Avalanche have finally decided on their next GM, sources confirm

The Colorado Avalanche have reportedly decided on their next GM.

According to a report by Evan Rawal in the Denver Gazette, the organization has confirmed who their next GM will be.

And it should be a surprise to no one: Joe Sakic.

Sakic took over for the departed Chris MacFarland earlier this summer. And what could have been a mess similar to the one in Detroit turned out just fine.

Sakic took over the role temporarily. But as Rawal has noted, the tenured executive feels “reinvigorated” in the role.

The outcome now is that the organization will forego any plans to search for a new GM.

That’s actually great news for the Avalanche. Sakic was the mastermind that brought the 2022 Stanley Cup. And in the four seasons since then, MacFarland, who was promoted after that win, failed to deliver another Cup.

Now, under Sakic’s full-time watch, the Avs could be getting back to their Cup-winning ways. MacFarland, under Sakic’s watch, built on a solid core. This summer’s moves also promise to give the Avalanche more firepower heading into the season.

While there are some questions, like any other team, Sakic’s moves have given the NHL’s second-longest-tenured coach, Jared Bednar, plenty to work with.

So, it just remains a question of seeing how well the Avs come out of the gate.

Sakic helped Avalanche avoid a Red Wings-style meltdown

The bottom line is that Joe Sakic helped the Avalanche avoid a meltdown like the one seen in Detroit. When the Red Wings let Steve Yzerman go earlier this summer, a disaster ensued. To this point, mere days before training camp begins, the Red Wings don’t have a GM, and Dylan Larkin remains on the team following his trade request.

That could have been Colorado’s fate had Sakic not stepped in.

But he did. And the fact that Sakic took over when he did allowed the Avalanche to make a seamless transition.

Moving forward, Sakic, as the full-time GM, should take things a little easier. There aren’t any major roster decisions looming, even if the team is not quite a finished product.

The good news is that with all the talent on the squad, and the Cale Makar contract saga quickly fading in the rearview, the Avalanche have as good a chance as any to win the Stanley Cup this year.

The challenge begins this week when the Avs officially report to training camp. Once the 84-game gauntlet begins, Colorado will have a chance to prove why it’s the best team in the NHL.

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