Colorado Avalanche so-called “best prospect” is a surprise

The Colorado Avalanche had two first round selections in the 2023 NHL Draft. With their first one, 27th overall, they took Calum Ritchie. With their second, 31st overall, Mikhail Gulyayev was the selection. The last time the Avalanche had a first round player play in a game was Oskar Olausson, selected in the 2021 draft. Even still, he has a only appeared in two NHL games.

The hope is that their recent picks will have a better and more frequent impact. When it comes to the best prospect in the team’s system, however, one person thinks that Gulyayev is the pick. It is a bit of a surprise given Ritchie’s presence and how everybody was crediting the Avalanche for that pick, deeming it a steal. He signed an entry-level contract with the team this offseason, and while he still has to make the Avalanche team, it’s a step in the right direction.

I’ll admit that I’m not against this choice as the team’s best prospect. In fact, it is a welcoming choice. The reason is simple: pretty much everybody viewed Ritchie as a slam dunk pick by the team, and because of his injury, he fell to Colorado. With Gulyayev as another player that is getting recognition, it could be an indication that good things are coming to this organization within the next couple of years.

The interesting thing that this person says in the video (linked above), is that Gulyayev could end up being a top-4 defenseman on the Colorado Avalanche, but he also acknowledges that he is a project, given that he is a small defender. That concern does make sense, but you might know of another Avalanche defenseman who is not the ideal size: Sam Girard. His puck-moving ability and vision are also acknowledged in the video. That’s a good thing to hear if you are an Avalanche fan.

The Avalanche signed Erik Brannstrom, Calvin de Haan, and Oliver Kylington this offseason to add to their defense. Training camp battles are going to be quite interesting this year. Gulyayev could be on their tail at some point in the next couple of years.