The Colorado Avalanche will not conduct an external search for a general manager after Chris MacFarland left for the Nashville Predators earlier this summer. Instead, acting GM Joe Sakic will return to the role full time, according to Evan Rawal of the Denver Gazette.
Sakic will hold both the general manager and president of hockey operations titles for the 2026-27 season. The Hall of Fame forward previously served as Colorado’s general manager from 2014 to 2022 before handing the role to MacFarland, then his assistant general manager.
Sakic returned to GM duties following MacFarland’s departure from the organization. That put him front-and-center in negotiations with star defenseman Cale Makar as the two sides talked through what would become a record-breaking contract extension.
With Makar signed through the 2034-35 season, Sakic inherits an Avalanche roster with substantial long-term stability. Only four players on Colorado’s NHL roster are currently positioned to become free agents after the 2026-27 season, including 41-year-old defenseman Brent Burns and 34-year-old goaltender Scott Wedgewood, both of whom may face retirement decisions.
Prospects T.J. Hughes, Sean Behrens, and Nikita Prishchepov will also need new contracts after the season, though their performances in 2026-27 will help determine the shape of those deals.
Colorado has four defensemen signed through at least 2030. Star center Nathan MacKinnon’s contract runs through the 2030-31 season, while linemate Martin Necas is signed through 2033-34.
Together, those commitments give Colorado a stable core around which to build. After facing perennial cap crunches in his last reign as GM, a rising NHL salary-cap should give Sakic the freedom to reinforce the roster and keep Colorado in annual Stanley Cup conversation.
Colorado’s clearest constraint is its limited draft capital. The Avalanche traded their 2027 first-round pick in the deal for Nicolas Roy and moved their 2028 first-rounder to acquire Nazem Kadri.
As a result, they hold only one selection in the first two rounds of the next two drafts before their stockpile returns to normal in 2029.
A shallow prospect pool and minimal draft picks shouldn’t hinder the Avalanche’s future. Their roster has pulled together a top-three finish in the Central Division in each of the last seven seasons and won the Cup in 2022, Sakic’s last season as the full-time general manager.
With much of their core still intact and flexibility inbound, Colorado should remain a leading contender in the Western Conference.