The Colorado Avalanche have been one of the most injury-riddled teams in the NHL to begin the year. It's a shame, really, with how talented the core is in Denver. Entering the season shorthanded at the forward position, they've lost several more to injuries and suspensions.
With limited options at their disposal, the Avalanche recalled a rookie winger by the name of Nikita Prishchepov. Ordinarily, bringing up a young player from the American Hockey League is an unimpactful move. But this recall and the subsequent debut of Prishchepov made NHL history.
When Prishchepov stepped onto the ice for his first shift, he became just the second player in the last decade to go from being drafted in the seventh-round of the most recent draft and play in the same season. The last time this occurred was in 2017, when Dylan Ferguson debuted in goal for the Vegas Golden Knights. Colorado drafted the overaged prospect (he's 20 years old), with the 217th pick of the 2024 NHL Draft.
Not only that, he became just the third player from the 2024 draft class to suit up for an NHL game this season, joining number one overall pick Macklin Celebrini of the San Jose Sharks and first rounder Jett Luchanko of the Philadelphia Flyers. With the amount of talent in this past draft, no one expected Prishchepov to be one of the players playing NHL minutes this year.
And it was a very solid debut for the 20-year-old winger, who played 13:30 minutes of ice-time. He also got into the offensive rhythm a bit, registering two shots during the contest.
It was an impressive but short lived first stint with the Avalanche. Following the game, the team sent him back down to the AHL as they get closer to a full lineup.
Still, Prishchepov not only made a strong impression on the NHL club, he made league history. It goes to show that talent can be found throughout the draft and in unlikely places, and the Avalanche just experienced that first-hand.
This article first appeared on Breakaway on SI and was syndicated with permission.
