The Colorado Avalanche are expected to bring back head coach Jared Bednar despite the team’s playoff disappointment this postseason. Colorado was swept by the Las Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference Finals.
Also, about Colorado: there is word Jared Bednar is staying as the Avalanche’s coach
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— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) June 2, 2026
Mutiple teams were expected to pursue Bednar if he came available. The Edmonton Oilers, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Los Angeles Kings were all top targets.
Bednar has coached the organization since the 2016-17 season and has completely turned the franchise around. In his first season, the team finished in last place with a 22-56-4 record for 48 points, which was 21 points fewer than the next closest team. Since then, the team has made the playoffs every year under Bednar, even winning the Stanley Cup in 2022.
This season, the Avalanche completely dominated the regular season, winning the Presidents Trophy with a 55-16-11 record for 121 points. In the playoffs, they swept the Los Angeles Kings in the first round and beat the Minnesota Wild in five games in the round two. However, it all came crashing down in the Western Conference Finals, with the team blowing leads in Games 2 and 3. Injuries to stars like Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar also didn’t help.
Bednar and the Avalanche now have the offseason to figure out what exactly went wrong. However, the window for another Stanley Cup may be closing sooner rather than later. The Avalanche have the fourth oldest roster, and have the least amount of cap space in the league at $2.9 million. The team may have to make some changes if they want to make another Stanley Cup run.
