Avalanche Nightmare Nearing Breaking Point with Bednar, MacFarland Rumors

The Colorado Avalanche were too good this season to go out at the hands of the Vegas Golden Knights with a four-game sweep in the Western Conference Final. With the team facing a gut-wrenching end to their President’s Trophy-winning season, some members of the organization might have to take the fall. The most obvious seems to be head coach Jared Bednar, as any coach who can’t get the most out of this roster likely deserves a significant part of the blame.

If the Avalanche fail to make their improbable comeback, starting Tuesday night, insider Chris Johnston believes that it could have some repercussions for the head coach, according to his podcast, The Chris Johnston Show.

“There’ll probably be a coaching discussion in Colorado if this goes the way it looks like it’s going and and I do think there’ll be some tweaking to the roster.”

While Bednar’s future might be in doubt, it is ironically not Chris MacFarland who will make that decision about his coach’s future. MacFarland has been the general manager of the Avalanche since the 2022 season, but Elliotte Friedman believes that another opportunity could come knocking once Colorado’s season is over, via 32 Thoughts.

“When that Chris McFarland thing came out, that is one of the things I’ve been wondering about, if Nashville is waiting to talk to him; I do not believe there is any deal…in place or anything close.”

The Avalanche are in a position to run it back with nearly the same roster next season, which could be appealing to MacFarland, who might stay to try to see it through. However, with this season seeming like their best chance to win another championship with this core, especially after bringing back Nazem Kadri, the general manager could see the writing on the wall and explore whether Nashville offers a brighter future.

With Colorado’s high-powered offense, it’s hard to count them out of the series. However, with only four teams coming back from down 3-0 in NHL history, the writing could likely be on the wall.

Next: Avalanche in Trouble After Game 3 Collapse: MacKinnon Injury Update