Golden Knights Sweep Avs: What is Next for Colorado?

Last night, to the surprise of many, the Vegas Golden Knights completed a stunning sweep of the reigning Presidents’ Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche.

The Avalanche entered the postseason as one of the favourites to win the Stanley Cup after a dominant regular season. Their dominant reign continued through the first two rounds as they took down both the LA Kings and Minnesota Wild with relative ease.

Injuries certainly played a major role in the series against Vegas, with star defenseman Cale Makar missing the opening two games with an injury and being clearly not at full strength upon returning. Nathan MacKinnon was also injured in Game 3 and attempted to battle through it for the remainder of the series. Depth players, including Artturi Lehkonen, Valeri Nichushkin, Josh Manson and Sam Malinski, were also dealing with injuries throughout the postseason. The full extent of those injuries will likely become clearer in the coming days during player exit interviews.

Still, injuries are part of the reality of playoff hockey, and every Stanley Cup contender must find ways to overcome adversity. For Colorado, however, the bigger concern may be the direction of the roster moving forward. While the Avalanche still possess elite talent in MacKinnon and Makar, the supporting core is aging and expensive.

Brock Nelson will turn 35 next season, Gabriel Landeskog turns 34 in November, and trade deadline acquisition Nazem Kadri will be 36. Together, the trio carries a combined cap hit north of $20 million. Nelson, in particular, struggled throughout the postseason, recording just three points in 13 games.

The Avalanche are also preparing for Martin Nečas’ $11.5 million extension to kick in next season after he managed only one goal in 13 playoff games. With that contract on the books, Colorado is expected to be pressed tightly against the salary cap with limited organizational depth and very little draft capital to replenish the roster.

The situation becomes even more concerning when looking at the team’s future assets. The Avalanche do not own a first-round pick until 2029 and will not make their first selection in this year’s draft until the fourth round.

Ultimately, the core is likely to remain intact, but the decision to move Mikko Rantanen could haunt the franchise for years to come. In a series where MacKinnon and Makar were clearly limited physically, Rantanen’s offensive ability and playoff pedigree may have been exactly what Colorado lacked.

Attention will now shift toward the organization’s next move, and there is growing speculation surrounding the future of head coach Jared Bednar. Bednar has coached the Avalanche since 2016 and guided the franchise to a Stanley Cup championship, but following another disappointing playoff exit, changes could be on the horizon. One potential replacement to monitor is University of Denver head coach David Carle, who has also been loosely connected to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Carle’s ties to Denver could make Colorado a far more appealing destination should the Avalanche decide to make a coaching change.

Colorado may also look to create additional cap flexibility by moving veterans such as Valeri Nichushkin and Ross Colton, who carry a combined cap hit of more than $10 million.

For a franchise that entered the postseason with Stanley Cup expectations, this sweep marks a shocking turning point with many questions. The Avalanche still possess some of the league’s best players

in MacKinnon and Makar, but with an aging supporting cast, limited cap flexibility and few future assets, Colorado faces one of its most important offseasons in recent memory.