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Colorado Avalanche on The Hockey News
2 Avalanche prospects ranked among NHL's finest
By Michael DeRosa,
9 hours ago
The Colorado Avalanche have been among the best teams in the NHL for quite some time. Because of this, they have traded many draft picks over the years for immediate help and are not known for possessing the strongest prospect pool.
Although this is the case, the Avalanche still have some promising youngsters in their system who could become impactful players later down the road. In fact, two of them are being viewed as among the best in the NHL.
In a recent article for The Athletic , Scott Wheeler ranked the 100 best-drafted NHL prospects, and Avalanche prospects Calum Ritchie and Mikhail Gulyayev made the cut.
Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
Ritchie secured the No. 46 spot on Wheeler's list. Given how promising of a prospect he is, it is understandable that he is ranked among the best prospects in the NHL right now.
Ritchie, 19, is coming off an excellent season with the OHL's Oshawa Generals, posting new career highs with 28 goals, 52 assists, 80 points, and a plus-41 rating. He was also excellent for the Generals during their playoff run, recording eight goals and 30 points in 21 games.
Yet, besides being a skilled offensive player, Ritchie has garnered praise for his steady defensive play and speed. Due to this, the 2023 first-round pick has the potential to become a long-term part of the Avalanche's forward group.
Moving on to Gulyayev, he earned the No. 92 spot on Wheeler's list. The 2023 first-round pick spent the entirety of this past season with Avangard Omsk of the KHL, posting four goals and 12 points in 64 games. He also had two goals and an assist in 12 playoff games for the club.
It is not common for 18-year-old's to secure permanent spots in the KHL, but Gulyayev did just that in 2023-24 and played well in the process. Gulyayev has shown promise and has all the tools to blossom into a solid offensive defenseman for the Avalanche later down the road. He will need a bit more time to develop, but his future looks bright.
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