Joe Sakic Sends Clear Message on Avalanche's Future After Postseason Collapse
The Colorado Avalanche entered the postseason as one of the NHL's most dominant teams and favorites to win the Stanley Cup, but their campaign ended abruptly with a sweep in the Western Conference Final.
Colorado finished the regular season with 121 points and the Presidents' Trophy before advancing through the first two rounds of the playoffs.
At the end of the day, the Avs improved on their prior three postseason runs, with those ending in either the first round (twice) or the second round.
Even then, and following a disappointing finish, the organization addressed the short-term future of the franchise as Colorado heads into the offseason.
President of hockey operations Joe Sakic made his feelings clear about what's next during the final press conference of the season, saying that the Avalanche will not overhaul its roster entirely after just one series loss.
"We could panic and try and blow everything up and start all over," Sakic said. "But this team, what they've done over the course of the year, was pretty remarkable. Now, I want to give them an opportunity to try and do it again."
Added Sakic: "We all feel that we left something on the table, but you wake up the next day, and you look to try and get better," Sakic said. "We've got a great group."
Sakic pointed to earlier playoff success, as the Avs swept the Los Angeles Kings in the first round and completed a second-round gentleman's sweep against the Minnesota Wild, as evidence that the roster remains capable of competing for a championship.
"We played really well against a big, strong LA team. Minnesota, we won in five," Sakic said. "We just didn't put it together in a stretch of four games."
Joe Sakic on next season's roster:
— DNVR Avalanche (@DNVR_Avalanche) June 11, 2026
"We could panic and try and blow everything up and start all over... the last 2 trade deadlines were meant for not just that year to try and compete for a few years with this group and try to bring home the Stanley Cup and that's the goal" pic.twitter.com/oFIZLMFGVN
Regarding the speculation about head coach Jared Bednar's future and his possible firing, Sakic also made clear the organization will back and keep him in tow.
"He's got the confidence from the players," Sakic said. "They respect him, they love playing for him."
Looking ahead, one of the team's top priorities will be securing the future of Cale Makar, whose $54 million contract expires in July 2027.
"Cale is going to finish his career here," Sakic said. "We're confident that something's going to get worked out at some point."
The Avalanche last won the championship in 2022 with all of Sakic, Bednar, Makar, and franchise player Nathan MacKinnon in the organization. Judging by Sakic's statements, it looks like that won't change any time soon.
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This story was originally published June 13, 2026 at 6:30 AM.