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.

Thanks again to everyone who submitted a question!

Read More: Avalanche Mailbag 1.0: Stanley Cup Window, Offseason vs Mid-Season Trades, and the Landeskog Effect

Question from Taro Tsujimoto

The post Avalanche Mailbag 2.0: Necas’ Next Contract, Trade Value, and Bottom-Six Depth Uncertainty appeared first on Colorado Hockey Now.

The post Deen’s View: With Coyle and Wood Gone, Avalanche’s Main Focus Should Shift to Defense (+) appeared first on Colorado Hockey Now.

All that and more on this edition of Deen’s Daily — April 21.

Colorado Hockey Now

The Avs have a chance to grab a 2-0 hold of their first-round series against the Dallas Stars tonight. As of the time this is being written, we still don’t know if Ross Colton is healthy enough to play after leaving Game 1 with a lower-body injury. And if he can’t play, that could open a spot for Gabriel Landeskog to enter the lineup. We’ll have to see who takes the ice for warm-ups later tonight.

Mackenzie Blackwood was excellent in his playoff debut. Can he do it again tonight?

Also, the Avs signed one of their prospects out of Russia on Sunday. He’ll head to North America for the 2025-26 season.

If you haven’t already, catch my 10 Observations from Game 1. The Avalanche sent a message with their strong play on Saturday.

Stanley Cup Playoffs Recap

Carolina vs. New Jersey: The Hurricanes took Game 1 in a pretty one-sided game on Sunday, defeating the New Jersey Devils 4-1. Catch the game story here, courtesy of Dan Kingerski.

The Battle of Ontario: The first playoff game in 21 years between the Sens and Leafs was pretty one sided. The Sens got into penalty trouble and the Leafs dominated with a 6-2 win.

Vegas vs. Minnesota: The Wild made things interesting late in the third period, but the Vegas Golden Knights held on to take Game 1 by a final score of 4-2.

Tonight’s Schedule

• Game 1: Montreal Canadiens at Washington Capitals (5 pm MT on ESPN)
• Game 2:  St. Louis Blues at Winnipeg Jets (5:30 pm MT on ESPN2)
• Game 2: Colorado Avalanche at Dallas Stars (7:30 pm MT on ESPN)
• Game 1: Edmonton Oilers at Los Angeles Kings (8 pm MT on ESPN 2)

Around The NHL

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Several teams are interested in Rickard Rakell. Will his no-trade clause be a factor in where he goes, if traded.

Montreal Hockey Now: Catch the last Habs Wrap before Game 1 of their series against the Caps.

Florida Hockey Now: Seth Jones is heading back to the playoffs. The Panthers and Lightning series will begin on Tuesday and it’ll be Jones’ first playoff game since 2020.

I’m still in Dallas and will provide live coverage for Game 2. I’m also hoping to make it to the following road trips for the remainder of the Avs’ Stanley Cup playoff run.

With that, CHN added a tip jar to the bottom of each article. It’s an opportunity for readers to donate to CHN to help cover travel costs. You can donate via PAYPAL BY CLICKING HERE or VENMO BY CLICKING HERE if you’re interested in helping out. I appreciate so much those who pitched in last week. I also appreciate all of our readers here at CHN. Happy Game 2 gameday.

The post Deen’s Daily: Golden Knights Hold On in Game 1; Avs and Stars Back At It — Should Landeskog Replace Colton? appeared first on Colorado Hockey Now.

Bardakov had 17 goals and 18 assists in the KHL this past season, recording a career-high 35 points in 53 games for SKA St. Petersburg.

The native of Seversk, Russia, was originally drafted 203rd overall in the seventh round of the 2021 NHL entry draft by the New Jersey Devils. Colorado acquired the 24-year-old centerman from New Jersey in the deal that sent Kurtis MacDermid the other way last year.

At 6-foot-2, 209 pounds, Bardakov is hoping to further develop his game as a physical centerman who throws his body around and isn’t afraid to get his nose dirty.

His deal is for the 2025-26 season.

The post Avalanche Sign Zakhar Bardakov to Entry-Level Contract appeared first on Colorado Hockey Now.

Zakhar Bardakov, acquired from the New Jersey Devils back on March 1 in the Kurtis MacDermid trade, just completed his KHL season, as his club, SKA, was eliminated from the second round of the playoffs on Monday. Bardakov finished the season with 16 points in 61 total games, but his game is not really about offense. He’s a physical player who plays big and kills penalties for his team over in Russia.

However, his contract with SKA ends on April 30, and he currently does not have an extension in place. I reached out to his representation to see if he has any interest in signing with the Avalanche and coming to North America.

As it turns out, he does…just not right away.

“I think he’ll come to play for the Colorado Avalanche after next season,” Bardakov’s agent, Shumi Babaev, told Colorado Hockey Now.

I asked for further clarification on what his plans are for 2024-25, and was told by Babaev that the current plan is for him to play another year in the KHL, although he didn’t specify which team he’ll be playing for.

Baradakov is a different player than Nikolai Kovalenko, who the Avalanche just got to North America last week. He doesn’t possess the skill of Kovalenko, but he’s a center, and you can never have enough centers in your system. While he’s listed at 6’2″, he looks much bigger than that on the ice, and he plays like it. He throws his body around, and isn’t afraid to get his nose dirty. He’s the type of player who could be a fit on the fourth line.

The 23 year old was a seventh round pick by the Devils in the 2021 NHL Draft. He has spent the last four seasons in the KHL, so if he does eventually come over, he’ll be coming with years of professional hockey experience.

As always, CHN will be on top of all things Avalanche related, so stay tuned. We’ll continue to keep a close eye on Bardakov to see where he spends the 2024-25 campaign.

The post SCOOP: Russian Prospect Interested In Joining Avalanche In 2025 appeared first on Colorado Hockey Now.

The post What Kind Of Player Is Zakhar Bardakov? (+) appeared first on Colorado Hockey Now.