The Colorado Avalanche begin the 2026-27 season with a game Wednesday night at Ball Arena against the Los Angeles Kings. How will the Avs respond after a record-breaking regular season followed by yet another disappointing playoff exit? Here’s a breakdown of the roster as coach Jared Bednar begins his 11th season in charge.
Forwards
13 T.J. Hughes
24 years old | 6 feet, 0 inches | 185 pounds
Hughes forced his way into the Avs’ opening-night plans with a great camp. He was a star at Michigan. He was an impact guy for the Eagles in the Calder Cup Playoffs. His skill and his brain have gotten him here, will his skating be good enough to thrive at this level?
91 Nazem Kadri
36 | 6-0 | 185
Kadri turns 37 next week. He might split time as a top-six wing and the No. 3 center. Brock Nelson was better last year than he was after the mid-season trade – could Kadri find a similar boost? If so, the chances of this Avs’ offense being terrifying again are high.
17 Parker Kelly
26 | 6-1 | 185
Another guy who could play on the wing or in the middle, Kelly certainly does not need to score 20 goals again. If he gets half that many, but still is a defensive/forechecking/penalty-killing fiend he’s still a critical depth guy on a team-friendly contract.
68 Zachary L’Heureux
23 | 5-11 | 197
The Avs want L’Heureux to model his game after Kelly and Logan O’Connor, and they want him to still be a pest who adds a bit of edge to this group. If he settles in, there might still be more offense than he’s shown at the NHL level, too. He’s going to start the season on injured reserve.
92 Gabriel Landeskog
34 | 6-1 | 215
It’s still crazy to think about the three years before the last one. The memory of that journey through an injury-plagued wilderness makes it hard to set expectations, even now. But Landeskog had a normal offseason to train and can still be both a valuable secondary star on the ice and one of the game’s great leaders off it.
62 Artturi Lehkonen
31 | 5-11 | 179
Lehkonen scored his fewest goals per game since arriving in Denver last year, but was still a really good all-around player. He spent less time on the penalty kill last year, but should be back as a regular. He also doesn’t have a contract for 2027-’28, which will become more of a storyline if that continues.
29 Nathan MacKinnon
31 | 6-0 | 200
MacKinnon can become the fifth player in NHL history to have five straight seasons with 110-plus points. The other four are Wayne Gretzky, Mike Bossy, Guy Lafleur and Phil Esposito. He’s also likely to play in his 1,000th game and record his 1,200th point this year.
88 Martin Necas
26 | 6-3 | 195
Necas cruised past previous career bests while playing next to MacKinnon for a full season. He was great against Minnesota in the playoffs, but far less impactful against Vegas. Saying he is just riding MacKinnon’s coattails is not fair, but he’s also an $11.5 million player now. He needs a great postseason or two with the Avs.
11 Brock Nelson
34 | 6-4 | 205
Fantastic regular season followed by a frustrating postseason. The Avs still need him to be a two-way force as the No. 2 center, and he’s got to do it without Valeri Nichushkin riding shotgun. An Olympics-free season might help a little in late May, but he’s not alone with that.
25 Logan O’Connor
30 | 6-0 | 175
Two of his past three seasons have been impacted by hip problems. Still a critical, impactful glue guy even after two major surgeries. Having him from the start would help offset some losses up front, but he’s also going to start the season on injured reserve.
10 Nicolas Roy
29 | 6-4 | 200
Roy averaged 14 goals and 35 points in 71 games from 2022-’25 with Vegas. He had eight goals and 25 points in 74 games last year. If he can get back to his previous level now that he’s settled in Denver, don’t be surprised if he ends up with a new long-term deal. It’s also worth noting that he’s the team’s most expensive player, outside of Cale Makar, with no trade protection this season.
71 Jaden Schwartz
34 | 5-10 | 185
Schwartz’s production dipped last year in Seattle, but he only played in 50 games. If he produced at the same rate, in a similar-ish role, that would be 17 goals and 40-ish points in 80 games. The Avs would sign up for that right now, and more than that would be a bonus.
9 Fedor Svechkov
23 | 6-0 |187
Svechkov’s place as an everyday player feels a bit tenuous at the start of the season, but it’s also possible that he’ll thrive on a better team. He doesn’t quite fit the profile of what Jared Bednar has wanted in a No. 4 center, but maybe he’ll fill the No. 3 role or the coach will give him more runway to find his game here.
Defensemen
84 Brent Burns
41 | 6-5 | 228
There will be plenty of focus on the Ironman streak. He needs 57 games to tie Phil Kessel and one more to be the NHL’s all-time leader. The Avs just need him to be a solid third-pairing guy who plays to his strengths, which includes getting pucks to the net and ending threats at the other end with physical play and/or his huge wingspan.
47 Noah Juulsen
29 | 6-2 | 201
Juulsen is the most accomplished No. 7 defenseman this team has had in several years. Given the collective age of the defense corps, it’s fair to expect him to play a lot. If he’s just solid and earns the coach’s trust, he’s already well ahead of the recent No. 7s, as well.
27 Brett Kulak
32 | 6-1 | 192
It’s pretty simple: Be steady, be sturdy and help Sam Malinski retain the gains he made as a breakout player last year, or even build on them. If he can do those things, Kulak’s contract will look like a bargain by season’s end.
8 Cale Makar
27 | 6-0 | 187
He can become the sixth defenseman in league history to score 20-plus goals in four straight seasons. Makar had 30 two years ago. Is there a 100-point campaign in his future? Feels like there could be, but only if the power play improves – and he’s more impactful on it than he was last season.
70 Sam Malinski
28 | 5-11 | 190
Run it back. Do that again. Malinski was a revelation last year. The Avs dominated teams when he was on the ice, and it wasn’t in a heavily sheltered role. He’s still one of the younger guys on this team, and maybe it doesn’t fit the “you’re either getting better or getting worse” mentality, but proving he can do last year consistently would be huge for this club, now and in the future.
42 Josh Manson
34 | 6-3 | 218
It feels weird to say “just repeat last year or come as close as possible” with most of the defense corps, but they are a veteran, aging group … who also collectively had a great season together. Health is always a key with Manson. Being able to play on the left side added to his value last year.
7 Devon Toews
32 | 6-1 | 191
Every year from here on out that Toews can still be one of the best No. 2 defensemen in the league is a win for the Avs. Some day they’ll need to push him down the depth chart. And even then, he’ll still probably be better than expected.
Goaltenders
29 Mackenzie Blackwood
29 | 6-4 | 225
Bednar has gone all in on backing Blackwood this year. He’s raved about him all camp. Blackwood looks great and has been very good in 4.5 preseason periods. If this is a career year for Blackwood, the Avs will enter the 2027 Stanley Cup Playoffs as one of the favorites to win the tournament.
41 Scott Wedgewood
34 | 6-2 | 201
What can he do for an encore? Wedgewood had a career year last season, but maybe he can prove it wasn’t. He’s spent his entire career trying to prove he’s more than what others believe, and he’s been quite successful at it when given the opportunity.
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