With training camp getting underway, the conversation will be shifting towards preparation for the 2026-27 season. And as much as the Colorado Avalanche’s roster looks set, there might just be a couple of roster surprises to keep in mind.
So, let’s jump into potential roster surprises Colorado Avalanche fans might see this fall.
Fabian Lysell makes the team
The Avalanche made an interesting move this summer when they traded Ivan Ivan for Fabian Lysell. The former Boston Bruins’ first-round pick never really got a fair shake in Beantown. The Bruins ended up giving up on Lysell, shipping him to Colorado.
In Colorado, you would have to think that Lysell will get the chance he never really got in Boston. And it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Avalanche want to give the 23-year-old a chance to show what he can do at the NHL level.
Expectations should be tempered, of course. If Lysell does make the team, it will be in a bottom-six role. He might end up getting fourth-line minutes at the start of the season, though he’s not exactly a fourth-line grinder.
Lysell would be taking the place of someone like Zachary L’Heureux. L’Heureux has a bit of a one-dimensional game, and may draw into the lineup when a more physical presence is necessary.
The likeliest outcome will be Lysell starting with the Colorado Eagles and then working his way up. But don’t be surprised if Lysell gets at least a long look at the beginning of the season.
Sean Behrens pushes himself into the Avalanche blue line
Sean Behrens has been the Avalanche’s top blueline prospect for a while now. But at 23, it seems like he may be running out of time to show what he can do.
So, this may just be the season in which he elbows his way into the Avalanche’s blueline conversation.
That’s going to be a tough proposition. But it might just make sense.
As it stands, the Avalanche have seven defensemen pretty much cast in stone. The only spot where Behrens might get into the picture would be as part of the third pairing. The Josh Manson-Brent Burns pair looks pretty solid. But Manson has had some injury issues in the past. And while free-agent signing Noaj Juulsen would be the likeliest guy to get into the lineup, wouldn’t it make sense to give Behrens a shot?
The former second-round pick is waivers-exempt, making him a good candidate to get some reps whenever possible.
It would take a fabulous camp from Behrens and a poor showing by one of the incumbents. But with a guy like Jack Ahcan gone, Behrens might just get his shot this season.
Ilya Nabokov unseats Scott Wedgewood for the backup goalie spot
All right, this last surprise would be a mind-shocking one. We’ve been talking so much about Ilya Nabokov being the guy that could change the Avalanche’s outlook moving forward.
If Nabokov blows everyone away, the likeliest victim would be Scott Wedgewood. It’s hard to see a rookie netminder unseating the starter. But then again, MacKenzie Blackwood, who has struggled at times, might feel the heat from Nabokov.
And we know that Jared Bednar is not afraid to go with the hot hand. That’s why, if Nabokov becomes that hot hand, there might just be a path for Nabokov to find himself in the NHL.
The difficult part would be to either roll with three goalies or waive Wedgewood. And there is no way that Wedgewood clears.
With Wedgewood being in the final year of his contract, the Avs will once again go with the Lumber Yard this season.
But a shocking camp from Nabokov may change the narrative to a point where he may become too hard to ignore.
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