Colorado Avalanche: Breaking News, Rumors & Highlights

Avalanche GM Joe Sakic delivers confident Cale Makar contract update

Colorado Avalanche president and general manager Joe Sakic provided another positive indication Sunday that the team expects to secure a long-term contract extension with defenseman Cale Makar before the start of the 2026-27 season.

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Sakic 'confident' Avs lock up Makar before season

Speaking at an Avalanche alumni game, Colorado general manager Joe Sakic on Sunday reiterated the confidence he has in that a contract extension for star defenseman Cale Makar, a two-time Norris Trophy winner, will "be signed before the season starts."

Colorado Avalanche News / Colorado Avalanche On SI / August 22

Avalanche Prospect Pool Ranked NHL's Worst, but Does It Really Matter?

It is hard to argue and easy to prove. The Colorado Avalanche have one of the best NHL rosters. Period. Apparently, the Avalanche also have the worst collection of young talent.

Colorado Avalanche News / Colorado Avalanche On SI / August 21

What Avalanche Fans Need to Know About the Colorado Eagles in 2026-27

The Colorado Eagles — which serves as the American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the Colorado Avalanche — recently announced they will be competing in a pair of preseason games as part of the inaugural Southwest Showdown.

San Jose Sharks News / Yardbarker Quizzes

The ''EA NHL,'' covers since 2000' quiz

How many of the players to grace the cover of each EA NHL video game going back to 'NHL 2000?"

The 'First-overall NHL Draft picks' quiz

The 'Conn Smythe Trophy winners' quiz

The 'Most NHL goals all-time' quiz

Colorado Avalanche News / Colorado Avalanche On SI / August 21

The Colorado Avalanche Mount Rushmore: Which Four Legends Make the Cut?

Choosing four players to create a Colorado Avalanche Mount Rushmore sounds easy until you look at the names that have come through Denver since the team arrived from Quebec in 1995.

NHL News / Yardbarker

The best and worst NHL free agency deals since 2000

The NHL has had an interesting new millennium. It was a league sans a salary cap when the 2000s started… and then the owners locked the players out for an entire season.

Martin Necas News / Colorado Avalanche On SI / August 20

Avalanche's $92 Million Bet on Martin Necas Is About to Get Its First Real Test

Martin Necas proved just exactly how elite he was last year, and he also solidified the fact that Colorado was right to believe there was yet another level to his game.

Colorado Avalanche News / Colorado Avalanche On SI / August 20

5 Avalanche Players Who Could Be Award Candidates in 2026-27

The Colorado Avalanche had no shortage of individual award candidates during the 2025-26 season. Nathan MacKinnon was a Hart Trophy finalist and won the Rocket Richard Trophy.

Josh Manson News / Colorado Avalanche On SI / August 19

Josh Manson Has Always Been More Than the Avalanche's Tough Guy

Dave Manson was one of the NHL's most rugged defenseman in the late 80s and throughout the 90s. Manson played in 1,103 career games and curently sits 13th all-time in penalty minutes with 2,792.

Colorado Avalanche News / NHL on ClutchPoints / August 18

Avalanche’s Stanley Cup window is shrinking fast with The Athletic’s NHL Pipeline Rankings

The Colorado Avalanche are getting a reality check, as the club looks to build a championship team. Colorado is getting ranked dead last at no. 32 in the NHL, in The Athletic’s new pipeline rankings for 2026.

Colorado Avalanche News / Colorado Avalanche On SI / August 18

Avalanche Have a Training Camp Battle That Could Get Crowded Fast

Let’s be honest, there isn’t really a lot of controversy around the Colorado Avalanche’s lineup. The team has several established stars that know their place.

Mackenzie Blackwood News / The Hockey Writers / August 18

Avalanche’s Blackwood Facing Pivotal Season

The Colorado Avalanche are still among the favorites to capture the Stanley Cup even if their contention window is slowly closing. They have arguably the most talented core in the league and want to win now.

NHL News / Yardbarker

The defining figure for every NHL franchise

People will talk about the “Mount Rushmore” for a franchise, which is to say the four people, usually four players, that most define the franchise. Not always the four-best players, but the four that evoke the essence of the franchise.

Colorado Avalanche News / NHL Rumors / August 18

2026-27 Colorado Avalanche Season Preview

The Colorado Avalanche enter the 2026–27 season with a refreshed roster after a busy offseason that saw them trade away veteran forwards for younger, cost-controlled pieces while adding experienced depth on a budget.

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The 'Rookie receiving leader by team' quiz

The '35-passing TD NFL seasons' quiz

The 'NFL Playoffs rushing record' quiz

The 'NFL all-time receptions leaders' quiz

Cale Makar News / Colorado Avalanche On SI / August 17

Cale Makar Gives Encouraging Update Ahead of Avalanche Training Camp

Training camp is almost exactly one month away, and Cale Makar sounds like he is ready to get back to work. The Colorado Avalanche superstar defenseman was in Thornton, Colorado, on Sunday for a meet-and-greet with fans at DICK’S House of Sport.

Cale Makar News / Colorado Avalanche On SI / August 16

Can Avalanche Star Cale Makar Finally Reach 100 Points?

When it comes to Cale Makar's seven-year NHL career, he has accomplished just about everything under the sun. A Calder Trophy for the league's best rookie, two Norris Trophies for the league's best defenseman, and a Stanley Cup championship.

Colorado Avalanche News / Colorado Avalanche On SI / August 15

Avalanche Declare Can't Miss Games for 2026-27 Season

An all-time NHL high of 1,344 regular-season games will be on display in 2026-27, but for the Colorado Avalanche — some games will have more at stake than others.

Colorado Avalanche News / Colorado Avalanche On SI / August 15

Colorado Avalanche 2026 Alumni Game: Revisited

The Colorado Avalanche alumni will be facing off against the Denver University hockey alumni very shortly on Aug. 23. These two alumni teams are taking to the ice at Magness Arena at the University of Denver, marking the second annual event.

Colorado Avalanche News / Colorado Avalanche On SI / August 15

Avalanche Are Getting Older, but Are They Getting Too Old?

There has been plenty of conversation lately surrounding the age of the roster for the Colorado Avalanche. That’s not really something one can deny. Colorado has built a team that is ready to compete for the Stanley Cup, and that takes a lot of veterans.

Ilya Nabokov News / The Hockey Writers / August 15

Avalanche’s Ilya Nabokov Has a Lot to Learn Before Becoming an NHL Goalie

A recent interview with Colorado Avalanche prospect Ilya Nabokov offers something more interesting than another update on a young goalie trying to make the NHL.

Joe Sakic News / Colorado Avalanche On SI / August 14

Avalanche Legend Joe Sakic Is Putting the Skates Back On

Joe Sakic is fully immersed in Colorado hockey. He has spent the offseason making decisions about who is going to be wearing the burgundy and blue during the 2026-27 Colorado Avalanche season.

Colorado Avalanche News / Yardbarker / August 12

Avalanche face a dilemma with longtime playoff hero

The Colorado Avalanche know exactly what they have in Artturi Lehkonen. That doesn't mean a decision on his future will be an easy one.

Devils’ goaltending gamble could define their 2026-27 season

If Patrik Laine goes to the Maple Leafs, who leaves?

Ranking the Western Conference's biggest losers this summer

Ranking the Eastern Conference's biggest losers this summer

The top five remaining NHL restricted free agents

Ilya Nabokov News / The Hockey Writers / August 12

Avs Prospect Ilya Nabokov on NHL Adaptation, AHL Experience & His Colorado Ambitions

Ilya Nabokov, 23, was selected by the Colorado Avalanche in the second round (38th overall) of the 2024 NHL Draft. The Russia native spent 2025-26 on loan with Metallurg, posting a 22-7-5 record, 2.74 GAA and .901 save percentage in 38 regular-season games before going 2-4 with a .892 in seven playoff appearances.

Colorado Avalanche News / NHL Trade Talk / August 11

Scribe Suggests There’s a World In Which Avalanche Trade Cale Makar

It would be seemingly unthinkable that the Colorado Avalanche would be open to trading superstar defenseman Cale Makar. But, as one scribe points out, stranger things in the NHL have happened, and the Avs are a team known for making drastic moves.

NHL News / Yardbarker / August 7

Predators GM Chris MacFarland is taking an expensive shortcut

The Nashville Predators needed a different plan after missing the playoffs for the second consecutive season. MacFarland certainly gave them one.

Florida Panthers may have built the NHL's most hated roster

Flyers can no longer hide behind rebuilding label after aggressive summer

Penguins face uncomfortable reason top players no longer want to play in Pittsburgh

The ''EA NHL,'' covers since 2000' quiz

Nathan MacKinnon News / Trade Talk Sports / August 6

Insider Spitballs Idea of Avalanche Moving on From Nathan MacKinnon

The saying when it’s hard to believe that a big-name NHL star may become available is that Wayne Gretzky was once traded, so anyone can be dealt. That still rings true today, though some players feel far more untouchable than others.

Brad Hunt News / Pro Hockey Rumors / August 2

Brad Hunt Retires From Professional Hockey

Veteran defenseman Brad Hunt announced on social media yesterday that he has retired from professional hockey. Hunt’s decision brings to a close a professional hockey career that spans 14 years, 422 AHL games, and 288 NHL games.