The Colorado Avalanche have had a very good season. Sure, that’s an understatement. That success is largely due to the usual suspects carrying the load. Nathan MacKinnon has had another monster season, notching 50 goals and over 120 points.
Meanwhile, Martin Necas still has a shot at his first 100-point season. Brock Nelson has over 30 goals, while Cale Makar has been, well, Cale Makar.
But among the star power in Colorado, perhaps the best story this season has been Parker Kelly. Kelly scored in Sunday night’s 3-2 loss to the St. Louis Blues at Ball Arena. The tally was his 20th of the season, marking a new career high.
It’s not just a career high for Kelly. He’s blown past all of his previous highs. Last season, Kelly scored eight goals in 80 games. He totaled 29 points, putting him right on the same mark for the second season in a row.
This year, however, everything has just come into focus. At 34 points, he’s crushed his career high of 19 points set last season. He’s more than doubled his goal output from last season, while making it seem effortless.
It’s easy to miss a guy like Kelly. He’s a prototypical bottom-six grinder. He’s the kind of guy that plays tough minutes, kills penalties, and deals with some of the opposition’s hardest matchups. Kelly often gets lost amid the stars ahead of him on the lineup.
That won’t be the case any longer. Jared Bednar’s admission of Kelly’s role on the team has brought the forward’s place on the team into context.
Expect a different look for Colorado’s bottom-6 against Dallas.
— Meghan Angley (@megangley) April 3, 2026
Jared Bednar: “The emergence of Parker Kelly and his offense… I can't ignore it. He’s scoring as much as the 2nd line players on our team. If I can put him with more talent, like a guy like [Kadri], does it go away…
Sure, Kelly won’t be playing on the top line any time soon. But that doesn’t mean he’s not a valuable piece for the team. If anything, he’ll be one of the most important pieces heading into the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs.
Avalanche look like geniuses with Kelly extension
When the Avalanche signed the 26-year-old Kelly to a four-year extension on July 1 last year, some shook their heads. The cap hit wasn’t bad, $1.7 million over four seasons. But questions emerged. Why sign a bottom-six guy for four seasons?
Well, anyone who questioned the signing has their answer.
Kelly, who was undrafted, was overlooked by just about every organization in the NHL. He got an entry-level contract from the Ottawa Senators back in 2017, earning a two-year extension in 2022. However, the Senators felt that Kelly didn’t really fill a need for the team.
So, the Senators declined to extend him a Qualifying Offer in 2024. That situation made Kelly a UFA. The Avalanche saw an opportunity and gave him a chance on a two-year deal. And how has that deal paid off?
Kelly is in the second year of that contract. His four-year extension will kick in next season at a very reasonable cap hit.
Of course, expecting another 20-goal season might be pushing it too much. There’s always the possibility that Kelly could regress to his career averages. But this season could just be the beginning of a solid career path for the 26-year-old.
Who knows, but there might be a path for Kelly to become a middle-six winger for the Avalanche down the line. Regardless of what the future holds, the Camrose, Alberta native has to be the Avalanche’s best story of the 2025-26 season.