The Colorado Avalanche selected forward Egor Shilov with the 43rd overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. While the hope is that he will make an impact for the team in the future, his immediate impact has been with the Victoriaville Tigres of the QMJHL.
The left-shot center has unsurprisingly put together a string of solid performances in college. Through 12 games, Shilov has six goals and 11 assists, including two goals and an assist he recorded on Saturday against the Newfoundland Regiment on Saturday.
Here’s the replay of the second goal he scored in that game.
What I specifically like about the play linked above is how wide open Shilov was on the play. The way the defender was playing it, it felt like the Tigres were on a power play and the Regiment player was trying to cover two areas at once. While that was not the case, it was a great play to find Shilov a part of.
Speaking of the power play, that was one of the bigger factors, I think, that led to the Avalanche selecting him in the draft. They may have found a solid group for the first unit, and adding some depth there at some point in the next few years (or maybe a little bit longer) is going to become more and more crucial. Hopefully by the time Shilov is ready to step up in the NHL, Brett McLean will have developed a strong and effective power play unit for years to come.
Some already view Shilov as a highly-rated prospect in the Avalanche’s pool. For instance, MileHighHockey had him at the 12th spot in their Top 25 in August. Whether that ranking has changed, I’m not sure. But of all the prospects in the Avs’ pool, it’s a placement that should have Avs fans excited, despite the team’s unexciting crop of prospects.
By the time Shilov is ready to go, I’d imagine somebody such as Brock Nelson will be close to retirement, creating a need for Colorado at the center position. If Shilov isn’t ready when that happens, he could perhaps spend some time in the AHL with the Colorado Eagles.
Maybe Shilov will make his NHL debut sooner than expected, as it is not necessarily uncommon in today’s NHL. The Avalanche have called up several young talents early on in the process, such as Calum Ritchie and Nikita Prishchepov. Hopefully Shilov will impress head coach Jared Bednar at some point in a few years and have a hold on a roster spot.
Whatever Shilov’s path is to the NHL, I think the Avalanche should feel good about the left-shot forward’s future. It’s still early in the process, but things seem to be looking up for him right now.
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