Avalanche Prospect Update: Ritchie, Makar, Olausson & More

Welcome to the Colorado Avalanche Prospect Update, wherein each month, we will look at Avalanche prospects playing in various leagues and see how they are performing. While some players have great potential, the Avalanche’s farm system is nowhere close to teams like the Chicago Blackhawks, Anaheim Ducks and Columbus Blue Jackets, who have had higher draft picks in the last few years, while the Avalanche have traded away many of their prospects and draft picks.

Colorado Avalanche Prospect Report
Colorado Avalanche Prospect Report (The Hockey Writers)

One quick note: All players listed here are 25 or under.

Colorado Eagles, American Hockey League (AHL)

Nikita Prishchepov, the seventh-round pick in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, signed his entry-level contract (ELC) in early October and is off to a great start in his professional career. Coming off a career-high season of 22 goals and 67 points with the Victoriaville Tigers of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), he is second on the Eagles in scoring with one goal and three assists and second with a plus-3 rating. He’s a bottom-six energy player with a high work ethic who isn’t afraid to play physically and loves battling in front of the net. He reminds me of Ville Nieminen, who was likely drafted for a similar role.

It’s been a rough start for Oskar Olausson, who, in six games, has one goal and one assist and is a minus-1. Oluasson has not seen the production expected of him as the 28th-overall pick in the 2021 Draft. Unfortunately, he dealt with significant injuries last season that prevented him from having a breakout campaign.

At 22 years old, Jean-Luc Foudy is entering his fifth professional season with the organization. Injuries have affected his performance the last two seasons, but he is approaching a milestone of 200 AHL games played and just played his first game of the campaign after recovering from an injury this past offseason.

Goaltender Trent Miner was set to be the team’s starter this season and has looked solid in two appearances. With a win and overtime loss under his belt, he has a .960 save percentage (SV%) and a goals-against average of 0.97. Don’t be surprised to see Miner get a call-up to the NHL if Alexandar Georgiev continues to struggle and thhe newly-acquired Kaapo Kahkonen doesn’t play well.

Matthew Steinberg, Ivan Ivan, Chris Wagner, and T.J. Tynan are all with the Avalanche but will likely return to the Eagles as the roster gets healthier.

National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA)

Forward Taylor Makar, Cale Makar‘s brother, was selected by the Avalanche in the seventh round of 2021. After struggling at University of Massachusetts, his transfer to the University of Maine has led to an improved performance already. In five games, he has four goals and seven points, two shy of last season’s total in 36 games, and he ranks second on the team in points. If he continues to perform this well, this could be the season he signs his ELC.

Jake Fisher also started the season strong with a new team, the University of Denver. After finishing with 23 goals and 47 points with Fargo Force in the United States Hockey League (USHL) last season, he already has three goals and five points in six games in 2024-25. When Fisher isn’t delivering off-the-pass wrist shots, he overpowers opponents in battles, steals pucks in the defensive zone, and wins puck retrievals.

Jake Fisher Fargo Force
Jake Fisher, Fargo Force (Fargo Force/USHL)

University of Denver defenceman Tory Pitner is off to a slow start. The sixth-round pick in the 2024 Draft has no points in four games, but he’s focused on perfecting his defensive skills. His sound positioning, precisely timed poke checks, overwhelming physicality, and clever tie-ups contribute to his strength as a blueliner. When defending against rushes, he effectively keeps opponents to the outside by aggressively taking the middle and quickly maneuvering across to make the stop.

Christian Humphreys, whose game revolves around scoring, has yet to register a point in four games with the University of Michigan. He gets touches by positioning himself effectively in the offensive zone and executing flawlessly-timed reloading routes during transitions. He carefully analyzes opposing defences, using a combination of slowing down, deception, and patience to wait for his target to become available before making a precise long-range pass. His work ethic is there; it’s just a matter of time before a shot hits the back of the net.

Canadian Hockey League

Ontario Hockey League (OHL), Western Hockey League (WHL)

The Avalanche’s top prospect, Calum Ritchie, made the opening-night roster after standout development and training camps. He scored his first NHL goal against the New York Islanders but was eventually returned to the Oshawa Generals of the OHL. In two games, he has five assists. A key factor regarding Ritchie this season is that he will turn 20 in January, which qualifies him to play in the AHL. I assume that once his season with the Generals concludes, he will join the Eagles for the remainder of their season. This also means that if he doesn’t make the starting roster next season, he can begin with the Eagles and can be called up or sent down without needing waivers.

Related: Colorado Avalanche Top 20 Prospects: Post-2024 NHL Draft

Maxmilian Curran has shown why he was a great pick for the Avalanche. The fourth-round 2024 selection has three goals and 11 points in 10 games with the Tri-City Americans. He is skilled at extending possession by waiting for a teammate to get open, effectively deceiving the defence. While he is generally a playmaker, he understands when to take a shot, delay his decision, or make a simple play to get open for a return pass.

Russian Leagues

Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), VHL

Zakhar Bardakov was acquired last season from the New Jersey Devils, who drafted him in the seventh round of the 2021 Draft. An alternate captain for SKA St.Petersburg, the 23-year-old has eight goals and seven assists in 22 games. He could be an exciting player to trade or sign as his game develops.

Drafted alongside Ritchie in the 2023 Draft, Mikhail Gulyayev has had a rough start to the season with Avangard Omsk. He has two goals and three points in 18 games, although he is more of a two-way defenceman. Avangard has been struggling, with a 7-12-0 record, but Gulyayev’s defensive abilities have outshined his offensive production to start the season.

Colorado’s second-round pick in the 2024 Draft, Ilya Nabokov, is a 21-year-old, 6-foot-1 goaltender from Metallurg Magnitogorsk. He has an 8-8-0 record to start the season, with two shutouts, a .923 SV%, and a 2.37 GAA. He is active and confident in the crease, effectively challenging shooters by making explosive movements and quickly getting into position. His positioning on the post is vital, as he maintains a solid hinge to stay on an angle. He also understands how to use the reverse VH technique to suit his style.

Other American Leagues

United States Hockey League (USHL), ECHL

William Zellers, a third-round pick of the 2024 Draft, started the season with a new team, the Green Bay Gamblers. He is coming off a monster campaign of 57 goals and 111 points at Shattuck St. Mary’s 18U Prep. By attacking defenders from behind, the 5-foot-11 forward aims at defensive triangles, sliding pucks through defenders’ legs and adjusting his rush patterns to reach the inside of the ice. This season, he has four goals and one assist in six games.

Goaltender Louka Cloutier is in his second season with the Chicago Steel and has a 3-3 record while posting a .882 SV% and a 4.08 GAA. The Steel are struggling, with a 5-8-0 record and a negative-20 goal differential , which hasn’t helped Cloutier improve his game. Besides that, he has done quite well, being the only drafted player on his team.

There is a lot to be excited about the Avalanche’s prospects, especially the production of lower-level picks outside of Ritchie, Gulyayev, and Nabokov. Given the state of the Avalanche, they may need help sooner than expected if a change doesn’t occur quickly.