John Ludvig Receiving Interest From Dynamo Pardubice
While it remains to be seen if the Avalanche will issue pending restricted free agent defenseman John Ludvig a qualifying offer next month, it appears as if he’ll have at least one other option on the table. iSport’s Miroslav Horak relays that the blueliner is on the radar of Dynamo Pardubice in the Czech Extraliga for next season.
The 24-year-old was claimed off waivers in training camp for the second straight year, this time by Colorado. However, this time around, he cleared waivers in mid-January after spending a lot of the first half of the season as a scratch. All told, Ludvig played in just eight games for the Avs, notching two assists in a little under 13 minutes a night of playing time. He also got into 30 games with AHL Colorado, picking up a goal and 11 helpers.
Ludvig played in 33 NHL games with Pittsburgh in his only other taste of action at the top level but his first three professional seasons – largely mired with injuries – were spent in the minors.
Ludvig will be arbitration-eligible for the first time this summer and that eligibility could work against him as his NHL experience could allow him to command more than the minimum salary. It’s unlikely Colorado would like him making closer to the $1MM mark so if they can’t reach a deal beforehand, there’s a decent chance he will be non-tendered late next month which could make a decision to go play back home much more palatable.
Avalanche Unlikely To Retain Maros Jedlicka's Signing Rights
- After an injury-plagued season, it doesn’t appear the Avalanche will retain the signing rights to 2023 seventh-round pick Maros Jedlicka, relays Brennan Vogt of Mile High Sports. The 22-year-old Slovak forward spent the latter half of this season on a minor-league deal with AHL Colorado but was limited to five points in 18 games. He missed all of the 2023-24 season due to injury and managed just 12 appearances for HC Kometa Brno in Czechia before terminating his contract there early this season.
How Will The Colorado Avalanche Re-Tool This Summer?
After one of the busiest trade deadlines since their run to a Stanley Cup championship in 2022, the Colorado Avalanche fell short this spring, losing in Round One to the Dallas Stars. Last week, Evan Rawal of The Denver Gazette analyzed six pending unrestricted free agents that the team could look to keep for next year’s iteration of the roster.
Despite shedding Mikko Rantanen‘s $9.25MM salary and not retaining him beyond this season, Rawal correctly points out that Colorado only has $8.7MM in salary cap space heading into the summer with 18 players already signed. Given their financial flexibility, it’s unlikely the Avalanche will re-sign Brock Nelson, Jonathan Drouin, Ryan Lindgren, Joel Kiviranta, Jimmy Vesey, and Erik Johnson.
If Colorado doesn’t bring back Nelson, they’ll again peruse the trade and free agent markets for a second-line center. He performed mildly well upon joining the Avalanche, scoring six goals and 13 points in 19 games, with another four assists in seven postseason contests. However, Nelson reportedly spurned a three-year, $22.5MM offer from the New York Islanders, meaning he’d leave Colorado with very little wiggle room if he were to sign a similar contract.
Being a limited center class in the free-agent market, the Avalanche would likely turn to the trade market to fill the gap. Unfortunately, after trading away several assets at the 2024-25 trade deadline, they’ll have little to offer other teams for a true second-line middleman.
It is unlikely that Colorado will re-sign Lindgren beyond this season unless he agrees to a significantly lower salary than his current $4.5MM. Lindgren’s future with the team could tie together with the health status of defenseman Josh Manson, who missed a large chunk of the 2024-25 season due to injury. If the Avalanche are confident Manson will open the 2025-26 season on the team’s long-term injured reserve, they may be interested in retaining Lindgren and his similar playstyle.
The last player Rawal believes the Avalanche will shy away from is Kiviranta. It’s not so much that Kiviranta wasn’t valuable to Colorado during the 2024-25 season, but because it’ll be hard to predict which player they’re getting. Kiviranta exploded for 16 goals in 79 games this season with a 19.0% shooting percentage, offering the Avalanche flexibility to move him up and down the lineup. Still, it may be unwise to significantly raise Kiviranta’s salary, considering he averaged an 8.1% shooting percentage over 219 games from 2019 to 2024.
The trio Rawal believes will likely stay in Colorado for at least the next season includes Drouin, Vesey, and Johnson. Drouin spurned longer-term offers last summer to re-up on a one-year, $2.5MM deal with the Avalanche this year. There’s a good chance Drouin’s injury history will drive other teams away from offering long-term deals this summer, meaning Colorado could re-sign him again on a below-market deal.
Vesey and Johnson should be available at a low price, but they might choose to leave on their own accord. Vesey was very outspoken about his discontent with the New York Rangers for lack of playing time, and none of that changed in Denver. Meanwhile, although Johnson has spent much of his career in Colorado and has publicly shown his admiration for the organization, he’s a prime retirement candidate this offseason.
Avalanche Fire Ray Bennett, Retain Jared Bednar
At least one change is coming to the Colorado Avalanche’s bench for the 2025-26 NHL season. President of Hockey Operations Joe Sakic and General Manager Chris MacFarland (via Meghan Angley of Guerrilla Sports) shared that the team is moving on from assistant coach Ray Bennett.
Bennett had been an assistant coach for the Avalanche since the 2017-18 season, primarily running the team’s power play. It’s somewhat of a surprise, given Colorado’s powerplay never finished outside the top-10 (outside of the 2019-20 season), and finished their Round One loss to the Dallas Stars with a 30.4% success rate. Given his success with the Avalanche, the Boston Bruins, Philadelphia Flyers, New York Islanders, and Anaheim Ducks could all look to Bennett for additional help with a man advantage.
Bennett is likely the only coach departing Colorado’s bench this offseason. Surprisingly, the pair of front office leaders were asked about head coach Jared Bednar‘s status, to which MacFarland replied, “100% confident Jared (Bednar) is our head coach.” Bednar has managed a 390-246-64 record in 700 games as the Avalanche’s head coach, including a Stanley Cup championship in 2022.
Sidney Crosby Joins Team Canada, Nathan MacKinnon May As Well
“Captain Canada” has joined Team Canada for the upcoming 2025 IIHF World Championship. Sidney Crosby will join the team for the first time since 2015, per a Pittsburgh Penguins release.
Fresh off a victory at the 4 Nations Face-Off in February, Crosby will look to guide his home country to another victory in Europe. Crosby joins his general manager Kyle Dubas for the tournament, which is set to begin this upcoming week. This represents the third time Crosby will compete in IIHF Championships, and the first since captaining Canada to a 2015 victory. This will mark the ninth time Crosby, 37, has suited up for Canada in international play, and if it’s possible, his international résumé is every bit as impressive as his legendary NHL career. He has won gold medals at the Olympics (and scored the iconic “Golden Goal” in the 2010 games), the World Cup of Hockey (2016), the World Championship (2015), and the World Junior Championship (2005).
Crosby’s decision to join Team Canada for the tournament likely stems, at least in part, from the Penguins missing the playoffs again this season. After a career defined by deep postseason runs, the chance to play meaningful hockey well into May is surely appealing to the future Hall of Famer. Crosby’s addition makes him the oldest member of the team by nearly four years, with Ryan O’Reilly as the secondly oldest member of the team.
Crosby’s good friend and fellow Nova Scotia native Nathan MacKinnon may be joining the squad as well, after his Colorado Avalanche were eliminated in the first round by the Dallas Stars. TSN insider Darren Dreger is reporting that there is a “decent chance” MacKinnon joins Team Canada for the tournament. Like Crosby, MacKinnon is no stranger to deep playoff runs, but with an early first-round exit this year, he may seize an opportunity that’s rarely available to him.
Colton Took Part In Morning Skate In Non-Contact Jersey
- Avalanche forward Ross Colton took part in today’s morning skate in a non-contact jersey, relays Ewan Rawal of The Denver Gazette (Twitter link). The 28-year-old suffered a lower-body injury in the series opener against Dallas and hasn’t played since; the non-contact restriction today suggests he won’t be available for the series’ final game tonight. Colton got off to a hot start this season before dealing with some injury issues, finishing up with 16 goals and 11 assists in 61 games.
Marc-Andre Fleury, Gabriel Landeskog, Sean Monahan Named Masterton Trophy Finalists
The NHL has announced the three finalists for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy. The award is presented each year to the player who “best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey.” This year’s finalists are Minnesota Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog, and Columbus Blue Jackets forward Sean Monahan.
The race for the sportsmanship title may be closer than ever this season. Leading the back is the 40-year-old Fleury, who played the last game of his illustrious
career on Tuesday night. Fleury is one of just three goaltenders to ever be drafted first overall, and he’s the only one of the trio to play through a full career in the NHL. He amassed 1,051 appearances and ended his career on a strong note this season, posting a satisfactory 14-9-1 record and .899 save percentage while serving as Minnesota’s backup. Fleury went through a true farewell tour this season, facing standing ovations and long hand-shake lines in many of his final stops around the league. A Masterton win would acknowledge the 21 years of formidable hockey and warm personality that Fleury offered the league.
While Fleury stands for achievement, Landeskog will represent true perseverance on this year’s ballot. The Avalanche captain made his long-awaited return to the ice this postseason, finally marking the end of his recovery from a skate-cut injury suffered in the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Multiple surgeries and extended absences marked his 2021-22 campaign, though he stayed together long enough to net 22 points in 20 playoff games en route to Colorado’s 2022 Stanley Cup win.
But Landeskog fell completely out of the lineup after he lifted the Cup, and has spent the last three years fighting to return to game shape. His journey to recovery was outlined in the ‘A Clean Sheet’ documentary, hosted on HBO Max, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video. After three years of dedication, Landeskog has looked back to form in his return to the ice. He has four points in four playoff games and helped will a Game 7 when Colorado faced elimination on Thursday night.
For Monahan, Masterton recognition will mean something else entirely. The 30-year-old centerman signed a five-year, $27.5MM contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets last summer, intent on joining close friend Johnny Gaudreau on the team’s top line. But tragedy struck when Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew, were killed by an alleged drunk driver in the weeks leading up to the season.
It was Earth-shattering news for much of the Columbus organization and fanbase, especially Monahan, who now lives two doors down from the Gaudreau family in Columbus. He channeled any emotions into incredible hockey to start the year, netting 41 points in 41 games to start the season. But Monahan sustained a right-wrist injury on Jan. 7 that forced him to miss nearly 10 weeks of action. He stayed hot when he returned, finishing the year with 16 points in 13 games, but the surge fell just a little short, and Columbus ultimately missed the postseason by just one win. Even then, Monahan’s season was a deep show of the resilience, community, and compassion that exists in the hockey world – all attributes that seem aptly summarized by the Bill Masterton Trophy.
Photo courtesy of Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports.
Nikita Kucherov, Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar Named Ted Lindsay Award Finalists
Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov and Avalanche superstars Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar have been named the Ted Lindsay Award finalists for the 2024-25 season, the NHLPA announced today. The Lindsay Award is given to the league’s most outstanding player as voted on by his peers.
Now in his 11th NHL season, Kucherov became the 10th player in league history with three or more scoring titles. He’s the first player with back-to-back Art Ross Trophies not named Connor McDavid since Jaromír Jágr won four straight from 1998 to 2001. He finished the campaign with 37 goals, 84 assists, and 121 points in 78 games, not quite sniffing last year’s career-highs across the board but still leading the league in assists and points.
If Kucherov wins, it’ll be his second Lindsay after winning it alongside his first Art Ross-winning season in 2018-19. He’s also just the fourth player in league history to record three consecutive 80-assist seasons, joining Paul Coffey, Wayne Gretzky, and Bobby Orr.
It’s rare to see two players from the same club nominated for the same award, but the wording of “most outstanding” as compared to “most valuable” in the Lindsay fine print opens up the opportunity for this award compared to the media-voted Hart Trophy for league MVP. MacKinnon could be the first back-to-back winner of the Lindsay since McDavid in 2016-17 and 2017-18. He tied Kucherov’s league-leading 84 assists this year and added 32 goals in 79 games in what was a down season for him in the shooting department. MacKinnon’s sky-high 22:47 average time on ice per game led all forwards this year, and he led the league in shots on goal (320) for the fourth time in his 12-year career. MacKinnon totaled 116 points for his third straight season above the century mark.
As for Makar, he was announced as a Norris Trophy finalist just yesterday for the fifth time in his six-year NHL resume. He registered a career-high 30 goals and 92 points in 80 games to lead NHL defensemen, now poised to take home the Defenseman of the Year award for the second time while potentially adding a Lindsay to his trophy case. He faces some extremely long odds, though. A defenseman has only won the Lindsay once since it was introduced as the Lester B. Pearson Award in the 1970-71 campaign – Orr took it home in 1974-75. Carey Price (2014-15) is the only non-forward to win it in the last 28 years.
Quinn Hughes, Cale Makar, Zach Werenski Named Norris Trophy Finalists
The Canucks’ Quinn Hughes, the Avalanche’s Cale Makar, and the Blue Jackets’ Zach Werenski are the 2024-25 Norris Trophy finalists for the NHL’s top defenseman, per a league announcement.
There are no surprises in this triumvirate. While it’s likely to be a closer race than yesterday’s Vezina Trophy announcement, Makar’s the frontrunner after setting a new career high with 30 goals and 92 points in 80 games. Now a Norris finalist five times in six years to begin his career, the 26-year-old became the first rearguard since Mike Green in 2008-09 to hit the 30-goal mark. He was the first to also eclipse 90 points in the same year since Paul Coffey in 1988-89.
Makar’s defensive impacts also rebounded after a strikingly pedestrian 2023-24 season in his own end. He posted a 56.6 CF% at even strength and a 59.4 xGF%, the latter standing as a career-high over a non-shortened season. He’s finished third in Norris voting the last two years after winning the award in 2022, but he’s almost certainly set to get back into the top two.
If not for an oblique injury taking a bite out of his campaign, Hughes would have more of a chance to win back-to-back Norris Trophies for the first time since Nicklas Lidström‘s three-peat from 2006 to 2008. The 5’10” lefty matched the 1.12 points-per-game rate that won him the honors last year and finished the year with 16-60–76 in 68 games, his fourth straight campaign above the 60-assist mark. Hughes’ 25:44 time on ice per game trailed only Werenski among skaters.
As for Werenski, he becomes the first defenseman in Blue Jackets franchise history to earn a Norris nomination. The 27-year-old finished eighth in voting in 2019-20 but hasn’t received any consideration since then. He exploded back onto the scene in 2024-25, driving Columbus’ resurgent seventh-ranked offense with a team-high 82 points in 81 games. His 1.01 points per game were third in the league behind Makar and Hughes, but a higher percentage of his offensive production came at even strength. 35 and 29 of Makar’s and Hughes’ points came with the man advantage, while Werenski had only 25 power-play points and matched Makar’s 54 even-strength points to lead defensemen. Werenski also led defensemen with 298 shots on goal and ranked third in the league overall.
Avalanche Forward Ross Colton Remains Out
- Dallas Stars defender Miro Heiskanen will not play in tonight’s game four matchup against the Avalanche, per Lia Assimakopoulos of the Dallas News. Heiskanen recently rejoined practice first time since sustaining his knee injury in late January, and Friday’s practice was the closest he’s been to a full participant, Assimakopoulos notes. In 50 games on the season, the 25-year-old scored five goals and 25 points from the point. He’s also showcased an ability to elevate his game in the playoffs, including last season where he produced six goals and 16 points in 19 games. Coach Pete DeBoer also noted that forward Oskar Back will be a game-time decision after suffering an injury in game three. If he is unable to go, the door will be open for Mavrik Bourque to slot back into the lineup.
- Colorado Avalanche coach Jared Bednar confirmed that forward Ross Colton is making progress with his lower body injury, but that Colton will remain out of the lineup for the foreseeable future, per Jesse Montano of Guerilla Sports. Colton sustained his injury in game one of the series and has not been able to dress since. In 61 regular season games this season, Colton produced 16 goals in 29 points.