The Colorado Avalanche have the NHL’s worst prospect pipeline. That shouldn’t be a surprise after the club has spent years gutting its farm system and draft stock to remain competitive.
But this season, Corey Pronman of The Athletic placed the Avs dead last in prospect rankings ahead of the 2025-26 season. Sadly, there’s no need for an advanced degree in molecular positronium to figure out why.
Just take a look at the 2025 NHL Draft. The Avalanche entered the event with two picks. One in the fourth round and the other in the seventh. That was it. The club added one more via a trade.
But let’s get real. As much as we like to cheer for underdogs, many of these late-rounders will never suit up in an NHL game. Some will remain in the minors for several seasons. Others will move on to real life sooner rather than later.
Unlike other spots, making the NHL is hard. Getting there is one thing. Staying is another. That being said, the Avalanche lacks high-end prospects who could take over from incumbents. For instance, there is no prospect in the system who could take over for Cale Makar. Even worse, no one could eventually fill Nathan MacKinnon’s shoes.
Pronman listed Gavin Brindley as the Avalanche’s top prospect. According to Pronman, Brindley projects as a middle-six forward at the peak of his abilities. That’s not bad. But he’s practically the only forward with that potential.
When the Avalanche traded Calum Ritchie to the New York Islanders in the Brock Nelson trade, they pretty much got rid of their best forward prospect. That situation means that, unless the Avalanche suddenly stock up on draft picks in the next couple of seasons, it could be a sad, sad future devoid of high-end talent.
Brindley not only bright spot for Colorado Avalanche prospect pipeline
While Gavin Brindley could become a role player for the Avalanche at some point down the road, two Russians stand out as potential contributors.
First, there’s Mikhail Gulyayev. The 20-year-old Russian blueliner was a late first-rounder in 2023. At 31st overall, he was sandwiched between the first and second rounds. Pronman describes him as an above-average defenseman, with his size and lack of physicality holding him back.
He looks like a potential replacement for Samuel Girard, if Gulyayev can tap into his potential. Then again, there’s no telling if his KHL success will translate into NHL prowess. Assuming it does, Gulyayev could be a solid choice for the Avalanche’s middle-pairing.
There’s also Ilya Nabkov to think about. Nakobov, as we’ve discussed at length here at Mile High Sticking, could become the backup to MacKenzie Blackwood as soon as next season. However, that’s a bit iffy. Nabokov will just now come to North America.
Like Gulyayev, it remains to be seen if his skills can translate to the North American game. While there’s always the chance that Nabokov becomes the next great Russian netminder, there’s always the possibility he never truly pans out.
All in all, Avalanche fans should be just a tad worried about the extremely thin prospect pool. The Avalanche are at no risk of rebuilding within the next five seasons. But if things go south heading into 2030, the barren prospect cupboard could lead to a painful rebuild, and that’s no bueno for the Avs’ faithful.