After a wild and monumental trade deadline which saw the return of Nazem Kadri, the Colorado Avalanche have their roster for the remainder of the 2025-26 season in hopes that it will end with a Stanley Cup. Here we unpack where this team stands heading into the stretch run of the regular season.
What are your expectations for Nazem Kadri in his return to Colorado?
Jess: In short, my expectations and want for Nazem Kadri is to be Nazem Kadri. This is a player who’s already familiar with the team, system, and play style, and one who’s already been successful with this team at the highest level. We know what he brings to this team already, and rightfully so, the Avs really like what he can bring; they wouldn’t have gone out and brought him back if they didn’t. While Kadri might have been having a bit of a down year in Calgary points-wise, he’ll no doubt have a far better supporting cast around him in Colorado. If he can come in and be himself, I have no doubt that he’ll be a very effective player for the Avs throughout the remainder of this regular season and the playoffs.
Matthew: First of all, I’d like to say that I predicted this trade in our previous roundtable, even though I thought it was wishful thinking at the time. Now that he’s here, my expectations for Kadri are not to be the player that we last saw in 2022. That may sound a little weird, but what I mean is that I don’t expect him to be the player that was initially brought in as the Avs second line center back in 2019. He’s free of those expectations (and there was a great deal of concern going into that 2021-2022 season that he wasn’t living up to those expectations, after all) with Brock Nelson firmly penciled into that spot. The third line center position is exactly where I expect him to be, unless those pesky injuries continue to force him into the top six, where he has thrived since his return. He’ll be free to play to the best of his abilities that have made him so difficult to play against in his career as the Avs’ third line center, without all that responsibility he had previously. His presence will immediately make that third line a headache for opponents like Dallas and Minnesota, and with his ability to get under people’s skin, he will be able to bait opponents into taking penalties. He’s already seen time on the power play, which paid immediate dividends with him being on that top unit. I expect him to remain a force in the face-off circle, which will be an invaluable advantage on the third line, and if he can rediscover some of that playoff scoring he had in his last playoff series with Colorado, a fourth Stanley Cup may not be just wishful thinking after all.
Jackie: I don’t expect a the 87 points like what he provided Colorado in 2021-22 but I think Kadri will play a lot of minutes on this Avalanche team. There’s simply too much of a need for supplementary scoring, I wouldn’t even call Kadri secondary scoring because they really need consistent output from him. Kadri might also rescue the power play enough to pull it out of the basement, though this squad has a long way to go to ever call it a strength. In short, I expect a top six player regardless of who else is in the lineup.
Did the Avalanche do enough to improve their defense?
Jess: Personally, I think they’ll be fine. You can certainly make the argument that they didn’t make the flashiest moves on defense, which is entirely fair, but I don’t think they needed to do so at this deadline. My biggest need for them on defense heading into this deadline was an NHL-regular 7th defenseman to be your “break glass in case of emergency” guy, which they went out and got Blankenburg for. On top of that, this is a team that plays good team defense way more often than not, which is also why I think they’ll be fine at the end of the day with their defensive core.
Matthew: The Avs have gone to the well over the past couple years trying to add that top-four defender in the hopes of being tougher to play against, and each time, those gambles fell short. Scott Walker and Ryan Lindgren came at a heavy cost and ultimately, failed to be that difference on defense in the past. Are Brett Kulak and Nick Blankenburg enough? In a vacuum, no. Collectively? Perhaps. Kulak has been pretty solid since his arrival from Pittsburgh, and even though he’s a couple of years shy of his best offensive production, being part of the Edmonton Oilers’ run to back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals illustrates that he’s well aware of what it takes to go the distance. That kind of experience will matter for his defensive partner in Sam Malinski, and even for a guy like Brent Burns, who is hoping for his second Stanley Cup Final ever in comparison to Kulak’s two consecutive Finals (Burns appeared in the Stanley Cup Final with San Jose ten years ago).
The addition of Nick Blankenburg also signified that the Avs value a defender in the Sam Girard mold, but of a more physical nature. Whether Blankenburg sees any time in this postseason is unknown, but it’s hard not to look at the current blue line and feel that this is a group that can get the job done, especially if Devon Toews can shake the doldrums nagging him this season and Cale Makar can bust his scoring slump that plagued him in the playoffs last season.
Jackie: No, this defense is not improved and if anything the Avalanche have lost their competitive advantage on the back end. I still believe Cale Makar is the best defenseman in the world but he alone doesn’t make an entire defense and even he’s had some struggles this season. Hot take alert: in the playoffs I don’t think the Avalanche will be favored in the defense portion of many matchups.
How confident are you in the Lumberyard?
Jess: Very confident. One of my friends and I were actually talking about the stark difference between their goaltending tandem right now compared to even 16 months ago now the other day, and the difference is still jarring to look at. With Blackwood and Wedgewood, whenever either of them is having an off night where they just don’t have it, and you have to swap them, i.e., the Dallas game the other day, you still feel confident that whichever goalie is stepping in is going to be able to give you a good chance to win a game, which is such a privilege to have, especially when you look at how they got here.
Jackie: I believe in the tandem of Blackwood and Wedgewood, if it stays just that — a tandem. It doesn’t have to be a straight up rotation but utilizing both has got them to this point and the Avalanche shouldn’t abandon what’s made them successful to this point. I understand the impulse to try and anoint Blackwood the true starter given the investment in him but Wedgewood is a big part of this team and shouldn’t be relegated to full-time backup. We just saw the other night in Dallas what Wedgewood can do to help this team win.
Matthew: Scott Wedgewood is having the year of his life, and I am here for it. He’s been the consummate pro all season long, having been pressed into a role that many felt was beyond his limitations as a goalie, and he’s surpassed all expectations. What’s more, he understands the assignment. He’s been supportive of Mackenzie Blackwood through and through, squashing any rumors of a “goalie controversy” in Denver. The game in Dallas back on March 06 is a perfect example: Blackwood struggled in goal, and Wedgewood came in to steady the ship when it needed a calm, sure hand. His postgame comments (which I recommend everyone to go back and watch) that night are incredibly insightful, and all the while, remain focused on the concept of what mattered most: getting the win.
While Blackwood remains the undisputed starting goalie, and has been prone to more than a few rough nights recently, he is more than capable of returning to the form that he displayed after being acquired last season. What’s more, he will certainly want to reward the faith management has in him after signing that five-year contract last season, and write his own redemption arc after the first round loss to Dallas. Add in that unshakeable support from Wedgewood, and that unwritten understanding that goaltenders can’t stand losing, it’s hard not to believe in them rising to the occasion after how last year’s postseason turned out.
Who will be the most impactful depth player down the stretch?
Jess: I’ll go with Parker Kelly. He’s been a bit of an underrated add for the Avs since they picked him up in free agency after Ottawa didn’t give him a qualifying offer. He’s already smashed past his previous career high in goals so far, having recorded 15 on the season as of the time I’m writing this, and I think he’ll continue to score and make a major offensive impact in the bottom-six forward group as we come to the end of the regular season and head into the playoffs. I’m not sure what exactly was done to unlock this offensive side of his game in Colorado, but it’s been so fun to watch him really find that side of his game.
Jackie: Hopefully it’s Nicolas Roy considering the organization gave up a first round pick to acquire him. Seeing him score in his second game in Colorado leads to optimism that will come to fruition but he’s got to find consistency and trust from the coaching staff to give him more minutes.
Matthew: It may be lofty expectations, but if Logan O’Connor can return to the lineup relatively soon and get ramped up by the time the regular season ends, I think he can make a case for being the most impactful…in the right usage. Remember, Gabe Landeskog was deployed very strategically in the playoffs last year, and while O’Connor could have a longer runway to prepare for the playoffs by comparison, I think Bednar will utilize him in areas that play to his strengths. He would certainly be a perfect compliment on the fourth line with Parker Kelly and Jack Drury, where he could use his energetic forecheck in limited, but calculated, doses. Putting him back on the penalty kill would also be a specialized focus where O’Connor has excelled previously—he’s not called the Shorty King for nothing—and his presence there could provide Jared Bednar with some flexibility if the Avs find themselves on the wrong end of the special teams spectrum as the regular season winds down. I realize there’s a lot of “ifs” and a very heavy dose of optimism for this to take place given that he’s attempting to come back from two very serious hip procedures over the past two seasons, but if there is a candidate that can make an impact under the right circumstances in a lineup as deep as the Avs have this season, the Mayor of Denver has my vote!