The Avs are hosting the tournament at South Suburban Sports Complex in Highlands Ranch, Colo., from Sept. 12-14. Others participating in the tournament are the Utah Mammoth and Vegas Golden Knights.

Full roster is below.

The roster for Rookie Tournament is set pic.twitter.com/RP0sIMJz7m

— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) September 2, 2025

The post Avalanche Release 2025 Rookie Showcase Roster appeared first on Colorado Hockey Now.

NHL Insider Frank Seravalli reported on Tuesday that the NHL and the NHL Players’ Association have agreed to an implementation schedule for CBA changes.

Sources: The #NHL and #NHLPA have agreed to a rolling implementation schedule for CBA changes.

Among them: the new playoff salary cap system will come into effect *this season* for the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs.

— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) September 2, 2025

The most notable of the bunch is the implementation of the new playoff salary cap system for the upcoming 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs. That means teams won’t be able to bury players on LTIR until April and then activate them in the postseason despite being above the salary cap.

How could the Avs take advantage of this? Simply by having cap flexibility.

The fact that the Avalanche currently have cap space flexibility already puts them at an advantage. And if that cap continues to grow and accrue over the course of the season, they’ll be able to utilize it to their advantage at the trade deadline.

Most importantly, they can take advantage of teams struggling to remain cap compliant. And I’m willing to wager that no team hates this early implementation of the playoff salary cap system more than the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers.

Earlier in the summer, I wrote that Colorado should target Evan Rodrigues from the Panthers. He looks like the obvious odd man out if the team needs to trade someone to remain under the cap ceiling. But then rumors started to circulate that Matthew Tkachuk was going to start the season on LTIR, and that was all but confirmed in recent weeks.

The Panthers suddenly have time to decide what to do. They don’t have to trade Rodrigues or anyone else to get under the cap right away. But they’ll have to eventually.

They won’t be able to play the LTIR game all season. If someone else gets hurt when Tkachuk returns, they can kick the can further down the road, but they won’t be able to do that all the way until the playoffs start. The roster, as currently constructed, with everyone healthy, is not cap compliant, and won’t be able to all dress at the same time in the regular season or playoffs.

Should the Avs still target Rodrigues? We’ll have to wait and see. It depends on how Victor Olofsson looks on the third line and if they decide they need an upgrade. And after that, they’ll have to determine if Rodrigues at $3 million until 2027 is the best option.

But even if not him, or the Panthers, the Avalanche’s cap flexibility will allow them an opportunity to get someone from a cap strapped team before the playoffs.

The next advantage for the Avs is confirmation from Seravalli’s report that new contract structures will not take effect until Sept. 16, 2026.

You can click the article below for more on why this helps the Avalanche. But in short, Cale Makar can sign a new deal under the current rules after July 1, but before Sept. 16. And the same rules will apply for all free agents on July 1, including UFA Martin Necas and RFA Jack Drury.

Read More: New CBA Changes Likely Won’t Affect Cale Makar’s Next Contract with Avalanche

The post NHL Insider Frank Seravalli Outlines CBA Timeline That Benefits the Avalanche appeared first on Colorado Hockey Now.

Colorado is slated for 17 national broadcasts in 2025-26, which is tied for the second most in the league. On opening night on Oct. 7, the Avs are the third game of an ESPN triple header, taking on the L.A. Kings at Crypto.com Arena at 8:30 p.m. MT.

They find themselves back on the national spotlight two weeks later at Utah against the Mammoth.

In total, the Avalanche have six games on ESPN, three on ABC, and eight on TNT. They’re tied with the Boston Bruins and Detroit Red Wings at 17, trailing only the Washington Capitals.

US National TV Games for 2025/26 NHL season, by team

• 72 exclusive games on TNT Networks

• 100 games exclusive on ESPN Networks:
– 16 on ABC
– 37 on ESPN
– 47 on ESPN+

ESPN: https://t.co/kRJEQLR1nH
TNT: https://t.co/tg9llb2zLg pic.twitter.com/QYmgqXTxgg

— NHL News (@PuckReportNHL) August 27, 2025

The full National Broadcast schedule for the Avs can be found here.

In addition, start times for several games were changed, as listed below.

Oct. 20 at San Jose – start time changed from 2:00 p.m. MT to 6:00 p.m. MT (previously announced)

Oct. 22 at Seattle – start time changed from 8:30 p.m. MT to 6:30 p.m. MT

Nov. 29 at Dallas – start time changed from 6:30 p.m. MT to 7:00 p.m. MT

Dec. 27 at Utah – start time changed from 7:00 p.m. MT to 7:30 p.m. MT

March 6 vs. San Jose – start time changed from 7:30 p.m. MT to 7:00 p.m. MT

March 27 vs. Los Angeles – start time changed from 7:00 p.m. MT to 8:00 p.m. MT

April 8 vs. Vegas – start time changed from 8:00 p.m. MT to 7:30 p.m. MT

April 13 at Anaheim – start time changed from 6:00 p.m. MT to 8:00 p.m. MT

The post Avalanche Will Be Spotlighted on National Broadcasts 17 Times in 2025-26 appeared first on Colorado Hockey Now.

RG Media’s Sergey Demidov had an exclusive with the Avs’ 2023 first-round draft pick and was able to shed light on what’s to come for the young 20-year-old Russian defenseman.

Gulyayev has even played forward in some recent games.

RG MEDIA: Avalanche Prospect Mikhail Gulyayev Plays Forward, Eyes 2026 NHL Move

Kudos to RG Media for getting this story sent to me. I have some thoughts on what I believe should be a pivotal 12 months in the career of Gulyayev.

The Avs could use homegrown talent in their lineup. Not just because they need to eventually get better at developing talent later in the first round and beyond, but because having young contributors in your lineup on lower-cost entry-level deals massively boosts your ability to build a winner.

Gulyayev seems to be in good hands with former NHL coach Guy Boucher in the KHL. I think the idea that Boucher moved him to forward to help develop his offensive game is fascinating. But in a Jared Bednar system, it’s his defensive game that’ll ultimately lead to an opportunity. Gulyayev is going to have the odds stacked against him given that he’s on the smaller side. If he continues to develop his defensive game and can play a fearless brand of hockey, he’ll excel in the NHL. Or at least get a chance to do so.

But it’ll always be harder for someone like him to crack the Avalanche’s lineup on a permanent basis, especially if Samuel Girard, Cale Makar, and Devon Toews continue to make up half of the team’s depth core.

Between Gulyayev and goalie Ilya Nabokov, Avs fans have a lot to keep track of in the KHL. Both of them could make their way over as early as next spring, when their KHL seasons come to an end.

Gulyayev was non-committal in the RG Media piece about that plan, but his contract expires at the conclusion of this season.

The post Mikhail Gulyayev Could Make Jump to Avalanche in 2026 appeared first on Colorado Hockey Now.

Coming off his participation in the Avalanche’s Alumni Game, the 34-year-old defenseman announced his retirement from the NHL early Monday morning, ending a 14-year career.

Barrie spent eight years with the Avs after getting drafted by the team in the third round in 2009. The first two seasons he appeared in, both in 2011-12, and in 2013, were spent mostly in the American Hockey League, mixed with a taste of the big club. But in 2013-14, he began a stretch of six seasons as a key piece of Colorado’s blueline. He also saw time in the AHL that season but ended up playing 64 games with Colorado, scoring 13 goals and 38 total points. Barrie was part of the young core that helped the Avalanche qualify for the playoffs.

That was the start of what ended up being the team’s best puck-moving defenseman for a half decade.

READ MORE: Good Vibes and Memorable Moments at the Avalanche’s Alumni Game

Barrie was part of Colorado’s transitional years from a team building its core to the one that eventually got over the hump after his departure. He built great chemistry with Nathan MacKinnon and other young pieces and played well over 21 minutes per game following the 2014 season.

In 2018-19, Barrie tied his career high with 14 goals and had his best season in both assists (45) and points (59). But the arrival of Cale Makar during the playoffs, along with the continued development of Samuel Girard, made him expendable that offseason. The Avs opted to trade him.

READ MORE: UFA Erik Johnson Still Wants to Play in the NHL

They packaged him and Alexander Kerfoot and sent them both to the Toronto Maple Leafs in a six-piece trade that brought Nazem Kadri to Colorado.

Barrie spent just one season with the Leafs before signing with the Edmonton Oilers. In 2022, he was part of the Oilers’ roster that made it to the Western Conference Final and got swept by the Avs. He was later part of a deal that brought Mattias Ekholm to Edmonton.

His career ended with a one-year stint with the Calgary Flames, where he played just 13 games and had three points.

In total, Barrie 110 goals and 508 points in 822 games — most of which came with the Avalanche.

The post Tyson Barrie Announces Retirement — Played 8 Seasons With Avalanche appeared first on Colorado Hockey Now.

It’s been reported that some of the new rules regarding draft rights might begin immediately, even if the new CBA doesn’t technically begin until Sept. 16, 2026.

But among the changes that won’t begin until then: Contract length limitations and salary bonus structure.

On the latest 32 Thoughts, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman sat down with Marty Walsh and Ron Hainsey, who head the NHLPA. Hainsey confirmed that none of the changes to contract length and salary structure will be put into play until mid-September.

With the change, players re-signing with their current clubs can only sign for up to seven years and unrestricted free agents signing with a new club can only lock in for a maximum of six years. There will also be a 60% cap on how much of a contract can be allocated toward signing bonuses.

READ MORE: Peter Forsberg is in Town! — Avalanche Prepare for Alumni Game at Magness Arena

This is good for the Avs. It means they can still use the current CBA to sign extensions for both Martin Necas and, more importantly, Cale Makar.

Necas is an unrestricted free agent next July 1. If the Avs come to terms on a new deal with the forward, they’ll be able to give him eight years and allocate more bonus money to the contract. But that was always the case because Necas has been eligible to sign an extension for nearly two months now.

Makar’s next deal was always up in the air. It was rumored that the new contract rules would come into play on July 1, 2026, before Hainsey confirmed otherwise. Given that Makar is ineligible to sign an extension until that day, this is huge news for Colorado.

In order for the Avalanche to get Makar locked up for the current maximum term of eight years, they have to sign him before Sept. 16, 2026. That’ll give them two and a half months next summer to get a contract signed.

I’d suspect they’ll want to get things done pretty quickly, but that’s not always the case. For example, MacKinnon didn’t sign his early extension in 2022 until right before training camp began in September. And right now, the Edmonton Oilers and Connor McDavid are still without a new contract.

If Makar’s extension talks drag into August or September, the new starting date for the new CBA will likely be the first deadline to get things done. I’d imagine Makar, who will be in his mid 30s at the conclusion of his next deal, would also rather have the option to sign for eight years instead of seven.

The Avs will also be able to front load Makar’s contract with yearly bonuses if they sign before Sept. 16, just like they did with MacKinnon. Nearly 85% of the Avalanche’s star centerman’s current contract is made up of bonuses.

That’s often what players prefer, which gives Makar added motivation to get a deal done.

The post New CBA Changes Likely Won’t Affect Cale Makar’s Next Contract with Avalanche appeared first on Colorado Hockey Now.

Victor Olofsson, a 30-year-old unrestricted free agent, signed a one-year, $1.575 million contract with the team for the upcoming 2025-26 season.

Olofsson had 15 goals and 29 points in 56 games with the Vegas Golden Knights last season. Eight of his goals came on the power play, and four of them were game winners. On opening night last October, Olofsson started the season with a two-goal performance against Colorado.

The winger has experience playing both on the left and right side.

The deal was first reported by PuckPedia on Tuesday evening and made official by the Avs early on Wednesday.

With Olofsson in the fold, Colorado now has 12 veteran forward NHL regulars under contract for the upcoming season. The bottom six is currently made up of Ross Colton, Joel Kiviranta, Parker Kelly, Jack Drury, Logan O’Connor, and Olofsson. O’Connor will start the season on injury reserve and if Colton remains on the wing (which is likely), Drury is the only center of the group.

Zakhar Bardakov is another centerman out of the KHL who likely will get a long look at training camp.

The post Avalanche Sign Victor Olofsson to One-Year Contract appeared first on Colorado Hockey Now.

Nelson is among 44 players invited to the camp ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics. Aside from Matthew Tkachuk, every member of Team USA from the 4 Nations Face-Off will be present. Tkachuk was already named to the roster and is nursing an injury that might require surgery before the season begins.

Nelson is the only Avs player attending USA’s camp. The 33-year-old centerman had previously represented his country at World Juniors, the World Champions, and 4 Nations. He was not part of the Olympics roster the last time NHL players were there in 2014. This likely would be his only opportunity to play at the winter games.  At 4 Nations, Nelson did not record a point in four appearances, while averaging 14:23 per game in a depth role.

The full list of invites in below.

Introducing the 44 players who will attend the U.S. Men's Olympic Orientation Camp

Details: https://t.co/lWC0ZT1AJc pic.twitter.com/16FT49FRgP

— USA Hockey (@usahockey) August 19, 2025

The post Brock Nelson Among 44 Invited to USA Hockey Olympics Orientation Camp appeared first on Colorado Hockey Now.

Gagne was originally drafted in the sixth round of the 2021 NHL Draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning. He became an unrestricted free agent on August 15 after four years of college.

The native of Bedford, N.H. spent four seasons at the University of New Hampshire, compiling seven goals and 41 assists in 139 collegiate games. In his senior year, Gagne served as captain for the second season in a row and posted a career high with four goals, 13 assists, and 17 points.

Listed as 6’5, 225 lbs, Gagne became the first of the new wave of college free agents to land an NHL contract.

The post Avalanche Sign Defenseman Alex Gagne to Entry-Level Deal appeared first on Colorado Hockey Now.

The Avs haven’t played any type of game at Magness Arena, the home of the DU Pioneers, since their burgundy and white inter-squad game in 2017. That was the second year under Jared Bednar.

When the preseason schedule was announced earlier in the summer. the team said they’d host the Mammoth twice on Sept. 21 with the second location TBD.

The Avs will also host Utah for their home opener at Ball Arena on Oct. 9 at Ball Arena.

The post Avalanche, Mammoth Will Play Preseason Game at Magness Arena appeared first on Colorado Hockey Now.