The Avalanche will have a nearly fully healthy roster when they open the 2025-26 regular season against the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday at Crypto.com Arena. Only nine players from last season’s opening-night lineup are part of this year’s squad.
Captain Gabriel Landeskog is scheduled to play in his first regular-season game since March 10, 2022. Both Artturi Lehkonen and Valeri Nichushkin were out of the lineup for the first 10+ games of the 2024-25 season, but will be in uniform and on the ice for the Avs on Tuesday.
When adding up the stats from each of their most recent regular seasons, the Avs will have 78 goals, 60 assists and 138 points in the lineup against the Kings that they weren’t there in October 2024.
“We’re relatively healthy,” Landeskog said. “And I think that’s huge to start the year off.”
In addition to the team being healthier, the roster that ended the 2024-25 season is mostly intact. Brock Nelson signed a three-year extension on June 4th, foregoing the chance to hit free agency. Joel Kiviranta inked a one-year contract on August 8th. Mid-season acquisitions Martin Necas, Jack Drury and Scott Wedgewood all participated in their first training camp with the Avs. There are fewer questions around the Avs roster than there were a year ago, starting with Landeskog’s return.
“With Gabe back, it’s nice not to have any more uncertainty around our whole team,” Nathan MacKinnon said.
Avalanche Head Coach Jared Bednar said this is probably the deepest team they’ve had since the 2021-22 squad that brought the franchise its third Stanley Cup.
“We feel like we’re a deep team right now and starting healthier than we have in the past few years,” Bednar said. “So, guys are all excited about it.”
The Avalanche will be without goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood and forward Logan O’Connor against the Kings on Tuesday, as both players recover from their respective injuries.
Devon Toews, who missed four of the team’s first six games in 2024-25, said the roster stability is helpful in training camp.
“We can get down to the nitty gritty a lot quicker,” Toews said. “We don’t have to bring as many guys along with our system and structure and all of that.”
After starting the 2024-25 season 0-4-0, the Avalanche will look to start stronger in 2025-26, beginning with a road test against the Kings.
“I think we’re a very hungry group,” Landeskog said. “Probably as motivated and as excited as we’ve been in a long time. And that’s a good way to start the season.”