Colorado Avalanche Facing Another Summer Cap Crunch
The unfortunate reality of a salary-cap world is that success becomes a punishment that snowballs over time, as it leads to more expensive rosters year after year. That is where the Colorado Avalanche find themselves this summer after winning the Presidents’ Trophy this season. The Avalanche have massive money committed to their core, with new extensions set to kick in, other players seeking raises, and roster holes sure to be created by tough decisions coming Colorado’s way. The trade of superstar Mikko Rantanen last year was supposed to help the team avoid long-term cap issues, but just 16 months later, they are headed towards cap trouble anyway. As of today, Colorado has just under $3MM in available cap space with just 17 players signed, making it impossible to ice a full roster as currently constructed (all numbers via PuckPedia). The Avalanche have no choice but to make tough decisions, especially if they want to re-sign Jack Drury, who was one of the pieces in the Rantanen trade.
Since the Avalanche moved on from Rantanen, they have made three key moves that have consumed roughly $25MM in cap space. Those moves included acquiring and extending Martin Necas and Brock Nelson, as well as the trade-deadline pickup of Nazem Kadri from the Calgary Flames. These moves aren’t the primary reason Colorado is in cap trouble, but they’ve taken up a huge chunk of cap space and left the team top-heavy.
It was clear in the Vegas series that Colorado’s depth wasn’t enough to advance past the Western Conference Finals, and it’s hard to see that depth improving anytime soon. None of the moves for Necas, Nelson or Kadri were bad, and they were clearly made to give the team more firepower for an inevitably difficult playoff series. But when you add the contracts of defensemen Devon Toews ($7.25MM) and Cale Makar ($9MM), as well as forwards Gabriel Landeskog ($7MM) and Valeri Nichushkin ($6.125MM), you have another $30MM committed to the top of the team’s lineup, which eats away at depth.
Now, that issue hasn’t necessarily happened yet to the Avalanche. Through the first two rounds of this year’s playoffs, they received plenty of depth scoring, but that dried up against Vegas, and some forwards are going to need to be moved. This will always be an issue for top teams, as their cheap depth gets cycled out yearly when those players get to play with a team’s top stars, inflate their statistics, and cash in elsewhere. This makes it difficult to keep secondary scoring in the fray and forces the team to try to find cheap depth on the open market or bring up AHL players who may not be ready for the NHL. This is something that Florida and Vegas have done a great job of in recent years, but it’s become more of a struggle for Colorado, which may need to move several mid-tier contracts out the door or a top-tier player.
The obvious depth player to move is forward Ross Colton, who had a disappointing campaign with just 24 points in 73 games. Colton ranks 22nd on Chris Johnston’s offseason trade board and has one year left on his $4MM contract. Colorado can’t afford that kind of price tag on a bottom-six forward, but moving him alone will not be close to enough.
Another potential depth piece to move out is the recently acquired forward Nicolas Roy. The Avalanche picked up the 29-year-old from the Toronto Maple Leafs before the trade deadline in exchange for a first-round draft pick in 2027 and a fifth-round draft pick in 2026. Roy took some time to settle into the lineup but had a decent playoff showing in the first two rounds before going ice cold in the Western Conference Finals. However, even moving Roy along with Colton wouldn’t exactly solve the issues, as their absence would create two additional roster holes, leaving Colorado with just under $10MM in cap space and eight players to sign.
Roy might be worth keeping for one more season, given his low salary, but Colorado faces a difficult choice: a big talent has to go, or some combination of higher-end roster players has to go. Artturi Lehkonen and his $4.5MM could be moved, but the best move might be to send out Colton and Nichushkin. That would free up an additional $10.125MM. Colorado would then have a few internal options to bring back and fill out their roster. AFP Analytics projects Drury to earn around $3MM per year on a three-year deal, while Zakhar Bardakov is likely looking at a one-year deal at league minimum ($850K). Bringing in defenseman Brent Burns would also cost around $1MM, leaving Colorado with around $8MM under the cap and just five players to sign. It’s not an impossible task, but not an ideal one either.
Then there is the looming Makar extension that management will try to iron out this summer. That contract will likely make Makar the highest-paid defenseman in the NHL, topping the likes of Rasmus Dahlin and perhaps falling in the $13MM to $15MM range. If the negotiations drag into the summer or training camp, they could create an elephant in the room for Colorado.
This summer could be quiet for the Avalanche, but it could also be one in which they pivot, trying to get a little younger and perhaps a little less expensive. All will be answered in the future, but it could be a tough summer for Avalanche fans as they watch their roster plateau while the teams around them look to improve.
Lineup Notes: Stone, Makar, Wedgewood
Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone returns to action in Game 3 tonight on home ice, reported by ESPN’s Emily Kaplan. He had been dealing with a lower-body injury, missing five straight games.
Unable to come away with a win before heading out to Vegas, it only makes things more difficult for Colorado, as they’ll desperately try to get back on track tonight. Without their captain, the Golden Knights have gotten massive performances from Brett Howden, the 28-year-old netting nine goals this postseason, needing three more to match his entire output in the regular season. Pavel Dorofeyev, no longer such an underrated sniper, has also stood out with 10 goals, and finally, one can’t skip over Mitch Marner and Jack Eichel who are playing at an elite level.
The efforts have helped Vegas go 4-1 without Stone, tied 2-2 with Anaheim after his first absence which caused concern, but quickly sending them home afterward. Now, up 2-0 over the Presidents’ Trophy winners, a top forward is back in the mix, having posted seven points in nine playoff games thus far. Brandon Saad is likely to be the odd man out; the 33-year-old two-time Stanley Cup Champion added two helpers in five games while Stone was injured as a key veteran presence.
More lineup news from tonight’s Game 3:
- Stone’s opponents will also likely have a big boost tonight, as “all signs point to” Cale Makar returning, according to Kaplan. Missing the first two games of the series with an upper-body injury, Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar was cryptic on his status earlier today, but if there was ever a time he was needed, even if not back to full health, it’s tonight with their backs close to the wall. Skating 24:59 in his playoff action to this point, Makar’s usage may indicate his overall health for what lies ahead in Colorado’s hopes to turn the tide and advance to the Stanley Cup Final.
- While there was some speculation that the Avalanche could make a goalie change after losing the first two games, that’s not the case. Instead, Evan Rawal of The Denver Gazette was among those to note that Scott Wedgewood will indeed get the nod once again. The 33-year-old posted the best GAA (2.02) and SV% (.921) league-wide during the regular season but has lost three of his last four starts, allowing eight goals on 70 shots in that span.
Afternoon Notes: Makar, Pickering, Thompson
Ahead of tonight’s pivotal Game 3 in Vegas, Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar told reporters, including Evan Rawal of The Denver Gazette, that “you’ll have to wait and see” if star Cale Makar will be able to play. Bednar remained vague in not naming a starting goaltender either.
The Presidents’ Trophy winners, who lost just 16 regular season games all year and had plenty of breathing room atop the league, didn’t face much adversity all year. Now, somewhat quickly, they’re in a big hole staring at a potential 3-0 series deficit, at the hands of the Golden Knights. The sudden development is largely a result of Makar’s absence, dealing with an upper-body injury from the previous round.
A team built to handle just about any absence up front, obviously the loss of an all-world defenseman has huge implications. Yet Makar’s injury has left an especially evident shortcoming on their powerplay. Missing their quarterback without an adequate second option, they went one-for-five on the man advantage in the series’ first two games on home ice.
With their season on the line, there’s more than enough reason for Makar to suit up, but even if he does under 100%, there’s real questions on what type of workload the 27-year-old is able to bear, averaging one tick shy of 25 minutes a night in his nine playoff games so far.
Elsewhere:
- Penguins top prospect Owen Pickering is day-to-day with a lower-body injury, reported by Tony Androckitis in an article shared on Inside AHL Hockey. Missing a deciding Game 5 in the Atlantic Division Finals, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins came away with a resounding 8-1 win, vaulting them to the Conference Finals as they await their opponent, either the Cleveland Monsters or the Toronto Marlies. It was impressive work considering that the 2021 first rounder is the “Baby Penguins” top defenseman, skating in 68 games and leading all blueliners with 28 points. Pickering stepped right into the NHL in 2024-25 with 24 games, but since then Pittsburgh has been more focused on his long-term development, as he made just four NHL appearances in 2025-26. His WBS Penguins have the chance to return to the Calder Cup Finals for the first time since 2008, as a franchise who has never taken home the AHL title.
- Tyce Thompson, younger brother of Buffalo star Tage Thompson, has re-signed with Barys Astana of the KHL for another year, the team shared. A fourth round selection of the Devils in 2019, the 6’1” winger played in 11 games with the team, making his mark in the NHL stat book with an assist. Departing the Bridgeport Islanders to go abroad this year, he made a larger offensive impact in Russia with 25 points in 57 games, good for fourth on the club. Notable North American teammates of Thompson include the previous AHL standout Mike Vecchione and former Florida Panther Ian McCoshen.
Cale Makar To Determine When To Return To Avalanche Lineup
The Colorado Avalanche are down two games in their Western Conference Finals matchup against the Vegas Golden Knights. A major part of their recent struggles has been the absence of superstar defenseman Cale Makar who is out day-to-day with an upper-body injury sustained in the second round.
Makar continues to skate at the team’s practice facility but there has been no indication of when he may return. Head coach Jared Bednar told reporters following Game 2 that the decision will be left up to when Makar feels back to 100 percent, as captured by Vic Lombardi of Altitude TV. Bednar reiterated that after Saturday’s morning skate per Jesse Montano of Guerilla Sports. The head coach said:
No one can go into Cale’s body and feel what he’s feeling. So when he feels like he can do he can do all the things he needs to… then he’s gonna make the decision to play.
The Avalanche have filled the crater left by Makar’s absence by promoting Sam Malinski to the top-pair – but most of the weight to generate offense has been placed on Devon Toews and Brent Burns. Both defenders have struggled to create the same spark as Makar, leaving Colorado at just three goals scored through the first two games of the series. That is far below their league-leading average of 3.63 goals-per-game throughout the regular season – though the dip is no surprise. Makar finished the regular season ranked third among all defensemen with 79 points in 75 games played. He also led all defenseman in power-play ice time with 307 minutes on the man-advantage.
Colorado has been forced to find a new quarterback for their power-play, and make up for a one-man breakout, at the most critical point in their season. Meanwhile, Makar faces the challenge of working back to enough fitness to fill the 25 minutes a night that he has averaged through nine playoff games. It is an uphill battle that will only become tougher as the Avalanche look to climb out of their recent slump.
Makar seemed to sustain his injury in the series-clinching Game 5 matchup against the Minnesota Wild. He left the game early after falling awkwardly on his right arm but managed to return before the eventual overtime-win. While the Avalanche offense can’t pack the same punch without Makar in the lineup, their chances at a full run to the Stanley Cup would also be fully dampened if he was hurt for a longer stretch. That will be the balance that Makar has in mind as he continues to ease his way back into Colorado’s practices.
Makar will aim to make his return as the Avalanche head to Vegas for Game 3 on Sunday. If he decides a return would bring more risk than reward, the Avalanche will have to again lean on Malinski as the puck-mover on the top pair. Toews would also continue his role on a power-play that has yet to score this series. The Norris Trophy finalist’s decision, and its fallout, will be pivotal in the Avalanche’s hopes to break back into the win column.
Cale Makar To Miss Game 2 Of Western Conference Final
5/22/26: Bednar told the media today that Makar will miss game two against the Golden Knights tonight. While Makar’s absence has been designated day-to-day, it’s unclear at what point he’ll ultimately be able to return to the Avalanche lineup. The team struggled without Makar in game one, dropping the contest to Vegas by a 4-2 score.
Bednar said after the game that “some of the areas that [the team] struggled with” are the things Makar is best at. The Avalanche stuck with Ahcan for game one, leaving Blankenburg as a healthy scratch once again. Because of the loss, it will be interesting to see whether Bednar makes a change on his blueline. The Avalanche entered the series as favorites to win the Stanley Cup, but Makar’s injury threatens that status.
5/20/26: The Colorado Avalanche will be without star defenseman Cale Makar for the first game of their Western Conference Final series against the Vegas Golden Knights, head coach Jared Bednar announced today. Bednar classified Makar’s undisclosed injury as day-to-day and said that he does expect Makar to return relatively quickly – but not in time for game one.
Makar’s health is one of the key storylines to track for the upcoming series given Makar’s importance to the Avalanche as well as his status as arguably the game’s top defenseman.
The status of Makar has been the subject of speculation since game one against the Wild, when he left the ice after taking a big hit from Wild forward Marcus Foligno. He was limited to just 17:11 time on ice per game in the team’s 9-6 win. It’s not known whether the injury Makar is currently dealing with is in any way related to what happened in game one of the previous round.
The loss of Makar – even for just a single game – is very significant for the Avalanche. As mentioned, he is arguably the top blueliner in the world. The 27-year-old is a two-time Norris Trophy winner, and has routinely elevated his game in the playoffs. His heroics in the 2022 postseason, when he scored 29 points in 20 games, resulted in a Stanley Cup championship for his team and a Conn Smythe Trophy win recognizing his individual efforts.
Colorado now sits as the favorites to win another Stanley Cup, but Makar hasn’t been leading the charge in quite the same way. The Avalanche’s power play has struggled all year, and that can partially explain why Makar’s production is down somewhat from prior campaigns. After two consecutive years reaching the 90-point plateau, Makar scored 79 points in 75 games this past season. That’s still exceptional production, of course, but a little shy of the normal standard he’s set. So far in these playoffs, Makar has five points in nine games.
His slight decline in numbers should not diminish the significance of his injury. The Avalanche have lost one of their very best players for the start of this series, and even though they are favored against the Golden Knights, they would surely prefer to navigate game one with one of their best players roaming the blueline.
West Notes: Kuzmenko, Stone, Makar
The Los Angeles Kings’ mid-season trade addition of star winger Artemi Panarin could spell the end of pending UFA Andrei Kuzmenko‘s time in the organization, writes Eric Stephens of The Athletic. Per Stephens, Kuzmenko is “likely not needed” now that the Kings have committed to Panarin. Panarin, 34, scored 27 points in 26 regular-season games after his trade to Los Angeles, and signed a two-year, $11MM AAV contract extension to remain a King through 2027-28.
Kuzmenko, 30, is a pending free agent, and the fact that Panarin has signed an extension could mean Kuzmenko will have to look elsewhere to continue his NHL career. Kuzmenko underwent surgery to repair a torn meniscus in February but returned in time for the playoffs. He had a stellar run after being acquired by the Kings in a mid-season trade in 2024-25, scoring 17 points in 22 regular-season games and six points in six playoff contests. But he wasn’t able to keep up that momentum in 2025-26, as he managed just 25 points in 52 games. Now, he’s reportedly more likely than not to need to continue his NHL career with another franchise.
Other notes from the Western Conference:
- Vegas Golden Knights forward Mark Stone did not skate in today’s optional practice at Ball Arena in Colorado, reports SinBin Vegas. Stone had skated prior to Vegas’ game one victory over the Avalanche, which was his first time skating with the team since he suffered a lower-body injury in the second round against the Anaheim Ducks. Head coach John Tortorella did not provide an update on Stone’s status, and it is unclear what his timeline to return to the Golden Knights’ lineup is. The 34-year-old is one of Vegas’ best all-around players, and had 28 goals and 73 points in 60 games during the regular season.
- Head coach Jared Bednar did not provide an update on the status of injured star defenseman Cale Makar today, indicating that his status remains questionable for game two of the Western Conference Final. Makar missed game one and his replacement in the lineup, Jack Ahcan, played just 7:34 time on ice. Colorado’s next option to replace Makar in the lineup beyond Ahcan is Nick Blankenburg, who the team acquired from the Nashville Predators shortly before the trade deadline. Blankenburg is a right-shot defenseman who scored 24 points in 61 games this season.
Evening Notes: Kuemper, Granlund, Avalanche
Heading into the offseason, the Los Angeles Kings will have just over $18MM in cap space. Los Angeles will use some of that to retain defenseman Brandt Clarke, and could burn through much of the rest if they wish to retain Andrei Kuzmenko, Scott Laughton, and Mathieu Joseph.
In a new article on Mayor’s Manor, Scott Coffman opined that the Kings could look to move netminder Darcy Kuemper to open up additional breathing room and pursue a top-six center. Kuemper, 36, managed a 19-14-15 record in 50 games this past season with a .891 SV%. Additionally, he’s one year removed from being a Vezina Trophy finalist and one year remaining on his contract.
Despite Anton Forsberg‘s strong performance last season, Los Angeles lacks a reliable starting goaltender if they trade Kuemper. However, they could form a competent goaltending committee. Erik Portillo is signed through next season, and the Kings brought in another prospect, Hampton Slukynsky, after his collegiate season ended. It would be putting a lot of faith in a pair of unproven talents at the NHL level, but it might be a risk the Kings have to take.
Additional evening notes:
- Now that the Anaheim Ducks’ season has ended, it was expected that a few players could make their way to Switzerland for the IIHF World Championships. One of them has done just that, as it was announced that Mikael Granlund will be joining Team Finland for the remainder of the tournament. Although he didn’t play for his home country last spring, Granlund represented Finland well at the Olympic Games in February, scoring one goal and three points in six games.
- Earlier today, Jesse Montano of Guerilla Sports reported that Cale Makar, Josh Manson, Brent Burns, and Artturi Lehkonen are all nursing day-to-day injuries for the Colorado Avalanche. Despite Game 1 of the Western Conference Final being four days away, each of the injured members of the Avalanche is expected to play.
Rasmus Dahlin, Cale Makar, Zach Werenski Named Norris Trophy Finalists
As part of revealing the finalists for major league awards, the NHL announced the Norris Trophy finalists today. According to a league announcement, Rasmus Dahlin of the Buffalo Sabres, Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche, and Zach Werenski of the Columbus Blue Jackets are the three finalists to be named the “defense player who demonstrates throughout the season the greatest all-around ability in the position.”
Although he’s earned multiple votes over the last three years, this is the first time that Dahlin, 26, has been named a finalist for the Norris Trophy. Throughout the first four years of his career, there were several questions regarding Dahlin, particularly if he was the top defenseman that the Sabres believed he would be when they drafted him.
Over the last four years, he has proven he is everything Buffalo hoped he would be, if not more. Since the beginning of the 2022-23 campaign, Dahlin has scored 71 goals and 274 points in 379 games, topping out with a 19-goal, 74-point performance this season. Additionally, he’s averaged nearly 25 minutes a night over that stretch, showing he can play in every situation comfortably. He’s physical, he blocks shots, he puts a ton of them on net, and he has captained the Sabres to the playoffs for the first time in 14 years.
Unlike Dahlin, Makar’s name has become synonymous with the Norris Trophy throughout his career. Throughout his career, Makar has been a finalist for the Norris Trophy six times, winning the award twice. Even when he wasn’t a finalist during his rookie campaign, he still finished top-10 in voting.
Still, it’s fair to argue that Makar took a step back offensively this season. After posting back-to-back 90-point campaigns in the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons, Makar dropped back to 20 goals and 79 points this season. Regardless, he sustained more than a point per game on average, blocked over 100 shots, finished with a +32 rating, and was the top defenseman on the top team in the league.
Meanwhile, Werenski finished as a Norris Trophy finalist for the second year in a row, at the very least. The Gross Pointe, MI native finished 22 goals and 81 points in 75 games, averaging over 26 minutes of ice time per night. Although he doesn’t block as many shots as Dahlin or Makar, and didn’t have a double-digit rating, Weresnki played in every situation and led the Blue Jackets in scoring by a 14-point margin, which is extremely uncommon for a defenseman.
Unfortunately, given that each of the finalists’ all-around game, it’s a toss-up who will ultimately come away with the award this season.
Although it’s difficult to argue either Dahlin, Makar, or Werenski out of being a finalist, there are a few other defensemen who easily could have found their way into the top three. Evan Bouchard of the Edmonton Oilers, who finished as the highest-scoring defenseman this season with 21 goals and 95 points in 82 games, has a case, as does Lane Hutson of the Montreal Canadiens, who finished with 12 goals and 78 points in 82 games, with a +36 rating.
Central Notes: Nabokov, Makar, Klinkhammer
Colorado Avalanche goalie prospect Ilya Nabokov‘s KHL season ended with Metallurg Magnitogorsk’s loss to Ak Bars Kazan yesterday. The Denver Gazette’s Evan Rawal reports that the “original plan” for Nabokov was for him to come to North America at the end of his KHL campaign. Nabokov signed his entry-level contract in May of last year and played 2025-26 on a loan, meaning the team could reassign him to North America. Rawal noted that even if Nabokov doesn’t end up playing in what remains of this season, (it would most likely be in the AHL as Colorado’s goalie tandem is all but set in stone at the NHL level) there is still value in bringing Nabokov over to “get him used to [North America] and coaching staff.”
Nabokov, 23, was a second-round pick by the team at the 2024 draft, No. 38 overall. He is Colorado’s highest draft selection since the 2023 class. The Avalanche picked Nabokov off the back of an incredible rookie campaign in the KHL, where he went 23-13-3 in the regular season with a .930 save percentage. He was even better in the playoffs, going 16-6-0 in 23 games with a .942 save percentage to lead Magnitogorsk to a KHL title. He put up similarly strong numbers last season (without the playoff run) but saw his form dip in 2025-26, posting a .901 save percentage across 38 games. He is ranked by most outlets as Colorado’s top goalie prospect and one of their top prospects overall.
Other notes from the Central Division:
- Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar is all set to play in game two of the team’s second-round series against the Minnesota Wild, head coach Jared Bednar announced today. Makar missed a substantial amount of the early portion of the game and there was concern he may have suffered an injury that could sideline him, but that proved not to be the case. He ended up scoring two goals and adding an assist in Colorado’s game one victory. As one of the top defensemen in the world, Makar’s health is a key factor for both teams in this series.
- The Rockford IceHogs, who are AHL affiliates of the Chicago Blackhawks, announced that assistant coach Rob Klinkhammer was relieved of his duties. Rockford endured a difficult 2025-26 season, going 28-39-5, good for 61 points. They were just one point clear of having tied for the fewest in the AHL. Klinkhammer, who is a veteran of 193 NHL games from his playing days, ends his time in Rockford after four seasons. The IceHogs reached the playoffs in every other year he was behind the bench, and helped deliver NHL players to the Blackhawks such as Artyom Levshunov, Louis Crevier, Alex Vlasic, Colton Dach, and Landon Slaggert.
Avalanche’s Cale Makar Returns To Full Practice
The Colorado Avalanche received an expected, but exciting, update at Monday morning’s practice. Star defenseman Cale Makar was back on the ice in a regular, practice jersey per Avalanche play-by-play announcer Connor McGahey. This marks the next step in Makar’s return from an upper-body injury sustained on March 30th. He has missed six games since.
Colorado has expected Makar to return before the start of the postseason, head coach Jared Bednar said the day after Makar was injured. He will have three more chances to meet that expectation before the end of Colorado’s regular season. The Avalanche have posted a 3-2-1 record and seen their goals-per-game average dip from a league-leading 3.70 to 3.00 since Makar was knocked out of the lineup.
There is no doubt about the impact that Makar brings. He is a perennial candidate for the Norris Trophy honoring the league’s best defenseman. Playing behind an Avalanche squad that led the league in goals-scored and goals-against should be enough to put Makar back in contention for the trophy this year. The 27 year old scored 20 goals and 75 points in 73 games this season. Those marks sit below the career-year Makar posted with 30 goals and 92 points in 80 games last season, which earned him the 2025 Norris Trophy, but are nonetheless impressive. Makar averaged nearly 25 minutes of ice time each game through this season, a mark only five other players outperformed. He will immediately step back into Colorado’s top defense role when he is back to full health, which could be soon after his return to full practice.
The Avalanche did not provide an update on fellow injured defenseman Josh Manson. The team recalled Jack Ahcan to serve as an extra defenseman with Manson out on Saturday. The return of either Makar or Manson should be enough to bump Ahcan back to the AHL and either Nick Blankenburg or Brett Kulak to the press box.