As the Colorado Avalanche head into the offseason with plenty of uncertainty, it’s clear that changes are coming. Once the new season begins, several developments will be worth closely monitoring.
Due to a tough salary cap situation, the team currently has limited flexibility when it comes to signing players. That likely means making some moves they’d rather avoid.
The current roster makeup isn’t expected to be the same once the league’s roster limit takes effect. Even with the salary cap set to rise, the Avalanche are still facing financial challenges. However, they do have options to navigate their way out of this situation.
Here are some tough choices the Avalanche will need to consider moving forward.’
Is Gabriel Landeskog ready to make a bigger impact this season for the Colorado Avalanche?
Gabriel Landeskog made a remarkable return to the ice during the postseason after being sidelined from head-to-head action for nearly three seasons. He played in a pair of games with the Colorado Eagles before rejoining the Avalanche for the playoffs. From my perspective, he looked solid, though ideally, we would’ve liked to see more—something that might have happened if Colorado had advanced past the Dallas Stars.
Now, Landeskog is already ramping up his training as he gears up for the 2025–26 season. Throughout his recovery from a severe knee injury, his commitment and work ethic have been well-documented through his personal docuseries.
There’s a key consideration with Landeskog, though—his $7 million cap hit. If his performance doesn’t meet expectations, the Avalanche would be in a tough spot. Unless he re-aggravates the knee or suffers a new injury, putting him on long-term injured reserve (LTIR) wouldn’t be an option. The team is currently strapped with just $1.2 million in cap space and still has multiple roster spots to address. That figure should increase once they make a trade to shed salary.
Even with the projected salary cap increase for 2025–26, the Avalanche still need to find a way to create more room. While it’s a long-shot scenario, trading Landeskog is technically on the table. Potential trade partners could include teams like the Hurricanes, Bruins, or Sabres.