Colorado Avalanche center Calum Ritchie (71) in the third period of an NHL preseason hockey game Monday, Sept. 23, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
The Colorado Avalanche is still very much in Stanley Cup-or-bust mode as a franchise, but the start of the 2024-25 campaign is going to feature a youth movement.
Against the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday, the Avalanche will likely have five players in the lineup who have not spent a full season in the NHL. Four of them will officially be considered rookies, while one missed the age cutoff by about six weeks.
It’s a stark departure from recent years when a veteran-heavy group began the season with its sights clearly set on a championship. The expectations have not changed, but the early-season roster makeup has, in part because of some key absences.
“I like the fact that we’ve infused some new blood into the lineup, both young developed guys or guys that we’re continuing to develop and like, say, (Calum) Ritchie, (Ivan) Ivan, (Nikolai) Kovalenko, and then some new guys coming in that were pretty good in their roles on other teams. So it’s a nice mix,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said.
“There’s been some turnover here again, and we’ll see how it all gels together. But I like that we’ve got some new blood in here and they’re hungry to be a part of what we’ve kind of built over the last number of years.”
Ivan and Kovalenko were assigned Monday to the Colorado Eagles, but those were accounting moves because of who is going to be put on long-term injured reserve Tuesday. The Avs can then recall Ivan and Kovalenko, and they’ll be available to play Wednesday night.
This quintet of younger players all arrived on different paths. Ritchie, the club’s top prospect, is the headliner. The 2023 first-round pick is a teenager until January, but he looks set to start on the second line with Kovalenko and center Casey Mittelstadt.
Because of the age and country on his birth certificate (Canada), Ritchie must either stay with the Avs or be returned to his junior club, the Oshawa Generals, in the OHL. Colorado could keep him for nine games and then send him back to Oshawa without burning the first year of his entry-level contract.
Kovalenko, who turns 25 later this month, was a sixth-round pick in 2018 before making his NHL debut with two games during the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. He’s had a strong camp, clearly leading the competition for one of the two second-line spots early and never relenting.
Colorado is missing Artturi Lehkonen (shoulder), Valeri Nichushkin (suspension) and Gabe Landeskog (knee), and all three of the guys who claimed those openings — Kovalenko, Ritchie and Ivan — are rookies.
“I feel pretty good about it,” Bednar said. “I think Ivan’s done a heck of a job. Kovalenko has done a heck of a job. Ritchie’s coming into his own (with) a little bit lighter load on the wing. So still a work in progress, but I think that we’re in a good spot to start.”
Ivan, 22, was probably the biggest surprise. He joined the organization before last season as an undrafted free agent on an AHL contract but he had a nice camp and eventually earned an NHL deal after more strong work with the Colorado Eagles.
Now, he’s still here while several other options with NHL experience are not. And he’s one day away from potentially making his NHL debut, likely on the Avs’ fourth line.
“It just feels amazing,” Ivan said. “Every kid wants to be in this position someday, and yeah, it is amazing. I’m really happy.”
Sam Malinski, also an undrafted free agent, played 23 games for the Avs last year. He was among the club’s top-six defensemen before the offseason began, in part because Sean Walker, Jack Johnson and Caleb Jones were free agents.
Colorado was busy this summer, adding Calvin de Haan, Erik Brannstrom, Oliver Kylington and others to create a camp battle for the final two lineup spots. Unless something drastic changes, Malinski and de Haan are the winners of that competition. Brannstrom is gone, while Kylington and newcomer John Ludvig look set to be the extras in Las Vegas.
“It’s been a goal of mine and pretty much what I’ve been working toward the entire offseason leading up to here. That means a lot to me,” Malinski said. “It feels great. It’s something I’ve been thinking about for a long time here, trying to crack the opening-night roster. Just finished up the preseason and I’m pretty happy with how it went, but still have a long way to go.”
Backup goaltender Justus Annunen, 24, is the fifth guy in this group. A third-round pick in 2018, he is still a rookie after playing 14 games for Colorado a year ago and 18 in his career to date.
Annunen dressed as the backup for Game 1 a year ago, but his time with the club was short-lived because the Avs claimed Ivan Prosvetov on waivers the day that opening-night rosters were due. Eventually, he took back the No. 2 role from Prosvetov and has held it through camp this year.
“Like I said (earlier in camp), regardless of where you were drafted, how you got here, what your age was, how many years you’ve been with us, really has nothing to do with it,” Bednar said. “At the end of the day, I said the players will ultimately make the decision on who stays.”
Footnote: Bednar said Lehkonen has a five-month check-in on his shoulder at the end of the month, and then they’ll have a better idea of a timeline for his return. The Avs play 11 games in October, so a decision on Ritchie’s status could come before Lehkonen is ready.
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