) market. And we all love playing for him.”

For Sakic and the Kroenkes, the question of Bednar, whose current contract extension expires at the end of next season, is largely this:

Do you prefer something safe and predictable — 50-plus wins in the regular season, followed by a second-round postseason exit — or the crap shoot of a new coaching hire?

Do you want to be hockey’s version of the ’90s Atlanta Braves? Or do you want to roll the dice? After being shamed on The Strip, we’re about to find out if Super Joe’s still in a gambling mood.

Avalanche vs. Wild matchups: Who has the edge?

�¾�����:��46-24-12, 104 points; 3.27 goals per game (t-10th), 2.87 goals against per game (4th)

Avalanche: 55-16-11, 121 points; 3.63 goals per game (1st), 2.40 goals against per game (1st)

Offense

Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy each surpassed 40 goals this season. It’s the first time in franchise history the club has had two 35-goal scorers in a season, let alone 40. No one else besides those two had more than 54 points, but Quinn Hughes and Mats Zuccarello combined for 107 in 107 games. The Wild had nine players collect at least 40 points, second only to Buffalo’s 10.

This was already the deepest offensive team in the Kaprizov era, but adding Hughes on Dec. 13 was the biggest trade of the 2025-26 NHL season. The Minnesota version of Hughes over 82 games would have been a no-doubt Norris Trophy contender. The Wild were 25th in goals per game on the day of the trade (2.81) and then scored 3.55 per contest after the deal, which was fifth in the league.

Minnesota added DU alum Bobby Brink before the deadline, but he was pulled from the lineup after four games against Dallas. Another deadline addition, Michael McCarron, had two goals in the series as part of a bulked-up bottom six that gave the Stars all kinds of problems with their physicality and won their minutes on the scoreboard. It is worth noting that none of those bottom-six guys had an expected goals for percentage above 50%, and five of them were below 44% against Dallas. No. 1 center Joel Eriksson Ek is also questionable for Game 1.

Colorado did not put on a fireworks show against Los Angeles as many pundits predicted. Nathan MacKinnon had one point in the first three games, but racked up three in the clincher. Artturi Lehkonen has been a playoff hero for much of his career, and he was arguably Colorado’s best forward against the Kings. The third line, with Gabe Landeskog, Nazem Kadri and Nicolas Roy, combined for seven of the forwards’ 18 even-strength points in the series.

One line that didn’t get rolling against the Kings, at least offensively, was the second trio — Brock Nelson, Val Nichushkin and Ross Colton or Parker Kelly. That line did have a large say in the Kings’ top trio being a non-factor at 5-on-5.

Advantage: Avalanche, but closer than you might think

Defense

Hughes will likely miss out on being a Norris finalist because of a bad start to the year with Vancouver, but there’s no question he’s still one of the top two defensemen in the sport. Adding Hughes was big for everyone, but maybe Brock Faber benefited the most. He’s a great young defenseman, but he’s a bit like a younger Devon Toews — he could be a No. 1 on some teams, but slots in as one of the best No. 2s in the league.

Jonas Brodin missed Game 6 and was reportedly seen leaving the are arena after Game 5 on crutches and in a walking boot. He’s not traveling for Game 1. He and captain Jared Spurgeon are a strong second pair, but pull Brodin out and the back half of Minnesota’s defense corps quickly looks pretty average.

Makar will likely miss out on winning the Norris for the third time in his career, but could still be a finalist and there is no question he’s still one of the top two defensemen in the sport. This could be a huge series for Toews. Avs coach Jared Bednar could split him and Makar up, depending on some matchups. He and Sam Malinski have been really good together when Bednar has done that.

Malinski is one of the breakout performers of the season. Brett Kulak has been exactly what the Avs wanted when they traded Samuel Girard for him. Brent Burns looked like a younger version of himself against the Kings. The only question here is Josh Manson, who also missed the final game of Colorado’s sweep. Like the Wild, the Avs aren’t particularly deep after the top-six guys.

Advantage: Avalanche, but closer than you might think

Special teams

Minnesota had the third-best power play in the league this season at 25.2%. The top two clubs, Edmonton and Dallas, were eliminated in the first round. The Wild were 10th at 21.8% before Hughes arrived and third at 27.7% with him. Minnesota’s big three, plus Eriksson Ek, are staples on PP1. The other spot was split between a couple of guys. The Wild went 4 for 25 in the first round with the extra man.

Dallas did score on this penalty kill, almost at will at times. The Stars went 10 for 25 on the power play. Minnesota’s penalty kill was 16th in the regular season. It’s worth noting the Wild were shorthanded the fourth-fewest times in the regular season, but tied for the most among Western Conference clubs in the opening round.

Colorado’s power play was terrible for much of the season, very good in March and then so-so in April. The Avs scored once in 11 chances against the Kings and will probably need more in this series. They scored twice against the Wild in four games this season while allowing two shorthanded goals, though one of those was into an empty net.

The Avs had the best penalty kill in the NHL this season. Minnesota went 3 for 14 against them in the regular season. Los Angeles scored three power-play goals against them, though two were 4-on-6 goals while holding a multi-goal advantage.

Advantage: Wild

Goaltending

Filip Gustavsson began the season as Minnesota’s No. 1 goalie and actually out-started Jesper Wallstedt, 49-33. Wallstedt had a great start to the season, which eventually made the position an equal timeshare. Wallstedt got the nod to start against Dallas because of a strong finish to the season as well, and was excellent against the Stars, posting a .924 save percentage.

Scott Wedgewood began the season as Colorado’s de facto No. 1 because of an injury to Mackenzie Blackwood. While Blackwood was excellent after his season got going, he had a midseason funk. Wedgewood has been consistent and has become one of the best stories in hockey this year. He led the NHL in both goals against average (2.01) and save percentage (.921).

Bednar said both goaltenders will play, but Wedgewood allowed five goals in four games against the Kings. He saved 6.0 goals above expected, which is second in the postseason so far. He was not a Vezina Trophy finalist, and the Avs’ overall strength in front of him was likely a big reason. If he excels in this series, there will be no space left for anyone to pick nits at his numbers or overall performance.

Advantage: Avalanche

Avalanche vs. Wild: 5 storylines to watch

1. The Superstars: MacKinnon, Makar and Martin Necas vs. Kaprizov, Hughes and Boldy should be a marketing dream for the NHL. Three world-class talents each. The Canada vs. United States rivalry renewed. Makar vs. Hughes alone will absorb a whole bunch of oxygen in this series.

2. The Other Guys: Meanwhile, it’s pretty likely that the second layer of stars could determine the outcome of this series. Dallas’ top five guys from the regular season all produced like stars in the first round. The Stars’ No. 6 scorer from the regular season, Roope Hintz, didn’t play because of injury. Seven through 12 on their scoring list combined for one goal and three points. Colorado’s second wave of talent is better than Minnesota’s, but so was Dallas’ on paper, at least.

3. Heavy hockey: One of the main narratives from the Stars-Wild series was that Minnesota’s physical play wore down Dallas and was a major factor. The Wild’s third and fourth lines are filled with players who are either large, embrace abrasive hockey or both. They are going to believe they can bully the Avs the way they believe they bullied the Stars.

4. Centers of attention: These teams are very similar, on paper, at nearly every position. Center is the one spot where Colorado has a clear advantage. MacKinnon is without peer in this series. Nelson and Eriksson Ek are similar players, but the latter is questionable for Game 1. Kadri versus Ryan Hartman is pretty close as well, with maybe a slight edge to the latter, but again, that’s Minnesota’s second center against Colorado’s third. If the Avs are able to assert this advantage, it could be a huge swing in their favor. The Avs should rule the middle of the ice in any game that Eriksson Ek doesn’t play in. If they don’t, it could spell trouble.

5. Tested vs. rested: The Wild are going to believe that because the Stars are a much better team than the Kings, they’re more battle-tested for what’s to come. The Avs are going to believe the extra rest will be a weapon, and the Kings offered a specific type of challenge that they met, and their adaptability will be a reason why they can win whatever type of series this becomes.

Avalanche vs. Wild series predictions

Corey Masisak, beat writer: It’s interesting that winning the division was seen as a huge advantage during the regular season, because the Avs avoided two of these slugfest-type series with great opponents. Now that the Wild have sent the Stars home while the Avs cruised past the Kings, the narrative has shifted in the opposite direction. I don’t buy that Minnesota has an advantage. The Wild played the equivalent of seven hard-fought games because of the extra overtimes. They have two key players who are either out or could be compromised by injury. Colorado has been a better team than Dallas at 5-on-5 this year and has a deeper lineup. Avs in six.

Sean Keeler, sports columnist: Welcome to the Western Conference Final, a round too early. The Avalanche lead by a nose on scoring diversity and home ice, but the margins that separate these two are crazy close. Which brings us back to special teams — and sweaty palms. Minnesota’s power play hasn’t remotely been in the same league as the Stars were with an extra man, and the Avs’ penalty-kill units have been one of the most dominant yet least discussed groups in the NHL all season. Over the last eight meetings between Colorado and the Wild, when the Avs have produced more special-teams goals, they went 3-1-2. Keep that coffee close, this one smells like it’s bringing multiple overtimes to the party. And that’s where the Avs’ depth should pull this sled over the line. Eventually. Avs in six.

Troy Renck, sports columnist: It is left to the Avs to clean up the Nuggets’ mess in Minnesota. The state is rallying around a Wild team that won its first playoff series since 2015. This is the most talented Minnesota NHL team by any name. Shame, the Avs have to crush their dreams. This series is more evenly matched than most think. But as long as the Avs are functional with their specialty units — somebody please plug in the power play — they will win a way that is both pretty and ugly. Avs in six.

Lori Punko, deputy sports editor: Everyone knows Nathan MacKinnon, Martin Necas and Cale Makar can find the net. And the Wild’s inefficient penalty kill (60%) should provide opportunities on the power play. Minnesota allowed 10 power-play goals against on 25 opportunities in its first-round series. On the other end of the ice, Scott Wedgewood has the third-best GAA in the playoffs at a stingy 1.21. Meanwhile, the Wild’s Jesper Wallstedt has given up 2.05 goals per game. The Avs, not having to carry the emotional baggage that would have come with facing the Stars, are able to steal a game in Minnesota and advance. Avs in five.

Kyle Newman, sportswriter: In the first major test of the playoffs for Colorado, the Wild pushes the Avs to the brink before the Avs respond with a blowout win in the final game to advance. Colorado’s two reliable goalies come in handy, as MacKenzie Blackwood registers a couple of wins in relief of Scott Wedgewood, who looks a little shaky for the first time in the playoffs. In the end, Martin Necas scores multiple times in Game 7 to propel the Avs to the Western Conference finals. Avs in seven. 

The Avs came to PPG Paints Arena and while it looked far from a masterpiece at times, routed the Pittsburgh Penguins in a 6-2 victory.

Martin Necas scored twice, Scott Wedgewood made 30 saves and both special teams units made an impact in the club’s third straight victory. This same Penguins team walloped the Avs, 7-2, at Ball Arena last week.

“There were plenty of games we played this season that we played better than tonight,” Avs captain Gabe Landeskog said. “I think the first period, we were opportunistic. We created some chances, and we were able to put them in the back of the net.

“By no stretch was that our best game, especially offensively. I thought we checked hard. I thought we worked hard. Thought the details were there on the defensive side of things, but offensively the juice just wasn’t quite there. And that’s OK — you’ve got to find a way to win like that too.”

Nathan MacKinnon opened the scoring with his league-leading 46th goal of the season. He took the puck off Parker Wotherspoon near the blue line in his own end, then went by the Pittsburgh defenseman and snapped one just under the crossbar on the partial breakaway.

Pittsburgh answered with an Egor Chinakhov goal at 8:09 of the first. Former Avs defenseman Samuel Girard set him up. Girard wasn’t able to play when these teams met last week because of an injury, but that was his second point with Pittsburgh since the trade late last month that sent him here with a second-round pick for Brett Kulak.

At the midpoint of the first period, the Avs looked second-best, one great play from MacKinnon aside. Then, the puck started going in.

Sam Malinski’s first shot was blockered away by Arturs Silvos, but when the puck came back to the Colorado defenseman later in the shift he didn’t miss. His wrist shot through traffic made it a 2-1 game at 15:24.

Necas scored his first of the night on the power play 80 seconds later. Josh Manson drew a tripping penalty behind the Colorado net, and five seconds after the ensuing faceoff, Necas blew a one-timer from Cale Makar past Silvos to extend the lead.

Parker Kelly capped the flurry 35 seconds later. Logan O’Connor, making his season debut after multiple ailments caused him to miss the first 69 games, corralled the puck behind the Pittsburgh net and snapped a pass to Kelly for a goal in front at 17:19.

It was far from the Avalanche’s best period of the season, but it was also 4-1 at the first intermission.

“(Wedgewood) was outstanding,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said. “Sloppy game for us. We capitalized and made some nice places to score some goals, but we also beat the puck up quite a bit and had some turnovers. When we did that, (Wedgewood) made some huge saves. It was just that simple.”

Necas added the lone goal that counted in the middle period. He was in the right place to bang home the rebound of a Devon Toews shot from the top of the offensive zone with 2:31 left in a period where the visitors didn’t create a lot of offensive looks.

That is now 34 goals and 88 points this season for Necas. Both are already career-best marks, but his hot streak since the Olympic break has given him a real chance to reach 40 goals and 100 points. He leads the NHL with 12 goals and is second with 26 points since the hiatus.

Pittsburgh thought it had made the score 4-2 at 7:38 of the second, but the Avs challenged for goaltender inference and got a Justin Brazeau tally overturned. Brazeau made contact with Wedgewood at the edge of the crease at about the same time Ryan Shea took the initial shot. Then Brazeau made further contact with Wedgewood as he went to get the rebound.

Shortly after that, the Avs had to kill off Nazem Kadri’s double-minor for high-sticking. Colorado erased both ends of the penalty and created multiple shorthanded odd-man rushes. The Avs also had to kill off 63 seconds of a 5-on-3 in the third period, and Wedgewood made a few great saves to do so.

The Avs’ penalty kill struggled right after the Olympic break, but the PK is now 18 of 20 (90.0%) in the past seven games.

Ross Colton, who like O’Connor returned from an injury absence in this contest, scored into an empty net with 3:40 remaining for his ninth of the season.

“We’ll take it,” Bednar said. “It certainly wasn’t the game or performance that we were, but it was certainly the result we were looking for.”

Samuel Girard returned to Denver for the first time since the Colorado Avalanche traded him to the Pittsburgh Penguins for Brett Kulak three weeks ago. Several Avs players went over to chat with their former teammate, who won’t play Monday night because he is day-to-day with an injury.

“I didn’t get to talk to him much, but I just went over to give him a hug,” Avs defenseman Sam Malinski said. “Just a fun guy to play with and a great guy to have in the locker room. Just nothing but respect for him.”

It was a surprising trade, given Girard’s tenure in Colorado. He arrived in a blockbuster trade from the Nashville Predators in Nov. 2017. The deal also included a draft pick that eventually became Bowen Byram, and those two helped Cale Makar reshape the Avalanche defense corps and deliver a Stanley Cup championship in 2022.

Girard has played 583 of his 595 career regular-season games with the Avs, and all of his 67 playoff contests. He was a beloved teammate in the dressing room. Kulak has been an excellent fit for Colorado. Malinski’s breakout season is part of why the Avs were willing to move Girard for a more defensive-minded player, but that doesn’t diminish the impact “La Tornade” had here.

“He creates a lot of space in the o-zone. Everybody knows the spin-o-rama he does,” Avs defenseman Josh Manson said. “I think people maybe underestimate his ability to break the puck out. For his size and length of his stick, he still gets body position on a lot of guys, makes little plays to touch pucks and win puck battles, more than maybe I think people realize.

“It will be different (Monday night). He was a core part of this group for a long, long time. … Hopefully he gets healthy.”

Girard played seven games for the Penguins after the trade. He blocked four shots in his first contest and has averaged 18:25 of ice time per game. He’s also missed the past three games with an injury.

He was on the ice for Pittsburgh’s morning skate, but isn’t ready to return against his former club.

“It’s a great addition for us,” Penguins defenseman Kris Letang said. “We all know what he’s capable to do on the ice, but as a person, he’s a great guy.

“Obviously, it’s a quick turnaround. I try to help him out, as a fellow Frenchman, with different things in Pittsburgh to make him feel at home.”

Another ex-Avs defenseman will be in the lineup for the surprising Penguins, who were not expected to be a playoff contender this season but come to Denver in second place in the Metropolitan Division. Ilya Solovyov’s time with the Avs was significantly shorter than Girard’s.

Solovyov came to the Avs at the end of training camp, when the club claimed him Oct. 3 off waivers from the Calgary Flames. He played 16 games for Colorado, spending most of his time here as the No. 7 defenseman.

He scored his first NHL goal with the Avs on Jan. 10, but then was traded to the Penguins just 10 days later for Valtteri Puustinen and a seventh-round pick.

Solovyov has four points in nine games for the Penguins. He’s playing nearly two minutes per night more with Pittsburgh. The two ex-Avs had a really strong game when paired together against the Boston Bruins earlier this month, but that was the last game Girard played.

“It’s nice to have (Girard) here,” Solovyov said. “He’s a good player, a good guy. We already played one game together, before he got injured. We played like maybe seven games together (with Colorado), and we had fun as well.

“It’s probably harder for him, because he knew those guys for like (eight) years, but I think he’s doing well. He has managed it pretty well.”

The appetite to make a big trade before the deadline was there for Minnesota GM Bill Guerin and Carolina GM Eric Tulsky, but the market — either players available or prices asked — made it prohibitive. That was a big development for the NHL’s pacesetter, the Colorado Avalanche, on its own. Other clubs chasing the Avs couldn’t find another marquee player to help bridge the gap.

Then Colorado GM Chris MacFarland pulled one of those big moves just before the buzzer, anyway. Colorado has been the team to beat for much of this season.

Are the Avs still in the pole position after the deadline passed?

“Absolutely, 100 percent,” TSN analyst Craig Button said. “The Minnesota Wild are playing catch-up. The Dallas Stars are playing catch-up. When they think they are catching up, it’s like the coyote and the roadrunner. The coyote thinks he’s getting closer, and close is still pretty far away.”

Let’s take a look at where the Western Conference stands after a relatively slow deadline.

NOTE: Records are as of Saturday morning.

1. Colorado Avalanche (42-10-9, 93 points)

IN: Nazem Kadri, Nicolas Roy, Brett Kulak, Nick Blankenburg
OUT: Samuel Girard, Victor Olofsson, Max Curran

Button made those comments above before the Avs stacked Kadri on top of three other sensible additions that all addressed the first-world needs of the league’s top club. There was a blip while two key veterans were out before the Olympic break. Colorado is 5-1 since the restart.

Beep. Beep.

2. Dallas Stars (38-14-10, 86 points)

IN: Michael Bunting, Tyler Myers
OUT: None

The Stars are deep, talented and have no obvious weaknesses. It felt like Jim Nill was going to be able to pull off something big when the club declared Tyler Seguin out for the season and playoffs. Bunting is a good player. Myers is slightly better than one or two of the guys Dallas might need to play in a playoff series. Small upgrades to an already really good team.

The potential fatal flaw? The Stars just aren’t as good, on paper, as the Avalanche. That was probably true each of the past two seasons as well, though, and it didn’t matter.

3. Minnesota Wild (37-16-10, 84 points)

IN: Bobby Brink, Michael McCarron, Nick Foligno, Jeff Petry
OUT: David Jiricek, Vinnie Hinostroza

The Wild did make the biggest trade of the NHL season. Adding Quinn Hughes makes this a different, dangerous club. Minnesota has a pretty obvious issue, though. The center depth chart — Joel Eriksson Ek, Ryan Hartman, Danila Yurov, Michael McCarron, throw ex-Avs Nico Sturm and Yakov Trenin in there too — is clearly third-best among the “Big Three” in the Central.

And the Wild are most likely going to need to win a seven-game series against both of the other two.

4. Utah Mammoth (33-25-4, 70 points)

IN: Mackenzie Weegar
OUT: Olli Maata

Weegar’s play has dipped a bit recently, but could a playoff chase give him a boost? He’s one of the best players who was traded this past week, a fun addition for a young team that might be a year ahead of schedule. Utah is likely to end up with the winner of the Pacific Division. When Karel Vejmelka is in the net, the Mammoth are pretty clearly the fourth-best team in the West.

5. Anaheim Ducks (35-24-3, 73 points)

IN: John Carlson, Jeffrey Viel
OUT: Ryan Strome

Speaking of young teams ahead of schedule, the Ducks have arrived and might squeak out a division title. Carlson was a surprising addition, but that’s a pretty strong blue line now to help Anaheim’s collection of young scorers. The obvious question is, can this group hang with Vegas or Edmonton, two of the most battle-tested postseason clubs in the league, in a playoff series? Maybe the Ducks’ talent and speed will just overwhelm them. It’s worth noting Anaheim is 8-0 in shootouts this year. The Ducks will go 0-0 in shootouts once the tournament starts.

6. Vegas Golden Knights (29-20-14, 72 points)

IN: Rasmus Andersson, Nic Dowd, Cole Smith
OUT: Zack Whitecloud

The Ducks collect a bunch of shootout points. The Golden Knights collect a bunch of overtime loss points. Neither team wins in regulation very often. Vegas is the first of two teams that should be way better than. Will the Golden Knights flip some proverbial switch in mid-April? Andersson was a nice addition.

7. Edmonton Oilers (30-25-8, 68 points)

IN: Connor Murphy, Jason Dickinson, Colton Dach
OUT: Andrew Mangipane

Edmonton has also spent most of the season looking for the same “remember we are actually good” button as Vegas. The Oilers spent some premium assets to add depth players. They switched goaltenders in December, and no contender still has a bigger, more obvious flaw than Edmonton’s goaltending.

The Oilers have allowed 56 goals in the past 12 games. They could flame out in five games. They could still win the West, in theory.

8. Los Angeles Kings (25-22-14, 64 points)

IN: Artemi Panarin, Scott Laughton, Mathieu Joseph
OUT: Warren Foegele, Corey Perry, Liam Greentree

The Kings are yet another team that should be better. Adding Panarin could make them dangerous if they sneak in, but there are a bunch of injuries right now, and a push for the final wild-card spot could come up short. Maybe there will be a new-coach bump. Maybe they just are what the record has said most of the year.

9. Seattle Kraken (29-23-9, 67 points)

IN: Bobby McMann
OUT: None

McMann is a nice complementary player. Would have fit in well with the Avs, had a deal crossed the finish line there. It also feels like Seattle should have made another move? The Kraken are trying to reach the playoffs for the second time in five seasons, and still feel like a club with a nice foundation but short on the top-end talent to be more than this.

10. San Jose Sharks (30-25-5, 65 points)

IN: Kiefer Sherwood, Jet Woo
OUT: Timothy Liljegren, Jack Thompson

This team is exciting, if unpredictable. The fan base is coming back in droves and having a moment. The Shark Tank is alive again. The vibes are very high, and maybe the kids have one final push for a wild-card spot in them. But the Sharks did also just trade away their fourth-most-used defenseman this season, the one position that still needs some long-term work before Macklin Celebrini and Co. are ready to really compete in the postseason.

11. Nashville Predators (28-26-8, 64 points)

IN: None
OUT: Michael Bunting, Michael McCarron, Nick Blankenburg, Cole Smith

Could the zombie Predators still sneak in? They didn’t trade Ryan O’Reilly or Steven Stamkos, though they did gut the depth of the roster in a pretty significant way. The fact that O’Reilly is still in Music City, and not on one of the top contenders, was another small win for the Avs at the deadline.

The Avs went from a Stanley Cup contender to the obvious favorite after a 31-2-7 start. Internally, did the historic start alter the outlook, or heighten the sense of urgency for this group to win a second championship?

Eh, not really, says general manager Chris MacFarland.

“I don’t think so,” MacFarland said Monday night. “Obviously, that was an incredible start. But if we would have mixed in a few more losses in November and had a few more wins in January, I still think our expectation would be to try and make the team better for the playoff stretch drive and then ultimately the playoffs. We’ve got a lot of guys that are in the primes of their career here. They put in the work on and off the ice all year round.

“The fact that they got off to such a great start was what put us in this position to be sitting where we are today. So if we can help, I think they deserve the help.”

Shortly after MacFarland spoke, the Avalanche became the first NHL team to reach 40 wins this season. Colorado dominated Los Angeles for much of the game, but still needed a late goal from Devon Toews and also lost Artturi Lehkonen to an upper-body injury.

Devon Toews’ late goal helps Avalanche fend off pesky Kings in 4-2 win

The Avs play Tuesday night in Anaheim, holding a six-point lead on the Dallas Stars for first place in the Central Division, Western Conference and the overall NHL standings. The Minnesota Wild, who already made one balance-of-power-shifting trade this season by acquiring Quinn Hughes, are nine points back of the Avs.

Two of the top teams in the Pacific Division, Vegas and Edmonton, have already added defensemen Rasmus Andersson and Connor Murphy, respectively. Colorado made a trade last week as well, sending Samuel Girard and a second-round pick to Pittsburgh for Brett Kulak.

MacFarland called it a trade to change the mix of the defense corps, adding size and defensive play with Kulak. Still, there could, and probably should be, more work done by the Avs to bolster the roster between now and the Friday afternoon deadline.

"We're going to leave no stone unturned, like we usually do, if it makes sense," MacFarland said. "We've got some cap space to play with, and we'll see if there's the right fit. It's got to make sense from the asset acquisition cost, but if we can improve the team, we'd like to try to do that."

New Avalanche defenseman Brett Kulak brings versatility, experience playing with world-class talent: ‘I’m pretty fortunate’

There has been plenty of outside speculation about the Avs pursuing another center to play behind Nathan MacKinnon and Brock Nelson, one of the league's best 1-2 punches at the position this season. Coach Jared Bednar said earlier this season that the one thing on his wishlist, even at the time when the Avs were bulldozing their way through the schedule, was a No. 3 center.

Jack Drury, Ross Colton and Parker Kelly have all spent time there. Bednar likes Colton and Kelly on the wings more — Kelly is having a breakout year playing mostly on the wing. Drury has been fine in the role and is one of the club's most trusted role players, but Bednar would like to have him center the fourth line come playoff time.

"I don't think we're looking at any sort of particular 3C or fourth-line wing," MacFarland said, despite various reports of the Avs' interest in multiple players who would likely fill the No. 3 center role. "If something makes us better, whether it's a winger, a center or another defenseman, then we'll certainly look at it over the next few days."

Another obvious place where the Avs could improve is the depth of the defense corps. Colorado's top-six defensemen form arguably the best corps in the NHL.

But, after sending the guy who spent the first part of the year as the club's No. 7, Ilya Solovyov, to Pittsburgh in a separate trade, none of the top 2-3 insurance options currently playing for the Colorado Eagles in the AHL have ever appeared in a Stanley Cup Playoffs contest.

"If we're not able to do anything, I think it's still a very good hockey team," MacFarland said. "I think we've got a lot of the tough-to-check boxes checked. We got off to a great start. We're sitting here in a good spot, but there's still 20-something games to go.

"If we can improve in any area, we'll try and do that. But it's a good hockey team, and they've done a great job to this date."

Just this season alone, Kulak has taken shifts with Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Evan Bouchard in Edmonton and Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang in Pittsburgh.

“I’m pretty fortunate,” Kulak said Wednesday morning, after being traded to Colorado for Samuel Girard and a 2028 second-round pick. “Each team carries a handful of guys that have around the league long time, lots of experience. So for me, you just come in, and I want to try to just absorb as much experience and wisdom and see how these guys go about their business and apply it to my career.”

Kulak had his first chance Wednesday morning to skate with the Avs at Delta Center ahead of the club’s first game back from the Olympic break against the Mammoth. He was expecting to spend an off day Tuesday in Pittsburgh with his family, resting and preparing for a stretch run with the surprising Penguins, who are in second place in the Metro Division.

Instead, he is playing for his third team this season — and moving his family across the continent for the second time in 10 weeks.

“To be honest, I was pretty surprised we got moved again, just the way the team is rolling,” Kulak said. “I thought at least I would probably at least finish out the year there. That is where my mind was at. But, this game and this league — it’ll surprise you when you least expect it and that was the case again.”

“We did it a couple months ago, from Edmonton to Pittsburgh. It’s a lot of phone calls, lots of logistics things, trying to organize. My wife and kids are kind of left to pick up the pieces. I move here and just bring my hockey bag and away I go. But there’s still lots to change. A lot happened yesterday, and it’ll be a busy few days for sure.”

Kulak played almost exclusively with Letang since being traded to Pittsburgh on Dec. 12. He also played a lot with Bouchard during the past two postseasons, which both resulted in Edmonton reaching the Stanley Cup Final.

He is a defense-first defenseman, but that experience playing with two of the best offensive-minded guys at the position could come in handy with the Avalanche. Coach Jared Bednar has already mentioned the idea of playing Kulak with Cale Makar in certain matchups during two media interviews within 24 hours of the trade.

“If you go back to playoffs two years ago and he had a great playoffs last year,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said. “They’re in the Stanley Cup Final twice. He’s playing with all kinds of different guys. I think he has the ability to defend top guys in the league, and not only in the regular season, but in the playoffs and do a nice job.

“I just think it provides us some matchup strengths that maybe we didn’t have with Girard. They’re completely different players, but the size, length, reach, he’s a really good defender off the rush and in zone. He protects the net in front really well. Those are things we could get better at, and I think he’s a guy that can help us do that.”

Kulak has also spent a lot of time during his career in a depth role, but during the 2025 playoffs the Oilers had to ask more of him. He averaged more than 23 minutes per game during Edmonton’s run to the Cup Final, second on the team to Bouchard.

He has never averaged more than 20:32 per contest during the regular season, but an injury for Mattias Ekholm thrust him into a bigger spotlight.

“It was awesome for me,” Kulak said. “The playoffs is always the best time of the year. The hockey is intense. Every night is a battle, and to just take on that role that I was given last year in the playoffs, it was special times. You’re having the most fun playing hockey when you’re involved to that level of the games, and the team’s winning and and you’re chasing after the Stanley Cup. Exciting times, and I’m looking to kind of get back to that.”

Kulak debuted with the Avs Wednesday night playing with Sam Malinski, another player with a similar playing style to Letang. His early review of how Colorado wants to play was a positive one.

There wasn’t much time for him to get up to speed, but the Avs have five contests in the next seven days so game reps will come fast and furious for him.

“I don’t want him thinking too much, but there’s a lot of similarities between the last two clubs that he’s played with and ours,” Bednar said. “So that’ll be a work in progress over the next few days. We gave him the basics this morning. He was able to see the pre-scout meeting this morning and … that was a little bit more in depth, because I wanted him to see some stuff. (Nolan Pratt) sat down with him. We’ll go over penalty kill with him a little bit, and then turn him loose and let him go play.”