Jared Bednar is Michael Malone with better hair.
Tuesday, ESPN revealed it had secured Malone’s services for the upcoming NBA season.
Will Bednar join him? Is TV in his future?
Of all the jobs on the line in what feels like a Stanley Cup-or-bust season for the Avs, none is more tenuous than that of Bednar, who needs to coach like this season is a referendum on his resume.
Because it is.
The Avs did what the Nuggets did not. They ran it back, a concession to the carousel of players who barely had time to figure out where to live after the trade deadline, let alone establish meaningful chemistry on the ice.
Now, Bednar finds himself in a similar situation to Malone. He has one title, a former MVP player in Nathan MacKinnon, a rapidly closing championship window, and a stacked roster.
Check that, Bednar has it better. He has no excuses. Malone had a legitimate gripe. His general manager Calvin Booth failed him. Combine a heavy dose of paranoia with players outgrowing his rigid fatherly message, and now Malone is talking about games for a living.
So much for being the winningest coach in franchise history, huh? You know who else holds that honor? Bednar.
If the Avs don’t reach the Western Conference Finals, he’s probably gone. When the Avs decided to re-sign Brock Nelson, add Brent Burns and keep Marty Necas, the message was simple: They are all in. Yes, they said the same thing the last three seasons, but this is different.
“In 2022, we won it and the focus of that group reminds me of the focus our team has right now,” Bednar said at the team’s media day at Ball Arena on Wednesday. “It’s a group we are hoping to start the season with and end the season with. I like the fact they can learn and grow together, so everyone’s responsibilities are not only clear, but they have this length of time to work through it to have the success we want to have. I think that’s part of the reason I am so excited about it, and why our players are excited about it.”
Since raising the Cup, the Avs have dealt with more drama than “Desperate Housewives,” wondering when Gabe Landeskog was returning and if Valeri Nichushkin would be available. President Joe Sakic and general manager Chris MacFarland gambled that they could fix the plane while it was flying, replacing key members of the roster and shipping out star Mikko Rantanen during the season.
They did this in part because Bednar is a rock — a coach capable of handling upheaval with aplomb and no complaints.
While the personalities clicked, the group never coalesced or played its best when it mattered most.
Sakic and MacFarland looked at the roster after last spring’s exit and decided to hold tight. The goals cannot get any higher, and if this team fails, there will be a “Fall Guy.” And it will not be Lee Majors. Hard to see Stan and Josh Kroenke not assigning the blame to Bednar.
It won’t be the core players. Maybe it will be MacFarland, though it is easy to argue that he has done his job well the past few years.
This leaves the focus on Bednar. He never lets the press see him sweat. Even if he doesn’t reveal urgency in his tone, his actions demonstrate as much.
Why do you think the Avs have a new power play boss? Bednar took a big swing this offseason, hiring former Seattle head coach Dave Hakstol after the Avs fizzled against the Stars. You cannot field this type of talent and keep coming up short when the opponent is short-handed.
The players are aware. The Avs have reached the playoffs 21 times since relocating to Colorado. If the goal ever becomes just the postseason, then something has gone terribly wrong.
“We are more solidified. No wondering. No holes in our lineup. The playoffs are a long way away. You have to enjoy the grind, build and try to make it as perfect as possible,” MacKinnon said. “But, you don’t want to just win one with this group with the talent we have, with the pieces we have. If we only got one, it would be tough.”
Or as Landeskog put it, “I didn’t grind my (butt) off for three years just to be part of a team. You try to win, and want to put another banner up in the building.”
It is not fair. But it is painfully honest. The Avs have set the bar for excellence in our state since 1995.
It’s why the heat is on Bednar. He has one of the league’s best rosters and one of the hardest jobs.
He needs to win. And with goalie certainty, the captain having zero limitations and Nichushkin facing no suspensions, he needs to win early. And in the postseason.
Not everyone thinks he can do it, despite guiding the Avs to eight consecutive playoff berths.
Fans were furious after the Game 7 collapse against Dallas. Bednar became more of a target than at any time since he was hired in 2016.
We all know he helped steer the franchise back on track, creating a standard. Those expectations will swallow him like they did Malone without playing in June.
As MacKinnon said, it would be a (darn) shame if this group only won one.
Want more Avalanche news? Sign up for the Avalanche Insider to get all our NHL analysis.
The post Renck: One more Cup? Avs coach Jared Bednar faces must-win season for his job, legacy appeared first on Denver Post