Expectations are truly high for the Colorado Avalanche in 2026-27. That’s an understatement. The Avs head into the season with the weight of another disappointing playoff exit. Yes, they made the Western Conference Final last spring.
But falling short of the Stanley Cup has really begun to weigh on the organization.
That’s why the only outcome that could make this upcoming season a truly successful one for the Avalanche is a Stanley Cup victory.
Even a trip to the Cup Final won’t really cut it. The current veteran roster is on borrowed time. There are several veteran pieces that may need replacing within the next couple of seasons or so.
That’s why the pressure is on to win.
In fact, the Avalanche won’t have a better chance to win a Cup in the next decade than they do now. Unless Joe Sakic (or whoever takes over as GM) finds a way to infuse youthful superstars without a rebuild, it seems like the end of the runway for Colorado is looming on the horizon.
Nathan MacKinnon will only be elite for a few more seasons. Cale Makar should be elite for the foreseeable future. But that future is clouded by the absence of a contract extension. The rest of the supporting cast is starting to get long in the tooth.
So, could a rebuild loom for the Avs in the 2030s? It’s a possibility.
Avalanche can still become a dynasty
The Colorado Avalanche can still become a dynasty with its current core of stars. A couple of more Cup wins in the next half decade or so would do well to cement the team’s legacy. Yes, the 2022 Cup win will help solidify this team’s place in NHL history, but without another Cup, they will go down as a highly talented, but underachieving team.
The list of what-ifs will be enormous if MacKinnon and Makar don’t end their careers with at least another ring in Colorado.
So, would two rings be enough to quell Avalanche fans’ thirst for glory? It may not be enough to live on, especially if the Avs go through a full-on rebuild. Something more akin to the what the Chicago Blackhawks did in the 2010s would help hold Colorado fans over, should a rebuild happen at some point down the line.
That’s just getting ahead of ourselves. The most important thing at this point is to have a solid regular season and set the stage for a strong playoff run. Hopefully, the conditions will be there for another storybook ending next June.
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