The Colorado Avalanche made an intriguing signing on Monday. The club announced it had inked Russian netminder Nikita Novosyolov to a two-year entry-level deal carrying a $979.5K cap hit.
The deal seems like one of those run-of-the-mill prospect acquisitions. The 21-year-old goalie is undrafted and is earmarked for the Colorado Eagles next season.
We have signed goaltender Nikita Novosyolov to a two-year, entry-level contract beginning in the 2026-2027 campaign. pic.twitter.com/i08LfGknNU
— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) June 1, 2026
And that’s where things get a bit interesting.
The depth chart for the Eagles already features Ilya Nabokov and Trent Miner. There is also Isak Posch, who’s been a solid AHL-level goalie. With Novosyolov in the mix, that would give the Eagles four goalies.
Something has to give here.
At the NHL level, MacKenzie Blackwood will be on the books for four more seasons. Meanwhile, Scott Wedgewood is only signed through next season.
Could this situation mean that there will be a new backup to Blackwood in 2027-28?
It’s an interesting thought.
Novosyolov is 6’2” and 172 pounds. He’s not the biggest goalie, but certainly has the size to be a good NHL netminder. It’s his All-Russian Hockey League (VHL) numbers that seem truly impressive. In 40 games with the Gornyak-UGMK. Novosyolov posted a 2.10 GAA and a .932 SV%.
Of course, those numbers should be taken with a grain of salt. There’s no telling how they could translate to the AHL, much less the NHL. But that doesn’t take away from the fact that he’s a solid goaltending prospect.
Perhaps this is a case of the Avalanche thinking several moves ahead. The club could be thinking that Miner could eventually become the backup to Blackwood in 2027-28, with the possibility of Nabokov reaching the NHL at some point in the next couple of years.
In that case, the Avs may have a logjam in the crease. Who knows, but Blackwood may even become expendable as he heads into the final year of his current contract.
That assessment may be way down the line. But for now, it seems that the Avs are stocking up on goaltending prospects. The organization isn’t planning on scrambling to figure out its situation in the crease like it did last season.
Let’s see what happens in training camp this fall.
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