A few tidbits about the last couple of prospects in the Colorado Avalanche system.
Over the last year the Colorado Avalanche prospect pool went from limited to decimated but a few remaining players have just received an Entry Level Contract or are still candidates to do so. Therefore, let’s examine what’s left in the rubble.
Southernlightning: Can you take a look at the unsigned college players you think they are going to go after this year? They seem to find a couple each year!
Anything is possible but the college shopping spree is largely over with the NCAA season now complete. The early summer could bring a few additional signings from Europe or KHL free agents. The Avalanche did make one NCAA free agent addition on ELC with 23-year-old Cooper Gay, who is a 6-foot-4 forward from the University of St. Thomas. Gay got in two Colorado Eagles games before the end of the regular season and scored his first professional goal.
Cooper Gay’s first game in an Eagles sweater.
Cooper Gay’s first goal in an Eagles sweater.
This one’s pretty
pic.twitter.com/oFBsOpyHo3— Bailey Curtis (@baileyycurtis) April 5, 2025
RustyShackleford’sPocketSand: Based on this season, what do you think the next year holds for a prospect’s chances of making the Avs next season? I realize that what happens with the established vets and which of them get re-signed might play a significant role (does Kivy price himself out, does Brock bolt to Minny, does Dru sign a team friendly deal again).
The short answer, as you’d expect, is there’s no expectation of internal options getting real chance but there’s always the 5-10 game call up window. Those who have the best chance have been in the organization the shortest amount of time or have a reason to hold favor with the front office.
In order of graduation likelihood for this group PF forwards I’d go: Ivan Ivan gaining 40 games of NHL experience should count for something, though I’m concerned he was never called up again once the failed Juuso Parssinen experiment began. Nikita Prishchepov getting any NHL opportunity as a 20-year old was promising but next year in his second year of pro there will have to be a commitment to get him dozens of games to get on a legitimate path to graduation in year three. Taylor Makar has age at 24-years old, size and bloodlines working in his favor and should see a call-up but for anything more than that he probably would need a significant season of production in the AHL first. Oskar Olausson is at least still around but after three years in the AHL his window is shut. I’m not sure Jean-Luc Foudy gets a qualifying offer and after five years in the AHL that might not be what’s best for him.
What do you think are the necessary skills for a player to be one of those late round picks who defies the odds and makes it to the NHL?
Is there too much hype/excitement placed on college free agents? Are expectations too high for them?
— Giants in the Crease (@CreaseGiants) April 16, 2025
Both great questions. First of all, the main attribute a successful late round pick needs is puck skill. Meeting the minimum threshold of skill required for the NHL is a must. Talking oneself into all attributes needed to become a role player is where the battle is lost before it even begins. Justifications of big strong, penalty killer, fourth line faceoff ace, dependable bottom pair defenseman, etc. Those roles are usually given to veterans and if the main selling point for a developing player is these things it likely means he’s not measuring up in the skill talent department. Skilled players will adapt and finding a diamond in the rough is about identifying where competitors missed their evaluations in the skill set and upside a player possesses. Noting that a player has an aptitude for defense, physicality, and versatility are great secondary attributes but they won’t get a player to the NHL on its own. Opportunity and organizational commitment matters just as much if not more in late round picks as well.
Secondly, the problem with hyping college free agents is the thought that they are replacements for missing draft picks. College (and CHL or Europe) free agents can be a nice supplementary avenue for adding talent but it’s not a main avenue. The likelihood of getting a NHL player out of someone passed over three or four times in the draft with the advancements in scouting is low. At best you are looking at a late round pick replacement, which should garner roughly a 16-11% success rate. The Avalanche getting one college free agent to graduate every seven years would be about that pace. But if an organization isn’t hitting on league average return rates with the draft picks they do hold on to they are behind the curve to begin with. There’s no quick fixes when it comes to adding to an internal pipeline.
Jokke Nevelainen