Avalanche face a make-or-break 2025-26 season loaded with unanswered questions
Photo credit: Ron Chenoy / Imagn Images
The Colorado Avalanche had a disappointing finish to last season, and despite several offseason roster changes, many questions remain about whether they can compete for the Stanley Cup again.
The depth of the team still remains an issue, along with several other question marks.
Looming doubts threaten the Avalanche's Stanley Cup hopes this season.
Emma Miller of Puck Prose recently broke down the three biggest questions entering this season for the Avalanche. The first question being do the Avalanche have enough to replace Rantanen?
"Rantanen was responsible for back-to-back 100 point seasons with the Avs and was on track for his third in a row before the trade. It's no easy task to replace a player of that caliber, and there it's still unclear whether Necas alone can produce a similar amount of offense to the flashy Finnish forward." -Miller
Although Martin Necas enjoyed a career year last season with 83 points in 79 games, consistency has always been an issue for him, meaning there's no guarantee he can replicate that level of offensive production this year.
Secondly, we have Gabriel Landeskog's longevity to question.
"Now, Landeskog's longevity is still uncertain at this point. After missing such significant time due to his serious knee injury, being thrown back into an 82-game season could prove to be tough. But he was among the league's best forwards before his unfortunate setbacks, scoring 30 goals in just 52 games during the 2021-22 season." -Miller
Even if Landeskog is able to play a full season, questions remain: will he perform anywhere near his former peak, or merely operate as a diminished version of himself? It's not just about the number of games he can play, but the quality of his performance when he's on the ice.
Lastly, we have a big question mark in nets with Mackenzie Blackwood.
"Once the playoffs hit, though, Blackwood's performance took a step back. His save percentage dropped to .892%, and he allowed 2.71 goals per game. That is similar to the performance the New Jersey Devils got out of Blackwood, where he had several stellar seasons before his game took a significant hit and he was eventually dealt to the Sharks." -Miller
While Blackwood has the capability of being a great goaltender, he has only shown it in flashes, and the Avalanche will need a full season of elite play if they are to win a Stanley Cup.
Overall, the Avalanche find themselves in an enviable position, boasting a potent offense, a strong defensive corps, and potentially an all-star goalie. Yet, lingering doubts remain about whether all the pieces will come together as planned.
The bigger issue is that these questions can't be answered early on in the season. We will know towards the end of the year if these three players can perform to the potential the team needs them to.
If the answers end up being yes, than there will be no doubt the Avalanche can get the job done.
| POLL | ||
SEPTEMBRE 10 | 28 ANSWERS Avalanche face a make-or-break 2025-26 season loaded with unanswered questions Will Martin Necas score more than 80 points this season? | ||
| Yes | 21 | 75 % |
| No | 7 | 25 % |
| List of polls | ||
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