Martin Kaut

July 2024 – Kaut spent 2023-24 playing for HC Dynamo Pardubice in Czechia and intends on playing the 2024-25 season there as well. Never making a consistent impact in North America, chances are slim for an NHL return. John Gove 

January 2023 – Kaut has been traded to the San Jose Sharks. In 27 games played so far in 2022-23, the winger has managed just three points. Playing under 10 minutes per night certainly didn’t help his fantasy counting stats (his 24 SOG and 15 hits could climb to respectable levels with more ice time), however regardless of usage he couldn’t lock in a consistent effort game-to-game on the Avs which led to the lack of opportunity. He has become a very reliable AHL player both in terms of scoring and in all-situations usage, so the upside still exists that he could become a useful 4th-line NHL player. A weaker team like the Sharks will be an ideal spot to put that to the test; at the very least if his aTOI sees an uptick then his peripheral stats will as well. Hayden Soboleski

October 2022 – Kaut was the Avalanche’s first call-up when the fourth line wasn’t playing up to expectations early in the season. Two games into his tryout with the big club his ice time is very low and his fantasy impact is as well, despite a quick test on the second line. He will need to prove himself and stick around for more than a few games before seeing more than depth responsibilities, but if he can last longer than Meyers or Sedlak did, that will be a good start. Hayden Soboleski

October 2022 – Kaut passed through waivers unclaimed after being one of the final cuts from the Avs pre-season roster. He will begin the 2022-23 campaign on the AHL Eagles, but if he performs as well as he did last season he will be among the first call-ups when a bottom-six injury arises. The 23-year-old acknowledged at the start of camp that this might be his last shot with the organization, so this is a disappointing situation considering he has stayed healthy and looked very good at times in camp (despite taking too many penalties). Expect some cups of coffee this season, but he will be a more useful real-life player than fantasy asset. Hayden Soboleski

April 2022 – Kaut has not seen additional NHL action since returning to action after 3-4 weeks on the shelf. With the Avs adding forward depth at the trade deadline, its unlikely Kaut will provide fantasy value for the remainder of the season. Despite this disappointment, fantasy owners can at least celebrate that the winger is having his best AHL yet with 15 goals and ten assists in 39 games. He has been more prolific on the powerplay than in prior campaigns, and his shot volume of nearly 3 SOG/game means that his scoring rate should be sustainable. It’s been a slow road marred with injuries but Kaut continues to project as a reliable bottom-six NHL winger, but that will happen quicker if its in another organization. Hayden Soboleski

November 2021 – Six games into his audition, Kaut has suffered a shoulder injury and is considered week-to-week. This injury and lack of offense before are major disappointments considering how many injury fill-in opportunities have been available of late. He has not looked bad, but he has not been noticeable enough on the ice to avoid potentially being replaced in the lineup by a veteran option at the trade deadline or earlier. Hayden Soboleski

October 2021 – Kaut has been called up by the Avs for his first NHL audition of the season. Through two games he’s seeing minimal ice time (just under 9 minutes per night) and hasn’t managed any points or SOG. If that didn’t scare you off, there are some promising underlying stats – he has yet to be on the ice for a goal against, and all of the line combos he has spent more than a minute on has out-shot their opponents. He needs to become at least a mild offensive threat to hold onto his current role, but he hasn’t ruined his chance of an extended stay. Hayden Soboleski

October 2021 – After a decent but underwhelming training camp and preseason where he didn’t stand out for good or bad, Kaut has been assigned to the AHL Eagles to start the 2021-22 campaign. He remains waivers-exempt but the 22-year-old needs NHL playing time and fantasy owners would be understood for hoping for a change of scenery. Despite lacking elite talents in any given skill, Kaut can keep pace and has demonstrated a strong hockey IQ to be in the right places at the right times. His upside is 3rd-line, but it will be difficult to achieve that on a team as competitive as the Avalanche. He will see call-ups throughout the campaign and needs to make the most of them. Hayden Soboleski

April 2021 – Kaut has returned from injury and is making a big impact on the AHL Eagles. In 9 games back so far he has 5 goals and 10 points, and has yet to go a game without a SOG (averaging over 2/game). He has clicked in particular on the powerplay where he tallied 3 of his goals, which is a welcome sign for a prospect whose offensive upside has been on the decline since his draft year. If he remains healthy, he will be an NHL option in 2021-22. Hayden Soboleski

March 2021 – The organization has been extremely quiet about Kaut this season, but it has been recently reported that he is week-to-week with an upper body injury – the same injury that has kept him out of action since AHL training camp. This is obviously bad news for both the player and fantasy owners – he stands to be a few steps behind when he returns with limited runway to get back in stride before the shortened season will end. All projections for his play in 2020-21 may need to be pushed back a year, all pending on how quickly he is able to recover from this mystery ailment. Hayden Soboleski

January 2021 – Kaut has been removed from the taxi squad and been assigned to the AHL. With so much depth ahead of him, it’s understandable for the team to prefer him in a major role in the AHL rather than a minor role in the NHL. That being said, the organization’s trust in other young prospects to play a significant role in the lineup much more quickly makes it clear that they believe he still has development to do before he’s given an NHL spot. Hayden Soboleski

January 2021 – Kaut has begun the 2020-21 NHL campaign on Colorado’s ‘taxi squad’. Expect some looks in the bottom-six as a regular resting rotation begins, but he will have to force the issue to earn a full-time role on a team that is playing another recent first-round-pick (Jost) on the 4th line. Unlikely to be fantasy  relevant until he slots in on a more consistent basis. He could be an injury fill-in anywhere in the lineup, so keep an eye on where he lands – he projects as a strong complimentary winger which isn’t bad at all on a high-scoring squad like Colorado. Hayden Soboleski

October 2020 – After 4 games in the Czech league, Kaut has been reassigned to Modo of Allsvenskan (2nd-tier Swedish league). This moves him from playing for Milan Hejduk’s team to Peter Forsberg’s team. This is still less than ideal from a competitive standpoint as he could be playing against tougher opponents, but this puts him in a top-six role where he can handle more responsibility while also pitching in offensively. He’s made it clear in interviews however that points are not his objective, his mandate is to become a smart, all-situations player. Great viewpoint for real-life usage, but fantasy owners may need to temper expectations. Hayden Soboleski

September 2020 – In a decision they likely regret, the Avalanche decided not to bring Kaut into their post-season bubble in order to save a year on his ELC. Despite this slight on the former 1st-round pick, still expect to see him in burgundy in 2020-21 in the bottom-six. Kaut is on loan in his native Czech Republic where he will keep himself fresh until NHL training camps open. Hayden Soboleski

March 2020 – Now 6 games into his call-up to the Avs, Kaut has tallied two goals and an assist despite averaging just over 10 minutes per night. His SOG and hit totals (9 and 7, respectively) give him not-bad peripheral counters, but his instincts and ability to read plays indicate that he belongs in the NHL. Hayden Soboleski

February 2020 – Kaut stepped up his scoring game for a streak of 7 points in 8 AHL games, and earned himself a call-up to the Avs just as they got desperate for secondary scoring help. In two games played he has spent the majority of his time on the 4th line and looked very competent doing so. He is clearly strong enough and fast enough for the bottom-six, and his pacing is good enough to remain in the right spots most of the time. Is some line-mixing action he got bumped up to the third line, where he tallied his first point – an assist derived from a good forecheck and disruption leading to ta turnover. He is unlikely to remain for the remainder of the year once injuries return and rumored trade targets get acquired, but his good play in limited ice time are an excellent sign that he will be competing for a full-time spot in the fall. Hayden Soboleski

January 2020 – Kaut missed just over a month of playing time due to his upper-body injury, but has come back with 4 points in 8 games, a better pace than he had earlier in the campaign. Still, he isn’t impacting the game (on the score sheet or otherwise) to the level than a first-round pick is expected to, and he is going to require more patience before becoming fantasy-relevant at the NHL level. He is no longer trending down, but has not yet started recovering value. Hayden Soboleski

November 2019 – A bad start got worse. Kaut has missed several games with an upper body injury and there is no timetable for his return. Hayden Soboleski

October 2019 – Kaut has yet to record a point in 5 AHL contests, and the drought is leading to obvious frustration. He’s not far from last season’s PIM total already, and as much as team’s love an edge in players’ games, Kaut should not be fighting and risking injury. After a promising training camp he needs to prove that he can up his game and be a game-changer. Based on the team’s culture of earning opportunities, don’t expect him to see a call-up until he’s out of his rut. Hayden Soboleski

September 2019 – Kaut came to training camp intending to make an impact, and his hard work impressed fans and coaches. He looked more confident than ever, forechecking hard and finding space for himself in the offensive zone. He has been assigned to the AHL for the time being, but if he plays this well for an extended period its easy to imagine him getting NHL opportunities throughout the year and ready to go full-time in 2020-21. Hayden Soboleski

March 2018 – Kaut’s 2018-19 season has been underwhelming, but not poor. His 4 points in 5 games at the WJC tied for the team-lead but these came mostly on the powerplay. His 23 points (11G, 12A, 116 SOG) in 59 AHL contests so far aren’t bad for a rookie, but need to improve for a goal-scorer of his caliber. One reason for his lower-than-expected SOG totals is his tendency to miss the net often, this is certainly an area for improvement. Still, he gets his chances from the right areas, he skates well and is smart in the offensive zone, and should remain in your reserves in dynasty leagues. Hayden Soboleski

November 2018 – Barring injury, Kaut will be playing for the Czechs in the upcoming WJC. This will be an excellent chance for him to be leaned on as one of the team’s top scorers. Hayden Soboleski

November 2018 – Kaut took his assignment to the AHL in stride, and it was clearly the right move as he continues to adjust to North America. His 11 points in 19 games so far is by no means disappointing, but he has room to grow as his shot rate (just under 2 SOG/game) needs to jump and he needs to become a converter on the PP if he hopes to be an NHL scorer. The brains are there and he looks physically ready for pro, the scoring touch just needs to catch up. Hayden Soboleski

September 2018 – After surviving a few rounds of cuts in training camp, Kaut has finally been assigned to the AHL to begin the 2018-19 season. He looked very close to NHL-ready, with pro stature and decision-making. A little bit more of a killer instinct and he’ll be making a real push for a top spot next year. The AHL route worked perfectly for Rantanen, so we can only hope Kaut develops similarly. Hayden Soboleski

June 2018 – The Avalanche have selected Kaut with their 1st-round pick of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. Finishing the year ranked as the 4th best European skater by Central Scouting, being selected 16th overall was appropriate and a perfect fit for one of Colorado’s greatest depth chart needs – skilled forwards. Kaut showed modest production in the Czech league, especially as his responsibility and TOI increased, but really burst onto the scene at the WJC where he scored 7 points in 7 games. He competes hard and is competent in all three zones.

The biggest question mark around Kaut is the surgery he underwent after the draft combine, where a minor heart-rate condition was identified. He is expected to be fully recovered in time for training camp.

Hayden Soboleski