A Look at the Colorado Avalanche Rookie Camp

Colorado Avalanche rookies and invitees will hope to make an impression on the front offices during rookie camp and the rookie tournament.

The Colorado Avalanche rookie camp starts on Thursday, September 15. The team has invited 27 players —16 forwards, 8 defensemen, and 3 goalies.

Of those players, nine of them are Colorado’s own draftees:

• Right wing Alex Beaucage (3rd round in 2019)
• Center Jean-Luc Foudy (3rd round in 2020)
• Right wing Oskar Olausson (1st round in 2021)
• Left wing Sampo Ranta (3rd round, 2018)
• Defenseman Nate Clurman (6th round in 2016)
• Defenseman Danila Zhuravlyov (5th round in 2018)
• Goalie Justus Annunen (3rd round in 2018)
• Goalie Trent Miner (7th round in 2019)
• Goalie Ivan Zhigalov (7th round in 2022)

Within those ranks, I see three players whom the front offices are sure to be watching closely.

One is Sampo Ranta. Though the team didn’t choose him until the third round, I remember there being a lot of hype around the young Finn. He had worked his way through the US high school system before moving on to the prestigious hockey school, the University of Minnesota. After a nice showing there, he turned pro in 2021. Last year he made the team out  of training camp, but he failed to impress in 10 games and got sent back down to the Eagles. Injury hampered his  season, so he’s going to want to put up some good numbers during rookie camp.

Oskar Olausson is younger and less experienced than Ranta — 19 to Ranta’s 22. He spent all of his young years in the Swedish leagues until joining the OHL in 2021. In just one season — and two teams — he put up impressive numbers, 26 goals and 23 assists for 49 points in 55 games. He then signed his NHL contract and joined the Eagles in time for the playoffs, earning two assists in four games. While he’s putting up impressive numbers, it’s likely the teenager needs to put on some bulk before he can hope to join the big team.

The third player is pretty obvious — goalie Justus Annunen. He’s literally second in line for the throne, so to speak. Newbie Alexandar Georgiev is the Colorado Avalanche’s named starter with good old standby Pavel Francouz backing him up. Annunen was last year’s callup for next man up, and there’s no reason to think he won’t be this season. For that reason, he’s going to want to prove he’s got the chops to maintain that role.

Besides those players, I always find the rookie camp invites intriguing. Do the teams really think they can make even the AHL roster? Or do they just need to fill out rookie camp rosters for rookie tournaments? The Avalanche have 11 players who are invitees.

A quick look at some of their numbers make me think the team might be looking for AHL fillers who could even do a tour or two in the NHL if needed. Here are the ones whose numbers jump out at me:

• Center Gabe Klassen, 64 points in 68 WHL games
• Right wing Connor McClennon, 81 points in 62 WHL games
• Defenseman Brayden Schmitt, 25 points in 68 QMJHL games
• Defenseman Nolan Orzeck, 43 points in 67 WHL games

McClennon and Orzeck are sure to be on the team’s radar during camp with numbers like that.

On Thursday, the team will hold a practice at Family Sports — open to all, but for the love of hockey how does a current Stanley Cup champion not have its own facility yet? Afterward they head to San Jose to participate in the rookie tournament. They’ll play the LA Kings’ rookies on Friday, The San Jose Sharks’ rookie on Saturday, and the Arizona Coyotes’ rookies on Monday. Sunday is a practice day.

The reality for all the rookies is that the Colorado Avalanche is a current Stanley Cup champion with a mostly set roster. The team also has a clutch of AHL players ready to step up in case  of injury. Nonetheless, a good showing at rookie camp and the eventual training camp will give these players a chance to get that much closer to their NHL dreams.