Avalanche Facing Unexpected Coaching Change as Dave Hakstol Nears Exit
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For as many things that are going right for the Colorado Avalanche, the power play really isn’t one of them. Now, to add to it, the team may be facing an unexpected vacancy on the coaching staff just five games into the 2026-27 season.
Assistant coach Dave Hakstol is reportedly very near reaching an agreement to become the head coach of the Arizona State University men’s hockey team, according to a report by NHL insider Elliotte Friedman.
Colorado confirmed that Hakstol received permission to negotiate with the university, but an official announcement of his exit has not been made.
The timing is interesting as well. The one persistent problem with the Avalanche is the power play. Hakstol oversees that unit.
Now the team could be searching for another coach to lead it.
Hakstol Could Return to College Hockey
Hakstol came to Colorado as a coach in July of 2025 after he had been the head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers and Seattle Kraken.
Prior to his NHL coaching days, he had been the University of North Dakota’s head coach for 11 seasons.
While there, his team reached the Frozen Four seven times, and he was an established, successful college head coach.
Arizona State is now interested in bringing that experience into its program during a difficult time.
The university placed head coach Greg Powers on administrative leave after an August workout. Defenseman Matthew Mayich suffered a catastrophic medical emergency and the circumstances regarding the incident remain under independent review.
According to Friedman, Arizona State has informed other coaching candidates that they are no longer being considered, and that Hakstol could join the Sun Devils as early as Friday.
On Monday, Hakstol was still present and on the ice with the Avalanche, which is a strong indication that the transition and everything involved in it have not been completed.
Avalanche Power Play Could Face Change
For Colorado, Hakstol’s departure means more change for the power play, and that may be a good thing.
Hakstol was hired after the team parted ways with Ray Bennett following the 2024-25 season. The hope then was that Colorado could get more production from the unit, but that has not happened.
In 2025, the power play unit finished the season ranked 27th in the NHL after they successfully converted just 17.1% of their opportunities.
The beginning of this season has unfortunately been a lot of the same. They came out looking great in the first game but have since fallen off and have been very inconsistent.
Well, that’s not entirely true. They have been consistent at not converting. They have had 13 opportunities since Game 1, and have not been successful yet.
Coach Jared Bednar has been trying different things to change the luck, including moving Nazem Kadri to the top of the unit, but so far nothing has worked.
Losing Hakstol isn’t going to necessarily explain or solve the struggles. They had power-play struggles before him and will likely have them after him.
But a coaching change provides an opportunity to reassess the situation and possibly get new eyes on a troubling situation.
Certainly, nothing is definite yet, but should Hakstol depart, this gives Colorado an unexpected chance to address the recurring problem.
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Laura Lambert resides in Wiggins, Colo. with her husband, Ricky and two sons, Brayden and Boedy. She attended the University of Northern Colorado while studying economics. She is an accomplished rodeo athlete and barrel horse trainer along with being a life-long sports fan. Over the years, Laura has been active in journalism in a variety of roles. While continuing to cover western sports and country music, she is currently enjoying expanding her reach into multiple sports including MLB, NHL, NCAA and WNBA. Laura covers the Miami Marlins, Houston Astros, Texas Rangers, Detroit Tigers, Colorado Rockies, Toronto Blue Jays, Colorado Avalanche and Rodeo for On SI. You can reach her at lauralambertmedia@gmail.com