All articles tagged with #colorado avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche defeated the Los Angeles Kings 8-4 in the 2026-27 season opener at Ball Arena. Nathan MacKinnon scored twice and fought Brandt Clarke, while the Kings struggled with penalties and special teams under new coach Peter Laviolette.
The Los Angeles Kings and Colorado Avalanche open the 2026-27 NHL season at Ball Arena on September 30. The matchup is defined by the Kings' 0-7 record against Colorado last season, including a four-game playoff sweep. Darcy Kuemper starts for LA, while MacKenzie Blackwood returns for Denver. The game airs nationally on TNT, with the Kings facing a top-ranked penalty kill and altitude challenges.
NHL.com staff predict a competitive 2026-27 season, with the Colorado Avalanche leading the field for the Stanley Cup. The 14-member panel split its picks, reflecting a wide-open race. The season opens on September 29 with a tripleheader featuring the Florida Panthers and Carolina Hurricanes.
Cale Makar signed an eight-year, $163.2 million contract with the Colorado Avalanche, beginning next season, making him the NHL’s first $20 million-a-year player and the richest deal in league history.
Cale Makar and the Colorado Avalanche agreed to an eight-year, $163.2 million contract through 2035, with a $20.4 million cap hit per season and a full no-movement clause, making it the largest contract in NHL history and ensuring the two-time Norris Trophy winner remains in Denver for the next decade.
Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar signed an eight-year contract worth $163.2 million, the largest deal in NHL history, averaging about $20.4 million per season and keeping him in Colorado through 2034.
Colorado Avalanche star Cale Makar is poised to sign the largest contract in NHL history, cementing him as the franchise cornerstone and raising the stakes to deliver another Stanley Cup. The deal—likely eight years with an annual value around $17 million—places pressure on him and the organization to build a title contender around him, even as leaders Landeskog and MacKinnon shape the team's arc. Makar's humility and clutch playoff performance have earned the money, but the ultimate measure will be another championship and a lasting legacy in Denver.
Boston Bruins acquire 23-year-old forward Ivan Ivan from the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for Fabian Lysell. Ivan played 66 AHL games for the Colorado Eagles this season (11 goals, 15 assists, 26 points) and added 15 playoff points in 17 Calder Cup playoff games; he has appeared in 49 NHL games (5 goals, 4 assists) with the Avalanche. The Ostrava, Czechia native was signed by Colorado in March 2024.
Colorado traded Valeri Nichushkin to the Columbus Blue Jackets for three draft picks (2026 second-round, 2027 third-round, 2028 fifth-round) to clear cap space, with Nichushkin contributing 17 goals and 49 points this past season. The deal signals another offseason roster shakeup under GM Joe Sakic as Colorado recalibrates after its 2022 Cup run and tightens payroll ahead of the 2026-27 season.
Columbus trades for Valeri Nichushkin from Colorado, sending a 2026 second-round pick, a 2027 third-round pick, and a 2028 fifth-round pick. Nichushkin, 31, is signed through 2029-30 at $6.125M and could provide a 20-goal, 50-point pace if healthy, giving Columbus a top-six winger alongside Conor Garland. Colorado clears cap room ahead of looming extensions for Cale Makar and Artturi Lehkonen, while still aiming to add pieces; the Avalanche will have about $11M in cap space after the draft.
Columbus acquired right wing Valeri Nichushkin from Colorado in exchange for three draft picks: a 2026 second-round pick (43rd overall from St. Louis via Pittsburgh), plus a 2027 third-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick. Nichushkin, 31, has 357 career points in 627 NHL games and posted 17-32-49 in 72 games this past season for Colorado, along with 91 playoff games (28-15-43). The Jackets view him as a big, two-way winger who can contribute scoring and physical play as they bolster their roster.
The Nashville Predators acquired forwards Jack Drury and Chase Bradley and Colorado’s third-round pick in the 2029 NHL Draft from the Avalanche in exchange for Zachary L’Heureux and Fedor Svechkov, boosting center depth with Drury’s face-off strength and Bradley’s forward potential. Drury posted 27 points in 82 games last season and excelled in the circle, while Bradley, 24, split time between the AHL and NHL with Colorado. The Predators now own eight selections in the 2029 draft.
Colorado Avalanche general manager Chris MacFarland is departing to become Nashville Predators GM, with Josh Kroenke praising his impact and family considerations cited. Avalanche president Joe Sakic will resume GM duties for the foreseeable future, through the draft and start of the league year, continuing the franchise’s recent success after leading it to the 2022 Stanley Cup.
Claude Lemieux, the NHL’s fearsome playoff agitator known as 'Pepe Le Pew', died at 60 after a reported suicide attempt; tributes recall a dominant four-time Stanley Cup winner whose ferocity on the ice contrasted with a surprisingly tender, loyal side off it.
Claude Lemieux, a four-time Stanley Cup champion known for his ferocious playoff play, has died at 60. Over a 1983–2009 career, he won Cups with Montreal (1986), New Jersey (1995, 2000) and Colorado (1996), and earned the 1995 Conn Smythe Trophy; tributes flowed from teams and peers, noting his competitiveness and loyalty, while the cause of death was not disclosed.