Joe Sakic isn't going anywhere. The Colorado Avalanche have decided their longtime executive will run the front office as general manager full-time.
Word broke Monday morning that Sakic will stay in the GM chair moving forward, according to NHL insider Evan Rawal.
There will be no outside search, sources told Rawal. Colorado already has its guy in the building.
That guy ran a team that went 55-16-11 last season and finished with 121 points, the best record in the NHL.
The Avalanche also outscored opponents 302-203 on the year, the top goal differential in the league.
Colorado finished first in its division and first overall league-wide, a combination not many front offices ever get to protect.
They also went 29-7-5 on the road, actually better than their 26-9-6 mark at home. Not many powerhouses build it that way.
Nathan MacKinnon anchors that roster at a cap hit of 12,600,000 dollars, the third-highest number among every player in the NHL.
Why would anyone run a search after a season like that?
Skipping it isn't lazy, especially when the architect just finished building the best house on the block.
Sakic returns sounding reinvigorated, per insiders
Reinvigorated was the word used to describe Sakic back in the GM seat, according to Rawal's reporting Monday.
Rawal also said more details are expected soon, a sign this front-office story is still unfolding in real time.
Colorado's own roster file still lists Chris MacFarland as general manager, a title he's held since July 2022.
Jared Bednar stays behind the bench, a job he's had since August 2016, now working under a fully restored GM structure above him.
The Avalanche closed last season on a three-game winning streak, going 7-2-1 over their final 10 games before it ended.
That kind of continuity matters for a roster built to win now, even before the front-office title got sorted out publicly.
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What changes day to day between Sakic and MacFarland hasn't been spelled out yet. That part of the story is still moving.
Should the Avalanche have run a real GM search instead of just sticking with Sakic?
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