Welcome to Evan’s mailbag, where each week, Avalanche reporter Evan Rawal answers all your Avalanche- and hockey-related questions. Mailbag questions can be sent to [email protected].

I told myself no power-play questions due to the Avalanche’s improvement since the Olympics break, but…

Will our power play return to scaring the ‘living daylights’ out of our opponents? Or at this point are adjustments unlikely, granting opponents a reliable ‘view to a kill’?

… this one gets a pass thanks to the James Bond references.

Is the power play fixed? Well, they still have to figure out how to stop giving up shorthanded goals. But when it comes to putting the puck in the opposing net, they’ve significantly improved. Since the Olympics break, the Avalanche are ninth in the NHL in power play efficiency at 24.6%. Nazem Kadri has helped, but having Martin Necas and Nathan MacKinnon switch spots has been the catalyst, in my opinion. Finding the right time to hit Brock Nelson in the bumper spot as opposed to forcing the puck to him still is an issue, but the top unit has overall been much better.

The last week has shown that Cale Makar is vital to this group’s success, however.

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar scores during the second period of an NHL game against the Minnesota Wild, Dec. 21, 2025, in St. Paul, Minn. (The Associated Press)

Which bottom-six player do you see shining in the playoffs? I remember a few guys netting some big goals in the (2022) Stanley Cup run.

Who’s your pick for Avs ‘X’ factor in the playoffs?

I have a feeling it’s going to be the guy who hasn’t been in the lineup for the last handful of games: Nicolas Roy.

Let’s be honest: It has not been a seamless transition at even strength for Kadri with the Avalanche. That doesn’t mean it won’t click when the playoffs start, but it’s been a struggle so far. He has only one even strength points in his last 12 games. They’re struggling to find the right linemates for him and part of that might be because the best option just hasn’t been healthy.

Nic Roy looked solid in the nine games he played before getting hurt. Like Kadri, he’s not a burner. The two of them together might form a slower line, but maybe that’s what Kadri needs to get going. Roy can do some of the dirty work along the boards to maintain puck control, allowing Kadri to do his thing with the puck. Outside of Vegas’ 2023-24 series, Roy has been consistently good in the playoffs. I’d expect that to continue with the Avalanche.

Do you really think Bednar will rotate the goalies in the playoffs? Seems like going with ‘Wedgie’ is a no brainer. Blackwood has been OK but seems off his game a little bit.

Do you think Bednar is going into the playoffs with Wedgewood as goalie No. 1 and Blackwood as a backup?

At this point, I don’t know how it isn’t Scott Wedgewood starting Game 1. I am not a gambling man, but if I was, I’d bet good money on both playing in the playoffs. When Mackenzie Blackwood has been healthy, it’s been a pretty healthy rotation between the two goaltenders. I’d expect it to stay that way with Wedgewood getting the nod first. Do I think it will work? That remains to be seen because most Stanley Cup-winning teams rely on one goaltender unless an injury forces them to change course.

Colorado Avalanche goaltender Scott Wedgewood (41) stops a shot by Dallas Stars left wing Jason Robertson (21) during the overtime period Wednesday, March 18, 2026, at Ball Arena in Denver.The Stars won 2-1 after a shootout. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)

Jared Bednar has made mention of the Avalanche using two goaltenders during the 2022 Stanley Cup run, and it’s true they did. However, that wasn’t by choice. They had to turn to Pavel Francouz because Darcy Kuemper almost lost an eye. Kuemper started nearly 60 games that season and was fantastic. If that freak accident hadn’t occurred, they would have stuck with him the whole way. This situation feels different.

The Avalanche have allowed the fewest goals in the league, so it seems silly to question the goaltending. But there’s not a lot of playoff experience between the two. Last season was Blackwood’s first foray into playoff hockey, while Wedgewood has only entered postseason games in relief. Both still have something to prove that time of year, which might not be a bad thing for the Avalanche. In a perfect world, one guy would take the ball and run with it. But I expect both to get starts this spring and quiet some of the doubters.

Which potential first-round matchup scares you the most and which one do you prefer?

Macklin Celebrini could very easily win the Hart Trophy if the Sharks sneak into the playoffs. If I played hockey for the Avalanche, I’d want them to sneak in. Celebrini appears to be a generational player, but that’s a heavily flawed team outside of the star center. Their defense is not very good. While Yaroslav Askarov is extremely talented, he’s wildly inconsistent. Would it be a fun-and-exciting matchup? Absolutely. Do I think the Avalanche would easily take the down the Sharks? Definitely.

San Jose Sharks center MacKlin Celebrini, center, battles for control of thge puck with Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon, right, as center Brock Nelson covers in the third period of an NHL hockey game Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

None of these teams should beat the Avalanche. Between San Jose, Nashville and Los Angeles, the three teams the Avalanche are most likely to play in round one, the Predators seem like the group that could give them the hardest time. They have veterans that have won before and played the Avalanche hard this season. That being said, the Avalanche should still be able to beat that team.

I haven’t been that concerned about matchup troubles for the Avalanche because they have the better roster. Upsets happen, but none of these fringe teams are setting the world on fire at the moment. What I have been concerned about is where I’m going to be spending multiple days in the first round. I could think of worse places I’d rather be than Nashville or San Jose. Los Angeles is acceptable but comes in a distant third place between the three. I’m sweating a little bit with Winnipeg and St. Louis continuing to linger in the playoff picture, so if those teams want to back off, that’d be great.

Should Kiviranta play over Colton when Roy is back?

When this team is healthy, I see the final spot coming down to those two. There’s no doubt Ross Colton is the more talented player, but he’s struggled to find consistency on a game-to-game and even period-to-period basis. It’s too bad his goal on Sunday was disallowed because he really needed that one. Joel Kiviranta is a safe player and the team knows exactly what they’re getting from him every night. Colton missed most of last postseason due to injury, but he was good in 2023-24 against the Jets and performed well in Tampa. I’d bet he gets the first call and is told to hit everything that moves, but the team won’t hesitate to put Kiviranta in if they want to play it safe.