The Colorado Avalanche are still one of the best teams in the NHL.
Their star players are so good that they make up for the rest of the team, which isn’t as strong. This has been helpful because Colorado had to rebuild their minor league team this summer after many players left. With a tight budget and upcoming contract extensions, the team’s biggest moves have been hiring new staff and making a few smart signings to prepare for another playoff run.
In the 2024 Draft, Colorado started with only three picks but ended up with seven after some clever trades. They traded their first-round pick to Utah for second and third-round picks this year and another second-round pick next year. Then, they swapped that second-round pick with Buffalo for later third and fifth-round picks. This gave them more chances to draft new players on the second day.
The Avalanche picked Russian goalie Ilya Nabokov first. He was overlooked before but shined this year in the KHL with 23 wins and a .930 save percentage in 43 games. After Nabokov, they picked William Zellers, a fast winger who scored 111 points in 54 games at Shattuck St. Mary’s . Zellers will play for Green Bay Gamblers next season to prove his worth. Another notable pick was Christian Humphreys, who scored 58 points in 52 games.
Draft Picks:
Colorado took risks by picking high-upside players early on and grabbing clear-fallers later in the draft. In the fifth round, they chose Louka Cloutier, one of the youngest goalies available, Ivan Yunin from Omsk’s goalie-poor system, and Maxmilian Curran, a tough forward still finding his style.
Fans might find these choices exciting because it shows Colorado is aiming high while balancing their picks well.
They also made one trade acquisition: Kevin Mandolese from Ottawa along with a future seventh-round pick in exchange for a sixth-rounder. Mandolese has played mostly in AHL but had some NHL experience last season with decent stats (.916 save percentage). He’ll likely be backup while Nabokov finishes his contract overseas.
Free Agent Signings:
Colorado focused on strengthening their minor league depth by signing several two-way contracts:
– Jere Innala (one-year)
– Chase Bradley (two-years)
– Joel Kiviranta (one-year)
– Jonathan Drouin (one-year)
– Parker Kelly (two-years)
– T.J. Tynan (one-year)
– Matthew Phillips (one-year)
– Calle Rosen (one-year)
– Calvin de Haan (one-year)
– Jacob MacDonald (two-years)
– Erik Brannstrom (one-year)
– Wyatt Aamodt (one-year)
– Oliver Kylington (one-year)
Jonathan Drouin led these signings after an impressive season where he scored 56 points over 79 games.
Veterans like Calvin de Haan, Erik Brannstrom, and Oliver Kylington will compete for spots vacated by Bowen Byram and Sean Walker on defense lines .
Parker Kelly’s one-way deal suggests he’s ready for full-time NHL action after growing into bigger roles over three seasons at Ottawa.
Re-Signings:
Casey Mittelstadt signed a three-year deal worth $17.2M following his successful stint as Colorado’s second-line center last season where he tallied up significant points during both regular-season & playoffs !
Departures:
Several players left including DJ Busdeker signing elsewhere; Alex Beaucage moving onto Laval AHL; Gianni Fairbrother becoming unrestricted free agent among others such as Brandon Duhaime joining Washington Capitals or Fredrik Olofsson heading towards Zug NL etc., leaving gaps particularly within minor leagues needing filling via prospects/newly signed free agents alike…
The salary cap outlook remains tight yet manageable enough potentially allowing addition(s) if necessary ahead training camp commencing soon wherein fans shouldn’t expect major changes anymore given current constraints already existing around roster management overall…
What do you think about all these changes?
