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Welcome to the September edition of the DobberProspects 32-in-32 Series. This month, we are diving into the depth of each organization, looking at their recent graduates, risers, fallers and top-20 prospects. 

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Two years removed from their Stanley Cup win, Colorado is still firmly in “win now” mode which has resulted in their rosters being very veteran-heavy and prospect-light. Last month’s 32-in-32 article highlighted the organization’s incoming and outgoing players and these were relatively short lists, with obvious roles only appearing to be for depth positions. Two giant question marks hang over the roster to start the season however, as the returns of Landeskog and Nichuskin are uncertain and their cap money went unspent, meaning there will likely be temporary top-six roles available for internal candidates. 

This could lead to some extra-long “cups of coffee” potentially turning into “graduations” depending on the veterans’ recovery timelines. This is a fantastic opportunity for some long-stewing prospects to provide some fantasy relevance, but remember that fantasy championships are won at the end of the season, not the start. Given Colorado’s competitive window, the wingers’ expected returns from injury, and the team’s deadline history, a prospect’s roster spot will not be safe come fantasy finals unless they’ve truly locked in that role by February. 

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Graduating players

Based on the top-six holes mentioned above, I’m including multiple “bubble” players on this graduation list. In this situation their chances of seeing tryouts with the big club are much more likely.

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From Minors to NHL :

Justus Annunen, G will not be a prospect any longer after this campaign. He earned the backup role down the stretch last season and even caused a goalie controversy heading into the playoffs. He will remain the backup for 2024-25, but the starter is in the final year of his contract.

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From Minors to NHL (bubble):

Nikolai Kovalenko, RW came over at the end of his KHL campaign last season, but an injury limited him to just a handful of games in North America. 2024-25 will be his true graduation season, and he will have a real shot at jumping straight into the NHL lineup given his significant pro experience and diverse toolkit.

Jean-Luc Foudy, RW is entering his 3rd straight training camp with a realistic shot at the NHL lineup, but injuries have ruined his chances every season. If he shows up at full strength and puts together a strong pre-season, he has the skillset to fill a scoring role.

Sam Malinski, RD played games with the Avs last year and provided fantasy relevance right away with. The problem is, Colorado brought in multiple puck-moving d-men over the summer (on top of the likes of Makar and Girard already in the lineup). He’s likely on the wrong side of the bubble, but he is a righty among a sea of lefties so there is a chance he gets another shot.

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From Junior/College to Pro:

Calum Ritchie, C signed his ELC and has stood out in all camps/practices so far. He is very likely to get a 9-game NHL tryout, especially given the absences up front. Odds are that he returns to the OHL after that, but he is a dynamic scorer and the Avs have more of a need at center compared to the wings, so there is a chance he sticks around.

Sean Behrens, LD ended his NCAA career with a second championship with the University of Denver. He looked good in his brief AHL tryout in the spring but 2024-25 will be his first full pro experience. The AHL Eagles blueline is relatively weak and Behrens has been a capable rearguard in all situations in college, but they do have some shutdown veterans already on the roster. This means the team will have the option to take it slow with his usage depending on the type of role they want him to eventually fill.

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Risers

Justus Annunen, G owns the backup role in Colorado to start the season, but Georgiev’s workload has been extremely high and led to some truly terrible stretches last year. Giving him more rest is the smart move to keep him fresh, lower his price as a UFA next offseason, and evaluate what they have in Annunen who was a workhorse in the past. Lots of upside depending on how Colorado handles the pending UFA.

Calum Ritchie, C: He was already one of the organization’s top prospects after the 2023 draft, but his play after returning from injury surpassed all expectations. He earned MVP chatter and led his team. Now he has a real shot at an NHL audition if he can impress in training camp and there will be a middle-six spot for him at C whenever he’s ready.

Ivan Ivan, C: The fantasy ceiling is low, but Ivan has grinded his way into consideration as a future 4th-liner. Coaches love him.

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Fallers

Jean-Luc Foudy, C/RW: Injuries continue to plague the talented forward who has been in line for an NHL depth role for multiple seasons. At 22 there’s still a real chance he sees NHL time, but faith has been shaken after managing only 26 games played in 2023-24.

Sam Malinski, RD made a great fantasy impact last season (see above), but the team brought in a lot of depth pieces. As much as Colorado likes their puck-moving defenders, there’s only so many roles available and Malinski is the least experienced of the group.

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Organizational Depth Chart 

(Combination of NHL readiness and upside)

Left Wing	Center	Right Wing
Oskar Olausson	Calum Ritchie	Nikolai Kovalenko
Jere Innala	Ondrej Pavel	Jean-Luc Foudy
William Zellers	Ivan Ivan	Jason Polin
Sampo Ranta	Jake Fisher	Christian Humphreys
Chase Bradley	Max Curran
Taylor Makar	Zakhar Bardakov
Nikita Prishchepov	Matt Stienburg
Maros Jedlicka	Colby Ambrosio
	Andrei Buyalsky

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Left Defense	Right Defense
Sean Behrens	Sam Malinski
Mikhail Gulyayev	Tory Pitner
Wyatt Aamodt	Chris Romaine
Sage Weinstein	Nikita Ishimnikov
Keaton Middleton

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Goalies

Justus Annunen

Ilya Nabokov

Trent Miner

Kevin Mandolese

Ivan Yunin

Louka Cloutier

Shamil Shmakov

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Top 20 Fantasy Prospects

This section is intended to paint a picture of the Colorado Avalanche prospects whose current trajectory projects them making the most positive fantasy impact at the time that they reach the NHL. Arrival date and NHL certainty have been taken into consideration; however, potential upside is the most important factor in determining this list.

1. Calum Ritchie
2. Justus Annunen
3. Nikolai Kovalenko
4. Sean Behrens
5. Oskar Olausson
6. Mikhail Gulyayev
7. Sam Malinski
8. Ilya Nabokov
9. William Zellers
10.  Jean-Luc Foudy
11.  Trent Miner
12.  Kevin Mandolese
13.  Sampo Ranta
14.  Jake Fisher
15.  Max Curran
16.  Jere Innala
17. Ondrej Pavel
18.  Ivan Ivan
19.  Zakhar Bardakov
20.  Tory Pitner

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Rookie Faceoff Tournament

The Avs will be taking part in the Rookie Faceoff Tournament, this year hosted by the LA Kings. It will take place between September 13-16th and will be live streamed for anyone eager to check out some of the above prospects in action!

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Thanks for reading! Follow me on X @soboleskih for Avalanche prospect updates all year long