The Avs are hosting the tournament at South Suburban Sports Complex in Highlands Ranch, Colo., from Sept. 12-14. Others participating in the tournament are the Utah Mammoth and Vegas Golden Knights.

Full roster is below.

The roster for Rookie Tournament is set pic.twitter.com/RP0sIMJz7m

— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) September 2, 2025

The post Avalanche Release 2025 Rookie Showcase Roster appeared first on Colorado Hockey Now.

NHL Insider Frank Seravalli reported on Tuesday that the NHL and the NHL Players’ Association have agreed to an implementation schedule for CBA changes.

Sources: The #NHL and #NHLPA have agreed to a rolling implementation schedule for CBA changes.

Among them: the new playoff salary cap system will come into effect *this season* for the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs.

— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) September 2, 2025

The most notable of the bunch is the implementation of the new playoff salary cap system for the upcoming 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs. That means teams won’t be able to bury players on LTIR until April and then activate them in the postseason despite being above the salary cap.

How could the Avs take advantage of this? Simply by having cap flexibility.

The fact that the Avalanche currently have cap space flexibility already puts them at an advantage. And if that cap continues to grow and accrue over the course of the season, they’ll be able to utilize it to their advantage at the trade deadline.

Most importantly, they can take advantage of teams struggling to remain cap compliant. And I’m willing to wager that no team hates this early implementation of the playoff salary cap system more than the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers.

Earlier in the summer, I wrote that Colorado should target Evan Rodrigues from the Panthers. He looks like the obvious odd man out if the team needs to trade someone to remain under the cap ceiling. But then rumors started to circulate that Matthew Tkachuk was going to start the season on LTIR, and that was all but confirmed in recent weeks.

The Panthers suddenly have time to decide what to do. They don’t have to trade Rodrigues or anyone else to get under the cap right away. But they’ll have to eventually.

They won’t be able to play the LTIR game all season. If someone else gets hurt when Tkachuk returns, they can kick the can further down the road, but they won’t be able to do that all the way until the playoffs start. The roster, as currently constructed, with everyone healthy, is not cap compliant, and won’t be able to all dress at the same time in the regular season or playoffs.

Should the Avs still target Rodrigues? We’ll have to wait and see. It depends on how Victor Olofsson looks on the third line and if they decide they need an upgrade. And after that, they’ll have to determine if Rodrigues at $3 million until 2027 is the best option.

But even if not him, or the Panthers, the Avalanche’s cap flexibility will allow them an opportunity to get someone from a cap strapped team before the playoffs.

The next advantage for the Avs is confirmation from Seravalli’s report that new contract structures will not take effect until Sept. 16, 2026.

You can click the article below for more on why this helps the Avalanche. But in short, Cale Makar can sign a new deal under the current rules after July 1, but before Sept. 16. And the same rules will apply for all free agents on July 1, including UFA Martin Necas and RFA Jack Drury.

Read More: New CBA Changes Likely Won’t Affect Cale Makar’s Next Contract with Avalanche

The post NHL Insider Frank Seravalli Outlines CBA Timeline That Benefits the Avalanche appeared first on Colorado Hockey Now.

Basically, if a player has a lot to gain or lose from the next 82 games, I’ll cover it.

To me, there’s no bigger question right now pertaining to the roster than that of the third-line center role. Assuming no other trades or acquisitions, the first opportunity will go to Jack Drury, who the Avs acquiring just over seven months ago.

He’s the first of the season previews. Enjoy.

When the Avalanche were building towards their 2022 Stanley Cup championship, they had a handful of young centermen trying to solidify key roles in the lineup. Alexander Kerfoot was coming off of a four-year college career, while Tyson Jost and J.T. Comphers left school early to make the leap to the NHL.

They were fighting for open spots as the second and third line centers, and potentially even as a winger in the top nine.

In the end, it was Compher that became a mainstay on the third line. Kerfoot was later part of the package that brought in second-line center Nazem Kadri, and Tyson Jost was traded for Nico Sturm, who was expected to be the 4C for the Stanley Cup team before Darren Helm went above and beyond to keep that spot.

The Avs don’t have that type of depth this time. They barely have competition for their third line center role, and they don’t have many pieces to trade to make it more competitive. But they do have a 25-year-old Drury, who is about to get the best opportunity he’s gotten since entering the NHL.

Drury’s time with the Avs was somewhat up in the year when he was first brought in. General manager Chris MacFarland quickly labeled him a 3C, and that was the role he played. But it was mainly because the team lacked depth.

After trading for Brock Nelson, then sending away Casey Mittelstadt for Charlie Coyle, Drury quick became the fourth center on the depth chart. And he thrived in that role.

On a line with Parker Kelly and Logan O’Connor, Drury was a solid 4C and anchored the trio that gained ample trust with head coach Jared Bednar.

But then Coyle was traded, and nobody came in to replace him.

Drury is entering the final year of a contract paying him $1.725 million. He’ll be a restricted free agent at season’s end and he’s pretty much due for a pay raise no matter where he ends up in the lineup. But how much?

If the Avs bring in another center to kick Drury down to the fourth line, and he grows from the role he had late last season, he might already be able to nearly double his current salary. Or at least get closer to $3 million.

But if he holds the fort down on the third line, and that becomes his permanent role, expect his salary to be at least equal to the $3.5 million Compher made for years. That would probably be the floor of his new deal.

The biggest question is, what is Drury’s ceiling? Offensively, he had 27 points in 2023-24 but just 18 this past year split between the Carolina Hurricanes and the Avs. Can he give you 30–39 points in 2025-26? And consistently after that?

Can he develop into a better penalty killer, and someone that can be relied on to close out games? These are all part of what will determine the role he’s going to play for this team in the upcoming years.

And it all starts with the biggest opportunity he’s ever gotten. If nothing changes, Drury will start the season as the key two-way piece on a third line with wingers Victor Olofsson and Ross Colton, both of whom have an offensive touch to their game.

The post Season Preview: Jack Drury Has Opportunity to Solidify Key Avalanche Role appeared first on Colorado Hockey Now.

All that and more on this edition of Deen’s Daily — September 2.

Colorado Hockey Now

I haven’t done it often over the summer, but I took the day off yesterday to get one last hurrah before the madness begins. We’re still right around two weeks away from the real start of everything but the end of August has always been somewhat of a ending to the offseason. We should expect things to take off from here.

As for the Avs, they’re hosting a rookie tournament at the South Suburban Sports Complex in 10 days. Media day follows after that, and then training camp begins on Sept. 18 — two weeks from Thursday.

I’m going to up the coverage here in the next few days with season previews for individual players. It’s an exciting time.

READ MORE: Avalanche’s Prospect Pool Ranked Among the Worst in the NHL

Around The NHL

Montreal Hockey Now: Now that the Habs have paid out the final big lump sum of bonus money to Carey Price, we’ll likely see him traded in the near future to clear cap space off their books. Montreal is roughly $5 million above the cap and could start the season with Price on LTIR to clear the space. But if you have an opportunity to not use LTIR, and have cap flexibility instead, you’re better off. What will they pay to get it done?

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: It sounds like this could be a big week for the Pens. Fenway Sports Group might be selling the team to a new ownership here soon. And on the ice, the Penguins still have Erik Karlsson, Bryan Rust, and Rickard Rakell all as hot commodities on the trade market. Can they be the team to acquire Price to obtain draft assets?

Detroit Hockey Now: What if the Pens decide to deal one or two of those trade assets? The Red Wings are a likely landing spot for them. Can Steve Yzerman pull it off? Also, Dylan Larkin is climbing the games played list in Detroit, and he might be one of the best players without Stanley Cup success in franchise history. Can he shake off that label?

Speaking of Red Wings captains, Nick Lidstrom might find his way back in the organization soon.

Philly Hockey Now: What are you most excited for with the Flyers this season? For me, it’s the addition of Rick Tocchet as head coach after the John Tortorella era. And what Tocchet could do for Matvei Michkov and Trevor Zegras, among others.

New Jersey Hockey Now: Where the Devils rank for under 23 players.

The post Deen’s Daily: Avs Return This Month; Price Trade on the Horizon?; Penguins Sale, Trade Possibilities appeared first on Colorado Hockey Now.

All that and more on this edition of Deen’s Daily — August 31.

Colorado Hockey Now

The Avalanche are in win now mode. And that’s part of the reason why their prospect pool is among the worst in the NHL. The Athletic and Daily Faceoff both ranked the prospects for each of the 32 franchises, and the Avs are low on each one.

At some point they’ll have to get this figured out. Especially as the pieces around their core start to age out.

READ MORE: Avalanche’s Prospect Pool Ranked Among the Worst in the NHL

Around The NHL

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Here are three Pens with the most to gain or lose this season.

Philly Hockey Now: Same exercise for the Flyers. I hate to spoil some of the article, but my colleague William James is spot on with Trevor Zegras being at the top of this list. Zegras has an opportunity to cement himself as a No. 1 center with great wingers like Travis Konecny and Matvei Michkov. This could be the big break he needs to get over the hump and take that next step in his career. Having Rick Tocchet at the helm sounds like it could be a perfect match for the former Anaheim Ducks center.

Detroit Hockey Now: Pavel Datsyuk was victorious in his farewell match in Russia. It’s hard to believe the once NHL great is now 47 years old.

San Jose Hockey Now: Were there parts of Will Smith’s game that was better than Macklin Celebrini last season? Sheng Peng has more.

Boston Hockey Now: I actually loved reading this a lot more than I thought I would. Andrew Fantuccio broke down the EA Sports ratings for several of the Bruins players. He applied logic to something that sometimes doesn’t have much of it. Who’s overrated? Who’s underrated? And who’s perfectly rated?

If anything, you should see where EA Sports has Casey Mittelstadt,

The post Deen’s Daily: Avalanche’s Prospect Pool; EA Sports NHL 26 Ratings; Can Zegras Produce in Philly? appeared first on Colorado Hockey Now.

It’s mid-level prospects — mostly overaged — fighting for an opportunity to gain the coach’s trust as a depth forward. It’s guys like Zakhar Bardakov, now 24 years old, who was an overage seventh round selection by the New Jersey Devils four years ago. It’s undersized forwards like Gavin Brindley and Danil Gushchin, both of whom were acquired from other franchises this offseason. It’s Ivan Ivan, Nikita Prishchepov, and maybe even Taylor Makar.

But none of those names are likely to blow the doors off. They’re not highly touted prospects around the league with overhyped potential to be top point producers. But, aside from Mikhail Gulyayev and Ilya Nabokov (both playing in the KHL), they’re the best the Avs have.

Daily Faceoff’s Steven Ellis recently released his prospect rankings, and he has the Avalanche ranked 29th out of 32 teams. The Athletic’s Corey Pronman has them in a similar position.

Such is usually the case with teams that are at the peak of their Stanley Cup contending window. For just about a decade, Colorado always had one of the best prospect pools. In the 2010s, the team was waiting on Mikko Rantanen or Cale Makar’s arrivals. They had Alex Newhook, Bowen Byram, Tyson Jost, and others coming up through the system.

But the talent on the ice was lacking. They were often missing the playoffs, hovering around the middle-of-the-pack, while juggling a rebuild with a team that can’t get over the hump and qualify for the playoffs.

But then Rantanen arrived. Makar followed a couple of years behind. And then Jost, Newhook, and Byram all entered the league and were eventually traded away.

The Avalanche’s pipeline could be an issue in a few years, or even as early as 2027. But right now, it makes sense for them to be ranked where they are, given their window to win. Top prospects like Calum Ritchie became trade bait, and first-round picks are being sent out the door regularly.

At some point, they need players to develop through the system. They need a third, fourth, or fifth round draft pick to become an NHL regular if they want to extend their Cup window with this core.

They need to hit on their high picks, whether they’re taken late in the first round like Gulyayev or early in the second or third rounds like Nabokov and Francesco Dell’Elce.

This year might be a pivotal season for some of the prospects I listed above. Some of the guys fighting for ice time if or when injuries arise to the main roster. We might even get a look at Sean Behrens at some point this year. Gulyayev could make the jump in April and, if the Avalanche solidify their playoff spot, he could get into a game or two before the playoffs begin.

But if the Avalanche plan on rising up these rankings, even if it’s to the middle of the pack, they’ll need some of those later round picks to hit. They’ll need to balance trading draft picks to win now with making worthy selections to improve the future of the team. They have their core, but the guys around the core are eventually going to be interchangeable.

Having prospects develop into those roles is the most efficient way to build a winner.

The post Avalanche’s Prospect Pool Ranked Among the Worst in the NHL appeared first on Colorado Hockey Now.

All that and more on this edition of Deen’s Daily — August 30.

Colorado Hockey Now

The additions of Victor Olofsson and Joel Kiviranta in August means the Avs now have 12 NHL regular veterans under contract for the 2025-26 season. But the expectation is that Logan O’Connor will start the season injured.

That means at least one non-regular should crack the opening roster. Will it be Ivan Ivan for the second year in a row? Or will a new trade acquisition and two rookies give him a run for his money?

READ MORE: 4 Prospects That Could Earn a Permanent Roster Spot With Avalanche

Around The NHL

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Assessing the power rankings for the Metropolitan Division. Where will the Pens finish? 

Montreal Hockey Now: The Habs upgraded their defense with Noah Dobson. Is it enough? 

Philly Hockey Now: Penn State is hosting Michigan State in an outdoor game on Jan. 31.

Florida Hockey Now: The Panthers have mostly the same roster as the one that won the Stanley Cup in June. But three new names means new numbers.

Vegas Hockey Now: More on the Mitch Marner exit from Toronto, and how it landed him in Vegas.

New Jersey Hockey Now: Luke Hughes still doesn’t have a contract for this season. Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald talks about the standoff.

The post Deen’s Daily: Avalanche’s Opening Night Roster Spot; Penn State Outdoor Game; Is Dobson Enough For Habs? appeared first on Colorado Hockey Now.

It’s hard to predict where this season is going to go in terms of roster build. Often times, the storylines in August or September have no bearing on the roster by January, let alone after the trade deadline and into the postseason. But that doesn’t take away from the competitive nature of some of the talent in the pipeline.

The Avs have struggled with developing homegrown talent and prospects in recent years. This is well documented. They’ve not had much luck with guys on entry-level contracts making an impact since Alex Newhook and Bowen Byram.

But they’re hoping that could change this year.

Here are four inexperienced skaters that could make a difference at camp, and earn a permanent role in the lineup.

Zakhar Bardakov

This is the most obvious choice. Not necessarily because he’s already the best of the bunch; he might be. But because general manager Chris MacFarland went out of his way twice in June to mention Bardakov as a possible opening night player without even being asked.

Bardakov is a center, which the Avs need. He’s also 24 years old and has years of experience playing against top talent in the KHL. So he’s not necessarily a true pro hockey rookie.

At his age, and coming from the KHL, he’s likely not interested in being a full-time AHL player. He’ll have to earn his roster spot and after that, trust with Jared Bednar to get the ice time he wants. But that starts with a strong first impression at training camp.

If Bardakov cracks the opening night roster, he’d likely play with Joel Kiviranta and Parker Kelly. That’s not a bad pair of hard-working players to learn from. It could help him develop his game and trust with the coach.

Nikita Prishchepov

This might be the most intriguing one, at least to me. I’d argue that, of all the AHL regulars who are probably going to get called up at some point this season, Prishchepov is the most talented. He’s got the most finesse, skill, and probably even potential to be a legitimate middle six point producer in the NHL.

But we’ve seen this story before. The Avs have had talented prospects come through the pipeline that haven’t developed into NHL regulars. Guys like Sampo Ranta, Shane Bowers, and Martin Kaut come to mind.

Could Prishchepov be different? I know the production wasn’t there, but he was up there with Ivan Ivan as one of the more impressive AHL depth options last season. He’s also been skating at Family Sports for weeks and working hard to really ensure he can make an impression at training camp.

Gavin Brindley

This is a player we probably should be talking about more. Brindley wasn’t just a throw-in from the Columbus Blue Jackets in the Charlie Coyle and Miles Wood deal. He’s a 21-year-old prospect that the Avs had high on their draft list in 2023 when they selected Calum Ritchie and Mikhail Gulyayev late in the first round.

Brindley ended up getting selected No. 34 overall — just seven spots after Ritchie and three behind Gulyayev.

Listed at just 5’8, 173 lbs, Brindley is going to have his work cut out for him. At that size, he’ll need to be strong on the forecheck and play a fearless brand of hockey to stick out, especially with Bednar.

He’s probably the only guy I’d put up there with Prishchepov in terms of raw talent.

Ivan Ivan

I mentioned him earlier, but if anyone was closest to achieving this goal in 2024-25, it was him. Ivan dressed in 40 games for the Avalanche in a depth role. He had flashes of offensive production early in the season, but that went away as the season progressed.

But just having that experience will work in Ivan’s favor. He did enough last year to earn Bednar’s trust, and he likely has the most insider information from this group on what the head coach wants from a depth forward. Can he capitalize on that?

The post 4 Prospects That Could Earn a Permanent Roster Spot With Avalanche appeared first on Colorado Hockey Now.

All that and more on this edition of Deen’s Daily — August 29.

Colorado Hockey Now

Brent Burns and Gabe Landeskog are becoming staples of the Avalanche’s informal skates at Ball Arena. But so are a handful of AHL guys looking to make an impression at training camp. Guys like Nikita Prishchepov, Maros Jedlicka, Matthew Stienburg, Chase Bradley, Sean Behrens, Gavin Brindley and many more.

I suspect we’ll see a ton more veterans trickle into town soon. Things are kicking off in less than three weeks.

READ MORE: Landeskog, Burns, Among Avalanche Participants In Recent Skates 

Around The NHL

Marner Chats with Mark Masters: Mitch Marner say down with TSN’s Mark Masters at the Hockey Canada orientation camp to discuss what ended up being a sad ending for the local kid from his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs. Among the things Marner talked about was how safety started becoming an issue. Someone in the city posted his address online following the Game 7 loss and Marner had to spend his last few weeks at home under heavy security. You can read more about his interview here. Pretty crazy stuff.

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Connor McDavid is the best hockey player in the world, but he’s not captain Canada. Not while Sidney Crosby is still around. Even at the age of 38.

Detroit Hockey Now: One of Detroit’s former highly touted prospects is facing a four-year doping ban from the IIHF after testing positive for a whopping six banned substances.

Boston Hockey Now: Can the Bruins be a landing spot for McDavid if he actually tests the market next summer? I still believe he’ll stay in Edmonton and probably sign soon. And even if not, it’s hard to imagine Boston would be his top choice.

San Jose Hockey Now: What Dmitry Orlov can bring to the Sharks.

The post Deen’s Daily: Avalanche Skating in Colorado; Marner Talks Unceremonious Departure From Toronto appeared first on Colorado Hockey Now.

As players have started to trickle into town to prepare for training camp and the new season, the captain has led the charge for skates at Family Sports. Informal practices with Gabe Landeksog present and a full participant? That’s a nice change. It’s been four long years since we’ve seen this.

Among the others that have skated in recent weeks, Brent Burns is in town and on the ice. Brock Nelson also skated before making his way to Plymouth, Mich., for the USA Hockey orientation camp. And of course, Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and Devon Toews are in Calgary for Canada’s camp.

The Avs also have quite a few younger players skating. Nikita Prishchepov has been a staple of these skates, as well as Zakhar Bardakov, Sean Behrens, and recently, Gavin Brindley.

Behrens will participate in the rookie showcase at South Suburban Sports Complex in Highlands Ranch coming up on Sept. 12. And Brindley, Colorado’s most recent trade acquisition, is hoping to find a role with the club after being part of the deal that sent Charlie Coyle and Miles Wood to the Columbus Blue Jackets.

I’d suspect next week after Labor Day is when these skates will start to intensify on a regular basis. Perhaps that includes appearances from other notables like Mackenzie Blackwood, Valeri Nichushkin, Artturi Lehkonen, and Martin Necas.

The Avs open camp three weeks from today — on Sept. 18 at Family Sports. And per usual, all skates at that rink will be open to the public.

The post Landeskog, Burns Among Avalanche Participating in Recent Skates appeared first on Colorado Hockey Now.