Avalanche Journal: Calum Ritchie, Mikhail Gulyayev lead deeper prospect pool

The Colorado Avalanche hasn’t made many picks at the NHL draft recently, but that changed in June.

As a result, this is the deepest collection of prospects the organization has had in a long time. It’s still not one of the best pipelines in the NHL, but there are two guys who could be impact players at the top and a whole new collection of intriguing talent behind them.

Colorado general manager Chris MacFarland traded his first-round choice at The Sphere in Las Vegas, collecting more picks in the process. The Avs selected nine players at the 2024 NHL Draft, the first time they’ve added that many players in one class since 2007.

The two first-round selections from a year ago look even better now, and they lead the group. There’s significantly more goaltending depth in the system after the Avs tabbed three netminders in this class.

Here’s a look at the club’s top prospects as the 2024-25 season looms on the horizon:

1. Calum Ritchie, F

Age: 19

Acquired: First round, 2023 draft

2023-24: 28 goals, 80 points in 50 games for Oshawa (OHL)

Ritchie had a nice year leading into the draft but missed the start of last season with a shoulder injury. When he returned, Ritchie became one of the most dominant players in the league, adding eight goals and 30 points in 22 games during a deep playoff run.

He could have a chance to earn at least an early-season trial with the Avs during training camp. A guy with his size and skill level could make sense as a temporary placeholder for any of the top forwards who miss the start of the season. If not, he’ll likely tear up the OHL again this year and be a key player for Canada at the World Junior Championship.

Not to put too much pressure on one teenager, but given what the kids are up to in Dallas, the Avs could really benefit from Ritchie developing into a strong complementary player over the next few years, at a minimum.

2. Mikhail Gulyayev, D

Age: 19

Acquired: First round, 2023 draft

2023-24: Four goals, 12 points in 64 games for Omsk (KHL)

His father is an assistant coach for Omsk’s junior league team, but the younger Gulyayev is done with that league. Gulyayev had the most points in the KHL this year of any U-21 defenseman, but more importantly, he played nearly 16 minutes a game for a playoff team.

Gulyayev is small (listed at 5-foot-10). The vast majority of diminutive defensemen who make it in the NHL are excellent skaters, both in speed and agility. He can dance, and he can move. It might be a while before he arrives in Colorado, but Gulyayev could be one of the best players in the world not in the NHL by the time he’s ready to come over.

3. Ilya Nabokov, G

Age: 21

Acquired: 2024 draft, second round

2023-24: 23-13-13, .930 save percentage in 43 games for Magnitogorsk (KHL)

The Avs may be very thankful no one took a late-round flier on Nabokov in either the 2022 or 2023 NHL drafts. Lots of great NHL goalies were late-round picks. Nabokov wasn’t and then had a huge year in the KHL for the league champs.

It’s usually not ideal to be taking someone who is already 21 years old that high, but goaltender development is different. Nabokov isn’t a big goalie, but he’s not that small, either. He does probably have the most upside in a system suddenly flush with goaltending prospects.

4. Nikolai Kovalenko, F

Age: Will be 25 on Oct. 17

Acquired: 2018 draft, sixth round

2023-24: 11 goals, 35 points in 42 games for Nizhny Novgorod (KHL); one goal, three points in four games for Colorado (AHL)

Unless something goes wrong, Kovalenko should be an NHL regular this season. He didn’t get a lot of work in games after arriving from Russia, in large part because of a knee injury he sustained in the final minutes of his KHL season. Yes, he’s older, but he might also become a fun, chaotic player at the NHL level. There should be plenty of opportunity for him to claim a regular lineup spot at the start, and we’ll see if he can be more than an energy/forechecker type of guy.

5. Justus Annunen, G

Age: 24

Acquired: 2018 draft, third round

2023-24: 14-5-1, .908 save percentage in 23 games for Colorado (AHL); 8-4-1, .928 save percentage for the Avs

Annunen still only has 18 games of NHL experience on his resume. Fourteen of them came last season, and they were collectively quite good. He should have an unmarked path to being Colorado’s backup goalie this year. It will be interesting (again) to monitor Alexandar Georgiev’s workload, but if Annunen can be even close to as sturdy as he was last year with a little more playing time, it should be a solid tandem.

6. Sean Behrens, D

Age: 21

Acquired: 2021 draft, second round

2023-24: Four goals, 31 points in 44 games for University of Denver (NCAA)

Behrens can really play defense. He did a pretty good Devon Toews impersonation at times for DU last year against some high-end NHL prospects. If he were 6-foot-1 and/or skated like Toews (or Gulyayev, for that matter), he’d be at the top of this list. He might get a chance to show more offensive tools with the Colorado Eagles this year because he won’t have Zeev Buium next to him, which would also help him be a future NHL regular.

7. Tory Pitner, D

Age: 18

Acquired: 2024 draft, sixth round

2023-24: Eight goals, 24 points in 50 games for Youngstown (USHL)

Here’s a guy who is not this high on most prospect lists. He went much later in the draft than Behrens, but he might just be a similar player for DU. Pitner is an excellent defensive player with lots of work to do to show he can help out offensively enough to play at the NHL level.

8. Oskar Olausson, F

Age: 22 on Nov. 10

Acquired: 2021 draft, first round

2023-24: 11 goals, 20 points in 39 games for Colorado (AHL); one game for the Avs

Olausson moves well and the shot looks like it came from a first-round talent when he has the time and space to lean into one. He’s still young enough for it to click, but it’s also getting late for the “he’s still young” rationale. Olausson has 23 goals in 109 career AHL games. It could be a make-or-break year for him with the organization.

9. Jean-Luc Foudy, F

Age: 22

Acquired: 2020 draft, third round

2023-24: Four goals, 14 points in 26 games for Colorado (AHL); one goal in four games for the Avs

Foudy has NHL-level skating ability. He has struggled to stay healthy during some key development years. There could be a chance for him to earn a spot with the Avs in camp, but there’s more competition for them after some offseason depth additions.

10. , F

Age: 18

Acquired: 2024 draft, third round

2023-24: 57 goals, 111 points in 54 games for Shattuck-St. Mary’s (Prep school)

Lots of future NHL players have roamed the halls at Shattuck-St. Mary’s School, but the biggest names were there when they were a bit younger. Zellers did have a dominant prep season, and he played well at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup at the beginning of the year. How he transitions to college hockey at North Dakota will be something to monitor.

11. Jake Fisher, F

Age: 19

Acquired: 2024 draft, fourth round

2023-24: 23 goals, 47 points in 51 games for Fargo (USHL)

Fisher had a nice draft season playing for the eventual USHL champions. Now he’s moving to DU to play for the defending NCAA champs. He was a re-entry in the 2024 draft, so he’s a year older than guys like Zellers, Christian Humphreys and Max Curran, but there’s also an intriguing all-around skill set here as well.

12. Christian Humphreys, F

Age: 18

Acquired: 2024 draft, seventh round

2023-24: 30 goals, 82 points in 75 games for USA Hockey (NTDP)

Humphreys is a slick offensive player. He can make some highlight-reel plays, particularly as a passer. He also definitely needs to get bigger. He didn’t look like a seventh-round pick at Avs rookie camp. Draft experts were kind of all over the place with Humphreys, and he might be a bit of a wild card.

HM: Luka Cloutier, Ivan Yunin, Max Curran

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