Colorado at Los Angeles

Colorado is coming into the season generally healthy, although goalie Mackenzie Blackwood is not expected to play in the season opener due to a lower-body injury. Scott Wedgewood will start, and Trent Miner will serve as backup. Wedgewood was 14-6-2 with a 2.32 goals-against average and a .908 save percentage last season. The Avalanche were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Dallas Stars. However, they still have a formidable roster, including two of the top players in the league in defenseman Cale Makar and center Nathan MacKinnon. Additionally, Captain Gabriel Landeskog is back after undergoing several surgeries, as he returned during the postseason series against the Stars. MacKinnon finished second in the NHL with 116 points in 2024-25. Los Angeles has a new general manager in Ken Holland after the Kings were bounced out in the first round of the playoffs by Edmonton. Darcy Kuemper is back in net, and the Kings did have two 35-goal scorers in Adrian Kempe and Kevin Fiala, but they again fell short in the playoffs. The Kings have lost 14 of 18 meetings with Colorado, including six of eight at home. Take the Avalanche.