Avalanche land top NCAA free agent, won’t play in NHL for key reason

The Colorado Avalanche made major waves on Saturday, hours before hitting the ice for their matchup against the Vegas Golden Knights at Ball Arena.

The Avalanche, who clinched the Presidents’ Trophy with a win over the Calgary Flames last Thursday night, will now have one of the top prospects in this year’s college class joining the squad.

Hughes, 24, signed an entry-level contract (ELC) with the Avalanche for the 2026-27 season. The deal carries a $952K value against the cap.

Meanwhile, Hughes will report to the Colorado Eagles on an AHL Professional Tryout Contract (PTO) for the remainder of the 2026 hockey season.

So, let’s break down the deal. Signing the AHL PTO makes sense. Hughes won’t be playing in the NHL this season. The team is stacked, and there are essentially no lineup spots available for a rookie forward.

That’s important because if Hughes had signed an NHL ELC for THIS season, he would have to play in the NHL. Since Hughes signed his contract AFTER the trade deadline, he is not eligible to sign an NHL contract and then go down to the AHL.

As such, it would be a waste of time having Hughes in the NHL without a reasonable chance to play.

Signing an AHL contract means that he has an opportunity to actually get significant playing time. He’ll be a huge boost to the Colorado Eagles during the AHL playoffs. The Eagles, who finished second in the Pacific Division, are on track to face the San Diego Gulls in the first round of the Calder Cup playoffs. The winner of that best-of-3 series will move on to face the Ontario Reign in the second round.

As such, playing in the AHL would be more valuable to Hughes’ development and the Eagles’ playoff run than sitting on the sidelines in the AHL.

Hughes could be a major factor next season

Hughes could be a major factor for the Avalanche next season. At 24, he’s about as NHL-ready as they come. So, he will definitely be in the mix for a roster spot next season. The big issue will be where he actually plays.

The Avs don’t have any pending UFAs on the board this season beyond Joel Kiviranta. However, Kiviranta is mainly a fourth-liner. Hughes’ ceiling is much higher than the fourth line. So, he will push someone out of the lineup.

Assuming he makes the team out of camp next fall, Hughes could take up a spot on the wing as he eases into a center role. Potentially, Hughes could squeeze someone like Ross Colton, Nic Roy, or even Jack Drury.

That’s something the club will worry about over the summer and even into training camp. For now, the focus will be on seeing Hughes get behind the wheel to see what he can do in the pro game.

In the meantime, landing the most coveted NCAA free agent this season says a lot about the reputation the Avalanche have built up as an organization.