25 Avs predictions for 2025

2025 recently started which means we could either write about New Year’s resolutions, end-of-year looks back, or get wild and hit up predictions for the teams we cover.

We chose the last one, which means I got to sit down and try to throw 25 Colorado Avalanche-related darts for fun. Well, some are fun, some are less so. You’ll see what I mean.

Gabe Landeskog retires

Let’s start off good and depressing here. Genuinely, I don’t have any idea how to feel about any of this anymore and I’ve truly stopped trying to guess what might happen because the truth is that nobody knows.

That said, I’ve used this space to predict Landeskog’s triumphant return the last two years so I’m just going the other way now and saying that he’s finished. The swelling in his knee persists every time he pushes himself and I think we’ll get to a point where he has to decide to play through pain via injections a la 2022 or call it quits.

It makes sense for him to prioritize being Landesdad and begin his transition to the Avalanche front office.

Cale Makar is named the next Avalanche captain

When Landeskog retires, Makar will go from being part of the leadership group to the head of it. I think naming anyone else presents a couple of problems and Makar has the kind of temperament and cliche-laden interview style that makes him the perfect frontman for any hockey band.

Makar is also side by side with Nathan MacKinnon as the face of the franchise and when Makar signs an enormous extension next summer, he locks himself into being on the Avalanche Mount Rushmore by the end of his career. The captaincy is the next step.

Jonathan Toews signs with the Avalanche

After his healing journey puts him back in the crosshairs of a return to the league, Toews signs with the team run by his childhood hero, Joe Sakic, to chase one last sip of glory from Lord Stanley’s Cup. The Avs also corner the market on the “Toews” name in the NHL.

The Avs follow the blueprint from signing Zach Parise last year, but Toews fills a bigger hole as he takes over the third-line center job from Parker Kelly. Playing next to Logan O’Connor and Ross Colton , Colorado gets a third line that is obnoxious to play against and produces just enough offensively to push their depth into dangerous territory.

The Avalanche add John Beecher at the trade deadline

Following up on their move of adding Juuso Parssinen, a player the Avs will be able to keep for years to come, Colorado adds another younger forward to their bottom six when they trade for John Beecher.

A big-bodied center who can skate like the wind, Beecher fits Colorado’s identity nicely and brings a little size and physicality as well as the ability to win faceoffs. Adding him gives them even more insurance at the center position to go along with Ross Colton, Parker Kelly, and Parssinen all capable of playing both wing and center in case of injury.

Colorado makes a classic Stanley Cup contender veteran trade

While adding Scott Wedgewood, Mackenzie Blackwood, Parssinen, and Beecher brought the Avs players who will be around for years, they couldn’t resist adding a classic rental player by trading for a veteran defenseman. Going back to an organization they’ve done deals with recently, the Avs trade for David Savard of the Montreal Canadiens.

Savard is a big, right-handed shot blocker who is at the end of his career but can bring a rugged element to the defense. With Savard, the Avs have options in the bottom of their defense to mix and match between injuries and ineffectiveness with Savard, Sam Malinski, Oliver Kylington and Calvin de Haan. John Ludvig and Keaton Middleton also provide extra depth if the Avs need it.

Everyone who cares about fancy stats hates it, everyone who cares about size and physicality loves it. The war continues.

Three Avalanche players finish in the top 10 in scoring

Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, and Cale Makar all finish in the top 10 in scoring in the league. MacKinnon and Rantanen finish top five while Makar finishes ninth. All three crack the 100-point plateau, adding another insane accomplishment for the trio.

The Avs finish 3rd in the Central Division

Right now, the Avalanche are solidly fourth in the Central Division and are victims of the deepest division in the NHL with blistering hot starts powering Winnipeg and Minnesota. Dallas continues to be reliable and win games, making it difficult for the Avs to make up ground.

I think Winnipeg’s lead is just too big and their goaltending too excellent for the Jets to stumble far enough out of the top two spots. I believe in the Stars more than the Wild, which leaves me thinking the Avs are only going to catch and pass Minnesota.

Colorado-Winnipeg rematch in Round 1

With Winnipeg not falling out of the top two, I think Dallas will catch and surpass the Jets, putting the Avs and Jets together in Round 1 again. Just like last year, Winnipeg will host and Colorado will have to be on the road for the postseason. Today, I would pick the Avs to take the Jets again, though I would be surprised if it was in quite as dominant fashion as it ended up being last year.

Colorado-Dallas rematch in Round 2

I’m really getting creative here, aren’t I? Unfortunately, the NHL’s postseason system as set up frequently puts us in this position in the first couple of rounds. I’m not going to pick Minnesota or whatever mediocre Pacific Division team that gets that last wild card slot to upset Dallas, so here we are again.

Is this the year Jared Bednar finally gets the best of Pete DeBoer in the playoffs? It would be the first time Dallas doesn’t have a significant advantage in net, so that might help. Let’s just say yes because that would be more fun.

Another rematch in the Western Conference Final

Not Colorado-Edmonton, but Colorado-Vegas. Can the Avs get revenge for the incredibly frustrating loss to Vegas in the second round back in 2021? I’m going to say yes because I’m not sure I can stomach another loss to that organization. At least we’re practiced at seeing the Avs lose to Dallas, you know? So sure, let’s say Colorado’s improved depth and goaltending outplays Vegas. Nice.

Avalanche move to 4-0 in Stanley Cup Final appearances

I’ve already gone this far with rematches, so why stop at three? Colorado makes the Stanley Cup Final and makes it like 2001 by beating the New Jersey Devils in seven games. Ray Bourque returns to town for the game to provide an extra boost of love and inspiration into the building.

Nathan MacKinnon wins the Conn Smythe Trophy

Cementing his legacy as a top-20 forward in NHL history, MacKinnon wins the Conn Smythe Trophy to go with his Calder Trophy and Hart Trophy (I guess the Lady Byng, too?) and two Stanley Cup wins to give him the kind of career we all dreamed of when he was the first overall selection in 2013. The only thing left for MacKinnon to win is Olympic gold, which he will do in 2026.

Colorado Eagles make a deep run led by a familiar face

While the Avs were making their run back to the Stanley Cup, their AHL club up in Loveland also made a deep run with an exciting new weapon leading them. With his OHL career wrapped up, Cal Ritchie joined the Eagles and helped spearhead their offensive attack as he got valuable reps at center in the AHL postseason.

The Eagles fall short of the ultimate Calder Cup goal, but Ritchie takes another step toward showcasing what a solid pro he will soon be. When the Eagles are eliminated, Ritchie joins the Avalanche as a black ace and gets to see firsthand what a championship run looks like at the highest level.

The Avs are otherwise shut out of major awards

MacKinnon finishes top five in the Hart voting, Makar finishes top three in Norris voting, and Mackenzie Blackwood finishes top five in the Vezina voting but none of them win the awards. Logan O’Connor sneaks onto some ballots down the line in the Selke voting.

MacKinnon and Makar don’t win their awards because they are “merchants” of one another as their heavy usage together punishes them for results that are nowhere near as good when they play away from each other. Does this seem like a good reason to continue playing them together? Yes, that seems like good coaching.

Regardless, Jared Bednar does not come close to winning the Jack Adams because the Avs are perceived as too good for that kind of thing now. Chris MacFarland ends up a finalist for GM of the Year but loses out to Tom Fitzgerald of the Devils.

Mikko Rantanen re-signs in Colorado

The biggest offseason question revolves around Mikko Rantanen’s free agency. As the Avs did with Gabe Landeskog when they let him get to the brink of free agency, Colorado will hold the line on how far they will go to meet Rantanen’s salary demands. When push comes to shove, the Avs have the golden ticket by being able to offer an eighth year to Rantanen.

That alone will allow the Avs to make up any ground Rantanen thinks he might lose by taking a lower salary in Colorado. He thinks he can get $14M per year in free agency? Great, that puts him at seven years, $14M AAV, which is $98M total. The Avs offer $12.5M per year over eight years, he gets $100M total and an extra of elite pay that nobody else can offer him. He gets the financial security he wants and the Avs keep their elite forward for likely the rest of his career.

Jonathan Drouin stays in Colorado, too

Without knowing what the cap ceiling will be next season, it’s hard for me to get too into the weeds about the salary cap work the Avs will have to do after signing Rantanen to his megadeal.

One thing I do feel hopeful about is Drouin and the Avalanche finding common ground on a new contract. Something in the neighborhood of three years and $5M AAV feels fair. Drouin’s injury issues this season have kept his counting stats from getting wild, but when he has been healthy he has been productive.

Eight points in nine games aren’t “break the bank” numbers but a strong postseason would reinforce what a good fit Drouin is in Colorado and he has made it clear he wants to be here for a while. They’ll find a way.

Oliver Kylington stays in Colorado

After an injury-plagued mess of a season, Kylington and the Avs decide to try again on another one-year deal worth $1M. We’ve seen glimpses of why Kylington was such a great fit in Denver and both sides want to give it another whirl.

Ilya Nabokov signs with the Avalanche

After his KHL season ends, Colorado’s top goaltending prospect officially signs his entry-level contract with the Avalanche and leaves his cozy spot in the KHL for North America. With Blackwood and Wedgewood already signed for next season, Nabokov is slated to share the net with Trent Miner in Loveland for the Colorado Eagles.

Erik Johnson signs with Avalanche, retires

Johnson’s East Coast journey ends with him coming back home and signing a one-day contract so he can join his best friend Landeskog in retirement. The organization finds a role for Johnson as he joins the player development department as he seeks to help teach the next generation of Avalanche defensemen the art of the “EJ Slide”.

Avs and Canadiens make another trade

With Colorado looking to add some more toughness on its back end, they turn to the Canadiens once again and make a deal for Arber Xhekaj. Xhekaj’s physicality brings another element of mean to the Avalanche back end as they look ahead to a post-Josh Manson future.

While renowned for a nickname he hates and fighting, Xhekaj has slowly morphed into a steady third-pairing defenseman in a defensive environment that has produced a lot of terrible results. Drop him in Colorado and let him be the new sheriff on that blueline.

Avs swing another deal for a center

Because I’m jonesing for the Avs to keep wheeling and dealing and I get to make up whatever I want, I’ve got the Avalanche swinging a trade with the Buffalo Sabres for center Ryan McLeod. They then sign him to a new five-year contract.

Do the Sabres need to be dealing a 25-year-old center who is excellent defensively and might be finding his groove offensively? Obviously not, but their defense is still a mess and I’m helping that out by sending Sam Malinski and Colorado’s 2026 1st-round pick.

Malinski has been a real breakout for the Avs, but they can afford to move on if it means they solidify their center depth for the future. Buffalo is also in desperate need of quality right-shot defensemen and Malinski fits that (Buffalo) bill.

McLeod’s speed and defensive acumen would give Colorado excellent balance between the top and bottom of their roster. By adding Beecher and McLeod, Colorado gets bigger, faster, and much better at faceoffs at the bottom of their lineup. All of those things appeal to me.

Cap crunch requires two salary dumps

In order to create some breathing room under the salary cap, the Avs are forced to move two players out. In a deal with Seattle, Colorado moves Miles Wood for a 2026 fourth-round pick. Ross Colton lands in Nashville for a 2026 2nd-round pick and 2027 3rd-round pick.

In total, Colorado clears $6.5M in cap space with the deals and builds up some draft ammo for future deals. Or, you know, if they wanted to make a few picks along the way.

Avalanche once again does not announce a new practice facility

Despite the Kroenke family aggressively planning to renovate the area surrounding Ball Arena, they are not interested in uprooting the Avalanche from their outdated facility in Centennial while they slow-walk their way to something new someday.

We continue hearing about the plans in place of this mythical practice facility, but for now, we all remain saddened to be jammed into the insanely cramped seating of Family Sports Center during training camp. Yay for us.

Behold the Avalanche opening night roster in October

After all of the changes I’ve made, here’s what I’ve got for what the Avs will put on the ice on opening night.

Lehkonen – MacKinnon – Rantanen
Drouin – Mittelstadt – Nichushkin
Parssinen – McLeod – O’Connor
Kelly – Beecher – Kiviranta
Ivan

Toews – Makar
Girard – Manson
Xhekaj – Kylington
Middleton

Blackwood
Wedgewood

Speaking of opening night…

Landeskog and Johnson celebrate retirements together

With Landeskog and Johnson both retired, the organization sets the stage for opening night to be a celebration of both of their great careers as members of the Avalanche. They do tribute videos from teammates, opposing players, front office guys, and fans. They get a red carpet entrance. It ends with an image of the two holding the Stanley Cup together.

A surprise announcement is made for Landeskog’s jersey to eventually go into Ball Arena’s rafters with Johnson as the MC that night.

The game takes place against the hated Minnesota Wild. The Avalanche blow their doors off in a 6-0 win. Everyone cries. Everyone hugs. This is why we love sports.