Avalanche Have a Problem That Talent Alone Is Not Going to Fix
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The Colorado Avalanche’s roster is chock-full of talent. In fact, they have way too much talent, experience and championship aspirations to be playing the way they have. The level of hockey on the ice just isn’t doing it.
There comes a time when explaining what's wrong isn’t enough. Change has to be made.
Colorado is coming off a very disappointing showing on their recent road trip. The lost to both the Philadelphia Flyers and the New Jersey Devils. The team now sits at 5-4-1 early in the season.
This team is a returning roster of players who won the Presidents’ Trophy in 2025-26. No one expected the start to go quite like this.
Truthfully, it’s way too early for anyone to be panicking about their record, but it’s certainly not too soon to look at how those losses are happening, and when you analyze that, it is concerning.
Colorado just looks slow. They are losing puck battles and struggling on defense. It is taking them a long time to get play going when they do take the ice. Relying on their stars to generate a plethora of offense is not helping them overcome their shortcomings.
Talent is not the question; in fact, it never has been. The uncertainty is why the talent isn’t producing.
Bednar Knows What’s Wrong - It’s on Him to Fix It
The post-game interviews have been telling. Head coach Jared Bednar isn’t hiding the fact that he is frustrated.
When the team came back for a victory over Pittsburgh, he pointed out that it took to long for the players to find the intensity needed to control the play.
That message didn’t resonate with the players, apparently. If it did, they didn’t provide the results he expected or wanted.
It was after that comeback victory that the Avalanche lost the two recent road games.
"We looked slow and unenergetic," Bednar said after the New Jersey game. "We were losing races, losing battles. We waited too long to start playing."
He could just put that quote on repeat, and it would apply to the last several games.
Remember this is a coach who has a roster full of veterans and superstars. The level of play expected from them should not be a surprise and they should be searching within themselves for what is going wrong.
Bednar is going to have to find a way to motivate this team and turn his observations and realities into action. Changes are going to have to be made, even if they are temporary. Lines may need to be reworked. Whatever the answer, there has to be more accountability.
Colorado’s Problems Extend Past Slow Starts
Watching the games, the slow starts are obvious, sometimes painfully so. You don’t have to look far to prove it. Against Pittsburgh, the Avs were outshot 14-5 in the first period, when they fell behind 2-0 before finding a way to win.
Against New Jersey, Colorado only had four first-period shots against 15.
But, it’s not just the first 20 minutes. Establishing possession, managing the puck and defending against opponents with speed are all things this team has struggled with.
Scott Wedgewood had to make 37 saves against New Jersey and he did it. Yet, the team still lost.
Early on, goaltending was taking some heat with discussions surrounding Mackenzie Blackwood’s struggles. But at this point, no one should expect either of the goaltenders to have to compensate for repeated failures on the defensive side.
The changes that need to happen are not unreasonable expectations. These are fundamentals such as: cleaner exits, better defensive support and simple urgency away from the puck.
It’s Not All on the Stars
With names like Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar and Martin Necas, more is expected of this team.
But, the truth is, individuals cannot continually overcome poor team play.
MacKinnon didn’t get a point for two consecutive games. Makar and Devon Toews were beaten on a third-period goal.
They can’t be expected to be perfect. They are human and they are going to have good days and bad. This certainly doesn’t mean that they have become the problem. What it does mean, though, is that they have to become part of the solution.
When the roster is full of superstars, sometimes it is hard to find the real leader of the pack. Whoever that is, needs to motivate this team to raise the standard. They cannot accept mediocrity.
Less Words, More Action
Early results looked like the power play line was improved, but that has since changed. It is still a problem. Now, with the coaching change, there is some optimism that adjustments will be made and there could be better performance. But, in general, the power play is only one portion of the problem. The team needs better execution across the board.
Sure, we have to factor in the injuries that have continuously forced the team to play with fewer forwards on the roster. But, that hasn’t been significant enough to explain away the problems.
The season is young and there is no reason for anyone to panic. But, now is not the time to sit back and let this roster fall into a recognizable pattern of average play.
Colorado’s next opportunity to show off on the ice is Friday against Tampa Bay. This will be a great time to prove that they see urgency in correcting problems.
Now it’s time for the talk to stop and the action to start. Friday will be a good test.
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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