Chris MacFarland’s departure wasn’t so much a surprise as the timing. In a matter of hours, the narrative went from “requesting permission to speak” to announcing the new hire.
That said, the sudden move forced the Colorado Avalanche to pivot back to Joe Sakic as GM. Having Sakic return to the GM role is fine. After all, it was Sakic who led the Avalanche to their last Stanley Cup in 2022.
It’s unlikely that Sakic will remain the full-time GM. But there is something important to keep in mind here. MacFarland’s departure likely saved Jared Bednar from being the fall guy.
Also, about Colorado: there is word Jared Bednar is staying as the Avalanche’s coach
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) June 2, 2026
The Avalanche can now essentially pin any blame on MacFarland. The organization can say what it will about the tremendous collapse in the third round against the Vegas Golden Knights. The team can even go as far as to say that the MacFarland situation was a distraction to everyone.
While making such excuses may not sit well, there’s cover. And that cover has allowed Sakic and the rest of the management group to bring Bednar back. In fact, the organization can even go ahead and extend the second-longest-tenured coach in the NHL.
Think about the optics of losing MacFarland one day and then firing Bednar the next. On top of any potential turmoil stemming from the front-office change, Sakic will have to find a new coach.
Given how devoid the market is of high-end coaches, firing Bednar just doesn’t make any sense.
Perhaps the broader question might be why the Avalanche let MacFarland go so easily. It’s evident that he’s getting a promotion in Nashville. And yes, it’s also true that Sakic blocked MacFarland’s path in Colorado.
But it’s just an interesting confluence of events. MacFarland ultimately provided Bednar with enough cover. Most importantly, we’ll start getting the full picture of exactly what happened following the Minnesota series and the Vegas series this postseason.
There’s something there that we can’t really see. It’s beginning to take shape. There’s still more holes to fill in, nonetheless.
In the meantime, keeping Bednar is the right move. The Avalanche keep one of the best coaches in the NHL in the fold. Now, it’s likely that Sakic moves towards extending Bednar this summer.
We shall see.
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