Avalanche Face 2026 Summer Reckoning After 4-0 West Final Sweep
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · May 27
Avalanche Face 2026 Summer Reckoning After 4-0 West Final Sweep
8 articles · Updated · The New York Times · May 27
Colorado’s 4-0 loss to Vegas in the Western Conference final turned a season that opened 31-2-7 into another abrupt playoff exit, leaving the Avalanche confronting roster, coaching and front-office questions.
Injuries clouded the collapse: Nathan MacKinnon played through a knee issue, Cale Makar through a shoulder problem, and Valeri Nichushkin and others were also hurt, though players and coaches still said the team simply was not good enough.
Jared Bednar now faces scrutiny after a 2022 Cup was followed by playoff exits in the first round twice, the second round once and now the third round, while reports have linked GM Chris MacFarland to Nashville.
That uncertainty extends to an aging core — Gabriel Landeskog will be 34 next season, MacKinnon 31 and Brock Nelson 35 — and to whether recent bets on Martin Nečas, Nelson and Colorado’s goaltending tandem can win a title.
With nine players still left from the 2022 champions, Colorado insists this group can return, but the sweep reinforced how quickly a contender’s window can narrow in a 32-team league.
With an aging core and a looming cap crisis, is the Avalanche's championship window now slammed shut?
As the GM and coach face uncertain futures, who is truly in charge of fixing the humbled Colorado Avalanche?
How did the NHL's top team, with award-winning goalies, collapse so completely in the Western Conference Final?