You’ve seen the glass-half-full view.

Now it’s time to look at the empty portion.

Last week we analyzed the reasons to be optimistic about the Avalanche heading into the 2026-27 season. In the interest of fairness, there are also valid concerns three weeks away from the start of training camp.

Here are a few:

Age

Based on last season, the Avalanche should still be in good shape heading into a new campaign, even with one of the oldest rosters in the league. Is the window closing? Soon, but it’s not shut yet. With their emphasis on nutrition and workout regimens, modern NHL players have remained effective well into their 30s.

But no one outruns Father Time. The tricky thing about depending on so many older players is that you never know when the inevitable decline will hit. Aging players can decline quickly and out of nowhere, and it’s something the Avalanche risk over a nine-month season.

What Brent Burns is still doing is remarkable. Barring any setbacks, he’ll become the NHL’s all-time “Iron Man” on Feb. 15 in Denver. That is well into the second half of the season, a time when Burns’ play took a clear dip last season, one acknowledged by general manager Joe Sakic. The Avalanche have built their defense to where Burns doesn’t have to play as much as he has in the past, but they could be impacted if there is a dip in his play.

The defense in general is getting older, with Cale Makar and Sam Malinski being the only regulars under the age of 32. Josh Manson had his healthiest season as a member of the Avalanche and most productive at the age of 34.

Is that repeatable?

The Avalanche are less insulated up front. Nazem Kadri turns 36 a week into the season. Brock Nelson turns 35 a few days later. The next month, Gabriel Landeskog will be 34. Those are three of their top six forwards and two of their top three centers. All are coming off solid seasons, with Nelson a finalist for the Selke Trophy. It’s unlikely any of their games would fall off a cliff, and there’s always the possibility that we see no decline at all. But even the slightest dip in play and production would have a relatively large impact on the Avalanche. Colorado’s big free agent signing was 34-year-old Jaden Schwartz, a versatile winger who has struggled to stay healthy. He has managed to play more than 71 games once over the last nine seasons.

The reality of the NHL is that when you depend on players who are starting to age and have a lot of games logged in their career, you must be prepared for the potential of a decline. It may happen next season or it may not, but it’s a valid concern.

Statistical regression

During the 2024-25 season, Joel Kiviranta scored 16 goals on just 84 shots. Everyone knew that was not repeatable, and guess what? It wasn’t. Kiviranta wasn’t the type of player you can expect to shoot 19% every year. Few are. Predictably, his goal total dropped from 16 down to 3.

Parker Kelly is the ideal glue guy to have in your bottom six. He’ll do anything for his team and provides value in plenty of other ways that don’t involve the scoresheet. The Avalanche didn’t sign him to be a 20-goal scorer, but he became one last season. While not impossible, it’s wise to not expect Kelly to do that again this season.

The 27-year-old Kelly led all Avalanche players with a 20.2% shooting percentage on 104 shots. In his previous 257 NHL games, his shooting percentage was 8.5%. Lightning could strike twice, but maybe don’t bet on another 20% shooting season. He’ll still be the same Parker that kills penalties and hits everything that skates. He’ll probably just score fewer goals. The Avalanche did lose some proven depth in the offseason, so a drop in goal production would hurt the team.

The other statistical regression to watch is Scott Wedgewood. Before coming to Colorado, he was a dependable backup wherever he went. Since arriving in the Mile High City, he’s been statistically one of the best goalies in the NHL. Wedgewood wouldn’t be the first goalie to breakout in his 30s and won’t be the last. After all, goaltender might be the most unpredictable position in sports.

Is another full season as a top-five goaltender repeatable for Wedgewood? Of all the goaltenders that played 35 games last season, he had the highest goals saved above expected per 60 in the league, according to Moneypuck. Whether he can repeat that, or do something similar, will impact the Avalanche’s season. Colorado has high hopes for Mackenzie Blackwood and needs him healthy and consistent if there’s a drop off from Wedgewood.

Bednar’s status

You don’t hear the term lame-duck coach much in the NHL because it doesn’t happen very often. Teams typically extend their coach before entering the final year of their contract for security. Unless something changes, the Avalanche don’t appear to be doing that with Jared Bednar, which could create an interesting dynamic.

There’s already pressure on Bednar and this team to win another Stanley Cup. If they go into the season with no extension, he’s essentially coaching for his job, adding to the pressure. What happens if they get off to a slow start? How does the organization respond? Does a situation like that increase the possibility of a change occurring? It could ultimately have little or no impact on everything, but it’s uncharted territory in recent memory for the Avalanche.

The contract status of both Cale Makar, who will sign soon, and Lehkonen will also be a talking point. But it’s far more common for players to go into a season without an extension. As we saw last year with Martin Necas, that can often lead to a motivated player, so it’s less of a concern.

Stylistic changes

It would be stunning if this roster didn’t make the postseason. What they do when they get to the playoffs is what matters, and the teams that have eliminated the Avalanche the last few years have a tendency to pack it in and force the high-flying offense to find other ways to create. The answer to this question won’t be known for several months but will remain a concern until Colorado shows they can beat a Dallas or Vegas that way.

Can any youngsters seize the moment?

Fedor Svechkov and Zachary L’Heureux are near locks for roster spots given their waiver status, but they won’t be the only young players to get a look. Given that all of Colorado’s top left wingers (Landeskog, Lehkonen, Schwartz) have a tendency to miss games due to injury, players like Gavin Brindley, T.J. Hughes and Fabian Lysell will probably get their chances as well.

This team could use some youthful exuberance on the roster to go with the veteran group. Teams like Carolina and Florida have shown that having young players contribute can go a long way toward winning. Can these players contribute — not only in the regular season, but in the playoffs?

What I’m hearing

• Connor Hellebuyck went public Thursday with his trade request from the Winnipeg Jets after privately asking for one a few months back. He’s another Team USA member who wants out from his NHL club. The Avalanche are being mentioned as a dark-horse candidate, but that would be a tough trade to pull off. Winnipeg would look for picks and prospects, which the Avalanche lack, and Colorado is already up against the cap.
• Sounds like David Carle will be adding a coach with NHL experience to his staff in the very near future at the University of Denver. That should be announced soon. The rich get richer.

What I’m seeing

• Is the Avalanche power play still a concern? Absolutely. Am I still sick of talking about said power play? Definitely, which is why it wasn’t mentioned above. There will be plenty of power play talk when camp opens.
• Milan Hejduk looked like he still had NHL-caliber skating at the Avalanche’s alumni game.

What I’m thinking

• It’s almost September. The urge to watch some hockey is growing. That’s when you know the season is close.
• Not only is it getting more expensive to play hockey, but even getting into arenas will cost you an arm and a leg. The Maple Leafs are charging $200 for a standing-room ticket. Absurd.