The Colorado Avalanche are a top-heavy team with the likes of Nathan MacKinnon, Martin Necas, and Gabriel Landeskog. Those three players are generally solid night in and night out. The one thing that the team can improve on is its bottom-six.
One player who has a chance to make a name for himself in training camp is T.J. Hughes. Hughes was signed in April and some believe he has a legitimate chance of making some noise on the Avalanche—not just the Eagles—in 2026-27.
He joined the club on an entry-level contract (ELC) in April and while he only played in two games with the AHL team, he had two points, a goal and an assist. He did, however, play extensively in the postseason, appearing in 17 games and getting four goals and 10 assists.
I’d say that is a pretty great AHL postseason stretch, especially since he got his first taste of it.
As a 21-year-old in 2022-23, Hughes began his four-year career at the University of Michigan. He played in 39 games, recording 13 goals and 23 assists in his inagural season.
In 2025-26 at Michigan, he had his best collegiate season, playing in 40 games while recording 22 goals and 35 assists.
Without seeing exactly how he plays, it is very telling that he appears to be a point machine. If he can translate that into the NHL, he has a good chance of having a very long career.
Thankfully for the Avalanche, Hughes was overlooked and while many teams were in on him around the same time as the Avalanche (including the Edmonton Oilers, Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens), he chose to sign with the Avalanche. He returned to Michigan to improve hihs stock, and it absolutely has paid off. Now he has a chance to make some noise on the NHL’s 2025-26 Presidents’ Trophy winner.
While Hughes won’t be a top-six forward for the Avalanche, even getting an opportunity as a bottom-six player would be huge. It’s all what he does with the opportunities he is given and it starts in training camp. The trade of Ross Colton to the Nashville Predators also plays a big role in Hughes’ attempt to make the opening-night roster. Heck, even if someone beats him out for Game 1, I would be shocked if we don’t see him in an Avalanche sweater shortly after.
Add us as a preferred source on Google