The Colorado Avalanche drafted Maros Jedlicka in the seventh round of the 2023 NHL Draft. As late-round draft picks go, the chances of making the team are very slim. They are sent down to minor leagues to develop their craft so that they could have a better shot at making the NHL team that drafted them.
Jedlicka could face even bigger odds of making the Colorado Avalanche in the future. He recently underwent surgery on his shoulder, and the expectation is that he will be out a couple of months.
Depth has been an issue for the Colorado Avalanche, particularly in the minor league with the Eagles. All of last season, we heard all about how the Avalanche needed to replenish their prospect pool. While Jedlicka isn’t with the Eagles right now, this unfortunate injury could set him back from getting there sooner, therefore setting back his chances of making the Avalanche roster.
Per Evan Rawal of ColoradoHockeyNow.com (link above), the Avalanche were expecting Jedlicka to come up to the Colorado Eagles this upcoming season, which would have really helped him make a name for himself. Now, the future is murky for the 20-year-old.
It is still possible that Jedlicka could make a return in 2024 and be alright but having shoulder surgery as a hockey player can be really bad news. It wouldn’t surprise me if he ends up losing strength but at the same time, once he is fully recovered, he will just have to build his strength back up.
We just have to hope for the best for Jedlicka going forward and, hopefully, he will be able to make a full recovery and strong comeback. The Avalanche added some players to help try and bring a championship back to Colorado in the near future. Hopefully, Jedlicka is part of that winning culture when he is ready.