Colorado Avalanche salary cap: How much space do they have over the next three years?

The Colorado Avalanche are up against the cap this due to injuries, specifically Gabriel Landeskog’s, and with some extensions coming up in the near future, they have had to plan ahead. The NHL has announced that, over the next three seasons, the salary cap is expected to rise. That’s amazing news for the Avs.

This news was expected, I believe, by people such as Jared Bednar and Chris MacFarland. However, at the end of the day, the possibility of a salary cap increase did not help the Avalanche keep Mikko Rantanen. That part is a real downer, but it’s the way it goes sometimes. The NHL, like any sport, is a business. The business side of it means hard decisions are going to be present.

So what exactly do the next three years look like for the Colorado Avalanche and their salary cap? Let’s take a look, including some key free agents in those years. (Subject to change).

2025-26 Colorado Avalanche salary cap

As shown above, the 2025-26 salary cap is expected to be $95.5M.

During the 2025-26 season, the Colorado Avalanche will have $8.20 million in cap space per PuckPedia. In the grand scheme of things, that’s not a lot. On the active roster when that cap kicks in, the Avalanche will have 18/25 spots filled, as of this writing.

Currently, their 2025-26 free agents include Tucker Poolman, Jonathan Drouin, Oliver Kylington, Matthew Steinburg, Jere Innala, Jean-Luc Foudy, Sam Malinski, Calvin de Haan, Givani Smith, Jack Ahcan, T.J. Tynan, Calle Rosen, Matthew Phillips, Joel Kiviranta, Chris Wagner, John Ludvig, Jason Polin, Wyatt Aamodt, Trent Miner, Jussu Parssinen, and Kevin Mandolese.

Of those, I think the team would bring back Drouin, Malinski, Smith, Kiviranta, Wagner, and Parssinen. The other players on this list are primarily Colorado Eagles prospects. In all honesty, I could see the team trading de Haan, as I mentioned on Thursday.

2026-27 Colorado Avalanche salary cap

Again, as shown above, the 2026-27 salary cap is expected to be $104 million. The Colorado Avalanche currently would be at $31.75 million in cap space that they can spend.

Boy oh boy, when I say that money will be dished out (either prior to the 2026-27 offseason or during), I mean it. Why’s that, you ask? The Avalanche will have to extend their best player, Cale Makar. After the 2026-27 season, Makar is scheduled to hit free agency. Despite the team shipping Mikko Rantanen to Carolina, they won’t be doing the same with Makar.

Their other free agents during that season are Martin Necas (RFA), Josh Manson, Jack Drury (RFA), Scott Wedgwood, Ivan Ivan, Parker Kelly, Chase Bradley, Oskar Olausson, Jacob MacDonald, Saige Weinstein, and Tye Felhaber. A good portion of these players primarily play for the Colorado Eagles. However, as we’ve seen this season, injuries are a big part of the game of hockey, so the Avalanche have to decide whether or not they can help on another level.

2027-28 Colorado Avalanche salary cap

Finally, for the 2027-28 season, the salary cap is projected to be $113.5 million. For the Avalanche, they’ll have $70,275,000 as it stands now. That’s a boatload of money to spend. Even a mansion load.

Their free agents that year consist of Casey Mittelstadt, Ross Colton, Arturri Lehkonen, Jack Drury, Cale Makar, Sam Girard, and Keaton Middleton.

They’ll likely try to re-sign most of those players, but they could have the luxury of spending big on some players that hit the open market, if they want to. A lot of dominoes will fall by the 2027-28 season, but I’d imagine the team would want to keep most of these guys around.

There has been talk that Mittelstadt could be included in a trade sometime in the near future, so when the 2027-28 season comes around, we might not have him to talk about, but who knows?

All I know is that these next couple of years are going to be interesting and hopefully fun when it comes to acquisitions and departures.