Assessing the Colorado Avalanche Through Their First 13 Games

As we reach the first 13 games of the NHL season, the Colorado Avalanche have gotten off to a decent start, going 7-5-1 and placing third in the league in goals with 54.

The injury bug is familiar to the Avalanche, as a handful of players are out with injuries, including Logan O’Connor, Nicolas Roy, and Zachary L’Heureux. L’Heureux has been put on injured reserve (IR) twice already in the young season and has only played in three games so far, leading to concern about his durability down the road.

The Avalanche’s big dogs have produced, with Nathan MacKinnon leading the way with 22 points in 13 games and tied for fifth in points in the league with Evan Bouchard. Right behind MacKinnon is Martin Necas with 16 points, and the two have been key to the top offensive line. Meanwhile, the always-dynamic Cale Makar sits fifth with 11 points in 12 games and is tied for third on the team in assists with eight.

Surprises

So far this season, new addition Jaden Schwartz has been a standout with nine points in 13 games, helping out the Avalanche’s scoring depth. Another surprise has been T.J. Hughes. (from ‘‘Nice’ guy T.J. Hughes scores first NHL goal at key moment in Avalanche win over Penguins,’ Denver Post, 10/17/2026) The 24-year-old rookie has four points in 13 games, and getting quality minutes on the top power-play unit has been a welcome look to boost Colorado’s speed and offensive pace even further.

“He’s really strong and possesses the puck well along the boards, around the net, the strengths of his game on one-on-ones. Being able to challenge guys on the offensive side and how he gets to the right areas, and playing hard in the dirty areas,” Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar said on Schwartz.

The defense has been solid to start the season, as they have allowed 42 goals in 13 games, which is good for 21st in the league. Mackenzie Blackwood has gotten the majority of the starts, with nine, posting a decent 6-3-0 record with a 2.81 goals-against average (GAA) and a respectable .894 save percentage (SV%). Meanwhile, Scott Wedgewood has played three games with a 1-2-1 record that includes a 3.48 GAA and an .889 SV%. Blackwood has gotten off to a better start than he did last season and is showing signs of being consistent between the pipes, but health will be a key factor for him throughout the season.

“You have to treat it like every next shot matters; you have to trick your brain into thinking it’s a 1-1 or 2-1 games. Trying to practice for those situations obviously is different, but you try to put yourself in those situations mentally, and treat every puck like it’s the next most important one,” Avalanche goalie Mackenzie Blackwood said (from Mackenzie Blackwood Postgame Locker Room Interview, Altitude+, 10/2/26).

Artturi Lehkonen has started the season on a hot streak, putting up over a point per game, and leads the team in goals with 10.

“The puck is always finding his stick, and he’s doing a great job knocking pucks down. The little intangibles in his game are the things that make him special, and he’s getting rewarded right now,” Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar said.

The Avalanche also lost their assistant coach, Dave Hakstol, who took a head coaching job with the Arizona State Sun Devils. Brett McLean replaced Hakstol on the bench and has taken over power-play duties that have struggled so far this season, ranking 19th in the league at 19.5% and scoring just eight goals in 13 games.

As the season continues, it will be interesting to watch if the Avalanche can continue their stellar regular season play. But it will be up to the superstars, depth, and goaltending if Colorado wants to see itself atop the standings early in the season.