The Colorado Avalanche have begun the 2026-27 regular season red hot. Despite their loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Wednesday, they came through in their next game against the Calgary Flames, putting them out 7-3.
Though it is more likely that the Avalanche will cool down at times throughout the season, right now it stands that the team is on a record-setting pace. They are averaging 5.75 goals per game. If you take that number and keep it throughout the now 84-game season, they are on pace for 483 goals on the season.
That would absolutely demolish the current record of 446, which was done by the Edmonton Oilers in 1983-84. One of the biggest x-factors in that season was none other than Wayne Gretzky, who accounted for 87 of those goals.
Colorado’s version of Gretzky is MacKinnon, who has led the team in goals in six of the past 13 seasons, including the latest three years. Gretzky actually got his 87 goal season while effectively missing six games. So, really, he did it in 74 games instead of 80.
Of course, if MacKinnon ends up playing all 84 games and even comes close to Gretzky’s record, fans across the NHL will probably put an asterisk by his name in the record books because of the additional games added.
MacKinnon does not publicly care about records that he sets. He would head over and give an interview following a game when he is named the number one star, and just shrug it off like it was nothing. That’s just the way it is with him, and really, the entire organization.
Cale Makar could end season on top again
Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar is another player we need to keep tabs on throughout the season because as he has shown, he can put up incredible numbers.
Makar has three goals and three assists in four games this season, putting him on pace for 63 goals and 63 assists. That goal total would destroy Paul Coffey’s record of 48 in 79 games during the 1985-86 season, but would come up short of the assist record of 102, which was set by Bobby Orr in 1970-71 in 78 games.
Avalanche have untapped potential right now
We’ve seen players such as Martin Necas and Gabriel Landeskog put up solid numbers during the regular season. Right now, Necas has two goals and Landeskog has one. Necas has two assists while Landeskog has one.
Due to their large roles on the team, it makes sense that both players will chip in many more times throughout the season, whether it be by a goal or an assist. The Avalanche need players like those two to be at their best if they want to lift the Stanley Cup again after this season.
New addition Jaden Schwartz has been solid for the Avalanche as well. Through four games, he has three goals and three assists. At first, I thought that signing him to a three-year contract was a mistake due to his age, but if he puts up numbers consistently, then who cares about the term of the deal?
This team has some solid depth and I expect it to be more evident as the season goes on. Avalanche fans will be looking for every player to show up during the Stanley Cup Playoffs as well. After a Western Conference Final exit last season, the Avalanche have a chip on their shoulder. If they fall short of the Stanley cup again, it will have fans questioning some things—things that may not end up changing when it’s all said and done.
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