As the Colorado Avalanche gear up for a playoff run, their American Hockey League affiliate, Colorado Eagles are focused on their own championship hopes. As of today, the Eagles are perched atop the Western Conference standings, leading rival Dallas' affiliate club the Texas Stars by one point. Colorado holds a four point edge within their Pacific Division with just 8 games remaining.
The Eagles are a top-contender for the AHL title, the Calder Cup this year. It would be their first win since moving to the AHL, and officially affiliating with the Colorado Avalanche in 2018-19. Some fans may discount the significance of lower-level success, but I believe it would be huge for organizational confidence.
This article is not just about giving a journeyman like Jacob MacDonald his well-deserved flowers. Although it should be noted that the veteran defenseman has been a major piece of the team all season. MacDonald is playing lights-out hockey and producing like a star player. He leads the team in goals with 29, and overall points with 53.
Jacob MacDonald now sits one goal shy of tying the all-time record for goals by a defenseman in the AHL. Currently that record is held solely by John Slaney. Slaney set the record in 1999-2000, while playing for the Wilkes-Barre / Scranton Penguins.
You might be forgiven for asking why Jacob MacDonald hasn't seen some National Hockey League ice this season, particularly with the injury-plagued Avalanche. MacDonald did get a one-day call-up last week, but he did not log minutes.
The Cornell grad shares Ivy League smarts and college roots with Colorado Avalanche d-manSam Malinski and recent acquisition Hank Kempf. This connection is more than a coincidence. It shows a deeper systematic fit.
In truth, Jacob MacDonald has more than earned a chance to fill in for the Avalanche some this season. It isn't as though MacDonald would be an NHL rookie in his 30's. MacDonald saw some spot-duty for the Avalanche in his previous stint with the club, from 2019-2023. He also played in San Jose, for the Sharks, before being brought back to Colorado in the offseason. Hence the cover photo being the most relevant in our database.
How MacDonald can impact the Avalanche?
The organization knows that Jacob MacDonald's best value is as a fixture on the Eagles blue line. Frankly, a lot is made of the Colorado Avalanche lacking prospects, and clearly even with team leading numbers JMac is not that.
The Colorado Avalanche are in win now mode, as their deadline moves made abundantly clear. The Avalanche parted ways with multiple prospects including potentially important forwards. Calum Ritchie, who was regarded as the system's top prospect, is gone. William Zellers, who went on a noteworthy heater earlier this year, is also gone.
But in thinking about young players who are still hanging around in the Avalanche system, specifically in Loveland, with the Eagles, you might begin to see the vision. Avalanche prospects who we saw a lot more of early on in the 2024-25 campaign, such as Ivan Ivan, Nikita Prishchepov, and Jere Innala could really use Jacob MacDonald.
Sure, put him in an Avalanche sweater and Jacob MacDonald will not be mistaken for the best in the world, Cale Makar. But down in the AHL, an aggressive offensive-minded defenseman, who jumps up into play and pushes the action is maybe the perfect practice stand-in.
Add to the mix Cale Makar's younger brother Taylor Makar, who just signed with Colorado, and is set to join the Eagles for the rest of the season and the upcoming playoffs, and it makes even more sense. The younger Makar may not be suiting up in burgundy and blue this season, but his big brother's own story proved playoff debuts can be the stuff of legend.
As both Jacob MacDonald and Cale Makar chase down 30 goal seasons, the fans in Colorado have plenty to cheer. But the bigger picture, as always, is about what it means for overall club cohesion and ultimate success.
Jacob MacDonald's remarkable season should be lauded for what it is, no doubt. It is a beautiful example of perseverance and dedication to the sport of hockey. But as it relates to larger organizational goals for the Eagles and the Avalanche it also tells a story of the Avalanche system working on multiple levels.
Maybe the Avalanche don't have a ton of draft picks coming, or nationally recognized top-tier prospects. But they do have a plan for the future, and a successful brand of hockey that it would be unwise to underestimate.
Tonight the Avalanche take on the Chicago Blackhaws, and the Colorado Eagles face the Coachella Valley Firebirds. The games are important to both clubs, and while the Eagles get less coverage, sending a little extra mojo out tonight can't hurt. AHL history could be made at any moment.