It seems this offseason is about the Colorado Avalanche taking chances on former Boston Bruins prospects.
First, the Avs acquired former first-rounder Fabian Lysell for Ivan Ivan.
Now, Joe Sakic made a surprise signing. And it’s one that could turn out to be one of those under-the-radar hits.
On July 20, the Avs inked former Bruins prospect Georgii Merkulov to a one-year, $850K deal.
All right, so that wasn’t exactly an earth-shattering move. But when looking under the hood, the move was certainly interesting.
The Avs got the 25-year-old as a UFA. Mekulov qualified as a Group 6 free agent since he signed for four years in Boston and has played a total of 11 NHL games.
That’s intriguing. The Bruins should have given Mekulov more of a chance. This past season, he scored 24 goals and 61 points in 70 AHL games with the Providence Bruins. Based on those numbers, you would think Boston would have given him more than just one game this past season.
But they didn’t. And that could be the Avalanche’s benefit. Of course, expectations should be tempered on the Russian forward. It’s not like he’s going to immediately come in and light up the league on fire.
Still, there’s something there the Avalanche have seen that the Bruins might have overlooked.
Avalanche could have hidden gem in Merkulov
While Merkulov was an undrafted player, he did show some potential early on. He had a solid showing in the USHL after leaving Russia. In the 2019-20 season, he scored six goals and 33 points in 36 games.
He followed that up with 14 goals and 40 points in 38 games in the 2020-21 season with the Youngstown Phantoms. After that, he spent a year at Ohio State, netting 20 goals and 34 points in 36 games.
When looking at those numbers, it’s shocking that no one drafted him. Be that as it may, Merkulov turned pro that season. He signed with the Bruins, pretty much lighting up the AHL.
His best season numbers-wise was in 2023-24, when he scored 30 goals and 65 points in 67 games in Providence. The Bruins gave him four games and sent him back down when he failed to notch a point.
This upcoming season, Merkulov will almost assuredly start the season with the Colorado Eagles. But here’s where things could get interesting. The Avs are seemingly loading up on depth. Merkulov looks like the sort of player who could come up and play a decent role in the bottom six.
If he continues lighting up the AHL, he could get a shot at the Avalanche sooner rather than later. You would have to think that a guy like Fedor Svechkov isn’t an ironclad choice to stay with the Avs full-time.
That’s why Merkulov could become a fascinating option for the organization. Colorado has two young centers now in TJ Hughes and Merkulov who could inject some much-needed youth into one of the oldest lineups in the NHL.
So, we shall see if anything substantial comes of this move.
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