Can Jaden Schwartz Bounce Back? Avalanche Are Betting He Can
In the documentary Some Kind of Monster, Lars Ulrich's father Torben Ulrich famously responded to an early demo song of Metallica's by saying, "Delete that."
When it comes to Jaden Schwartz's 2025-26 season, "delete that" probably sums it up best. Schwartz, who signed a three-year contract with the Avalanche worth $9.75 million, is looking forward to a clean slate after an injury-riddled year with the Seattle Kraken.
If it weren't for bad luck, he wouldn't have had any luck at all in his last year with the Kraken. Schwartz missed a total of 30 games due to various injuries.
What Went Wrong in Seattle
Schwartz was the Kraken's leading scorer on November 26 when he suffered a lower-body injury in a 3-2 loss to the Dallas Stars. That cost him 19 games. Then on March 8, Schwartz suffered a facial injury when Ottawa Senators center Nick Cousins' skate struck Schwartz in the face. That was another ten games Schwartz had to miss.
He finished the year with 11 goals and 26 points in 50 games. Over a projected 82-game season, that equates to 18 goals and 43 points, which is below his career average of 22 goals and 53 points.
Why Colorado Wanted Him
The Avalanche weren't simply looking for scoring. They wanted someone with Stanley Cup experience. Schwartz not only has that experience, but he has a Stanley Cup championship on his resume, which he won with the St. Louis Blues in 2019.
He was second on the Blues that postseason with 20 points, behind playoff point leader and Conn Smythe winner Ryan O'Reilly, who led all scorers with 23 points in 26 games.
Schwartz is also very responsible on the defensive side of the puck. For most of his time with the Blues, he was a plus player. Schwartz is also very strong on the power play, as evidenced by his 58 career power play goals.
The Avalanche will certainly benefit from Schwartz's hockey IQ. He is a strong forechecker who can be a very dependable second line left winger. There's more offensive talent around him than he had in Seattle, which will lead to more scoring opportunities.
Schwartz will make the middle six harder to match up against and will provide veteran leadership for the younger players. His playoff pedigree could become especially valuable in a deep postseason run.
What a Bounce-Back Season Could Look Like
With a much stronger team around him, Schwartz could definitely get near some of the totals he hit with the Blues. Setting sights on 20 plus goals and 55 points are definitely not out of the realm of possibility.
But for the Avalanche, this isn't about Schwartz becoming the player he was a decade ago. It's about proving he can still be an effective, dependable NHL player when he's healthy. If he can stay on the ice and off the injury report, the Avalanche may have quietly made one of the summer's more underrated additions.
