The Colorado Avalanche received one of the worst offseason grades by ESPN

The Colorado Avalanche received one of the worst offseason grades for any NHL team in a recent ranking by ESPN

Jul 8, 2025, 11:29 AM

Watch: Why haven't the Avs gotten a deal done with Cale Makar? | Stokley and Evans with Mark Schlereth | 1 min

The Colorado Avalanche’s championship window is dwindling. Nathan MacKinnon is entering his 13th season in the NHL, Gabriel Landeskog’s body has been through everything imaginable, and Mikko Rantanen is gone. The franchise is currently in the midst of one of the most important offseasons in recent memory, and general manager Chris MacFarland is tasked with constructing a championship-quality roster that can get the Avalanche back to winning the Stanley Cup.

After MacFarland and the rest of the front office went on a frenzy at the trade deadline when they shipped away Rantanen prematurely and gave up a plethora of assets for some win-now pieces, the result was a loss in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs highlighted by a blown two-goal lead in the third period of Game 7. While the matchup against the Dallas Stars being in the first round was ridiculous, the burgundy and blue were going to have to take down their division rivals at some point, and failed to do so in a fashion that was unfathomable for most Avalanche fans.

Then, it was back to the drawing board for the front office, which instantly responded by firing special teams coach Ray Bennett. Once free agency rolled around, the Avs brought in veteran defenseman Brent Burns on a one-year deal, but lost Charlie Coyle, Miles Wood, Ryan Lindgren and Jonathan Drouin. Coyle, Wood and Lindgren all were making too much money, while Drouin’s time in Colorado had run it’s course after injuries and a lousy performance in the playoffs this year.

As a result, the Avalanche received a C grade for their offseason efforts, courtesy of ESPN. With just over $4.1 million in cap space remaining for the upcoming season, the front office has some room to work with to make some final, small additions to the roster, but don’t have much room to make one more big splash. Realistically, the team needs one more solid left winger on the third line to pair alongside Ross Colton and Logan O’Connor when he recovers from his hip surgery, and another one for the fourth line.

Colorado Avalanche lineup as it stands today:

Lehkonen – MacKinnon – Necas
Landeskog – Nelson – Nichushkin
__________ – Colton – ___________*
Makar – Drury – Kelly

Toews – Makar
Girard – Manson
Malinski – Burns

The Woodshed in goal

**O’Connor hurt***#GoAvsGo

— Drew Livingstone (@ProducerDrew_) July 3, 2025

While it would be fun to see a double-Makar lineup with Cale and his younger brother Taylor, it’s likely that the young one isn’t quite ready for playoff hockey, even in a fourth line role.

The only teams that received a lower grade were the Washington Capitals (C-) and Columbus Blue Jackets (D+). The Dallas Stars, Chicago Blackhawks and Buffalo Sabres also received C grades.

There are still a few decent names on the free agent market for the Avalanche to target, one being 25-year-old winger Nikolai Kovalenko, who Colorado originally drafted before trading him to San Jose along with Alexander Georgiev in return for Mackenzie Blackwood. He is a name who has some raw talent and is familiar with the Avs’ system, and would be a reasonable signing for more bottom-six depth at a low price tag.

The Avalanche still have some work to do this offseason, and have created some cap space to allow that last bit of work to take place. Will MacFarland take advantage and make a good move? Or will he pick up another player that won’t contribute much to winning come April?