Sam Malinski has been nothing short of outstanding this season, quietly graduating from a fringe seventh defenseman to a bona fide NHL defenseman. Yet beyond that quiet rise, he has emerged as one of Colorado’s most dependable and impactful players in the biggest games since the puck first dropped on the 2025-26 regular season in October.
Malinski’s remarkable arrival has been widely chronicled across the Avalanche media landscape, and the story is vividly told through both basic and advanced statistics. He leads all NHL defensemen (minimum 500 minutes played) in on-ice goals percentage at 68.2%, while ranking 30th among blueliners in shots on goal. He has already tallied 30 points from the back end — obliterating his previous career high in just his third NHL season. His ceiling continues to climb, and it feels entirely reasonable to dream that one day he could line up alongside Cale Makar, or at the very least become a steadfast fixture in the top-four group.
One of the key ingredients in Malinski’s ascent has been the four-year deal he signed in January — a heartfelt commitment from the Avalanche and a well-deserved tribute to his relentless hard work and steady development.
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After inking that deal, Malinski gave Corey Masisak of the Denver Post the following quote:
“So, just really excited and happy to get it done with kind of earlier rather than later. … Any time you’re playing in this business, you don’t really have that stability in knowing where you’re going to play and where you’re going to live each year. Now that I’m kind of signed to a little bit of term, it’s really nice to have that stability.”
Speaking of stability, that very quality is precisely what has made Malinski worthy of a $19 million contract. He has found it in Colorado, and Avalanche management has clearly found it in him.
“I knew right away. I love Colorado. I love all the guys on this team. The way the coaching staff has treated me, management, and just everyone in Colorado. I’ve had nothing but good experiences here. I always knew I wanted to stay here.” Malinski told the Denver Gazette.
Sam has pointed to hard work and accumulated experience when asked how he has elevated his game and discovered this new level of success, “We all come here and try to get better, just a little bit better every day. I’ve just gained so much more confidence from the experience I’ve gotten throughout the 150 games. Just growing a ton as far as poise with the puck and the way I defend, too,” he told Colleen Flynn in an article with Mile High Sports.
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Whatever Sam has been doing, it’s clearly working — and it was on display against Dallas in Colorado’s OT loss earlier in the week. Despite the outcome, his usage spoke volumes: Bednar has deep trust in him and believes in his offensive gifts, as evidenced by icing him during the 3-on-3 overtime period.
Now, as the playoffs draw near, the tantalizing question remains: how will this rising star show up when the lights burn brightest? He appears to be a player who rises to the occasion — and this season, he will receive more playoff opportunities than ever before.
Let us know what you think of Sam Malinski’s play this season!
