The Colorado Avalanche will be looking to round out the deepest roster in the NHL at the moment. While the club has a major item on the docket in the Cale Makar extension, that shouldn’t take away from Joe Sakic addressing roster needs.
However, addressing those needs inexorably means that some players may not return in 2026-27. Among them, veteran blueliner Brent Burns might not don the burgundy and blue next season.
That assessment hinges on three crucial reasons.
Burns may retire this offseason
The most evident reason why Brent Burns might not be back next season is retirement. Burns is 41 and has played nearly 1,600 regular-season games. He appeared in all 82 games this past season, setting a mark for the second-most consecutive games played in NHL history. Burns is 57 games behind Phil Kessel for the all-time lead in consecutive games played.
That’s a mark the former first-round pick of the Minnesota Wild could set next season. But it all depends on him wanting to return to the ice. If he does, the Avalanche will welcome him back with open arms.
But if he feels it’s time to hang them up, Burns will ride off into the sunset and eventually into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Another club might come calling
It wouldn’t be out of the question for another team to come calling this summer. Burns is still a high-end blueliner, even at his age. While he’s more suited for a bottom-pairing role, he can step up with top-four minutes if need be.
As such, teams needing blueline depth, like one of his former teams, the San Jose Sharks, might be willing to throw some money at him. The drive to keep playing for Burns, however, is winning a Stanley Cup. If he were to move onto another team, it would have to be a Cup contender.
Perhaps a club like the Vegas Golden Knights might bring him in on an incentive-laden contract like he did this past season. The same could be said for the Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, or Edmonton Oilers.
But if it’s a Cup contender that Burns wants to play for, his best choice is staying in Colorado.
Avalanche might just move on from Burns
It’s tough to think the Avalanche might move on from Burns, especially if he’s willing to play another season.
Unfortunately, Colorado could face a cap crunch this season. With a little under $3 million in cap space and four pending UFAs on the blue line, Burns may get squeezed out of the picture. The club might choose to re-sign a much cheaper option like Nick Blankenburg, even at the detriment of the Avalanche’s overall roster depth.
While it would be tough to see a guy like Blankenburg play over 18 minutes a night, putting up double digits in goals and 30+ points next season, the Avs may have no other choice but to choose a guy with a more cost-effective contract.
Brent Burns should be back in 2026-27. But there is a distinct possibility that we may not see him in Colorado next season. It would be too bad, as one season was more than enough to endear him to Avalanche fans across the board.
Add us as a preferred source on Google