Confirmed with Link: Avs extend Jared Bednar through 2026-27 season!

[Avs44]

Well folks, with the possibility of being booted out of the playoffs looming, should we start making our annual HFAvs meltdown plans about now? How do we want to do it this year? We unfortunately missed last season, so we have to make it a good one this year. I call dibs on the fire Jared Bednar thread. I'm pretty certain there are a few Landy haters around who will volunteer to create a thread questioning if it's a sign of Landeskog's poor character that he didn't will himself back to good health. We could have a debate about whether we should strip Landeskog of his captaincy, even if he returns next season? And do we have any volunteers for the 2-3 fire Chris MacFarland threads we're gonna need?

 

[Pokecheque]

Well folks, with the possibility of being booted out of the playoffs looming, should we start making our annual HFAvs meltdown plans about now? How do we want to do it this year? We unfortunately missed last season, so we have to make it a good one this year. I call dibs on the fire Jared Bednar thread. I'm pretty certain there are a few Landy haters around who will volunteer to create a thread questioning if it's a sign of Landeskog's poor character that he didn't will himself back to good health. We could have a debate about whether we should strip Landeskog of his captaincy, even if he returns next season? And do we have any volunteers for the 2-3 fire Chris MacFarland threads we're gonna need?

I'm all over the "Trade MacKinnon to get our second rounder back" thread.

 

[Ham Fist]

i know he doesn’t have much to work with and that’s not his fault. what concerns me is the slow starts and the no-starts. it’s one thing to lose because you’re just not as talented as the other team. but getting out-worked and more or less run out of your own building regularly?

i dunno maybe a different coach might be able to motivate this team somehow. bednar’s team just comes out listless and lifeless and puts in minimal effort a lot of the time night in and night out.

i’ll say it: sometimes i wonder if he’s lost the room.

 

[avalanche_country]

We have reached the blame bednar phase I see. Unreal

 

[ABasin]

i know he doesn’t have much to work with and that’s not his fault. what concerns me is the slow starts and the no-starts. it’s one thing to lose because you’re just not as talented as the other team. but getting out-worked and more or less run out of your own building regularly?

i dunno maybe a different coach might be able to motivate this team somehow. bednar’s team just comes out listless and lifeless and puts in minimal effort a lot of the time night in and night out.

i’ll say it: sometimes i wonder if he’s lost the room.

I think it has more to do with the frenetic push at the end of the season, to try and win the division. 7 games in 11 days, several back to backs, a bunch on the road, etc. We may just have a tired team here.

Then that followed by Landeskog's news, then Nichuskin's, etc.

But whatever the reason, they are not firing Bednar. Zero chance.

 

[dahrougem2]

If anything Bednar should be even more praised for the season the Avs had given the rash of injuries and Nichushkin scenario while the GM did absolutely nothing to get this man some much needed offensive help.

This is not on Bednar, this is on MacFarland.

 

[Pokecheque]

i know he doesn’t have much to work with and that’s not his fault. what concerns me is the slow starts and the no-starts. it’s one thing to lose because you’re just not as talented as the other team. but getting out-worked and more or less run out of your own building regularly?

i dunno maybe a different coach might be able to motivate this team somehow. bednar’s team just comes out listless and lifeless and puts in minimal effort a lot of the time night in and night out.

i’ll say it: sometimes i wonder if he’s lost the room.

He of course was the coach of record when both Mikko and Nate turned in their best-ever seasons, but he doesn't get any credit for that? Or the fact that he got a ridiculously banged-up team that was out of the playoffs in January all the way to another division title?

 

[ABasin]

Well folks, with the possibility of being booted out of the playoffs looming, should we start making our annual HFAvs meltdown plans about now? How do we want to do it this year? We unfortunately missed last season, so we have to make it a good one this year. I call dibs on the fire Jared Bednar thread. I'm pretty certain there are a few Landy haters around who will volunteer to create a thread questioning if it's a sign of Landeskog's poor character that he didn't will himself back to good health. We could have a debate about whether we should strip Landeskog of his captaincy, even if he returns next season? And do we have any volunteers for the 2-3 fire Chris MacFarland threads we're gonna need?

Can I please have the "Avs need to fire their medical staff" one?

 

[S E P H]

This can be easily disproven. This very season, not long before the playoffs, the Avs beat the Kings when both teams still had something to play for and the Kings were playing a stifling defensive system.

This is for all the lot that disagree with me, but wanted to quote this section here. I am not talking about strictly this year, but since he was hired. 2016 was a fluke and we won't talk about it since he was thrown to the wolves. However, since 2017-18 season we've lost to...

2018: Predators (Big team, but some of it could've been our inexperience)
2019: Sharks (Big team, had a lot of grinders)
2020: Stars (Defensive team under Monte, many grinders)
2021: Golden Knights (Defensive and big team, many grinders)
2022: Won (Did not face a pure defensive team or one with a ton of grinders)
2023: Kraken (Down 2-3 in series to a defensive team with many grinders)

I am not calling him a bad coach, but the results are showing an observable trend if we get rid of confounding variables like injuries or inexperience.

 

[dahrougem2]

This is for all the lot that disagree with me, but wanted to quote this section here. I am not talking about strictly this year, but since he was hired. 2016 was a fluke and we won't talk about it since he was thrown to the wolves. However, since 2017-18 season we've lost to...

2018: Predators (Big team, but some of it could've been our inexperience)
2019: Sharks (Big team, had a lot of grinders)
2020: Stars (Defensive team under Monte, many grinders)
2021: Golden Knights (Defensive and big team, many grinders)
2022: Won (Did not face a pure defensive team or one with a ton of grinders)
2023: Kraken (Down 2-3 in series to a defensive team with many grinders)

I am not calling him a bad coach, but the results are showing an observable trend if we get rid of confounding variables like injuries or inexperience.

Again, though, there are reasons behind the losses:

2018: Avs first time in the playoffs with the youngest roster in the league IIRC.
2019: MacKinnon played game 7 with a sprained shoulder
2020: We played the Stars with f***ing Hutchinson in goal and no Landeskog/Johnson for game 7. Avs easily win that series with even just a backup goalie.
2021: No excuse here, Deboer outcoached Bednar
2023: We're missing Landeskog and Nichushkin while it's very obvious Makar and Manson are playing hurt.

Bednar's track record is good enough. Do teams like Seattle/Vegas give the Avs fits? Sure. But they would to any team, too. Avs just don't have the talent or depth this year to beat a team like this the waythey did last year.

Also, Tampa Bay last season is as defensive a team as you'll find in terms of clogging things up and checking hard. Avs beat them in 6 games.

 

[The Abusement Park]

This is for all the lot that disagree with me, but wanted to quote this section here. I am not talking about strictly this year, but since he was hired. 2016 was a fluke and we won't talk about it since he was thrown to the wolves. However, since 2017-18 season we've lost to...

2018: Predators (Big team, but some of it could've been our inexperience)
2019: Sharks (Big team, had a lot of grinders)
2020: Stars (Defensive team under Monte, many grinders)
2021: Golden Knights (Defensive and big team, many grinders)
2022: Won (Did not face a pure defensive team or one with a ton of grinders)
2023: Kraken (Down 2-3 in series to a defensive team with many grinders)

I am not calling him a bad coach, but the results are showing an observable trend if we get rid of confounding variables like injuries or inexperience.

If you ignore all the context of those seasons outside Vegas than sure.

 

[Ham Fist]

I think it has more to do with the frenetic push at the end of the season, to try and win the division. 7 games in 11 days, several back to backs, a bunch on the road, etc. We may just have a tired team here.

Then that followed by Landeskog's news, then Nichuskin's, etc.

But whatever the reason, they are not firing Bednar. Zero chance.

you’re saying they are plenty motivated, there’s just nothing more to give? yeah i guess i can see that. still, there are other teams in the playoffs rn that had to work hard to get there, have significant injuries, etc. and their compete level is miles better than the avs.

i am in no way blaming bednar. i’m just trying to figure out the weird vibe of the team and i do wonder about the coach’s influence.

 

[cinchronicity]

The season is not even technically over yet, so it seems a bad time to start calling for public flogging of CMac and Bednar. That said, as the discussion relates to Bednar, I wish this forum could look objectively at his performance. Sure, he has been dealt an absolute crap hand this year, but......

1) The manner in which a team come out of the gate on any given day is a significant responsibility for a coach. Bednar has not been good at getting the team to hit the ice in high gear - not just this series but forever.

2) This team has been awful at face-offs Bednar's entire career.

3) This team has been awful at D-Zone clearances in Bednar's entire term. Graves is actually very good at them now, and was awful here.

4) Bednar seems to have forgotten to stress to players that one must actually shoot on the PP in order to be credited with a goal.

5) The 3 on 3 strategies are perhaps the worst in the league.

6) There is neither rhyme nor reason to Bednar's 'pull the goalie' strategy.

7) The Bednar Blender might work great in lower leagues. However, at the NHL level, familiarity with linemates is critical, and that is never developed in the Blender. The Avs were healthy the past two years, so there did not exist the same 'undermanned' excuses of this year. He needs to build lines and stick with them.

8) Bednar is historically poor at developing young players. Sure, the drafting has been bad. But Zadorov has done just fine after leaving. So has Graves. So has Timmins. And if Calvert had not discovered his spinal issue, LOC - realistically the only green player who has developed during Bednar's time - would have gotten the same treatment as the other young players.

There is correlation, and there is causation. I submit that Bednar has been present for a good 18 month run, but did not cause it. Bednar has been the coach in a time of Avalanche player greatness only equaled in prime Sakic / Foppa. He has been freeloading on that embarrassment of riches. He remains one of the worst in the league at in-game adjustments. The Avs are demonstrably worse than other contenders at the 'fundamentals' of the game. He is - at absolute best - an average coach.

In a non-Covid, non-cap-constrained NHL, Bednar might have been able to the most successful average coach in a long time. And that is just fine by me. But the mentions in this forum about the injustice of Bednar not getting a Jack Adams are downright silly. Bednar may even end up with another Cup or two, but I'm in no rush to put him in the Pantheon with Arbor and Bowman. He's not even near Quinn and Sather. But with the contracts locked in for the next 5 years, Bednar as an average coach is probably all this team needs to win another Cup.

 

[GeoRox89]

Can I please have the "Avs need to fire their medical staff" one?

Can we add a Kroenke needs to pony up and start poaching from the leagues best amateur scouting teams thread with that one, please?

 

[ABasin]

The season is not even technically over yet, so it seems a bad time to start calling for public flogging of CMac and Bednar. That said, as the discussion relates to Bednar, I wish this forum could look objectively at his performance. Sure, he has been dealt an absolute crap hand this year, but......

1) The manner in which a team come out of the gate on any given day is a significant responsibility for a coach. Bednar has not been good at getting the team to hit the ice in high gear - not just this series but forever.

2) This team has been awful at face-offs Bednar's entire career.

3) This team has been awful at D-Zone clearances in Bednar's entire term. Graves is actually very good at them now, and was awful here.

4) Bednar seems to have forgotten to stress to players that one must actually shoot on the PP in order to be credited with a goal.

5) The 3 on 3 strategies are perhaps the worst in the league.

6) There is neither rhyme nor reason to Bednar's 'pull the goalie' strategy.

7) The Bednar Blender might work great in lower leagues. However, at the NHL level, familiarity with linemates is critical, and that is never developed in the Blender. The Avs were healthy the past two years, so there did not exist the same 'undermanned' excuses of this year. He needs to build lines and stick with them.

8) Bednar is historically poor at developing young players. Sure, the drafting has been bad. But Zadorov has done just fine after leaving. So has Graves. So has Timmins. And if Calvert had not discovered his spinal issue, LOC - realistically the only green player who has developed during Bednar's time - would have gotten the same treatment as the other young players.

There is correlation, and there is causation. I submit that Bednar has been present for a good 18 month run, but did not cause it. Bednar has been the coach in a time of Avalanche player greatness only equaled in prime Sakic / Foppa. He has been freeloading on that embarrassment of riches. He remains one of the worst in the league at in-game adjustments. The Avs are demonstrably worse than other contenders at the 'fundamentals' of the game. He is - at absolute best - an average coach.

In a non-Covid, non-cap-constrained NHL, Bednar might have been able to the most successful average coach in a long time. And that is just fine by me. But the mentions in this forum about the injustice of Bednar not getting a Jack Adams are downright silly. Bednar may even end up with another Cup or two, but I'm in no rush to put him in the Pantheon with Arbor and Bowman. He's not even near Quinn and Sather. But with the contracts locked in for the next 5 years, Bednar as an average coach is probably all this team needs to win another Cup.

Not sure where to start. Some thoughts:

1) Didn't the Avs score first in something like 58 games this season? Even as injured as they were?

3) Their DZone exits drove them last season. They were awesome. This year, sure - it was worse. But they didn't have their top 5 dmen playing together since November.

4) The Avs' power play scored at a 25% rate this season. 6th in the NHL. Even with all of the injuries.

5) The Avs were 15-7 this season in 3-on-3 overtime.

6) I assume Bednar pulls the goalie when the Avs are behind by a goal or two at the end of a game?


I do somewhat agree on #8. It does seem that the Avs can't get a lot out of their young guys at times. It's tough to determine if that's drafting or development. But to be fair, your list is missing a few young players who did develop successfully under Bednar, including Rantanen, Makar, Byram, Compher, and Girard.

@Avs44 , if you need a partner running the Fire Bednar thread, I have a nomination.

 

[Pokecheque]

My biggest beef with Bednar continues to be the penalty kill. It's still too passive and too reliant on goaltending and shot blocking to save the day. It still doesn't do NEARLY enough to cut down on seam passes and doesn't challenge shooters in a way I see other, more effective PK schemes do. Avs could very easily employ the "power kill" that's so en vogue with teams these days but they opt not to.

Apart from that, this guy is just about the perfect coach for the kind of team they want to be. But they need to give him the players. You can't win championships without depth at center, and the Avs up the middle had the very worst of any team in the playoffs. Hell, there were teams NOT in the playoffs that had far better center depth. That is unacceptable going forward.

 

[forsbergavs32]

My biggest beef with Bednar continues to be the penalty kill. It's still too passive and too reliant on goaltending and shot blocking to save the day. It still doesn't do NEARLY enough to cut down on seam passes and doesn't challenge shooters in a way I see other, more effective PK schemes do. Avs could very easily employ the "power kill" that's so en vogue with teams these days but they opt not to.

Apart from that, this guy is just about the perfect coach for the kind of team they want to be. But they need to give him the players. You can't win championships without depth at center, and the Avs up the middle had the very worst of any team in the playoffs. Hell, there were teams NOT in the playoffs that had far better center depth. That is unacceptable going forward.

This is where I think it's time for 2 new assistants. Bennett and Pratt seem out of ideas so it could be beneficial to get some fresh voices in there.

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

The season is not even technically over yet, so it seems a bad time to start calling for public flogging of CMac and Bednar. That said, as the discussion relates to Bednar, I wish this forum could look objectively at his performance. Sure, he has been dealt an absolute crap hand this year, but......

Yeah, if only....

 

[The Abusement Park]

Bednar bad at developing young players? What a weird take considering he took over a pretty young core and they all seem to have been developed pretty damn well.

 

[cinchronicity]

Not sure where to start. Some thoughts:

1) Didn't the Avs score first in something like 58 games this season? Even as injured as they were?

3) Their DZone exits drove them last season. They were awesome. This year, sure - it was worse. But they didn't have their top 5 dmen playing together since November.

4) The Avs' power play scored at a 25% rate this season. 6th in the NHL. Even with all of the injuries.

5) The Avs were 15-7 this season in 3-on-3 overtime.

6) I assume Bednar pulls the goalie when the Avs are behind by a goal or two at the end of a game?


I do somewhat agree on #8. It does seem that the Avs can't get a lot out of their young guys at times. It's tough to determine if that's drafting or development. But to be fair, your list is missing a few young players who did develop successfully under Bednar, including Rantanen, Makar, Byram, Compher, and Girard.

@Avs44 , if you need a partner running the Fire Bednar thread, I have a nomination.

I won't argue much here, because all are entitled to their own opinion. That said, your counterpoints all fall into the correlation vs. causation differentiation. The early scores and the 3 v 3 are a) largely due to superhuman players named Makar and Mackinnon and b) lacking context. A good chunk of both of those were against teams which did not make the playoffs. So did Bednar CAUSE those statistics? Or did he happen to be around? Similarly, giving Bednar credit for 'developing' Makar is a stretch, and Mikko and Byram are close to that level ( and Mikko was developed in a Loveland year not Bednar.) Sure, the Avs are back up to top-10 in PP goals, but the Oilers are 1st and the difference between the two is clear as day ( and it is not personnel. The Oilers constantly move bodies on the PP, not just the puck. That is a coaching issue.)

My point, in general, is that the Avs have a handful of all-world players who cause both their success and most of the metrics you mention. Bednar is along for the ride.

He's not a terrible coach and by all accounts, a really good guy. But we gets waaaaaaaaayyyyyyy more credit in here than he deserves.

 

[Pokecheque]

This is where I think it's time for 2 new assistants. Bennett and Pratt seem out of ideas so it could be beneficial to get some fresh voices in there.

We'll see what happens--I'll give them credit for putting together offensive and defensive systems that were absolutely phenomenal at even strength. The power play has more or less been near the top of the NHL as well. But man, that penalty kill...I do not recall a time, even when Sakic played, that I really liked it.

 

[dahrougem2]

We'll see what happens--I'll give them credit for putting together offensive and defensive systems that were absolutely phenomenal at even strength. The power play has more or less been near the top of the NHL as well. But man, that penalty kill...I do not recall a time, even when Sakic played, that I really liked it.

Seems like the Avs still rely on old school thinking despite being a very new school attacking team when it comes to the PK.

The old "we need to block shots" mantra where people stand still and try to get into shooting lanes.

Any time I watch Lehkonen kill penalties I wish he played all 2 minutes. If there's a puck in the corner or on the wall he IMMEDIATELY rushes the opposing player, bodies him, and creates a battle. Literally no other forward does this.

 

[The Kingslayer]

This aint on Bednar. Is he perfect? No. Just see how he deployed CMac this season. You can have prime Scotty Bowman, Coach Q and Jacque Lemaire as the coaches and they wouldnt be able to do much with this roster. JTC as your 2C. Cmon. You arent beating f***in District 5 with that shit. The fault for this season lies at CMac for doing nothing BUT he will be forgiven if he can make amends this offseason for this early exit.

 

[Pokecheque]

Seems like the Avs still rely on old school thinking despite being a very new school attacking team when it comes to the PK.

The old "we need to block shots" mantra where people stand still and try to get into shooting lanes.

Any time I watch Lehkonen kill penalties I wish he played all 2 minutes. If there's a puck in the corner or on the wall he IMMEDIATELY rushes the opposing player, bodies him, and creates a battle. Literally no other forward does this.

Ain't no one on the team better than forcing turnovers than Lehkonen. It's an art form, amazing how he goes in and almost cleaves guys right off pucks.

But also, I feel like Helm did more to teach guys like O'Connor and Compher on how to properly kill penalties than any of the coaches (and I still insist that Ryan Graves was far, far more effective defensively at even strength and on the PK before they got a hold of him and turned him into a--very shitty--shot blocker). Before Helm, Compher especially went feet-first to try and block shots, which led to all kinds of injuries and didn't work most of the time. Helm stayed on his feet, used an active stick and his reach/speed to block passing and shooting lanes, and forced turnovers for shorthanded rushes and actual scoring opportunities. If his body wasn't so damned broken I think he would've singlehandedly turned the PK around on his own. As it stands, those two are still not what I'd call great penalty killers, but far better than they were.

 

[ABasin]

I won't argue much here, because all are entitled to their own opinion. That said, your counterpoints all fall into the correlation vs. causation differentiation. The early scores and the 3 v 3 are a) largely due to superhuman players named Makar and Mackinnon and b) lacking context. A good chunk of both of those were against teams which did not make the playoffs. So did Bednar CAUSE those statistics? Or did he happen to be around? Similarly, giving Bednar credit for 'developing' Makar is a stretch, and Mikko and Byram are close to that level ( and Mikko was developed in a Loveland year not Bednar.) Sure, the Avs are back up to top-10 in PP goals, but the Oilers are 1st and the difference between the two is clear as day ( and it is not personnel. The Oilers constantly move bodies on the PP, not just the puck. That is a coaching issue.)

My point, in general, is that the Avs have a handful of all-world players who cause both their success and most of the metrics you mention. Bednar is along for the ride.

He's not a terrible coach and by all accounts, a really good guy. But we gets waaaaaaaaayyyyyyy more credit in here than he deserves.

That correlation/causation thing is an extremely subjective take. Anyone could put any example of success or failure in either bucket at will.

I'd rather put them all in the same bucket, and apply it to the coach who was coaching at the time.

I'll leave it there. I think the Avs have a good coach, albeit not a perfect one.