Cale Makar just locked up a historic 163-million-dollar, 10-year contract — a payday that screams elite talent, with two Norris Trophies and a Stanley Cup already under his belt. He left nearly 400K on the table from the max possible, but it’s still a well-earned deal for the Avalanche’s cornerstone. Now, Colorado faces a brutal cap puzzle: with MacKinnon and Necas already eating up major chunks of the salary cap — and the team’s payroll nearing $100M — they’ve got slim room to build around their stars. With the cap rising to $113M next year, the window for another championship is wide open… but shrinking fast. Tough decisions ahead — and some key players might have to go.

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Captain Gabe Landeskog is back on the ice leading informal skates as Colorado Avalanche players gear up early for training camp, blending veterans like Toews, Manson, and Burns with fresh faces including Schwartz, Hughes, and L’Heureux — even goalies Nabokov and Novosyolov are hitting the rink. Beyond fitness, it’s a sneak peek at jersey numbers: Schwartz may don 71 (his old 17 is taken), Svechkov eyes 9, while rookies Gagne and DiMarsico switch to 28 and 14. This squad’s hustle speaks volumes — they’re not just preparing, they’re setting the tone for a season ahead.

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The Colorado Avalanche’s regular season dominance last year—55 wins, 121 points, Presidents’ Trophy—was dazzling, but their playoff collapse against Vegas exposed a brutal truth: postseason success is the real measure. With stars like Makar and MacKinnon back at full strength and depth added by the front office, this team isn’t chasing records anymore—they’re hunting a Stanley Cup. The pressure? They’ve got to deliver in April, not January.

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