The league-leading Colorado Avalanche have a number of players that should be in contention for year-end awards. Nathan MacKinnon could win the Art Ross, Rocket Richard, and Hart trophies this season. Cale Makar leads the pack for the Norris trophy. Even Scott Wedgewood has received some Vezina buzz, and with the way the Avalanche have been playing, him and Mackenzie Blackwood are on track to win the William M. Jennings trophy as well.
However, there's one member of the Avalanche organization who should finally receive his first trophy. Coach Jared Bednar is currently the front-runner for the Jack Adams trophy, the NHL award for coach of the year. Obviously, with the team on pace for one of the best records in NHL history, he's getting the attention he deserves. I think there are other signs that show how deserving Bednar really is.
Getting the most out of the big names
The team's success this season doesn't just hang on MacKinnon, Makar, and the goaltending. We knew players like Martin Necas, Valeri Nichushkin, Artturi Lehkonen and Devon Toews were going to be high performers for this team.
But there's no bigger example of this than the play of Brock Nelson. Early this season, Nelson struggled to produce any offense. At times, it seemed so bad that many were calling his three-year extension a terrible move. Looking back to the time he spent with the Avalanche last season, he was good, but not what everyone was expecting out of him. And then about 20 games into this season, Big Brock found his game and place in the system.
This isn't the first time this has happened either. Jonathan Drouin was expected to find his offensive touch playing on MacKinnon's wing after he was signed in the 2023 offseason. Yet, through the first 40 or so games, he was unable to produce so much that he was scratched at one point. He wasn't playing poorly - he was playing well with the puck, making good passes, and playing pretty well defensively. He just couldn't finish. He finally found his game and his place in the Avs' system.
Adapting players to the system
Even if you take out Brock Nelson's scorching hot streak, Bednar has gotten the most out of a number of other players on the roster. Brent Burns looked quite out of place in the first month of the season. He was often out of position, but he's found a way to stay with the play without being a defensive liability and has been solid since then.
Let's take a look at the young guns, Gavin Brindley and Zakhar Bardakov. Brindley's been a revelation since the preseason and he hasn't looked back. Bednar loves those high motor guys and has always been good at finding ways to make them successful. As far as Bardakov goes, he's still really raw as a player, but you can see the growth each and every game. His last few games he's been a force on the ice, making high-quality plays with the puck and causing chaos with his body.
Navigating injuries and roster changes
I thought it was pretty criminal that Bednar didn't win the Jack Adams award last year. He basically coached two different teams into the playoffs. Having to navigate through injuries to half of the top-9 and terrible goaltending to start last season is a feat in and of itself. Then, general manager Chris MacFarland proceeded to completely reshape the team through the rest of the season.
This year, the Avalanche have put together a relatively healthy season. Though they've still seen missed time from Blackwood, Nichushkin, Toews, Logan O’Connor (who has yet to play this season), and Gabriel Landeskog. While, they've hit a bit of a rough patch in the season, the team has played cohesively even with key members out of the lineup. The young guys and AHL callups have helped create continuity by continuing to play into the Avalanche and Bednar's system.
With the historic pace the Avalanche are on and the seasons that some of the Avalanche players are having, Bednar has come ahead in early evaluations for the Jack Adams trophy. If the Avalanche can continue to fly high, Bednar should finally get his due.