The Colorado Avalanche lost in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs to the Dallas Stars last season. They traded Mikko Rantanen mid-season, which caused shockwaves across the league. Then, he scored a hat trick in Game 7 to eliminate his former team. The Avalanche were active in the offseason, re-signing center Brock Nelson, but needed to do more to improve their depth forwards.
According to Daily FaceOff, the Avalanche are going to roll out Ivan Ivan, Parker Kelly, and Matthew Steinburg as their fourth line. In a time when fourth lines are being asked to contribute offensively, this group won't get it done. They are mostly young players, so it could work out perfectly. But they need more of a sure thing.
The Avalanche still have time to solve this problem, as Jack Roslovic is available in free agency. After a 22-goal season with the Carolina Hurricanes last year, Roslovic still has not signed a deal. He would be a perfect fit in Colorado, as the team needs more scoring and another center.
Nelson needs to take a significant jump to be worth the three-year, $7.5 million AAV deal he signed this offseason. In 19 regular-season games, he scored just six goals with 13 points. He was quiet in the postseason, with just four assists in seven games. The Avalanche are banking on him returning to his 30-goal pace.
The Avalanche re-made their goaltending room mid-season and already have a locked-in blue line. While they let Ryan Lindgren walk, they bet on the Cale Makar-led defenders for the foreseeable future. But they should have used that money, along with the money they cleared by trading away Charlie Coyle, to improve their forward depth.
Who should the Avalanche pick up?
The best forward available on the open market is Jack Roslovic, but they might not be able to afford him. With just over $2 million in cap space, Roslovic is going to seek out a team with more space. If that plays out, Viktor Olofsson would improve their forward depth as well. After a solid season with the Vegas Golden Knights, Olofsson is still available.
The Avalanche are unlikely to make a trade for a forward this offseason. They do not have a first-round pick until 2029 and do not have a pick in the first three rounds of the 2026 draft. That makes it more difficult to make a trade and impossible to dish out an offer sheet. RFAs like Marco Rossi and Mason McTavish are very far off the table.
The only other UFA that scored more than 10 goals last year is Luke Kunin. The former World Junior Championships captain for Team USA scored those 11 goals with the San Jose Sharks, but did not score any in 12 games with the Columbus Blue Jackets. He would not help solve the problem in their bottom six as much as Roslovic or Olofsson will.
The Avalanche have a big offseason coming up next year. Cale Makar will be eligible for an extension on July 1, and it should be their top priority to re-sign as soon as possible. Saving money for that extension, which would start in 2027, is a massive priority. But they can re-shape their bottom six without costing themselves any money on the 2027 books.
The Avalanche have put the pressure on MacKenzie Blackwood to be the goalie for their Stanley Cup window. After a solid season last year, that is not a crazy thought. But they need to surround him with as much talent as possible, and they have not done that this offseason. Brock Nelson is a nice piece, but he can't win games all by himself.
