The Colorado Avalanche played 14 games in a busy month of March that saw many changes come via the trade deadline. They finished the month with a record of 10-2-2, gaining 22 points in the month, and they currently stand third in the Central Division, eight points behind the Dallas Stars for second place and 12 points behind the Winnipeg Jets for first place. Who stood out in March 2025? In the third edition of the “3 Stars of the Month” series at The Hockey Writers, here’s a look at the three Avalanche players who deserve recognition.
3 Stars for March
Third Star: Scott Wedgewood
Making his first appearance on “3 Stars of the Month”, Scott Wedgewood has been lights out for the Avalanche since he arrived and has ensured that every time he was on the ice, they went home with a point that night.
Wedgewood played two fewer games than MacKenzie Blackwood but finished with the same number of wins (five) and shutouts (one) with two fewer regulation losses. He finished the month with a .937 save percentage (SV%) and a 1.48 goals-against average (GAA). Among other goaltenders who started in six or more games in March, Wedgewood has the second-best GAA and SV% out of all of them. Granted, other goaltenders started in double-digit games, but when it comes to getting the most out of his starts, he has been as good as you need a “backup” goaltender to be.
Out of the six games Wedgewood played, he only posted under a .900 SV% once, against the Dallas Stars on March 16, where he gave up three goals. Those three goals were the most he allowed in that month. He has had to step in more because Blackwood came down to earth from his ridiculous hot start when he joined the team and dealt with some injury problems. During his tenure with the Avalanche, he has a 15-10-4 record on the season, with a 2.01 GAA and a .919 SV%, all with a cap hit of $1.5 million this season and next. He has far exceeded his current contract value, which has worked well for the Avalanche.
Second Star: Nathan MacKinnon
Nathan MacKinnon continued where he left off last month and went to work with his new teammates. Finishing the month with seven goals and 12 assists for 19 points, he was as productive as ever. Seven of his 19 points came from the newly re-ignited power play, including his game-winning goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs on March 8. The remaining 12 points came at even strength. He continues to be as aggressive as ever when putting the puck on net, finishing the month with 52 shots on goal with a 13.5 shooting percentage. MacKinnon’s play this season has been electric, as he currently leads the league in points and assists, making a strong push to win the Art Ross Trophy for the first time in his career and potentially put up another strong Hart Trophy season to win it in back-to-back years.
Related: Avalanche Close to Clinching Spot in 2025 NHL Playoffs
MacKinnon’s production in March has seen him notch some pretty impressive accomplishments. On March 11 against the Chicago Blackhawks, MacKinnon notched his 1,000th career point, technically twice, as the first point was called back, but he officially secured it when Artturi Lehkonen tipped his shot into the net. He became the 100th player in NHL history to record 1,000 career points and joined Joe Sakic and Peter Stastny as the only players in franchise history to record 1,000 points.
MacKinnon also extended his home point streak to 25 games and became the first player in Avalanche history to record consecutive 80-assist seasons. Peter Stastny did it in 1981-82 (93 assists) and 1985-86 (81 assists), but that was back with the Quebec Nordiques. He might not be on track to break his career high of 140 points he set last season, but he is only nine assists away from tying his career high in assists (89).
First Star: Cale Makar
Coming off a relatively quiet month of February (to Cale Makar’s standards), he bounced right back in March, lighting the net up in his chase toward a second Norris Trophy and looking to break some NHL records. Makar finished the month with six goals and 12 assists for 18 points; 11 were from even strength, six were from the power play, and one was from shorthanded. He led all defensemen in points and was tied with Brandon Montour in goals in March. With four points in his last six games, he is now up to 28 goals and 57 assists for 85 points on the season, five points away from tying his career high of 90 points.
Makar’s major storyline is his goal-scoring. With his 28th goal against the Calgary Flames on Monday, March 31, he tied his career high, which he set back in the 2021-22 season when he won his first Norris Trophy. He is trying to be the first defenseman since Mike Green of the Washington Capitals in 2008-09 to score more than 30 goals. If he accomplishes this feat, he will also become the ninth defenseman in NHL history to score 30 or more goals in a season. He also scored his third shorthanded point of the season when he assisted on Joel Kiviranta’s goal against the San Jose Sharks on March 6.
The Avalanche have seven games left in the 2024-25 season; their first game in April is against the Chicago Blackhawks on April 2.
