Colorado Avalanche: 4 Possible College Free Agents

The Colorado Avalanche might be considering signing some of the top NCAA free agents to bolster the team’s depth.

The Colorado Avalanche wants to get younger — GM Joe Sakic has been repeating that at every turn. The team has been picking up waiver claims and even made a couple trades toward that end.

The presumption is that the team might make a blockbuster trade but at the very least will work this year’s draft to keep up the rebuild. There’s also free agency.

In the past Colorado has often looked to Europe for undrafted free agents, picking up players such as Dennis Everberg, Borna Rendulic and the recently traded Andreas Martinsen. For the Avs, the college pool has largely been ignored.

However, as the old song goes, times are a-changing. While the team often looked to the major juniors in the past for draftees, they’ve picked up a couple college boys. Most notable is Tyson Jost as well as JT Compher.

As the college hockey season ends, players who went through two drafts but remain undrafted become eligible as free agent signings. This is perfect for those late bloomers or for those who fit a team’s specific mold.

For the Avalanche, that means looking at players who are young, speedy and more on the small side. Skill with skating and stick handling are highly prized.

Let’s look at four college players the Colorado Avalanche might be considering to fill the seemingly empty depth coffers.

Austin Cangelosi

College: Boston College
Class Year: Senior
Height: 5’7”
Weight: 173 pounds
Age: 22
Position: Center

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Last month Joe Sakic made waves when he attended some college games in Boston, including the Bean Pot Tournament. It was thought he was scouting a trade with the Boston Bruins. That’s still a possibility, but he could have been checking for potential free agents.

If that’s the case, center Austin Cangelosi probably caught his eye. He’s small and skilled, which is the new Colorado type. Right now he leads his college team with 30 points (17 goals, 13 assists). Boston College is getting ready to host Vermont in the Hockey East Tournament.

According to BC Heights, Cangelosi is an agile goal-scorer who’s great at winning in faceoffs. He has solid two-way play.

Naturally Cangelosi’s size is nowhere near ideal for the NHL — he makes Tyson Barrie look downright beastly. However, Cangelosi skated at BC with the NHL’s currently most celebrated diminutive forward, Johnny Goudreau. Austin isn’t the next Johnny Hockey, but he could definitely add forward scoring depth.

Like I said, Sakic may well have been checking the senior out at the Bean Pot. Here are a couple plays in which we can see his skill for ourselves:

Here’s something we might like to see Candelosi try during a shootout:

Let’s look at a player of more traditional NHL size.

Zach Aston-Reese

College: Northeastern University
Class Year: Senior (also wears the A)
Height: 6′
Weight: 204 pounds
Age: 22
Position: Center

Center Zach Aston-Reese is scouted as the top college pending free agent. Indeed, Yahoo Sports makes a case for Aston-Reese to win the Hobey Baker Award. Yahoo’s Ryan Lambert goes on to say of Zach:

“He’s also the most NHL-ready undrafted free agent in college hockey today. He’s going to sign with an NHL team the second Northeastern’s season is over and go play not because he negotiated to have a year burned off his ELC, but because his game is extremely close to complete.”

In fact, Auston-Reese leads the NCAA in goals (29). He’s tied for tops in both points (59) and short-handed goals (4). He’s third in the NCAA for power play goals and fourth shots (143).

That last alone should have you wanting Zach on the Colorado Avalanche. That shots total would put him in second place on the team, with Nathan MacKinnon beating him out with 205 shots in twice as many games. Auston-Reese is a shooting little booger.

Northeastern is facing Boston University in the Hockey East Tournament this weekend. It’s also worth noting that Aston-Reese participating in the Beanpot Tournament.

Here’s Zach Aston-Reese in action:

Apparently Zach likes to throw down, too. Check Youtube for his highlights, and you get a lot of fights. Here’s an example:

Zach Aston-Reese appears to be one of those classic late bloomers. Colorado has plenty of money coming off the books this summer. Hopefully Sakic is at least talking to this kid.

Naturally, the Colorado Avalanche especially need help on defense. Let’s look at a couple NCAA defensemen the team might be considering.

Neal Pionk

College: Minnesota-Duluth
Class Year: Sophomore
Height: 6′
Weight: 190 pounds
Age: 21
Position: Defenseman

Neal Pionk is second only to Daniel Brickley for potential collegiate free agent defensemen. He’s tied for 10th among all NCAA defensemen with 28 points (7 goals, 21 assists).

Pionk is one of those puck-moving defensemen, which is what the Colorado Avalanche is leaning toward. A couple years ago he was named USHL Defenseman of the Year, and he was captain of his Sioux City Musketeers at the time. So here’s another player with leadership qualities.

According to the Hockey Writers, Pionk attended the Washington Capitals development camp two summers ago and scouted as a solid two-way defenseman with great skating and agility.

What’s more, Dave Starman, a college hockey analyst for CBS Sports Network and ESPN, stated that Neal Pionk is “a legitimate scoring threat every time he’s on the ice.” Starman continues:

“He’s good in his own zone. But when you watch him, what stands out is how good his shot is, and he can score with it. He’s got a Shea Weber quality to him with the shot. Just got a missile.”

Here’s a highlight video from when he won Defenseman of the Year:

Neal Pionk seems pretty polished hockey-wise. As a boon, he’s also a right-hand shot, that coveted distinction for a defenseman. He’s also gritty for his size.

Like Brickley, he’d probably need some time with the Rampage to develop. UMD is hosting Miami in the NCHC tournament this weekend.

Next: Nolan Patrick May Become the Next Avs Draft Pick

I like the looks of Zach Aston-Reese and Daniel Brickley best. However, the current regime would probably prefer the skill set of Auston Cangelosi and Neal Pionk.

Any if not all of the above collegiate hockey player will be signed by NHL teams, at minimum for their AHL affiliates. The Colorado Avalanche are shallow depth-wise, so I hope Joe Sakic is talking to some of these players’ agents. Any of them could improve the team’s depth pool.