The Colorado Avalanche set their roster on Monday ahead of the 5 p.m. deadline, ensuring they’re cap-compliant and prepared to open the season against the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday.
While there weren’t any major surprises in the final lineup, a few noteworthy decisions reflect the team’s outlook entering the 2025-26 campaign. Here’s a breakdown of three unexpected developments on the Avalanche’s Opening Night roster.
This development is arguably the most intriguing one. The Avalanche will open the season with three goaltenders on their roster, as starter MacKenzie Blackwood isn’t yet fully cleared to play. According to insider Aarif Deen, Blackwood is progressing in his recovery but wasn’t a full participant in Monday’s practice.
That means Scott Wedgewood is expected to start against the Kings, with Trent Miner serving as his backup. Based on their preseason performances, that duo should hold up fine in the short term.
Blackwood remains on the active roster, indicating that his return may only be a few days away. For now, it doesn’t appear Colorado plans to place him on injured reserve — though that could change depending on how things unfold.
Brindley, Ahcan Make the Team
Top prospect Gavin Brindley survived the final round of cuts. Acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets in the Charlie Coyle trade, Brindley likely won’t play in the opener but has positioned himself well to earn playing time soon. He showed enough in training camp to avoid being sent down to the Colorado Eagles, though consistent ice time may be hard to come by if the current roster performs well. Expect him to step in when the team rotates players or deals with minor injuries.
Meanwhile, defenseman Jack Ahcan secured the seventh-defenseman spot — perhaps the biggest surprise of camp. Many expected waiver claim Ilya Solovyov to claim that role, but Solovyov was placed on injured reserve due to a personal matter and is listed as day-to-day. Ahcan also edged out Keaton Middleton, offering a more complete game compared to Middleton’s more limited style.
It’s also worth noting that defensemen Sean Behrens, Ronald Attard, and Jacob MacDonald were all designated as non-roster players while they recover from injuries. Any of them could have been in the mix for that seventh-defenseman job under normal circumstances.
Ivan, Gushchin Sent Down
Forwards Ivan Ivan and Danil Gushchin were among the final cuts. Gushchin, in particular, was viewed as a strong contender for a fourth-line role, but he’ll begin the season with the Eagles instead. While his reassignment isn’t shocking, it’s a bit disappointing given how close he seemed to sticking with the main roster.
Ivan, who made the team last year amid a rash of injuries, didn’t earn a spot this time — not even as the 13th forward. The organization likely decided it was better for him to log consistent minutes in the AHL rather than sit in the press box.