It’s another installment of Mile High Pollster! Does the third jersey need an upgrade? Do the Avalanche need to move Ilya Solovyov? Who’s headed to the Olympics, and how does the depth of this roster (as
currently constructed) stack up against the 2022 roster? Let’s see what the fans think!
Third jersey reboot
It’s been 10 years since the Avalanche introduced their dark blue third jersey, and, in all honesty, it is among the most popular jerseys despite being nothing new. We’ve seen a Reebok, Adidas, and now Fanatics rendering of this kit. It’s super sharp and a great look for division rivalry night. Ten years is a long time, and given how eager fans were to buy the Nordique heritage jersey, it would be a wise move to provide them with another premium product!
I, for one, would love for the Avalanche to get a fresh look for division rivalry night. The Avalanche have a color scheme that’s hard to screw up, and for all the hate, we still see plenty of blue berry and red berry jerseys. Some of them with Tyson Barrie on the back. How about a spin on one of those?
Good, better, and best
It’s almost Christmas, and the Avalanche still haven’t lost a third game in regulation. That is a sentence I didn’t think I’d ever write. This sort of success has come in large part to a Hart-worthy performance from MacKinnon, but has been propelled just a bit more by the emergence of Gavin Brindley and Sam Malinski. Brindley looks like a mainstay and has played every game in which he’s been 100%. Sam Malinski is set to blow old career best stats out of the water this season. This Avalanche team is deep. Is it as deep as the juggernaut from 2022?
Obviously, whether this team is as good as the 2022 team won’t be proven until we enjoy the spoils of late nights in the middle of June. Still, for now, we can look at roster construction and productivity in certain areas to compare.
For me, the goaltending situation is far more ideal and consistent than what the 2022 team had to offer. That’s not meant as disrespect to Kuemper or Francouz, but more of a compliment to Wedgewood and Blackwood, who’ve done all they’ve been asked to do as Avalanche.
Solovyov on the brain
Speaking of depth, the Avalanche are likely still in the market for another depth defender, as Solovyov has largely been unavailable and not all that impressive when in action. Brennan mentioned on this week’s edition of the Mile High Hockey Lab that even Solovyov has acknowledged that he hasn’t looked all that good during his conditioning stint in Loveland. What do you think should be done?
Full of future Olympians
We are growing closer and closer to the opening ceremony night and the Winter Olympics 2026 in Milano Cortina, Italy, and this time around, the NHL’s best will be on full display. Colorado is chock-full of premier talent, which is only put on display by the voters in this poll. The majority of voters say the Avalanche will send at least seven players to the Winter Games. Impressive group!
Let us know what your answers are in the comments, and be sure to follow us on X for future polls!
