Colorado Avalanche make right call on Ivan Zhigalov

The Colorado Avalanche took a chance on goaltender Ivan Zhigalov in the seventh round of the 2022 NHL Draft. While the odds may still be stacked against him, he’s getting more time to develop and be a potential impact-maker for the team later down the road.

The Colorado Avalanche announced several moves including Zhigalov reporting to the Tri-City Storm of the USHL.

It’s no guarantee that Zhigalov will ever be a part of the Colorado Avalanche squad and play for them but in the NHL, this is just part of the process. Playing for the team that drafted you is no guarantee, but neither is not playing for that team. At the end of the day, Zhigalov will just have to continue trying to improve in the net wherever he’s playing.

The Avalanche are going to need some goaltender help this year with Pavel Francouz set to miss some time due to an injury. While Zhigalov won’t be ready to play for the Colorado Avalanche in 2023, it is a good sign for him that they are not cutting him loose so soon. As a seventh-round pick, it’s a very, very good sign.

For the Avalanche, Alexandar Georgiev is the unquestioned starter. The team traded for him and gave him an extension through 2024-25 and with the way things are going right now, they could look to extend him once again when this extension runs out.

Last season for the Kingston Frontenacs of the OHL, Zhigalov had a 16–24–1 record with a .889 save percentage. Obviously, there is some work to be done there. The Colorado Avalanche should not be in any hurry to have him ready to go. This takes time. While there are some early-20-year-olds in the NHL, that does not mean the Avalanche should hurry Zhigalov along.

Whenever he’s ready, he’s ready. Right now, it’s just a great sign that he’s still with the organization.