Joe Sakic isn't going anywhere, and the Colorado Avalanche want that message out there clearly.
Corey Masisak reported that Sakic is committed to the GM role full-time, with no search for a replacement currently underway.
That stunning series loss to the Vegas Golden Knights didn't push Sakic toward the exit. According to a source, it actually reinvigorated him.
Colorado finished 55-16-11 for 121 points this season, first overall in the entire league, before that shocking playoff exit ended the run early.
That kind of regular season success made the loss to Vegas sting even more, and speculation about Sakic's future picked up almost immediately after.
Reports earlier in the offseason floated Andrew Cogliano as a possible replacement, adding real fuel to the idea that changes could be coming in Denver.
None of that appears to be happening now. Sakic is staying, and by all accounts, the losses have sharpened his focus rather than worn him down.
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Why Colorado's front office stability actually matters
A team this talented finishing first overall and still getting bounced early needed some kind of answer, and continuity at the top is the answer the organization landed on.
Head coach Jared Bednar keeps his GM in place too, avoiding the kind of front office overhaul that can destabilize a roster building toward another real run.
Colorado's goal differential of plus-99 last season was the best mark in the league, proof that whatever went wrong in the playoffs wasn't a talent problem.
Sakic staying put means the core that produced that number stays intact heading into training camp, without a new GM reshaping things from scratch.
Getting bounced by Vegas clearly left a mark, but it sounds like it's the kind of mark that pushes Sakic to fix what broke rather than walk away from it.
Whether that reinvigoration translates into a different result this postseason is the only thing that will actually settle this conversation.
Is Joe Sakic still the right person to lead the Avalanche's front office?
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