Colorado Avalanche Top 25 Under 25: #16 Danila Zhuravlyov

Development camp standout Danila Zhuravlyov looks to make the NHL roster after inking a two-year deal with the Avalanche.

The Top 25 Under 25 is a collaboration by members of the Mile High Hockey staff. Eight writers have ranked players under the age of 25 as of August 1, 2022 in the Colorado Avalanche organization. Each participant used their own metric of value to rank each player. Now, we’ll count down each of the 25 players ranked.

I am very excited to see what this young prospect can do to add to Colorado’s already deep and young blue line. Danila Zhuravlyov is among the youngest players to have earned some quality minutes in the KHL. At just 20 years of age, Danila logged 44 games played for AK Bars Kazan and stood out in Avalanche Development camp in July.

It’s a feat to be that young and playing in the KHL and, moreover, as what most would consider a slightly undersized defenseman. He doesn’t appear to be just 163 pounds as he’s listed on NHL.com and brought strength and grit to development camp. He has shown enough potential to earn a two-year entry-level contract, but how soon could we see him in the majors?

At the very least, Zhuravlyov’s trajectory has him being a vital part of the Eagle’s defensive core. As mentioned earlier, he plays a positionally sound defensive game and brings size and strength to the position. That is valuable in any league but more and more as a prospect gets closer to the show. If he were to make the Avalanche squad and see some NHL time next year, it would have to involve a combination of circumstances. He will need a great year in the A, and the Avalanche would have to be experiencing considerable injuries among their defensive group.

As we sit, I don’t know that he’s next in line on the back end with Jacob MacDonald and Sean Behrens already in the system. He will have to separate himself from these two players in camp to have a shot at some NHL time. It’s almost getting old mentioning that a player was acquired as a part of the Matt Duchene trade, but here we are again.

2022 Top 25 Under 25

#17: Andrei Buyalsky

#18: Matthew Steinburg

#19: Nikolai Kovalenko

#20 Trent Miner

#21: Keaton Middleton

#21: Wyatt Aamodt

#23: Taylor Makar

#24: Nathan Clurman

#25: Ivan Zhigalov