Avalanche roster at a glance for Stanley Cup Playoffs

The Colorado Avalanche (55-16-11) enter the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs as one of the favorites to win the Stanley Cup after clinching the Western Conference championship and the Presidents' Trophy for having the best regular-season record. They won the Cup in 2022 but have won just one playoff round in the past three seasons, a five-game victory against the Winnipeg Jets in the 2024 Western Conference First Round.

Here is the Avalanche roster at a glance:

FORWARDS

Zakhar Bardakov (6-foot-2, 198), Berdsk, Russia: A seventh-round pick (No. 203) of the New Jersey Devils in the 2021 NHL Draft, Bardakov was acquired by Colorado for Kurtis MacDermid on March 1, 2024. The 25-year-old made his NHL debut with the Avalanche on Oct. 18 and had 10 points (one goal, nine assists) in 60 games this season.

Ross Colton (6-0, 194), Robbinsville, New Jersey: A 2021 Stanley Cup winner with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Colton has been a depth-scoring contributor for the Avalanche since they traded for him June 28, 2023. The 29-year-old has 24 points (nine goals, 15 assists) in 73 games. 

Jack Drury (5-11, 186), New York, New York: The 26-year-old was acquired with Martin Necas in a three-team trade involving the Carolina Hurricanes and Chicago Blackhawks that sent Mikko Rantanen and Taylor Hall to Carolina on Jan. 24, 2025. As a fourth-line center, Drury had 27 points (10 goals, 17 assists) in 82 games, tying the NHL career high he had for the Hurricanes in 2023-24.

Nazem Kadri (6-0, 185), London, Ontario: He was a big part of the Avalanche's run to the Cup in 2022 and is back after they acquired him from the Calgary Flames before the NHL Trade Deadline on March 6. The 35-year-old played some left wing this season while the Avalanche were dealing with injuries but is back at center on the third line. He had nine points (four goals, five assists) in 16 games with the Avalanche. 

Parker Kelly (6-1, 185), Camrose, Alberta: The 26-year-old has added good supplemental scoring (35 points; 21 goals, 14 assists) as part of their bottom six. Undrafted, Kelly played 177 games in four seasons with the Ottawa Senators before signing with the Avalanche on July 1, 2024.

Joel Kiviranta (5-11, 185), Vantaa, Finland: The 30-year-old, who first signed as a free agent with the Avalanche on Nov. 12, 2023, signed a one-year contract Nov. 12 of that year. He had nine points (three goals, six assists) in 51 games. He helped Team Finland win bronze at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Gabriel Landeskog (6-1, 215), Stockholm, Sweden: The heart and soul of the Avalanche since debuting in 2011-12, the 33-year-old has been their captain since Sept. 4, 2012, when he was the youngest in NHL history at the time to hold the title (19 years, 286 days). The No. 2 pick in the 2011 NHL Draft won the 2012 Calder Trophy voted as the NHL rookie of the year and the Cup with the Avalanche in 2022. Landeskog has had his share of injuries, missing three full regular seasons from 2022-25 because of problems with his right knee and had multiple surgeries including a cartilage transplant May 10, 2023. The second-line left wing had 35 points (14 goals, 21 assists) in 60 games this season.

Artturi Lehkonen (5-11, 179), Piikkio, Finland: Another member of the 2022 champions, Lehkonen has been a consistent wing on the top line. A second-round pick (No. 55) by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2013 NHL Draft, Lehkonen was traded to Colorado on March 21, 2022. The 30-year-old helped Finland win bronze at the 2026 Winter Olympics and had 48 points (21 goals, 27 assists) in 72 games.

Nathan MacKinnon (6-0, 200), Halifax, Nova Scotia: One of the top scorers in the NHL throughout his career, MacKinnon is once again among the League's best with 127 points. The 30-year-old scored 53 goals to win the “Rocket” Richard award for most goals in the NHL this season. The first-line center helped Colorado win the Cup in 2022 and has at least 111 points in each of the past four seasons. The No. 1 pick in the 2013 NHL Draft, MacKinnon won the 2014 Calder Trophy, and the 2024 Hart Trophy as most valuable player and the Ted Lindsay Award voted most outstanding player in the NHL by members of the NHL Players' Association.

Martin Necas (6-3, 195), Nove Mesto na Morave, Czechia: This was a massive season for Necas, who has NHL career highs in goals (38), assists (62) and points (100) in 78 games (he had 83 points combined with the Carolina Hurricanes and Avalanche last season). The 27-year-old was acquired by the Avalanche on Jan. 24, 2025. A first-line wing, he signed an eight-year contract Oct. 30, 2025.

Brock Nelson (6-4, 205), Warroad, Minnesota: The 34-year-old played the first 12 seasons of his NHL career for the New York Islanders prior to being traded to the Avalanche on March 6, 2025. A second-line center, Nelson had 65 points (33 goals, 32 assists) in 81 games, his most since 69 in 2023-24. He won gold with Team USA at the 2026 Winter Olympics. 

Valeri Nichushkin (6-4, 210), Chelyabinsk, Russia: The big, top-six forward finished with 49 points (17 goals, 32 assists), nearly equaling the career-high 53 points he had for the Avalanche in 2023-24. The 31-year-old, chosen by the Dallas Stars with the No. 10 pick in the 2013 NHL Draft, signed with Colorado on Aug. 19, 2019, and played for the 2021-22 Stanley Cup championship team.

Logan O'Connor (6-0, 175), Missouri City, Texas: The undrafted 29-year-old has been a staple of the lineup since 2021-22, when he played 81 games in the regular season and 17 games en route to the Cup. O'Connor signed a six-year contract with the Avalanche on Sept. 23, 2024, and made his season debut March 24 after having offseason hip surgery and a setback in his recovery.  He finished with two assists in 13 games. 

Nicolas Roy (6-4, 200), Amos, Quebec: The center, acquired from the Toronto Maple Leafs on March 5, won the Stanley Cup with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2023. The 29-year-old returned to the lineup April 7 after missing seven games with an upper-body injury. He had 25 points (eight goals, 17 assists) in 74 games.

DEFENSEMEN

Nick Blankenburg (5-9, 177), Washington, Michigan: The 27-year-old was acquired from the Nashville Predators on March 4. Undrafted, he signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets on April 8, 2022, and then the Predators on July 1, 2024. He had three points (two goals, one assist) in 12 games. 

Brent Burns (6-5, 228), Barrie, Ontario: When you think of an Ironman of the game, you think of Burns. The 41-year-old played his 1,000th consecutive game when the Avalanche defeated the Stars 2-0 on April 4, the second NHL player to reach that mark after former forward Phil Kessel (1,064 straight games). The No. 20 pick by the Minnesota Wild in the 2003 NHL Draft, Burns had 35 points (12 goals, 23 assists) in 82 games this season. He won the 2017 Norris Trophy given to the League's best defenseman while with the San Jose Sharks. Burns signed with the Avalanche on July 2.

Brett Kulak (6-1, 192), Edmonton, Alberta: Kulak was traded twice this season, first to the Pittsburgh Penguins from the Edmonton Oilers with Stuart Skinner for Tristan Jarry and Samuel Poulin on Dec. 12 and then to the Avalanche for Samuel Girard on Feb. 24. The 32-year-old went to the Stanley Cup Final the past two seasons with the Edmonton Oilers, losing each time to the Florida Panthers (seven games in 2024 and six in 2025). He had three assists in 27 games for Colorado. 

Cale Makar (6-0, 187), Calgary, Alberta: The 27-year-old has already won the Norris Trophy twice (2022 and 2025) and he'll likely have a few more before he's done. Makar had been out since sustaining an upper-body injury against the Calgary Flames on March 30, but played the final two games of the regular season. The No. 4 pick in the 2017 NHL Draft had 79 points (20 goals, 59 assists) this season and was a big part of the Cup win in 2022. He also won the Conn Smythe Trophy voted as MVP of the postseason with 29 points (eight goals, 21 assists) in 20 games and the 2020 Calder Trophy.

Sam Malinski (5-11, 190), Lakeville, Minnesota: The 27-year-old took big strides in his second full season with the Avalanche. Undrafted, Malinski had an NHL career-high 40 points (eight goals, 32 assists). He signed a four-year contract with Colorado on Jan. 27.  

Josh Manson (6-3, 218), Hinsdale, Illinois: A sixth-round pick (No. 160) by the Anaheim Ducks in the 2011 NHL Draft, Manson was traded to the Avalanche on March 14, 2022. The 34-year-old had 31 points (five goals, 26 assists), the most since his NHL career-high of 37 for Anaheim in 2017-18.

Devon Toews (6-1, 191), Abbotsford, British Columbia: Toews began his NHL career with the Islanders, who selected him in the fourth round (No. 108) of the 2014 NHL Draft, but has been a staple on defense since he was traded to the Avalanche on Oct. 12, 2020. The 32-year-old, another member of the 2022 Cup-winning team, had 24 points (three goals, 21 assists) in 68 games.

GOALIES

Mackenzie Blackwood (6-4, 225), Thunder Bay, Ontario: The 29-year-old was 23-10-2 with a 2.51 goals-against average, .904 save percentage and three shutouts in 39 games (36 starts). The Sharks traded Blackwood to the Avalanche with Givani Smith for Alexandar Georgiev and Nikolai Kovalenko on Dec. 9, 2024. 

Scott Wedgewood (6-2, 201), Brampton, Ontario: The 33-year-old had a monster season that has him in the conversation for the Vezina Trophy. The 33-year-old was 31-6-6 with a 2.02 GAA, .921 save percentage and four shutouts in 45 games (43 starts). Acquired by the Avalanche from the Predators on July 1, 2024, he signed a one-year contract with Colorado on Nov. 13, 2025.