LAS VEGAS — The Colorado Avalanche could look across the ice Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena and see a reflection of themselves from the past couple of seasons.
Colorado faces the Vegas Golden Knights in a matchup of two division leaders. It could be a preview of a looming Western Conference postseason showdown. However, what it won’t be is two sides going to battle with all of their top weaponry available.
The Golden Knights are currently trying to survive without franchise center Jack Eichel, No. 1 defenseman Shea Theodore, and No. 1 goalie Adin Hill, all sidelined with injuries. Adding to their woes is Alex Pietrangelo, who is taking the entire year off due to injury, much like Gabe Landeskog did. The parallels between the 2025-26 Golden Knights and recent Avalanche teams that dealt with significant availability issues are striking.
Despite these challenges, Vegas has managed to grind out enough points to lead the Pacific Division. Heading into the holiday break, Vegas, Anaheim, and Edmonton all shared 44 points, but the Knights have played the fewest games.
“Teams go through adversity at different times,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said. “These guys are through it a little bit right now. The parity in the league is as good as it’s ever been. I do think there are some teams that usually have a big role to play that are going to finish right where you kind of expect them to.”
Bednar’s comments highlight a trend this season: several NHL clubs considered top Stanley Cup contenders in the preseason have struggled through the first half of the campaign. Both Vegas and Edmonton have had their share of challenges, while Florida and Tampa Bay have dealt with significant injury concerns in the Eastern Conference.
Meanwhile, Colorado and Dallas have remained much healthier, soaring above the rest in the NHL standings. As the league gears up for the second half of the season leading into the 2026 Olympic break, the Oilers and Panthers have surged back into playoff positions, while the Lightning and Golden Knights continue to struggle.
“I think leadership, coaching, culture but also just having really good players and depth is big,” Avs center Jack Drury said. “Those are all well-coached teams. I think that helps a lot.”
Vegas has teetered without Eichel, who has missed the past four games. Those absences include losses to New Jersey, Calgary, and Edmonton. Mitch Marner, the marquee offseason addition for Vegas, has spent some time at center with both Eichel and William Karlsson out of the lineup.
Marner left Toronto and signed with Vegas on the same contract Mikko Rantanen inked in Dallas — eight years, $96 million. In 35 games for Vegas, Marner has recorded nine goals and 38 points.
When the Avalanche visited T-Mobile Arena for a 4-2 win on Halloween, their focus on shutting down Vegas’ high-powered power play was a key factor. Marner immediately established himself as one of the group’s main facilitators.
“I think he just adds a different dynamic,” Avs center Brock Nelson, who faced Marner for years in the Eastern Conference, said. “He makes guys around him better. He’s so dangerous with the puck. It’s his vision. He creates turnovers, has one of the better sticks in the league. He impacts the game pretty well in every way.”
https://www.denverpost.com/2025/12/27/avalanche-vegas-golden-knights-injuries-contenders/
