The Colorado Avalanche, like most contending clubs, don’t have an overly deep prospect pool. The reason for that is simple. Contenders utilize their best prospects as chips to acquire the pieces needed to contend.
A good example of that situation came at last season’s trade deadline. The Avalanche sent their top prospect to the New York Islanders in exchange for Brock Nelson. That’s the sort of move that fans expect contending teams to make.
Trades notwithstanding, the Avalanche do have a prospect pipeline that could furnish the club with potentially useful players down the road. But before we get into the prospects themselves, there are a couple of things I’d like to point out.
First, players like Nikita Prisschepov, Ivan Ivan, Tye Felhaber, and the recently acquired Danil Gushchin, while still prospects to a certain extent, have made it to the big club. As a result, they’ll be in the mix for an NHL job next season. That situation keeps them from being prospects in the traditional sense of the word.
Second, we’re going to be looking at players who could impact the NHL sooner rather than later. The ETA on these players is at least a couple of seasons away. While we might see them at training camp this fall, they’ll be there most for the experience of being part of an NHL camp rather than having a realistic shot at making the team.
With that in mind, here’s a look at the three top Colorado Avalanche prospects heading into the 2025-26 season.
3 top Colorado Avalanche prospects heading into 2025-26 season
Sean Behrens, D
Sean Behrens had a tough break last season. A knee injury derailed his entire season. He missed valuable playing time, which could impact his development. At 21, Behrens still has plenty of time to grow into a bona fide NHL defenseman.
Behrens could turn out much like Sam Malinski did. That’s not a bad comparable for the second-round pick from the 2021 NHL Draft. Behrens will definitely get a look at the Avalanche’s training camp this fall. But the likeliest destination will be the Colorado Eagles.
I would venture to say that Behrens could be among the first callups in case of injury this season. Moreover, it’s uncertain if 40-year-old Brent Burns has an entire season left in him. If he doesn’t, Behrens could get a shot.
However, Behrens will not be in the mix for the seventh or eighth defenseman slots. There’s no sense in keeping him in the press box when he could be getting valuable playing time at the AHL level.
If things work out, Behrens could turn into a solid bottom-four blue liner with a solid offensive upside. His lack of size would preclude him from a shutdown role, but don’t be surprised to find a Behrens-Malinski pairing at some point this upcoming season.
Gavin Brindley
Gavin Brindley joined the Colorado Avalanche following the Charlie Coyle trade. He is a tantalizing addition as the former second-round selection from the 2023 NHL Draft was projected to have a high ceiling.
However, he’s fallen on hard times, particularly after having a tough season with the Cleveland Monsters of the AHL. So, a reset could be just what the doctor ordered for Brindley.
It’s fair to assume that Brindley won’t be cracking the Opening Night lineup. But then again, Brindley could get a look, particularly if injuries hit in waves. Brindley would be a nice addition as a third-line winger. His numbers at the University of Michigan in 2023-24 were stellar. He scored 25 goals and 53 points in 40 games. So, there’s plenty of potential there.
The drawback on Brindley is his lack of size. He’s 5’9” and 168 pounds. But that won’t matter if he can become a productive scoring winger. At 20, Brindley will certainly get a look at training camp. If he stands out, he might just get a shot to start the season with the main club.
Otherwise, he’ll head down to the Eagles for more seasoning before earning a callup at some point in the season.
Ilya Nabokov
Ilya Nabokov has to be the most intriguing Colorado Avalanche prospect. He’s a goaltender who’s poised to get the starting job with the Eagles. At 22, there’s no need to rush him to the NHL. The Avalanche can take their time waiting for Nabokov to adjust to the NHL game following his time in the KHL.
On the surface, Nabokov’s path to the NHL seems blocked by MacKenzie Blackwood. But there is a road to the NHL as soon as next season.
Scott Wedgewood will be a UFA after this upcoming season. While I would love to see the Colorado Avalanche re-sign Wedgewood, a good season from Nabokov could make Wedgewood expendable. The club might feel confident in having Nabokov back up Blackwood as soon as next season.
There’s one caveat. The Avalanche will tread lightly with Nabokov to avoid a repeat of the Justus Annunen story.
Still, the high ceiling on Nabokov could propel him to the top of the Avalanche’s depth goalie depth chart. If everything goes well, the Avalanche could have one of the best goalie tandems in the NHL.