Sam Malinski’s Breakout Season Shows Why The Avalanche Bet Big On Him
· Yahoo Sports
In January, the Colorado Avalanche rewarded Sam Malinski with a four-year contract extension carrying a $4.75 million average annual value. It was a clear sign of the organization’s belief in his trajectory — and it came shortly after The Hockey News labeled him one of the most underrated assets in the entire Avalanche system.
The timing couldn’t have been better.
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Malinski responded by putting together the best season of his young NHL career.
The defenseman appeared in all 82 regular-season games, finishing with eight goals and 32 assists for 40 points. On the surface, those numbers may not immediately jump off the page. But context is everything.
Malinski produced those 40 points without receiving top-pairing responsibilities. At various points throughout the season, he was deployed as a third-pair defenseman, making his offensive output even more impressive. A 40-point campaign from a blueliner averaging just 17:37 of ice time per game is not something that happens by accident.
For comparison, Devon Toews averaged roughly 22 minutes per night, while Cale Makar was closer to 25 minutes. That is the difference between a player already established as a top defensive star and someone still working his way toward earning that level of responsibility.
Malinski wasn’t asked to carry Colorado’s blue line every night. He was asked to provide reliable minutes, move the puck effectively, make smart decisions under pressure, and capitalize when opportunities presented themselves.
And he did exactly that.
What makes Malinski’s breakout even more impressive is the massive leap he made just one year removed from his first full NHL season. In 2024-25, he recorded 15 points in 76 games, scoring five goals with 10 assists. This past season, he nearly tripled — not simply doubled — that production, jumping from 15 points to 40.
The improvement was not accidental.
Earlier in the season, Malinski explained that comfort and preparation played a major role in his development.
"I feel way more comfortable on the ice and my body feels good, too," Malinski stated in October. "Part of (my improvement) is knowing what to expect and knowing what to do on my off days, how to recover properly."
When The Hockey News asked Malinski which teammate had helped him the most when it came to learning better recovery habits, his answer highlighted one of the biggest strengths of Colorado’s locker room: the willingness of veterans to share knowledge.
“I looked around the room and seen what other guys do and talked to them," Malinski said. "The big thing is being consistent with your hot tub/cold tub, saunas, Normatec, all the basic stuff that works. It’s just being consistent with them.
“It’s hard to pick one guy because I’ve talked to basically every guy on the team at this point about what they do and watching the way Burnsy (Brent Burns) treats his body. I mean the guy’s been playing forever, so he’s clearly doing something right.”
You couldn’t have scripted a better answer.
Burns is the perfect example of longevity through preparation. The 41-year-old defenseman has not missed a game since November 21, 2013, when he was with the San Jose Sharks — the same organization he helped lead to the 2016 Stanley Cup Final against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Burns has played in 1,007 consecutive games, the second-longest ironman streak in NHL history behind only Phil Kessel’s 1,064-game run.
It is easy to see why Malinski’s approach fits so well in Colorado.
The Cornell product has always carried himself like someone who absorbs information quickly. The Ivy League education, the attention to detail, the ability to process the game at a high level — those traits have been evident throughout his development.
Because of that, there is reason to believe Malinski still has another step to take.
If there is one area where he can continue improving, it is adding strength.
Like many players, Malinski dealt with the physical toll of a long season, especially during Colorado’s playoff run that ended with a four-game sweep at the hands of the eventual Stanley Cup runner-up Vegas Golden Knights. The intensity only increases as the postseason progresses, and Malinski now has the experience of understanding exactly what that level requires.
Nobody is expecting Malinski to transform into a physical specimen overnight. But there is a balance between adding strength and maintaining the mobility, conditioning, and explosiveness that make him effective.
The next evolution will be finding that balance.
With a deeper playoff run under his belt, Malinski now has a better understanding of the physical demands required to compete when the games matter most. That knowledge, combined with the recovery habits he has already adopted, should only benefit him moving forward.
And then there is the offensive upside.
Malinski is an intelligent player who continues to learn from the best. Last season, he showed flashes of incorporating elements from Cale Makar’s game, including using a similar shimmy move at the top of the offensive zone before unleashing a dangerous wrist shot.
That type of creativity is not something that can simply be taught. It comes from understanding the game, recognizing opportunities, and having the confidence to execute.
Malinski has already proven he belongs.
The next challenge is proving just how high his ceiling can be.