Time is fast approaching for the Colorado Avalanche to make a decision on 2023 seventh-round pick Maros Jedlicka. The team has to decide whether or not to sign him to an entry-level contract (ELC), or lose his NHL rights altogether.
PuckPedia laid it all out. Each year, there are sets of players whose rights expire if they are not signed to an entry-level contract. Jedlicka falls under the following category: Players Drafted in 2023 from European leagues at age 20 or over.
If the Avalanche don’t sign Jedlicka to an ELC, he would become an unrestricted free agent.
Jedlicka is 22 years old and turns 23 on October 23rd. Unfortunately, he has had a rough time staying healthy. For the 2024-25 season with the Eagles, he played in just 18 games and had three goals and two assists. Prior to joining the Eagles, he was with Brno Kometa, where he played in 12 games, registering just two points—both assists.
In 2021 and 2022, Jedlicka participated in the World Juniors U-20 Championship, but failed to register points throughout nine total games.
It is not often a seventh-round pick is going to make an impact on the team that drafts him. While Jedlicka hasn’t exactly been impressive, not all of it is his fault. Injuries suck. They’re a big part in what makes or breaks a player’s chances of having a successful career, no matter what sport. He just can’t seem to shake the injury bug.
In October 2023, he suffered a bad shoulder injury that knocked him out for a couple of months. Back then, I wrote on how it is going to be a tall task for him to make the Avalanche in the future. As time approaches for the Avalanche to make a decision, honestly I would be pretty surprised if he has any sort of future with the team. Maybe he can hook on with another club, but he has to prove that he can stay healthy for an extended period of time.