The Colorado Avalanche are having an historical start to the 2025-26 season, on pace for 325 goals for, as well as tying the 2022-23 Boston Bruins in points, with 135 at season’s end. Everyone is taking notice of the team. In a recent article by the Athletic, the crew over there voted on several of the big NHL awards handed out annually, and the Colorado Avalanche have made the list, with the article providing percentages for each category.
The 2025-26 Stanley Cup predicted winner is…
To nobody’s surprise, the Colorado Avalanche are the favorites to win the 2025-26 Stanley Cup. Among the 25 votes, 75 percent of the people who took part in the survey voted for the Avs to win it all. That’s no surprise, given how hot the team is right now, with hardly much of a weak spot.
The depth has been pretty solid this year, and the consistency has been outstanding. The Avalanche have scored 135 goals and have allowed just 66. The team leads the entire league in those two statistical categories through 29 games played.
Ranked second in terms of percentage of votes is the Dallas Stars with 20 percent, and then the Edmonton Oilers with four percent. It’s cool to see the Stars getting the love, as Avs fans are eager for a rematch in the Stanley Cup playoffs and the chance for the team to redeem themselves after an early exit thanks to their division rival.
The Western Conference teams that make the 2025-26 playoffs
Again, to nobody’s surprise, the Colorado Avalanche are among four teams who received 100 percent of votes for this category. Unless there’s some sort of alternate universe that somehow enters planet Earth, the Avs are not missing the playoffs. If they did, it would be the biggest regular season collapse in team history, and possibly NHL history.
Once the team gets a lot better on the power play, there will literally be zero weaknesses. They currently rank 23rd at a 16 percent conversion rate. To put that into perspective, the number one overall team in power play percentage is the Pittsburgh Penguins, at 33 percent.
Colorado has 16 power play goals on the season, led by Nathan MacKinnon (six). The next closest is Martin Necas with three. An improved power play would make the Avalanche almost unstoppable, and they already are very close to that classification.
There are only two names in the Hart Trophy nomination list by The Athletic
Cale Makar and Nathan MacKinnon are two of the best players at their position and every single hockey fan knows it. That’s why those two players make up the only two names in this category for votes.
MacKinnon got 24 votes (96 percent), and that’s because of his scoring ability and his extreme awareness on the ice at all times. MacKinnon is a superstar who has had eight multi-goal games this season as part of his 24 goals in 29 games (.82 goals/game). He’s a freak on the ice who typically can skate through multiple defenders as if they aren’t directly in front of him, on his way to the net.
He even scored a filthy goal against the Rangers this past Sunday.
Makar got one vote in the Hart trophy nomination list by The Athletic. That’s impressive in itself simply because there’s a whole other award for defensemen: The Norris Memorial trophy. Makar has won two Norris trophies, including the 2021-22 and 2023-24 seasons. Adding another one onto his achievement list would be a surefire way of getting him closer to the Hall of Fame.
Several players have a bunch of Hart Trophies added to their career accolades: Wayne Gretzky (nine), Gordie Howe (six), Eddie Shore (four), Connor McDavid, Alex Ovechkin, Mario Lemiux, Bobby Clarke, Bobby Orr, Howie Morenz (three each), Sidney Crosby, Domenik Hasek, Mark Messier, Guy Lefleur, Phil Esposito, Stan Mikita, Bobby Hull, Jean Beliveau, Bill Cowley, Nels Stewart (two each).
The Rocket Richard Award
The Rocket Richard Award is given to the player who leads the NHL in goals at the conclusion of the regular season. Milan Hejduk is the only Avalanche player to win the award in team history. He won it after the 2002-03 season, when he scored 50 goals.
Auston Matthews won the award in 2023-24 after scoring 69 goals, while Leon Draisaitl won it last season after recording 52 goals. MacKinnon is currently on pace for 67.8 goals this season, which would blow his previous career high of 51 goals out of the water.
The wild thing about the pace MacKinnon is on is that he has failed to record a goal in 13 of 29 games! Also, the Avalanche might even have several more wins than they do right now (21) if MacKinnon scored in the games that he actually didn’t. They actually have a decent record when MacKinnon doesn’t score (9-4).
Speaking of the Norris trophy
Yet another instance where the result hardly shocks anyone. Cale Makar was one of two players (Josh Morrisssey, Winnipeg Jets) to receive votes. He led the way with 96 percent of votes (24 votes) in this category.
It just goes to the credit of Makar for being such a phenomenal defenseman, both offensively and defensively. Makar recorded his first 30-goal season of his career last season. However, he’s only on pace for 25 goals this year. Every player has some spots in the season where they struggle to find the back of the net. Makar is on pace for the fourth-most assists of his career (73.5 assists).
Realistically, most people who pay attention to the NHL fully believe that Makar is the greatest defenseman on the planet. It would be a complete shock if he didn’t win the Norris trophy this year, and is only 27 years old. He has plenty of time to build his resume, and many more chances to earn more Norris trophies.
The Vezina Trophy for Scott Wedgewood would indicate a franchise-altering season for the Colorado Avalanche
Scott Wedgewood (13 wins), at one point, led the NHL in wins this season. Right now, he’s tied for second place, behind only Jake Oettinger (14). He’s allowed a Goals Against Average of just 2.07.
To put that into perspective, only two goalies above Wedgewood have played in double-digit games - the others have played in fewer than 10 games this season).
Wedgewood has had to fill in for Mackenzie Blackwood, who was out for the early part of the 2025-26 season after recovering from offseason surgery. I view both of these goalies as starters in the league, and the Avalanche are blessed to have them on the team.
As long as those two goalies play well, the Avalanche will continue to win.