The Ex-Factor: Former Avalanche Players Keep Making Colorado Pay

DENVER — Apparently, the best way to hurt the Avalanche this season is to have played for them first.

Colorado has had a familiar problem this season: former players keep showing up on the scoresheet against them. Some have done more damage than others, but the pattern is becoming difficult to ignore. And it hasn’t been limited to one opponent.

Ryan O’Reilly has been the biggest thorn in Colorado’s side as of late. 

The Nashville Predators forward spent the first six seasons of his NHL career with the Avalanche after being drafted by the organization in 2009. He’s been productive against his former team ever since, totaling 46 points in 39 career games against Colorado, including 15 goals and 31 assists.

The latest three meetings have been particularly rough. O’Reilly scored twice and added two assists in Nashville’s 6-2 win on Oct. 25 at Bridgestone Arena, then chipped in two more assists in Thursday night’s 3-2 overtime victory at Ball Arena. Over his last three games against Colorado, he’s collected 10 points — five goals and five assists.

O’Reilly isn’t the only former Av making himself comfortable in Nashville. Jack Drury, who landed with the Predators in the offseason, scored in that Oct. 25 meeting, while Ross Colton, who was dealt to Nashville earlier, opened the scoring Thursday night. Apparently, the Predators have found a few ways to make use of Colorado’s old roster.

Toronto got in on it, too.

Nick Blankenburg, who spent time with the Avalanche after being acquired ahead of last season’s trade deadline, scored in his first game with the Maple Leafs on Oct. 10. He didn’t need much time to make an impression, either. His first shot on goal in a Toronto sweater beat Mackenzie Blackwood for the opening goal in a 6-3 Maple Leafs win.

On Election Day, former Avalanche players made their choice pretty clear: they elected to score against Colorado.

Charlie Coyle and Valeri Nichushkin combined for three goals and three assists as the Columbus Blue Jackets handed the Avalanche a 7-2 loss. Two more familiar faces, another miserable night for Colorado.

And it’s not just the players putting pucks in the net who have given the Avalanche trouble.

Justus Annunen, who once backed up Alexander Georgiev in Colorado before being traded to Nashville, has started both games against his former team this season. He’s won both. Annunen has stopped 49 of 53 shots in those appearances, good for a .925 save percentage and a 2.00 goals-against average. The former Avalanche goaltender has been just as effective against Colorado as some of his old teammates have been with the puck.

Of course, this isn’t the first time a former Avalanche player has delivered a particularly painful blow.

Matt Duchene provided perhaps the most infamous example in Game 6 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs’ second round. In double overtime at Ball Arena, Duchene scored the goal that eliminated Colorado, sending the Avalanche home at the hands of a player who once wore their sweater.

That one still hurts. This season has offered a few more reminders.

Between Nashville's former Avalanche contingent of O'Reilly, Drury and Colton, Blankenburg's quick strike in Toronto, Coyle and Nichushkin's performance in Columbus, and Annunen's two wins, Colorado has spent an awful lot of time dealing with players it once called its own.

The Avalanche have enough opponents to worry about without their old teammates joining the list.