It’s another installment of Mile High Pollster! How many wins can the Avalanche amass this season after a hot start? Who’s the next call-up? Who will make the lineup when Logan O’Connor, Val Nichuskin,
and Joel Kiviranta return? Let’s see what the fans think!
Just how good can it get?
This year’s Avalanche squad is off to its best start in years. In fact, Jared Bednar says this is their best start since 2022, and he is specifically excited about Colorado’s emphasis on the defensive side of things.
All of this winning and point gathering has us googling how many wins the Bruins had in 2022-23 (65).
Getting 55-59 wins, as 46% of fans have chosen, that will be at minimum a five-win improvement on last season’s total and still very impressive.
Winning streaks are the key to absurd win totals, and the Avalanche are on a six-game heater as I write this article. Pushing a streak like this into double digits is the real catalyst for winning 60+ if you ask me.
Called the call-up!
Over the weekend, Val Nichuskin left the lineup due to injury, prompting a call-up from the Colorado Eagles. We posed the question to the Avalanche community, and they hit the nail right on the head as Taylor Makar was the call-up ahead of the Islanders contest. If only he saw more than 3 minutes of ice time. Avs got the win, so it’s cool.
Who’s on the healthiest lineup?
Jared Bednar was on for his weekly interview with the Altitude Sports Radio crew, and he mentioned that Joel Kiviranta should skate with the team this week; Logan O’Connor has been slated for a return for quite some time now and feels really close; and Val Nichushkin is day-to-day with no timeline for a return.
In an ideal world, they should all be back before the year’s end. That health and the surprising contributions from Gavin Brindley have the Avalanche in an interesting situation.
I think it’s safe to say Bardakov will be the first odd-man out, but what to do with the Kiviranta or Brindley decision? Here’s a lineup for a fully healthy Avs club:
Artturi Lehkonen — Nathan MacKinnon — Martin Necas
Ross Colton — Brock Nelson — Valeri Nichushkin
Gabe Landeskog — Jack Drury — Victor Olofsson
Joel Kiviranta — Parker Kelly — Logan O’Connor
Zakhar Bardakov — Gavin Brindley
Two things about this forward group:
1) Holy smokes, that’s a lot of depth and flexibility.
2) I think I’d rather let Brindley give it a go and flip some of this depth into another veteran middle-pair defensman.
Most impressive start
We have seen some excellent starts and improvements from multiple players early on in the 2025-26 season, but who’s really caught your eye the most? Is it Nathan MacKinnon who is somehow on pace for yet another career year despite already proving himself as the game’s most successful prolific talent? Or Sam Malinski, who has seemingly graduated into a full-on professional hockey player? Perhaps the name on the Norris has you most excited.
I, for one, think that Scott Wedgewood’s surge to bona fide starter has impressed me the most. Wedgewood has done everything that has been asked of him and more in the time that MacKenzie Blackwood has been healing and getting back up to speed. It won’t be long til the Avalanche have the best goalie tandem in the league.
Olympic buzz is building
There’s not much in sports that compares to international competition, and of course, no competition has meant more to human civilization than the Olympics. The 2026 Winter Olympics are set for Milan, Italy, and more than a few Avalanche players will take the trip and represent their homeland in a best-on-best hockey tournament for the ages.
Brock Nelson is likely to make Team USA, MacKinnon, Makar, and Toews will be on Team Canada’s roster. Arturri Lehkonen will link back up with Mikko Rantanen to represent the Finns, and Martin Necas will represent Team Czechia. Lastly, Gabe Landeskog will captain the Swedish club.
So that means Colorado’s top defensive pair, top forward line, second-line center, and captain will all be participating in extra high-stakes hockey.
We all know there is risk involved, but it shouldn’t come as a surprise that these guys want to participate in this tournament. It’s the mecca of sport, and the pros haven’t been a part of the Olympics since Sochi in 2019. I would say that I’m anxious, a.k.a. nervous, excited.
Let us know what your answers are in the comments, and be sure to follow us on X for future polls!
