Colorado Avalanche head coach could be on the hot seat

The Colorado Avalanche are 0-4 to start the season. The four losses have come by decisive scores. In particular, the 8-4 shellacking at the hands of the Vegas Golden Knights stung quite a bit.

The Avs have lost to the New York Islanders, Boston Bruins, and Columbus Blue Jackets. No disrespect to any of the teams the Avalanche have faced. But in the worst of cases, the Avs should be 2-2. However, they are not.

Now, is it time to panic? No. As I’ve pointed out before, an 0-4 start is no reason to head for the hills. But there’s a major problem brewing. A slow start can decimate a team’s chances to make the postseason.

Sure, fans could point out last year’s Edmonton Oilers. They started terribly, sitting 31st in the league when former coach Jay Woodcroft was fired. After Kris Knoblauch took over, the Oilers flipped a switch and went on a tear. The Oilers eventually reached the Stanley Cup.

That’s precisely the point I would like to make, here. The Oilers were forced to make a coaching change in order to turn things around.

Similarly, the New York Islanders were middling in the Eastern Conference last season. The club let go of Lane Lambert and brought in Patrick Roy. The change wasn’t miraculous, but it was good enough to get the Islanders into the playoffs.

Perhaps the best example comes from 2019. The St. Louis Blues were sitting last overall mid-season. The club fired its coach and named then-assistant Craig Berube as interim head coach. The Blues went on a magical run that culminated in a Stanley Cup championship.

But like Berube, who’s now coaching the Toronto Maple Leafs, Jared Bednar could have a similar fate.

Jared Bednar faces a similar fate as Berube in St. Louis

After winning the cup in 2019, Berube and the Blues failed to replicate similar success. The Blues were bounced twice in the first round and then lost to the Avalanche in the second round in 2022. The next season, the Blues finished with an abysmal record, prompting the club to fire Berube.

So, could Bednar get the heave-ho if the Avs fail to make the playoffs this year?

It’s too early to consider it. But judging from what happened to Berube in St. Louis, three seasons of subpar results followed by a dismal one ended his tenure.

Berube’s situation eerily resembles where Bednar is now. Two seasons of mixed results following a Stanley Cup championship. Now, an 0-4 jeopardizes the Avs’ chances to make the postseason. Thus, it seems the writing is on the wall.

If Bednar and the Avs can’t turn things around, the Colorado Avalanche may feel a new voice is needed behind the bench. If that’s indeed the case, the move will come down to a question of timing. If Avs’ management believes that this team’s core can win this season, an in-season coaching change could happen.

In my estimation, that’s highly unlikely. Bednar will get the entire season to work things out. But if the Avs fail to make the playoffs, fans should expect major changes during the 2025 offseason.