Martin Necas looks like he’s been partying with Angel “Memo” Heredia, and he isn’t alone.
Gabe Landeskog and Devon Toews have been showing up to the Avalanche‘s optional skates earlier than usual. Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar and Scott Wedgewood have been putting in work of their own. And Necas? He’s been grinding overseas this offseason, looking like he took the whole “bet on yourself” thing personally.
The Marty Party has been at the gym. Credit: Domyno_CZ
Maybe it’s nothing.
Advertisement
Maybe it’s simply what professional hockey players do in August.
But when this many Avalanche players are already putting in extra work nearly a month before training camp, it’s hard not to wonder if something feels different.
This team has something to prove.
And they sure don’t look satisfied with the way last season ended.
The Avalanche were swept by the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference Final after entering the playoffs as one of the Stanley Cup favorites. That kind of ending doesn’t simply disappear when the season does.
If they didn’t feel any regret, disappointment or frustration about it, why put in the extra work?
Advertisement
Why show up early?
Why start grinding now instead of waiting for training camp?
And then there’s MacKinnon.
The 30-year-old center is coming off his first Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy after leading the NHL with 48 goals last season. Knowing how relentlessly competitive MacKinnon is, it’s almost impossible not to wonder what has been going through his mind since Vegas ended Colorado‘s season.
Imagine being MacKinnon, finally winning the Rocket Richard Trophy after years of chasing individual greatness, only to watch another Stanley Cup opportunity disappear in a sweep.
If anything, that should make him even more dangerous.
Advertisement
MacKinnon doesn’t need much motivation on a normal day. Now give him an entire offseason to think about the way the season ended.
He’ll be hunting for blood.
Sure, this is their job. They’re professional athletes. They’re supposed to train.
But there’s a difference between doing what you’re supposed to do and looking like you have something to prove.
And we’ve seen this movie before in Colorado.
The last time the Avalanche were knocked out of the playoffs as heavy Stanley Cup favorites before this past season was 2021, when Vegas eliminated them in six games in the second round.
Advertisement
The following year, Colorado won the Stanley Cup.
Maybe these Avalanche remember how that story went.
Necas, in particular, looks like a player who took last season personally.
The most visible transformation has come from the 27-year-old forward, who has been hitting the weights hard this offseason in videos circulating across social media. He looks noticeably bigger, stronger and more physically imposing than he did a year ago.
Which brings us back to Heredia.
Why the Heredia quip?
Heredia is a renowned strength and conditioning coach whose clients have included some of the biggest names in boxing. I interviewed him in Las Vegas in February 2025 after his fighters, David Benavidez and David Morrell, squared off in a highly anticipated bout that Benavidez won by unanimous decision.
Advertisement
I asked Heredia what separated his training from the rest and what allowed his fighters to continue improving. One of the things he explained was how his training helps athletes better absorb punishment, which can come pretty handy in a sport where you’re beating the snot out of one another.Â
That matters when you look at what Necas went through last season.
Necas took some big hits. Some of them clearly took something out of him.
And yet, he played in 78 of Colorado’s 82 regular-season games and produced the best offensive season of his career, finishing with career highs of 38 goals and 62 assists for his first 100-point season.
Advertisement
Now imagine what a stronger, more physically prepared Necas could look like.
That’s where this offseason gets interesting.
The Avalanche lost some quality players from last season, including Jack Drury and Ross Colton. They’ll have to replace that production, but scoring goals isn’t the only thing this team appears to be focused on fixing.
There seems to be a renewed emphasis on everything else that goes into winning hockey games.
Strength.
Conditioning.
Defense.
Checking.
Being able to win battles and, perhaps most importantly, being able to withstand them.
Colorado already has plenty of skill. Nobody needs to be reminded that MacKinnon, Makar and the rest of this group can score.
Advertisement
The question is whether they can become harder to play against when the games matter most.
We’ll get a much better idea once more players return for optional skates and, eventually, training camp in September.
But it would be foolish to write this Avalanche team off.
If anything, the early work suggests this group has no intention of simply showing up in September and hoping for a different result.
