Last season, the Colorado Avalanche did not leave much to the imagination. They were the cover-to-cover best team in the NHL.
It wasn’t a fluke. And it most certainly wasn’t a mistake.
Colorado exerted dominance in every aspect of the game. Save for a couple of speed bumps along the way, the Avalanche were the best team in the NHL without question.
They also ran into the dreaded Presidents’ Trophy curse, but that’s another story.
This season, it’s unlikely that the Avalanche will match their Presidents’ Trophy performance from a year ago. That’s not to say that this year’s team is somehow inferior. It’s just to say that the club might want to back off the gas pedal just a little bit.
Now, let’s be clear about something. There is certainly plenty of incentive to win the Central Division. Finishing second or third would most likely set up a dreaded matchup with either Dallas or Minnesota. And as we’ve seen in the past, meeting one of these clubs in the first round can lead to a disappointing first-round exit.
That’s why the Avalanche have plenty of reasons to win their division. But where they may end up falling short of the top spot overall will be in how the team paces itself.
It’s like a marathon runner.
Runners that sprint to the front of the pack end up fading in the final miles. Meanwhile, another runner who kept up but didn’t quite push for the lead finds an extra gear in the last five miles or so.
That’s the difference between winning the race and ending up with a solid run, but no medal to show for it.
Pacing will be crucial for the Avalanche in 2026-27. It may not lead to the Presidents’ Trophy, but it should lead to another division title and, most importantly, an “easier” playoff path.
The goal is to win the Stanley Cup, not the Presidents’ Trophy
Sure, it’s nice to be the best team during the regular season. There’s a certain validation in being the best team across an 82-game (now 84) season.
But let’s face it. The true objective of NHL teams is to win the Stanley Cup. That’s what marks the true champions from the good teams.
The Avalanche proved that last season. They were the best team after 82 games, but that didn’t mean much after the Carolina Hurricanes hoisted the Cup.
That’s why this season should be more about getting through the 84-game grind and being ready to win 16 more games.
That’s pretty much it.
The most important intermediate goal will be to win the Central Division. Winning the Western Conference won’t really make much of a difference. The Vegas Golden Knights and the Edmonton Oilers might end up claiming the top seed in the West.
And yes, there’s always the chance the Avalanche just breeze through the regular season, for the most part, and earn the top seed.
But what will really count is the playoffs. The Avalanche will look to pace themselves. They’ll, hopefully, get off a strong start and settle down thereafter. But it will be in the last two months of the season that we’ll see Colorado really put the pedal to the metal.
The goal will be to get hot at the right time and carry that momentum to a Stanley Cup championship.
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