The Colorado Avalanche are back! Tonight, we will get our first glimpse at the new look Colorado Avalanche squad, which will feature two rookies on the fourth line, as Gavin Brindley and Zahkar Bardakov are poised to make their Avalanche debut on the first night of the 2025-26 NHL season. It starts with a showdown with the Los Angeles Kings on national television.
Colorado Avalanche: 0-0-0
The Opponent: Los Angeles Kings 0-0-0
Time: 8:30 p.m. MT
Watch: ESPN
Listen: Altitude Sports Radio, 92.5 FM
Colorado Avalanche
This year’s Avalanche squad has lofty goals and expectations, which should come as no surprise considering they are still employing Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar—two bona fide superstars. It will be the first puck drop featuring a healthy Gabe Landeskog since the 2022 regular season, and the Avalanche have added another veteran presence in Brent Burns on the back-end.
The proof will be in the pudding for Martin Necas, who was acquired via trading Mikko Rantanen, and the same is true for Colorado’s new set-and-forget second-line center, Brock Nelson, who represents another installment in Colorado’s attempts to fill the shoes of Nazem Kadri.
Speaking of proving yourself, Jack Drury will get his look at 3C, which Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar has made abundantly clear throughout camp, and with Logan O’Connor still on the mend, some young guns will get an honest look at NHL action.
Avalanche netminder MacKenzie Blackwood is still healing from an offseason injury, so I’d bet we get Scott Wedgewood tonight, but don’t fret, Avs fans. Wedgewood looked great in camp!
Projected Lineup:
Artturi Lehkonen — Nathan MacKinnon — Martin Necas
Gabe Landeskog — Brock Nelson — Valeri Nichushkin
Ross Colton — Jack Drury — Viktor Olofsson
Parker Kelly — Zakhar Bardakov — Gavin Brindley
Devon Toews — Cale Makar
Sam Girard — Brent Burns
Sam Malinski — Josh Manson
Scott Wedgewood
Trent Miner
Los Angeles Kings
The Kings have started a Get One for the Gipper campaign with Anze Kopitar announcing that this will be his final season in the NHL after a lengthy and successful career. Quinton Byfield may have gotten off to a slow start in his NHL career, but 2024 and 2025 were great years for the young man, and he has emerged as a bona fide top-six forward and should be a staple of the Kings’ core for years to come.
Drew Doughty will bring his beard and experience to the Kings’ back end for yet another season with his partner Mikey Anderson, and that pair will have their hands full. In all honesty, the Kings are one of the older and less speedy squads on paper, so hopefully the Avalanche can take advantage of that.
You will see a familiar face in net for the Kings as Darcy Keumper will get the nod for LA. Kuemper logged 31 victories in 50 starts last season and will look to halt his former teammates.
Projected Lineup:
Andrei Kuzmenko — Anze Kopitar — Adrian Kempe
Kevin Fiala — Quinton Byfield — Alex Laferrier
Warren Foegele — Phillip Danault — Trevor Moore
Jeff Malott — Alex Turcotte — Joel Armia
Mikey Anderson — Drew Doughty
Joel Edmunson — Brandt Clarke
Brain Duoulin — Cody Ceci
Darcy Kuemper
Anton Forsberg
Puck drop on the 2025-26 season is here!
