Joe Sakic is reportedly returning as Colorado Avalanche GM, putting another major decision around Jared Bednar's roster back in familiar hands.
The move follows Chris MacFarland's reported departure for the Nashville Predators, opening a front-office vacancy Colorado needed to address before another season begins.
Instead of looking outside the organization, the Avalanche are reportedly turning back to the executive who already knows every corner of the operation.
Sakic previously served as Colorado's general manager from 2014 through 2022 before moving into the president of hockey operations role when MacFarland took over the GM chair.
Now the arrangement is reportedly changing again. Multiple reports indicate Sakic feels reinvigorated by the chance to handle the day-to-day responsibilities that come with running the hockey department.
"Avs news: Joe Sakic will be the Avalanche General Manager full-time moving forward, team sources confirm.
There will be no GM search for now.
“Reinvigorated” was the word used to describe Sakic back in the GM role.
More soon."
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It's a significant shift for a Colorado club coming off a 55-16-11 regular season and a +99 goal differential. The Avalanche remain built to chase the Stanley Cup right now.
Joe Sakic steps back into the spotlight
There won't be much of a learning curve. Sakic already knows Bednar, the core of the roster and the expectations surrounding a team that finished with 121 points last season.
That familiarity matters when roster decisions start arriving quickly. Colorado doesn't need a long organizational reset or a new executive spending months learning what the club already has.
Sakic also brings championship credibility from both sides of the organization. His history with the Avalanche stretches from his years as the franchise's captain to his work constructing a contender from the front office.
The timing makes the reported return even more interesting. Moving back into the GM position puts Sakic directly in charge of personnel decisions instead of overseeing the operation from a broader executive role.
For Bednar, it means working closely again with an executive whose fingerprints have been on much of Colorado's modern success.
And for the Avalanche, the message is clear: after an unexpected front-office change, they aren't changing direction.
They're reportedly handing the controls back to Joe Sakic.
Is Joe Sakic the right GM to keep the Avalanche on top?
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