Did the Colorado Avalanche Get Better in Free Agency?
The Colorado Avalanche were never interested in being the “winner” on day one of free agency. Joe Sakic took a steady approach and that may have quietly improved Colorado’s depth while also preserving that precious Stanley Cup window.
General manager Joe Sakic and his front office took the approach that building depth and maintaining long-term flexibility were important. So, that’s exactly what they did during the first few days of free agency.
Colorado added veteran winger Jaden Schwartz, defenseman Noah Juulsen and depth pieces Vinnie Hinostroza, Adam Beckman and Domenick Fensore.
The organization had already re-signed Brett Kulak and Brent Burns before free agency opened. They had also taken care of several trades. Add all that together, and the Avs are much deeper than they were just a few weeks prior.
The question surrounding the team now is whether or not those moves actually made them better.
Avalanche Adding More Depth
The real story so far with Colorado isn’t surrounding one player. The fact is that they have added multiple areas of depth through the roster.
Schwartz gives Colorado another proven top-nine forward and a Stanley Cup champion who can bring that veteran experience and leadership to the team. He can play in a variety of situations.
Juulsen also carries experience with him into Denver, and as a right-shot defenseman, he is capable of strengthening the third pairing. Hinostroza brings speed and versatility to the bottom six.
It is apparent that Colorado is keeping its eye on the Stanley Cup by bringing in experience that will challenge the roster rather than trying to recruit inexperienced players for important roles.
Salary-Cap Flexibility Remains
Another important factor in the Avalanche’s offseason is what the team didn’t do.
No lengthy, expensive contracts to complicate the team’s future roster decisions. Just smart, team-friendly deals that allowed Colorado to keep moving forward.
That simple fact could become very important when it comes down to the extension talks with Cale Makar and Artturi Lehkonen. Sakic has already stated publicly that these players are top priorities to keep. The Avs didn’t put themselves in a position where the cap will be the reason they leave.
There’s Still One Looming Question
While the roster is deep starting the 2026-27 season, is it significantly more dangerous than it was last year? Well, that remains to be seen.
The team moved on from Valeri Nichushkin, Ross Colton, and Joel Kiviranta while also trading Jack Drury earlier in the offseason. Bringing in Schwartz should offset some of that production loss and provide veteran leadership.
Much of this club’s success will still come from within and the players they continue to develop within its core.
Of course, the offseason is not over by any means, and Sakic has plenty of time to add more forwards and defensive depth should he choose to go that route. Just as they have shown patience thus far, don’t be surprised if the right opportunity comes along; they find a way to make something happen.
Verdict: Slightly Better
No big names were landed, but that wasn’t the objective.
Colorado’s roster is deeper, experience was gained, and contracts were affordable. Overall, the championship core was protected and they can focus on the future.
None of that jumps off the page as a big headline, but those news stories are coming when this team hits the ice. The contender remains in the Stanley Cup conversation, and that’s exactly what their fans want to hear.
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