Calls for change emerged following the Colorado Avalanche’s failure to meet expectations in the Western Conference Finals. But the change has happened where fans are not expecting it. Most want head coach Jared Bednar to be fired or resign. The change has come much higher than that with Chris MacFarland leaving the organization.

There is word that Avalanche general manager Chris MacFarland has received permission and already met with the Nashville Predators. Multiple reports show he met with his division rival face-to-face on Monday night. This could explain why the Avalanche have not had their postseason press conference if Nashville is moving quickly on this. With the departure of MacFarland, President of Hockey Operations and former team captain Joe Sakic will resume general manager duties for the foreseeable future. Sakic also served as general manager from 2014 to 2022.

“We would like to thank Chris for all he did for the Avalanche organization,” said owner Josh Kroenke. “Chris was instrumental in our success over the last decade and a key part of our 2022 Stanley Cup championship. This was an opportunity for him to take on a bigger role with the Predators while being closer to his family. We wish him and his family all the best in Nashville.”

MacFarland became the general manager of the Avalanche right after they had won the 2022 Stanley Cup. Several bold moves to make the team better with a “Cup or Bust” Matra have highlighted his tenure. He brought Nazem Kadri back this season in a last-minute deal with the Calgary Flames. MacFarland is best known for completely revamping the goaltending lineup in only 10 days’ time. Prior to that, he served as assistant general manager for seven seasons with the Colorado Avalanche. He no doubt was part of the decision to bring Jared Bednar on board since they were both in the Columbus system before that.

A name to monitor for the general manager spot could be one of the current assistant general managers. Andrew Wilson tops the list after being with the organization for two seasons. Kevin MacDonald, the current assistant general manager and general manager of the Colorado Eagles, could be another in-house candidate as well. Either way, this could be the start of a new journey for the Colorado Avalanche as they look for a replacement and build their draft stock back up.