The Avalanche are in a class of their own so far this season

As we approach the quarter-mark of the 2025-26 NHL regular season, one team stands above the rest, and that’s the Colorado Avalanche. Following a 4-1 win over the Anaheim Ducks Tuesday night, the Avs are now 11-1-5 with 27 points, possessing the best record in the league.

Nathan MacKinnon leads the NHL in all offensive categories with 14 goals and 18 assists for 32 points, six points ahead of second-place Macklin Celebrini of the San Jose Sharks. Cale Makar is also lighting it on on the blue line, leading those same offensive categories for defenders with six goals and 17 assists for 23 points.

On Wednesday’s episode of Daily Faceoff LIVE, Tyler Yaremchuk and former NHL goaltender Carter Hutton discuss the Avalanche’s success and what makes the Central Division squad so dangerous.

Tyler Yaremchuk: When you watch the Avs at Ball Arena, it feels like they’re skating downhill at the other team. There’s something about the atmosphere and speed they play with. If you look at the 5-on-5 numbers for this team, they have the most shots-per-60, most goals-per-60 by almost half-a-goal. They have the most scoring chances at 5-on-5, most high-danger shot attempts.

It’s not just that they’re leading the team in all these 5-on-5 categories, it’s that they have a gap between them and the second-best team in the NHL. The betting odds move and people love to do their power rankings, but they are clearly the top team in the NHL.

Carter Hutton: They are, and the other number that stands out for me is, when you look at their power play percentage, they’re only 21st in the league. We know how hard it is to generate offense at 5-on-5, and they’re doing it. While their power play can be streaky at times, you know they’re going to find a way to generate offense from it, which makes them even more dangerous.

You can watch the full segment and the rest of the episode here…