{"id":549787,"date":"2026-04-10T20:39:18","date_gmt":"2026-04-10T20:39:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/549787\/"},"modified":"2026-04-10T20:39:18","modified_gmt":"2026-04-10T20:39:18","slug":"what-potential-concerns-do-the-avalanche-face-heading-into-the-playoffs-nhl-insider","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/549787\/","title":{"rendered":"What potential concerns do the Avalanche face heading into the playoffs? | NHL Insider"},"content":{"rendered":"

Top spot in the West? Secured. Presidents\u2019 Trophy? Done. So that means everything is sunshine, lollipops and rainbows, right?<\/p>\n

For the most part, yes. There are still some lingering concerns.<\/p>\n

The Colorado Avalanche are and have been the best team in the NHL from the start of the regular season right until the end. They\u2019ve checked off every regular-season goal they had at the start of training camp and are as good a bet as any team in the league to win the Stanley Cup. No team is ever perfect, though.<\/p>\n

Anything can happen when the playoffs get underway. The Avalanche have every right to feel confident heading into the most important time of year. They\u2019re loaded up front, they\u2019ve got the best defenseman in the world, the top goal scorer in the world and most of the core know what it takes to go on a long playoff run. However, there are a few things that stick out, even if we\u2019re nitpicking, that could hurt them when the postseason starts.<\/p>\n

Defensive depth<\/p>\n

One through six, you\u2019d be hard-pressed to find a better defensive core than the one the Avalanche have put together. Cale Makar is Cale Makar, Devon Toews has looked more like the Toews fans have come to expect since the Olympic break, Sam Malinski has been a revelation, and Brett Kulak has been Steady Eddie since arriving from Pittsburgh. If this team stays healthy on defense, they\u2019re in great shape. It\u2019s rare for a team to make it through four rounds of playoff hockey without having an injury on defense, though.<\/p>\n

At the trade deadline, the Avalanche went out and acquired Nick Blankenburg. The 27-year-old was having a career season in Nashville and had strong underlying numbers, but has zero playoff experience and is undersized at 5-foot-9. Eight games with the Avalanche are hardly enough to draw a fair conclusion as to what he can do with the team, but the early returns have been mixed. His offensive flair is starting to show up the longer he plays in the system, but his lack of size has been on display a few times in his own end.<\/p>\n

The Avalanche moved on from Sam Girard to \u201cchange up the mix\u201d on the blue line, which could be seen as simply \u201cgetting bigger.\u201d If Blankenburg has to enter the lineup, depending on who he\u2019d replace, they\u2019d suddenly be looking a little small again. That\u2019s something NHL teams have tried to move away from in recent years.<\/p>\n

Beyond Blankenburg, the next drop of defensemen for the Avalanche to turn to would be Jack Ahcan, Keaton Middleton and Wyatt Aamodt, all of whom have zero NHL playoff experience. On a recent podcast, general manager Chris MacFarland said they were trying to acquire another defenseman at the deadline, but the deal fell through, so it would appear that even he wanted to add another option.<\/p>\n

The Avalanche could shorten their bench if an injury occurs. They have the horses to do so. The Blackhawks won a few Stanley Cups relying heavily on just four or five defensemen, so it can be done, but it\u2019s not ideal.<\/p>\n

Post-New Year\u2019s inconsistency<\/p>\n

Before Jan. 1, the Avalanche were far and away the best team in the NHL, having picked up 10 more points than the next closest team in the league. Since the new year, they\u2019re 22-14-3, with their 47 points putting them 12th in the NHL during that time frame. Not bad by any means, but not close to the standard they set during the first half.<\/p>\n

Granted, that standard was unsustainable over the course of an 82-game season. They were rocking at an all-time pace until Jan. 1. The issue has been consistency, particularly of late. Some games, like in Dallas last weekend, they lock in and show why they should be considered the best team in the NHL. And then there are some games where they\u2019re going through the motions.<\/p>\n

There is one potential explanation for this inconsistency: boredom. They were so good in the first half that they just needed a decent second half to secure the division. A night off here and there wasn\u2019t going to kill them. A night off here and there in the playoffs could kill them, though. This team has shown that when they need to tighten up, they can do so, but that has to be an every-night thing when the playoffs begin, especially at home, where they\u2019ve gone just 8-9-3 since the start of 2026.<\/p>\n

\"avalancheColorado Avalanche\u2019 Artturi Lehkonen (62) and Cale Makar (8) celebrate a goal against the Edmonton Oilers during first period of an NHL game in Edmonton on Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025. (Jason Franson\/The Canadian Press via AP)<\/p>\n

Injuries<\/p>\n

The Avalanche loaded up at the trade deadline, but they\u2019ve yet to actually put that full roster on the ice for a single game. They should get Cale Makar back before the playoffs, as what he\u2019s dealing with doesn\u2019t appear to be serious. They might not get another look at their full forward group, though.<\/p>\n

Nazem Kadri is dealing with a broken fingertip, according to coach Jared Bednar. Not exactly what you want to hear a week before the playoffs start, but a broken finger is far different than the more serious broken thumb he dealt with in 2022. A broken thumb significantly impacts how you grip a stick, while a broken fingertip is a bit more about pain tolerance. The Avalanche were still figuring out who to play with Kadri and where he fits in the lineup. They might still have to enter the playoffs looking for the right fit.<\/p>\n

\"\"Colorado Avalanche goaltender Scott Wedgewood (41) makes a stop on a shot by Dallas Stars left wing Jason Robertson (21) during the shootout March 18 at Ball Arena in Denver. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)<\/p>\n

Can a goalie rotation work?<\/p>\n

Be prepared as the Avalanche are going to use two goalies in the playoffs. It\u2019s worked all season, but can it work in the playoffs? That remains to be seen. The majority of Stanley Cup-winning teams ride one goalie for the entirety of their postseason runs. Colorado used two in 2022, but it was under different circumstances due to Darcy Kuemper almost losing an eyeball. Taking Kuemper out was never the plan. Alternating goalies this season appears to be the plan.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s the plan now, but will they adjust if one of them gets on a roll? Can you really alternate goalies if one gets hot? On the flip side, if one struggles when they get in, how many chances do you give them to bounce back? It\u2019s a tricky situation, which is why you rarely see teams do it. The Avalanche are attempting to go against the grain here.<\/p>\n

What I\u2019m hearing<\/p>\n

It would be a genuine surprise if the Avalanche took all of their top players on their two-game road trip next week to Calgary and Edmonton. Seems like a pretty easy bet that some of the big guns will get some rest before the postseason. \u201cWe\u2019re going to have a bunch of meetings (Friday),\u201d Bednar said after clinching the Presidents\u2019 Trophy. \u201cI\u2019ll talk to a lot of the guys, get their feelings on who needs rest.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Avalanche wanted to lock up home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs, but you can tell that they\u2019ve got bigger goals on their mind. \u201cIt\u2019s not the trophy we\u2019re looking for, but it\u2019s a good start,\u201d Martin Necas said.<\/p>\n

What I\u2019m seeing<\/p>\n

NHL award ballots are due late next week and it\u2019s an honor to be one of the voters. This year will be a difficult vote, particularly with the Norris. Feels like there are a ton of potential nominees, and you can only put five on your ballot.<\/p>\n

The Avalanche have their first-round series to worry about, but you can tell fans are enjoying the idea of Minnesota and Dallas beating each other up in round one. The game on Thursday between those two teams got nasty, and Dallas lost Miro Heiskanen to injury. No word yet on the severity of his injury, but not good news for the Stars, who still aren\u2019t sure if they\u2019ll get Roope Hintz back for the start of the postseason. There\u2019s a reason why the Avalanche wanted to win that division and avoid that matchup.<\/p>\n

What I\u2019m thinking<\/p>\n

The NHL is a better place when Sidney Crosby is in the postseason. Incredible story in Pittsburgh, where Dan Muse might be taking home the Jack Adams Trophy for best coach. That one is voted on by the broadcasters.<\/p>\n

Not sure why David Carle would ever leave DU unless an NHL team gives him an offer he simply can\u2019t refuse. He\u2019s in the perfect spot and has no real reason to leave unless he gets bored with winning at the NCAA level.<\/p>\n


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