Following a stretch of four preseason games in six days, the Avalanche entered a prolonged stretch of inactivity where they play just two in ten. One of those two came tonight as Colorado played the fifth of their six preseason games with tonight’s contest in Vegas to take on the Golden Knights. With a prospect-laden lineup against a grip of…...

This whole thing sucks. For the first time many years, the Avalanche are entering the season with high expectations that are realistic and not built off the back of a flukey team that rode crazy good fortune into an early playoff exit. Colorado was aggressive over the summer in addressing their most obvious needs and taking some chances on players…

There was a different feel at Avalanche practice today. With the recent cuts putting the roster down to 37, the Avs separated into two distinct groups, with the veterans taking the ice first, and the youngsters afterward. The difference in pace was noticeable. “It’s been a while since we’ve had a group like that together and practiced that hard,” veteran…

This is the Prospect Portfolio, a one-stop-shop for weekly information, highlights and stats on all of the Avs prospects. From the AHL to the Liiga and even into juniors. Roughly half of the Avs unsigned prospects have begun their seasons at this point with Canadian major juniors opening up over the weekend. For now, the focus will be on players…...

On most days, Avs head coach Jared Bednar is very calm, and at least to the public, won’t praise a player too much. On Sunday night, Bednar didn’t hold back. Shane Bowers has made quite the impression on him. “I thought he was excellent both nights. Excellent.” And that was just the beginning. “Bigger, stronger, faster than he was last…...

Breaking their goose egg this preseason, the Colorado Avalanche were able to get on the board, coming out ahead of the Minnesota Wild by a score of 3-2 in a shootout. How did each player perform? Let’s find out… Dan Renouf – B-: I’m not sure Renouf has much of a shot at making the team, but he’s making an impression…...

It’s safe to say expectations are high for Cale Makar. It’s also safe to say he doesn’t care all that much about them. The Avalanche have been lucky enough to see many incredible forwards come through town since 1995 but the high-end defenders have been harder for the organization to find. There have been brief tenures of guys like Rob…...

It hasn’t quite been the preseason the Avalanche were hoping for in terms of results as they lost their third straight to open their preseason schedule. A 4-3 loss to the Minnesota Wild today in Minneapolis was another of those classic battles between roster disparity as the home team iced a mostly-NHL lineup and the Avalanche sent a mixture of…...

Fresh off his best showing in an Avalanche uniform, Martin Kaut wasn’t resting on his laurels. After Friday’s practice, Kaut didn’t head to the locker room early. Instead, he stayed out late and spent some solo time with Avs skills coach Shawn Allard. Kaut would sit in the slot with his stick down while Allard would launch low shots, with…...

Getting traded is a weird experience. Players always describe it as a whirlwind, one that includes upheaval of your daily life and where you call home. For Calle Rosen, the shock came in the middle of the night, a three AM phone call that woke him from slumber and kept him awake the rest of the night. Colorado? The Avalanche?…...

Playing a more veteran lineup, with many of their NHL regulars dressing up front, the Colorado Avalanche put up 47 shots in regulation but were unable to beat either Dallas goaltender more than once, losing by a score of 2-1. How did each player perform? Let’s find out… Cale Makar – B: Crazy to think this is Makar’s first preseason game…...

When Bowen Byram made his unofficial Avalanche debut in the first game of the Anaheim Rookie Faceoff, it all seemed so easy for him. He registered two assists and generally dominated most of his shifts in a breezy 5-2 win over Vegas. Everyone more or less had the same thoughts following that performance – that sure looked easy. Things got…...

The Colorado Avalanche opened the preseason with a disappointing 5-0 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. Coach Bednar was looking for some of the younger players to step up and make him take notice but came away less than impressed, unable to name any standouts after the game. How did each player perform? Let’s find out… Jayson Megna – C: A…...

“They’ve got something to prove, for me.” Those were the words of Jared Bednar on the eve of Avalanche training camp last week when asked about A.J. Greer and Vladislav Kamenev. While the two of them have had very different paths in the Avs organization, both are in the most pivotal training camps of their careers. No longer on their…...

The final day of training camp for the Colorado Avalanche wrapped up today as the Avs took to the ice to work predominantly on special teams work. Each session was broken into PP/PK units and boy were there some interesting looks. Colorado has more intriguing PP QBs than at any other time that I could recall. Today they had…...

Like all of the players, Joonas Donskoi found himself huffing and puffing after the annual conditioning testing on Friday morning. Being one of the Avs new additions, and one who has made many trips to the Pepsi Center on the opposing team, I had to ask: Is the altitude effect a real thing? “It’s real,” Donskoi said after the…...

After two days of mostly systems installation work, the Avalanche got into some real competitive situations today with small-team scrimmages. The two sessions ran as normal so the scrimmages weren’t too deep with each team only having a couple defensive pairings and lines each but it provided some of the younger guys real opportunities to shine against NHL competition.…...

With Marner’s new contract, it’s a brave new world for RFA contracts. How will this affect Mikko Rantanen and the Avs?

Most players are happy to answer when you ask how their summer went. The ever polite Sam Girard, still only 21-years-old, doesn’t want it to just be a one-way conversation. “It was good, spent my summer in Quebec back home,” Girard said, before picking his head up and looking at me. “Yours?” That’s the type of person Girard is.…...