It’s a great time to be a Colorado Avalanche fan. The team has arguably the NHL’s best lineup. And the proof is in NHL Network’s latest ranking of the league’s Top 20 defensemen.
The ranking highlighted the Avalanche’s embarrassment of riches by listing Cale Makar as the league’s top blueliner. The ranking justifiably places the Avalanche’s top D-man above Quinn Hughes and Zach Werenski.
Meanwhile, the Avs landed Devon Toews at #20. That’s two top-20 defenseman for Colorado. That’s something that no other team in the NHL can match. And it’s just a small sample of how deep Colorado really is.
NHL Network's Top 20 Defensemen Right Now list has a total of:
— NHL Media (@NHLMedia) August 10, 2026
• 21 total All-Star Game appearances
• 11 All-Rookie team honors
• Seven Norris Trophies
• Seven Olympic Gold Medals
• Four Calder Trophies
• Two Conn Smythe Trophies
• Six Stanley Cups
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Colorado is able to roll out to elite-level blueliners in the same pairing night in and night out. While Jared Bednar has split Makar and Toews up at times, it has only been to keep the opposition off-balance.
The winning bet is to keep both Makar and Toews together. Jon Cooper did that at the 2026 Olympics. And moving forward, it should be Bednar’s go-to formula in 2026-27.
Avalanche have ridiculously good D core
Overall, the Avalanche have a ridiculously good D core. The organization has gone to great lengths to ensure that a solid offensive-minded blueliner gets a solid defensive-minded partner. Makar is the best all-around defenseman in the world, while Toews is an elite shutdown blueliner.
Then, there’s Sam Malinski, who’s a solid puck-moving blueliner just waiting to break out. His partner will likely be Brett Kulak. Kulak isn’t exactly the world’s premier defensive defenseman. But he’s the sort of quiet guy who gets the job done.
The bottom pairing, Josh Manson and Brent Burns, is like rolling out two hungry grizzly bears. They’re not the sort of guys you want to mess around with. Oh, and they can also put the puck in the net.
When looking at the Avalanche blue line, it’s tough to argue that any other team can boast the talent level and the skill set to match.
There is no question that Colorado will be a force this upcoming season. The only question mark will focus on the team’s ability to keep everything together for 84 regular-season games and four playoff rounds.
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