Colorado Avalanche Looking at Leadership Group to Refocus Team After Round 3 Sweep
While we are in a new fiscal year for the NHL, the Colorado Avalanche are not forgetting what happened to them in the Western Conference Final. After cruising their way through the first two rounds, the Avalanche were swept by the Vegas Golden Knights.
The Avalanche went wire-to-wire in the regular season as the top team in the league, eventually winning the President's Trophy. However, in the end, they did not make the Stanley Cup Final. Heading into the 2026-27 season, the hope is that the group refocuses and redeems itself with another deep playoff run.
Avalanche Looking at Gabriel Landeskog & Nathan MacKinnon to Lead the Way
When it comes to the upcoming season, the Avalanche will be looking at their leadership group to help refocus the team and return to the playoffs as a stronger group. While the bottom six did get re-tooled a little bit, most of the roster is returning and looking to redeem themselves after a tough sweep in the 2026 NHL Playoffs.
Two players that the Avalanche will lean on are Gabriel Landeskog and Nathan MacKinnon to lead the way. It's clear that when Landeskog is in the locker room and on the ice, the Avalanche play differently and look unstoppable. Even when playing in 60 games, tallying 14 goals, 35 points, and a plus-29, Landeskog has a presence about him.
The reigning Masterton Trophy winner is entering the sixth year of his eight-year, $56 million deal, which gives him an annual average value (AAV) of $7 million per season. The hope is that he can stay healthy this upcoming season, after playing in his first full season since his knee injury in 2022.
There is no doubt that while he is a quieter captain, the guys listen to Landeskog and know what's expected of them. When it comes to the 2026-27 season, the goal will be simple: make the Stanley Cup Final, then see what happens after. The main goal is always winning the Cup, but to win it, you have to make it to the dance.
Super MacKinnon Going Supernova Again?
Regarding MacKinnon, he finished this past season with 53 goals, 127 points, and a staggering plus-57 in 80 games. He is entering the fourth year of his eight-year, $12.604 million AAV deal. Compared to Landeskog's more quiet approach, MacKinnon tells it like it is with his no nonsense appraoch to the game.
He will, as always, be relied on to have another 100-or-more-point season to lead the Avalanche to another playoff appearance. Currently, MacKinnon has had four straight 100-plus point seasons; if he does it again in 2026-27, it would be his fifth in-a-row.
It does not seem to matter who is on his line, even if it's Martin Necas, Landeskog, Artturi Lehkonen, etc., MacKinnon will always be in the top three of the NHL in points. While Landeskog is more of an all-around leader, MacKinnon is a lead by example of going all in, no matter what.
It'll be interesting to see how it plays out this upcoming season, but make sure of one thing: the Avalanche will be looking to get over the hump in the Western Conference Final. Just like how the Carolina Hurricanes did this past postseason, the Avalanche want to exorcise those demons and bring another Stanley Cup to Denver. To do so, they will be looking at Landeskog and MacKinnon, along with Cale Makar, to lead the way.
Zach Martin is originally from Northeast Ohio, but has resided in South Carolina since 2016. He has been a credentialed hockey writer with The Hockey Writers since 2023 as the Carolina Hurricanes beat writer, where he has written player profiles, storylines, game recaps, general pieces and more. Zach had the opportunity to attend the 2026 Stanley Cup Final as credentialed media covering the Carolina Hurricanes. He's written about ESPN's Mike Monaco, along with player exclusives over the last couple of years. Zach has also covered games for the World Juniors, IIHF World Championships, and the 2026 Winter Olympics. He has also covered the Colorado Avalanche and some other NHL teams at large over his time with THW.