Avalanche Have One Final Roster Decision That Just Got Much Harder
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The Colorado Avalanche are entering the final days of the preseason with Gavin Brindley appearing to have the inside track on one of the final spots in the lineup.
Enter T.J. Hughes. He scored three goals, and suddenly Jared Bednar and the Avalanche have a much harder decision in front of them.
Hughes recorded a hat trick in Colorado’s 5-2 preseason victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Friday. For the 24-year-old undrafted forward, things couldn’t have gone much better. He’s been impressive all throughout camp.
This was exactly what he needed, and no matter how the roster looks at the end of today, Hughes put up a fight.
The problem is that Brindley has done plenty to show he deserves the job as well.
With the preseason complete and Colorado’s September 30 season opener against the Los Angeles Kings just days away, Colorado is going to have to make a really hard decision when it comes between two young forwards who have given them every chance to say yes.
Brindley Had Advantage Entering Camp
Brindley has something Hughes does not. NHL experience. That’s worth a lot.
The 21-year-old surprisingly earned a place on the 2025-26 Opening Night roster for the Avalanche. He went on to play in 56 games, in which he recorded six goals and seven assists.
He walked into training camp this year with full expectations of keeping his spot.
Brindley scored in Colorado’s preseason opener against Utah and added an assist. Bednar praised his competitiveness, speed and work on the puck.
That’s significant.
At 5-foot-8, he’s not going to overpower his opponents. He is forced to take advantage of his speed, forechecking and ability to create problems.
Colorado already has the faith and knowledge that those skills will translate to the NHL ice.
Now, Hughes is proving himself as well.
Hughes Made Himself Valuable
Hughes didn’t come with the same resume.
Colorado signed the former Michigan standout as an undrafted free agent in April. He finished his college career with 22 goals and 57 points in his final season.
Since then, he has continued to prove himself worthy of being in the NHL, or at least having a chance.
Hughes produced 14 points in just 17 AHL games last spring. The momentum just kept building. Hughes hasn’t looked back since entering rookie camp.
Friday, he put an exclamation point on his arrival.
A hat trick in a preseason game isn’t going to guarantee you a spot on the NHL roster, especially in the Colorado organization, given that they have Stanley Cup expectations.
But, Hughes did more than score. He has shown offensive instincts worthy of taking a hard look.
Bednar also talked about him after the first preseason game and highlighted his intelligence and puck movement, especially on the power play.
That’s significant.
The Avs need to improve their performance on the power play.
At some point, a player making the most out of every opportunity has to matter.
No Fear of Losing Either Player
This really isn’t a high-pressure situation, and it’s a pretty good problem to have.
Both of these players are waiver-exempt. Brindley is signed through 2027-28 at an $875,000 cap hit. He can be assigned to the AHL without passing through waivers.
Hughes is also exempt from waivers. He is playing on a one-year entry-level contract with a $952,500 cap hit.
So, whatever decision Bednar and the Colorado organization make won’t risk losing a player.
The Avalanche wanted more young players competing for positions. Now they have it. The difficult part comes now in deciding who stays and who goes.
But, going isn’t that bad, either.
The one who doesn’t make the Opening Night roster can go to the Colorado Eagles, accumulate significant playing time, and be ready when the Avalanche need help.
That’s not really a bad outcome.
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Laura Lambert resides in Wiggins, Colo. with her husband, Ricky and two sons, Brayden and Boedy. She attended the University of Northern Colorado while studying economics. She is an accomplished rodeo athlete and barrel horse trainer along with being a life-long sports fan. Over the years, Laura has been active in journalism in a variety of roles. While continuing to cover western sports and country music, she is currently enjoying expanding her reach into multiple sports including MLB, NHL, NCAA and WNBA. Laura covers the Miami Marlins, Houston Astros, Texas Rangers, Detroit Tigers, Colorado Rockies, Toronto Blue Jays, Colorado Avalanche and Rodeo for On SI. You can reach her at lauralambertmedia@gmail.com