Like I said in a previous article talking about the Colorado Avalanche’s 2026 draft class, there’s no sense in rushing players to get farther than they are comfortable with. That doesn’t mean we can’t talk about it, though.
The Avalanche made nine selections on Saturday throughout rounds 2-7. One player in particular could have a legitimate chance of making it to the AHL quicker than any other of the team’s selections.
Those players are left wing Shawn Carrier and defenseman Cole Tuminaro. Carrier had 37 goals and 30 assists throughout 66 regular season games this past season for the Halifax Mooseheads.
Standing at 5’11” and 187 pounds, Carrier is considered kind of small for a forward, but there are several scenarios that have proven that size doesn’t always matter in the NHL. He just has to work hard, smart and do the best that he can.
Tuminaro was selected in the fifth round on Saturday. One thing that stood out to me when researching him is that he played with a torn labrum for a portion of a season. The dedication is there. That gives me hope that he will work his tail off to become the best version of his self that he can.
The one thing that is in their favour regarding their paths to the next level is their age. As they are both 19-years-old, and the only 19-year-olds the team drafted on Saturday, they have the quickest paths to the AHL. Per the newest rules, players can only go to the AHL if they are 20-years-old or older.
The same could probably be said for Carrier, as he committed to Boston University for the 2027-28 season.
It’s really anybody’s guess as to whether or not that will actually happen, and when. Tuminaro committed to Cornell University—the same university that Sam Malinski attended—so I highly doubt that he will have an early entry to the Eagles as he’ll probably want to get in as much education as he can. That’s completely understandable.
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