The Colorado Avalanche face a crucial week as they strive to make franchise history at home while grappling with a series of significant injuries. Here's a breakdown of the key storylines and their schedule for the week of January 11-18, 2026.
Chasing History at Ball Arena
The Avalanche are currently enjoying a 17-game home winning streak. Their most recent victory came on Saturday, a 4-0 shutout against the Columbus Blue Jackets. They are now on the cusp of matching the franchise record for the longest home winning streak, a mark set during their 2021-22 Stanley Cup-winning season. Monday's game against the Toronto Maple Leafs is a highly anticipated matchup with history hanging in the balance. Cale Makar believes that the secret behind their home success boils down to something simple: “Not talking about it”.
Significant Injury Trouble
Despite their strong performance, the Avalanche are dealing with several key injuries. Captain Gabriel Landeskog is sidelined for "some weeks" with an upper-body injury sustained earlier in January against the Florida Panthers. This injury casts a shadow of doubt over his participation in the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics. Top-pairing defenseman Devon Toews is also out with an upper-body injury, creating a void on the blue line that players like Ilya Solovyov are trying to fill. Goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood is on injured reserve due to a lower-body injury, forcing the team to test their goaltending depth. Logan O'Connor has yet to play this season as he recovers from offseason hip surgery. Joel Kiviranta is also currently sidelined with a lower-body injury.
Trent Miner's Emergence
With Blackwood unavailable, rookie goaltender Trent Miner received a call-up and seized the opportunity on Saturday, recording his first NHL shutout in his first career win against Columbus. Miner's stellar performance provides the team with much-needed confidence in their backup situation, especially with starter Scott Wedgewood carrying a heavy workload.
Salary Cap Challenges
The Avalanche hold the league's best record at 33-4-7 and are dominating the Central Division. Nathan MacKinnon is leading the league in goals, while Cale Makar is the top-scoring defenseman. As the trade deadline approaches in about eight weeks, rumors are circulating about potential moves to add depth, particularly at center, given their limited cap space.
