What can Avalanche do this summer to stay contenders?

The Colorado Avalanche suffered a heartbreaking first-round exit in this year’s playoffs, squandering a third-period lead in Game 7 to the Dallas Stars. Despite the disappointment, Colorado remains a perennial playoff contender. However, with their core aging and key roster changes looming, their championship window is narrowing. The team currently has 18 players signed for next season—11 forwards, five defensemen, and two goalies—at a combined cap hit of $86.8 million (per PuckPedia). While manageable on paper, the team faces tough decisions regarding free agents and several underperforming contracts.

Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!

Following a familiar post-championship trajectory, Colorado now grapples with eroded depth, a thin prospect pool, and depleted draft capital—consequences of going all-in for their successful 2022 Stanley Cup run. Plugging roster holes with short-term solutions has proven unsustainable.

One of the Avalanche’s most pressing issues is their lack of depth at center, particularly since Nazem Kadri’s departure. Over the past two seasons, the second-line center role has seen a revolving door of capable but inconsistent options: Casey Mittelstadt, Ryan Johansen, Alex Newhook, J.T. Compher, Brock Nelson, and Charlie Coyle. None have fully addressed the void.

Improving that position is essential if the Avalanche want to return to serious contention, but financial constraints limit their options. Free agents like Nelson, John Tavares, or Sam Bennett would be ideal additions, yet Colorado lacks the cap flexibility to compete for them unless they shed salary—possibly through moving contracts like Ross Colton ($4M) or Josh Manson ($4.5M).

Trading for a center isn’t much easier. With no picks in the top three rounds of the next two drafts and few NHL-ready prospects, the Avalanche would need to deal from their current roster to acquire assets. Josh Manson is a potential trade candidate, as he no longer profiles as a top-four defenseman, and his salary is difficult to justify under the cap. Offloading him could create room to improve the blue line and relieve some burden on Cale Makar and Devon Toews. Alternatively, they could promote Sam Malinski, though doing so would be a significant gamble.

Colorado must weigh whether to trade from its existing core to replenish future assets, a risky strategy that could weaken the roster in the short term. The Washington Capitals executed a similar pivot—shedding veterans while keeping their core intact—and eventually reaped the rewards. But there’s no guarantee such a plan would yield the same success for the Avalanche.

The key is to avoid overreacting to a single playoff disappointment. Colorado came within one period of advancing past Dallas and possibly making a deep run. With elite talent like Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar still in their prime, the team remains firmly in the contender tier. The front office—led by Joe Sakic and Chris MacFarland—must be aggressive and strategic, maximizing what cap flexibility and trade capital remain.

The Avalanche cannot afford to simply stand still. Nor can they afford to strip down too far in hopes of a future payoff. Their time to win is now. How they respond this offseason could define the next chapter of their championship aspirations.