Despite an outstanding regular season and strong playoff run, the 2025-26 campaign still ended in disappointment for the Colorado Avalanche. A four-game sweep at the hands of the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference Final led to yet another early exit for the Avalanche. Now, as the team turns its focus to the 2026-27 season, president of hockey operations Joe Sakic discussed a number of different topics regarding the roster. Team beat writer Jesse Montano shared Sakic’s tactics regarding the past couple of trade deadlines via X, formerly Twitter.
“Sakic says that the last two trade deadlines have been about giving the team runway for more than just one season,” reported Montano on Thursday. “They’ve intentionally targeted guys with term.”
That philosophy certainly proves true. Before the 2024-25 deadline, deals for Brock Nelson, Charlie Coyle, and Erik Johnson helped build the Avalanche’s attack and depth. Ahead of the most recent deadline, Sakic and former GM Chris MacFarland brought back veteran Nazem Kadri, a key piece of their last Stanley Cup-winning team, along with forward Nicolas Roy.
Coyle and Johnson have departed, but Nelson, Kadri, and Roy all project to be key pieces of the Avalanche’s 2026-27 roster. With the team looking to capitalize on last season’s success, bringing back their core makes sense. Especially with a few other important contributors, like franchise defenseman Cale Makar, looking for new deals. Will Sakic continue to target players with more term as he looks to bring another Stanley Cup back to Colorado? If so, this latest method of roster construction should only help the Avs accomplish their championship dreams.
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