I've never been more confident in saying this...

I have a good feeling about these players. The regular season started in an amazing way for the Colorado Avalanche last night putting up 8 goals on the Los Angeles Kings, and so I've decided to predict every statline for every Colorado Avalanche player for the upcoming season. This might take a while, but this is the only time of the year when we can make this video. Before we get started, I'd like to remind you guys to hit that subscribe button down below as it really helps the channel. The regular season is upon us, and you won't want to miss a thing. As we should all know by now, the Avs are coming off a President's Trophy winning season. The big numbers were common to see on the stat sheet. Led by Nathan McKinnon, the Avs saw themselves have 4 60-point scorers and 2 100-point scorers. They were the only team in the NHL to have 2 100-point scorers. Mind you, there were only 8 of them last year, so to have a quarter of them is pretty cool. But let's get started. I'll be going over the exact lineup that played in Game 1. Forward line 1, according to Daily Faceoff, and also just the game itself, is the Leckanen-Natius line. Combining for an absurd 275 points last season, I don't expect too much less from this trio. Starting with Arturi Leckanen at left wing. He had 21 goals and 27 assists through 70 games last season, which has been the norm for him a lot of his career. He was having a little more productive production in his earlier Avs days, but this is just fine if you're going to play with the other two dudes on this line. My biggest concern with him is the injury bug. He hasn't played more than 74 games in a season since 2019. There's always something that puts him on IR. My prediction for him is 24 goals, 26 assists in 77 games. And here's something random. He's going to have a hat trick within the first 12 games of the season. He was so close last night. Moving on to the man himself, the center on this fantastic first line, the heart winner, it's Nate Daug. Entering his age 31 season, he's coming off a rocket last year where he set a career high in goals with 53 to go along with 74 assists for 127 points and a plus 57 rating. He's had a triple digit point pace in each of the last seven seasons and hasn't had a plus minus worse than positive 11 in a decade. He's going to keep doing his thing. I'll say 46 goals and 71 assists for 117 points in 77 games as well. Same as lucky. Heart nominee, but won't win. Hopefully he keeps the fights down too. I don't need him breaking a hand or anything. Marty Natchez is the last guy on this line, suiting up at right wing one, 38 goals and 62 assists for exactly a hundred points last season in 78 games. As long as he's stable to McKinnon, I don't see any sudden fall off. He's been elite as an av. He's of course also on the first power play unit as well. I see a very consistent season from Natchez. I'll go 40 goals and 56 assists through 80 games. First time he'll hit 40, if he does that. With that consistency, I think that I think Natchez will have, part of it will be thanks to a 15 game point streak at some point in the year. On to line two. Right now it's the unclined Landy Brock Kadri. I think by season's end, this line will look a lot different. But starting with Landis Kog, he's coming off a 14 goal, 21 assist season in 60 games, but a much better playoff where he had six in five and 13. He's currently top PP with McKinnon and Makar. And because of that, I think he'll have a solid season. My prediction for Landis Kog is 25 goals and 22 assists in 66 games. Of those 25 goals, 13 will be on the power play. I think that's where he's going to shine the most this season. Like last season, the team will likely be very cautious with him as well. You don't want to risk anything. To the two C, it's Brock Nelson. He had 33 goals and 65 points in 81 games last season, which were good for third and fourth on the team, respectively. Fantastic last night. He was amazing. He's been producing like this for years now, and he has no reason to start falling off even if he's turning 35 soon. That said, I think this is the year. Now it's not going to be a massive fall off, but it's going to start. I think his playoffs were not great. Three points in 13 games. It's crazy. He matched that total just last night. I'm going to go with 22 goals and 21 assists in 70 games. He's never on a unit with McKinnon, whether it's that even strength or power play. I just think it's time and they're not going to score eight every night. Currently projected at the RW2 is Nazan Kadri. He was in a 60-70 point scoring range for a few years, but last season he had only 50 points in 77 games. He spent a lot of that on a garbage flames team, but even when he came here, it was only a combined 18 and 29 with the playoffs. He's 36 in just a few days, and he's going to fall under that same spell as Nelson, I think. That said, I don't think his numbers will be very different from last season. At some point, he's going to become the 2C. That's my belief. And with that, he finishes with 18 goals and 33 assists in 78 games. By the end of the year, I'm honestly hoping one of either him or Nelson will be the 3C for just better depth in general. The third line right now is looking completely different from last season. Currently it's Jaden Schwartz, Peter Svechkov, and impressive preseason standout TJ Hughes. Jaden Schwartz is a good depth scorer at this point in his career. He hasn't eclipsed 50 points since 2020. He's definitely not the player he once was with the Blues. Last season in Seattle, he had 11 goals and 26 points in 50 games. He's currently on the second power play unit, as he should be. I'm going to say 19 goals and 14 assists in 58 games, as he's dealt with injuries in the past. Right now, Peter Svechkov is the 3C. Whether that's sustained throughout the season is to be determined, but this is the order I'm going in. He's had back-to-back 17-point seasons with the Predators, actually playing more games last year with 70, so his rate went down. He's not a goal scorer, and I don't think that changes on a new and better team. In 53 games, Svechkov will have 10 goals and 11 assists. Hopefully he can move up the lineup at some point if he's proven it, but right now he's not being deployed anywhere but the third line at even strength. TJ Hughes has been, or he had been, the talk of the preseason for the Avs fan base, where he had a really, really good showing. He's played his way to the first power play unit with the big boys. I'm not sure if he plays the whole season with the team, just because of Logan O'Connor currently being on IR, and that's his spot on the third line. He wasn't amazing last night. He was a dash three with no points and an 8-4 win. I'll say goals and 7 assists in 29 games because I'm just not sure if he stays up with the Avs for the full year as the team gets healthier. And you don't want him playing fourth line minutes either because then that's just useless, right? Avs are currently projected to roll 11 and 7 opening nights, so this fourth line is only two players, Parker Kelly and Nick Roy. Kelly bounced around a lot in the bottom nine last year, actually scoring 21 goals and 35 points over a full 82-game season. It was fun to watch last season, but I don't think he does that again. I'm going to say 12 goals and 12 assists in 68 games, which still isn't too bad, even if he did have one and one last night. But again, they're not scoring eight every night. Nick Roy was acquired last March from the Leafs at the deadline, 11 points in 28 games combined with the playoffs after he had 20 in 59 with the Leafs. He's a bona fide bottom sixer with Kelly. They're going to be the top PK forwards. Let me say 13 goals and nine assists in 73 games, scored last night too. We'll see. Forward scratches are currently Logan O'Connor, who's dealing with an injury, but he should be fine soon. And then Zach Leroux. LOC played in 13 playoff games and 13 regular season games last year, reporting only one goal and four points in those 26 total games. With Hughes being there right now, there's no doubt he's got to earn his spot back, but I think he will. Nine goals, seven assists in 46 games. Zach Leroux, honestly, I expect not much from him, and I could even see him getting sent down at some point. He's a grinder. In 33 games, he's going to score two goals and three assists to go along with 61 penalty minutes. Forwards are done. Let's get to the decor. First up, it's the best pairing in hockey with Devon Taves and Kael McCarr. They're so good. It's hard to believe Devon Taves is already entering his seventh season with the Avalanche. Sadly, he's coming off by far his worst offensive season with the team, having just 24 points in 68 games last year, although he turned it up in the playoffs with 11 points in 13 games. Besides, he's a rock defensively, and we all know that. Being on the second power play unit with some talent, I think a bounce back is in store for Mr. Taves, and he's going to have 10 goals, 37 assists in all 84 games this season. Because his defensive instincts are so good, he's never quite been the biggest blocker out there because opposing offensive rushes never even get to that point, but he's going to have 140 blocks this season, and he had two assists last night. It's going to be good. He's going to bounce back 100 percent, and now it's the guy who could have retired at 23 and be considered the GOAT, Kael McCarr. He just signed the fattest contract in hockey less than a month ago, and he's not going to disappoint because of it. 79 points in 75 games last season. That's his sixth straight year at point per game or higher. I think he's going to be dishing the puck more this season rather than scoring himself, especially after last night. Another two assists for him. 18 goals, 68 assists in 76 games. That's what I think. Norris Trophy to cement himself as the greatest D-man to ever play the sport. Second pair is solid, man. Brett Kulak and Sam Malinsky. Now, I have a little take here, so I'm going to start with Kulak. He's not here to score, but I think he really got into his own during the playoffs. He had that big OT goal. Since getting acquired at the deadline, he had eight points in 40 games. Not that many. This is a defensive defenseman, the prototype. At age 32, going on 33, Brett Kulak is going to have a career offensive season. I'm saying it right now, and he didn't have a point last night. Okay, I don't care. It's going to happen. Six goals, 34 assists in all 84 games, no power play deployment, just straight even strength gas. That'll go with 138 blocks. The didn't start last night, okay? But they will. Trust me. And I think that production is going to replace his pairing guy, his partner there, Sam Malinsky. So that was a sudden breakout from last season. 40 points in all 82 games with just one of those coming from the power play. I really do think they're going to swap somehow. A whopping plus 43 to go along with all those points. He was one of the luckier players on the team from a production standpoint. However, I don't think he does what he did last year again, but he'll still be providing strong minutes. I've seen this movie once with Ryan Graves. That's all I'll say. Eight goals, 14 assists in 55 games. That's my take. To the third pair. It's an unction once again. Manson and Bernsie. Manson had just had his best offensive season in eight years randomly last year with 31 points in 79 games. You'll take that from your bottom pair stay at home V-man, I guess. He was also a plus 42. He was also the seventh among V-men in hits last year with 174. To be honest, the most underappreciated player on this whole roster from last year. This year, I'll go with six goals, 15 assists in 64 games to go along with 155 hits. Manson again looked awesome last night too with an assist, a hit, and a block. Fantasy owners are just eating. Brent Burns is next. Is this his last season? Who knows? He'll be 42 by season's end, but that doesn't matter apparently. He still put up 12 goals and 35 points in all 82 games last year, proving he's still so valuable at his large age. He even had an assist last night in 84 games. Because he can't break that streak, I say he puts up 14 goals and 17 assists in all 84 games. Finally, it's the seventh V-man who unfortunately got into the lineup. You know I'm not a big fan of him. It's Noah Jewelson. He set a career high in points last year with 10 in 52 games last year with the Flyers. I think he puts up six this year in 44 games. I hope Sean Barrons can get his chance at some point and be triple the player that Jewelson is. To the goalies, it's the Wood duo. McKenzie Blackwood wasn't insane last night, but it's clear the Avs want him to be the number one guy going forward, which is fair, which is definitely fair. He had a 904 safe percentage last year in 39 games. With an injury behind him, he's going to play in 39 games again, but this time putting up a 25-10-1 record with a 9-12 safe percentage and a GSAX around 12. Wedgwood has literally been all you can ask for out of a goalie. 9-21 safe percentage, Jennings Trophy, and top five in GSAX, despite only playing in 45 games. This year, he's going to play in 37 games, and he's going to take a step to the side. I really think the Avs are just going to want to protect him because they realize how good he is. They realize that they have a special goalie, and in an era where goalies aren't great, like the league average was 899 safe percentage last year. This guy was 22 points ahead of that. You want to protect him. You want to just balance both of the goalies out, even Blackwood's coming off an injury. You just want to protect both guys, and he is younger, Blackwood, so it just makes more sense to maybe give him a Wedgwood will have a 23-7-5 record to go along with a 9-14 safe percentage, and about 15 goals saved above expected. Trent Miner will probably play in the leftover games in case one of the two beauties gets hurt. And that is all for my 2026-2027 Avalanche Staff Predictions. Let me know what you guys think. Who did I overrate? Who did I underrate? And while we're at it, let's get this video to 40 likes. This has been Dominic Presta for Avalanche Digest. See you at the next one. And the season has begun, guys. Go Labs, go!