Avalanche Offseason
Avalanche Depth Chart: Olofsson Fills Role, but Is He Enough?
The Avalanche have had a busier than usual August, filling in pieces around the edges before the start of training camp.
Earlier in the month, they signed Joel Kiviranta to a one-year, $1.25 million. He was a solid piece last season, and even if his goal totals drop, I see no issue with him filling in a depth role. He might even be the 13th forward after the trade deadline.
Then there was Alex Gagne, the 23-year-old free agent defenseman, who just completed a four-year college career. And lastly, the addition of Olofsson gave them 12 NHL regular veteran forwards.
But is it enough? How many of the potential third-line forwards will still play that role when the playoffs begin? How many will still even be part of the team? There’s no question the team has taken a step back since losing to Dallas in Game 7, but that often happens to teams who go all-in at the trade deadline and load up with rentals.
The question isn’t whether the opening night lineup is better or worse than last year’s Game 7 roster. Rather, it’s more important to compare the post-trade deadline roster in 2026 to the one from a season ago.
Here’s how things currently stand with the Avs following the addition of Olofsson.
Centers
- Nathan MacKinnon
- Brock Nelson
- Jack Drury
- Zakhar Bardakov
Extras: Ivan Ivan, T.J. Tynan, & Jason Polin
I put together a depth chart after the Kiviranta signing, and the center core is unchanged.
Read More: Avalanche Depth Chart: Lineup Coming Together but Still an Unfinished Product
Jack Drury is still slotted in as the 3C, and I’m starting to feel more and more like that’s going to be the plan for opening night. Zakhar Bardakov is going to get a look at camp to grab a hold of that 4C spot. If he doesn’t take it, then the Avs should be able to find a replacement pretty quickly. Whether it’s an unsigned free agent, a PTO, or a trade.
The funny thing about this team is, we’ve even seen that the front office can be aggressive as early as September. For example, last year they signed Erik Brannstrom early in July to fill in a depth blueline role, only to trade him after a handful of looks in preseason. He didn’t even make it to opening night.
So keep that in mind when thinking about the Avs’ center group. Unless Drury takes a gigantic step this year and develops into a permanent 3C, I can’t see this team entering the postseason without someone else in that role. And even if Drury stays there, the 4C spot is by no means solidified, at least not yet.
Wingers
- Martin Necas
- Artturi Lehkonen
- Valeri Nichushkin
- Gabe Landeskog
- Ross Colton
- Victor Olofsson
- Logan O’Connor (injured)
- Joel Kiviranta
- Parker Kelly
Extras: Nikita Prischepov, Gavin Brindley, Matthew Stienburg, Danil Gushchin, Tye Felhaber, Taylor Makar, Chase Bradley, Cooper Gay, & Alex Barre-Boulet
Like I said, the Avs have 12 NHL regular veteran forwards. Their three best centermen, and all nine of the wingers listed here. Logan O’Connor is starting the season on injury reserve, but we don’t know how long he’ll be out. What do they do when he returns? Perhaps Jared Bednar can shift Ross Colton back to center between Olofsson and Kiviranta, for example.
Or maybe Parker Kelly shifts to 4C behind Drury, and Colton, Olofsson, Kiviranta, and O’Connor fill in on the wing.
When I look at this list, I see five names that I can confidently say will be here past the trade deadline. Martin Necas tops the list, but his contract situation means I can’t, in full confidence, say he’ll be here all year. Not until the two sides come to terms on an extension. And Colton, Olofsson, and Kiviranta can all be traded for different reasons.
Basically, there’s a lot that could change. And some of that change will include a chance for guys like that Danil Gushchin and Gavin Brindley to get a look.
Right Defense
- Cale Makar
- Brent Burns
- Josh Manson
- Sam Malinski
Extra: Ronald Attard
When I last put together a depth chart, I had Josh Manson ahead of Brent Burns. I swapped them this time around because I’m starting to think Burns and Samuel Girard should be a pairing. Manson and Girard have been coach Jared Bednar’s go-to second pairing for years, until they brought in Ryan Lindgren.
Burns reminds me of Erik Johnson in terms of his size, reach, and defending. And Girard always played his best hockey with EJ, at least in my opinion.
That leaves Malinski with Manson, which could be an intriguing pair, or could go terribly wrong. If Malinski shifts to the left and plays well with Manson, I could still see him in and out of the lineup to give Keaton Middleton a look as well. Especially if Middleton continues to be a late-bloomer like, for example, Nate Guenin was in 2014.
Left Defense
- Devon Toews
- Samuel Girard
- Keaton Middleton
Extras: Sean Behrens, Alex Gagne, & Jack Ahcan
Devon Toews will play with Makar, and Girard is the second-best lefty. That’s about all we know right now. Like I noted above, unless a trade happens, I feel like the Avs are going to start with four righties, and Middleton as the extra.
But I also really do wonder about Gagne. I don’t know much about him, but his size is something the team needs and his defending at the collegiate level was quite impressive. In 2023-24, Malinski was given a pretty solid look on the main roster and a chance to get a real taste of NHL action in his first pro season.
Can Gagne do enough to get that same type of consideration?
Goaltending
- Mackenzie Blackwood
- Scott Wedgewood
Extras: Trent Miner & Ilya Nabokov (loaned to the KHL)
It’s nice to know that this part of the depth chart is unchanged and there isn’t much to say that wasn’t said in my last Depth Chart story.
Deen, I like how put all the puzzle pieces on the table for all to see. I think the current roster sets the stage for some competition for the C3 spot and left defence at camp.I think it will be fun to see if someone can take advantage of the opportunity. I do not believe the possible opening night team is significantly less talented than the game 7 2025 playoff team. Yes Coyle and wood are gone. O’Connor is injured, but expected to return. Honestly after seeing Coyle in a Avalanche jersey it did not look like a good fit… Read more »
I like your thinking, but there is no such thing as “competition at camp”. Bednar will pretend to give guys a look, but he has his mind made up and that will never change. Players with experience will get the spots, regardless of who actually deserves them.
I would have agreed with you a year ago, but after seeing PE Bellemare not make the team last season, I have more faith this season. Belly was always a Bednar guy and he was *fine* in training camp (didn’t set the world on fire, but held his own, which I thought would be enough for Bednar to latch on). But he ultimately didn’t make it because there were better options.
For the fire Bednar contingent around here. I will concede that it really is beyond frustrating how stubborn & lacking in imagination or creativity he is…like at all. It really hit me when Aarif wrote that Makar & Toews will be the top pair & how it’s a foregone conclusion. I say this because he’s obviously right, that it is. But why? He’s never really experimented with them playing apart & anchoring separate pairs. It could be a huge thing for their d – core if say Toews found chemistry with say Manson. It’s no different than over the last… Read more »
I agree with you on this although many folks don’t. I never will understand keeping Bednar after two first round exits in successive years. I know that it’s the players that play the game but after a while, it seems that players can tune out a coach. Plus, I’ve never seen any real adjustments by Bednar. He doesn’t make that many changes, he didn’t play E.J. last year when the Avs were getting pummeled in front of the net and needed more physicality and I don’t see how this year will be any different. SOSDD or SOSDS as in “Different… Read more »
The Avs did not have two successive first round exits. They lost in the 2nd round to Dallas in 2024 the year before losing to them in the 1st round in 2025.
Right you are. But it doesn’t make a tinkers damn about Bednar. Three straight playoff disappearances:
2023 – Kraken (First Round)
2024 – Stars (Second Round)
2025 – Stars (First Round)
Yeah, I’m with you guys. The message seems stale, but I guess we are in the minority here. So many commentators on here now love regular season wins and early playoff exits.
Right? It’s like a disease that’s contaminated much of the fanbase.
So which is it Avs fans? Bednar doesn’t leave lines and pairings together long enough to develop chemistry, or the line-ups are stale?
I’ve never really had a huge problem with his line combos or his juggling of lines. It’s more the lack of imagination. And coming around to the idea as I’ve thought about it more over the off – season that a change in messaging & philosophy would probably do this group good. I think Bednar is fine. But as Rico mentioned he’s greatly lacking as it pertains to making adjustments & the X’s & O’s. I think he’s great at managing the room & deferring (too much it seems) to his stars. But I would like to see a premier… Read more »
I actually think the plan may be to start Colton at the 3C. He’s obviously capable, and while he’s certainly a better winger, he was no slouch at center. The only reason he shifted to the wing last year was because we needed to fill in the top six – which he obviously proved he could handle. By the time he could have switched back to 3C, we had pretty much filled the middle, so he shifted to the 3rd line wing. He was more than solid in the face-off circle – arguably better than MacKinnon over the last two… Read more »
I think Ivan^2 steps up
I thought both Ivan and Prishchepov occasionally looked like they could be solid bottom six players in a few games last season, but they were not able to do it consistently. If they can become more consistent, then they would be solid options. It will be interesting to see which version of them turns up in September.
I do not really have a problem with Colton being the 3C. He did a good job there before. It really comes down to the makeup of the whole line. If Colton is the 3C, then you are looking at a 3rd line of Kiviranta-Colton-Olofsson. Only Kiviranta kills penalties. As long a Olofsson is healthy and playing well, he will be a starter. I think ideally, if the team is 100% healthy, Kiviranta becomes the 13th forward. The team would then have a 4th line of Kelly-Drury-AHLer. I think the team wants to see how Bardakov plays. He is older,… Read more »
I’m still hoping that more moves will be made before camp starts. As it stands, this team is simply not big enough and will continue to get pushed around in the postseason. I love the skill level of this team and on that alone, there are only a couple of teams in the league who can compete with the Avalanche. But, can you imagine this team going up against Florida next June? I don’t think it would be very pretty. But a tweak here and there, and who knows.
It was regular season, I realize, but the Avs destroyed Florida in both meetings last year. Just sayin’.
And the Avs didn’t get pushed around by Dallas in the playoffs last year. They mostly outplayed the Stars 5 on 5, led in 6 of the 7 games, including leading in the 3rd period in 3 of their 4 losses, but flailed on the PP and in the clutch moments. Those letdowns weren’t a function of getting pushed around because they were too small.
Overall I would mostly agree, that they didn’t seem out of step with Dallas up front. But on the back end…meh. That’s why most of us thought if they tweaked anything this off – season it would be to get a bit bigger & tougher to play against on defense.
But they’ve done the complete opposite. Coyle, and regardless of how one felt about Wood or Lindgren. They play a physical game & have size. So not only did they get even softer on D. But they got much easier to play against in the bottom 6.
Dallas feels they need to get bigger and tougher. If they are the Avs biggest competition to get back to the SCF, then the Avs need to be able to counter.
“Let’s Get Physical! Dallas Stars Focus on Getting Bigger, Tougher and Meaner This Off-Season”
https://dalsportsnation.com/2025/08/17/lets-get-physical-dallas-stars-focus-on-getting-bigger-tougher-and-meaner-this-off-season/
Interesting, not an area in which I feel they were necessarily lacking. But to your point, yes. I feel It should’ve been & still should be priority #1 for them to get more difficult to play against.
To steal Naz’s terminology lol. You want dawgs. I look at the new blood they’ve brought in since last year. And outside of having belief to some degree in Brock Nelson. Necas, Olofsson, Burns. None of these guys make them a more meaner difficult team to play in the postseason.
It is all about having both skill and a big strong defense. Teams like Carolina are heavy on the defensive structure, but lack the top end skill. It is why they wanted Rantanen. The Avs have the top end skill, but lack a lot on the defensive structure. Sure the Avs defense and structure can win a lot of regular season games, but the playoffs are won in front of the net. That is the Avs weakness.
Mostly outplayed doesn’t always get you the W. As far as game 7 goes the Avs shot themselves in the skates..again. With the only pushing around from the stars needed was Rants hat trick.
One of those RD better be able to play on their off-hand because as it stands now that left side is frighteningly thin. Middleton as an every day player? Yikes! The 3 LD extras listed – 2 have never even played a pro game. (Behrens was injured in Eagles training camp and out for the year.) Ahcan is a way undersized guy who’s a pretty decent AHL player but looked out of place during his call up last year
You’re the prospect guy lol. To your knowledge did Malinski ever play on his off – side in College? Or even with the Eagles? Because one would think either him or Burns are going to have to. Assuming the top 2 D pairs stay the same as they’ve been.
Barring an early trade of Malinski – which could happen, because I think he’s possibly one of our most desirable trade assets as a well-rounded 27-year-old right-shot d-man – I think the third pairing will be Malinski and Manson, with Sam on the left. If Malinski is traded, it would likely be for his replacement in a left-shot d-man, but if not it would then become a battle likely between Middleton, Behrens, and Gagne – and I’d probably favor Gagne, myself.
I would play gagne with burns for at least 10 games and see what he has. Dudes 6’4 6’5. If he looks good then that means girard is expandable.
I would try and trade for wennberg
They should get Girard some ice skate stilts and trade him.