5 draft prospects who would be great fits for the Avalanche

The NHL Draft nears for the Colorado Avalanche and their selection at 24th overall will be important to an organization badly lacking in quality prospects. The majority of Colorado’s prospects are now pushing for NHL time with the Colorado Eagles in the AHL except for their top two guys, Calum Ritchie and Mikhail Gulyayev.

Whoever the Avs draft will instantly become one of their top five prospects, if not slotting in right about where Gulyayev currently as two or three, at worst. The next Avs selection after the 24th comes in the fifth round at 132nd overall, so it would behoove the Avs to do well with the only first-round pick they will have until 2026 (their 2025 first was already traded in the Sean Walker deal).

5 prospects who would fit the Avalanche

1. Igor Chernyshov, Wing, Dynamo Moskva (KHL)

Of the guys on this list, Chernyshov is the one I least expect to be available when the Avalanche are on the clock. He is one of the premier power forward prospects in this draft class and there are encouraging signs all over the place. He scored at over a point-per-game pace in the MHL despite playing limited minutes on the power play and then played a checking role in the KHL and still produced well.

At 6’2″, 198 lbs he is already physically mature. An all-situations player, Chernyshov consistently engages using that size to great effect and he has skill throughout his game. There isn’t a single standout skill, but his combination of size, skating, and physicality would make him extremely intriguing for the Avalanche.

His path to the NHL is unpredictable. Teams have no control over a prospect’s development when they’re playing in the KHL but Chernyshov showed well enough he should get consistent ice time next season, the last of his current contract. If he finished that deal and moved over to North America, his physical maturity and strong two-way game means he could quickly push for a spot on the Avalanche roster. Even a year in the AHL wouldn’t be the worst, but the Avalanche have had very limited success with that path in recent years and I am personally wary of trusting that process.

2. Michael Hage, Center, Chicago Steel (USHL)

Hage is another I don’t think is likely to be available at 24, but I at least feel there’s a chance. He’s an intriguing guy who had a slow start to his season before taking off at the end. When you talk about a player who fits Colorado’s style, Hage certainly fits the bill as a wonderful transition player, albeit one whose skating isn’t a hallmark of his game.

Like Chernyshov, he presents with plus size at 6’1″, 190 lbs but the physicality that is a strength in Chernyshov’s game is notably absent from Hage’s game, at least consistently. As the season wore on, Hage engaged more frequently and the arrow is certainly pointing up. Like Ritchie last year, injury played a significant role in Hage’s draft year, though Ritchie played through injury and Hage’s injury caused him to miss most of the previous season and helped contribute to his slow start.

If you want to believe that Hage’s final 30 games are indicative of the player he can be next year as a freshman at the University of Michigan, you see the potential of a top-six caliber center. If you don’t you’re probably wondering exactly what Hage presents as in the NHL and that’s certainly a concern. He’s not the most creative player and beyond his contributions via transition, he tends to be a more deliberate player.

His fit in Colorado is that he combines with Ritchie to give the Avalanche another exciting center prospect with good size. You can never have too many quality options down the middle and a player who excels in transition is one who will certainly appeal to the Avalanche. He’s also college-bound, something the Avalanche have leaned toward a bit more in recent years.

3. Jett Luchanko, Center, Guelph Storm (OHL)

Now we’re getting into the guys who are likely on the board when the Avs step to the podium. Luchanko is appropriately named “Jett” because he is fast as hell. The skating is an enormous strength of his and the obvious connector between the player and his appeal to the Avalanche.

Not an offensive dynamo, Luchanko presents as a more defensive-stopper type of center but not the traditional kind that is big and physical. With his speed (I’m telling you, he’s really fast), he gets on puck carriers in a flash and his work rate is among the very best in this draft class. He’s a ferocious forechecker and an ace defensively despite his average size (5’11”, 183 lbs).

Luchanko at 24 might be a little rich depending on how the draft board falls because there are real concerns about how much more his offensive game can develop. He’s already not a prolific point-producer, but it’s fair to wonder if he is held back some by his defensive acumen, which can lead to him being put in harsher matchup situations.

The Avalanche have not produced a strong defensive center with a draft pick since Ryan O’Reilly’s selection at the top of the second round in 2009, so it seems like they’re due. It would be difficult to make the argument that Luchanko is the best player available, but he is one of the best fits available for the Avalanche.

4. Alfons Freij, Defense, Vaxjo Lakers (J20 Nationell)

When you talk about an Avalanche-style defenseman, you first think of strong skaters who can attack in transition. With that in mind, I present Alfons Freij, the Swedish defenseman whose mobility and play in transition are his primary calling cards.

Freij has good size at 6’1″, 196 lbs and gets up and down the ice like a player 30 pounds lighter. His mobility makes him a quality player in the transition game, both offensively and defensively. I’ve talked a lot over the last few years about how “modern defense” begins with defensemen actively denying zone entries and not allowing controlled entries in the first place. This is where Freij is at his best defensively.

His in-zone defense still needs quite a bit of development and as he grows more into his frame and gets stronger, you hope to see his confidence grow in the more physical aspects of the game.

Offensively, he’s best in transition but his smooth skating is an asset when holding the blueline and attacking from there. His goal-scoring numbers are likely to be deceiving as he appears more of a playmaker than anything else, but his overall toolset on this end of the ice jumps out as a natural fit in Colorado.

Freij will likely need some time, but at the 24th pick, the Avs could certainly do worse than a defenseman who fits their core style very nicely.

5. Andrew Basha, Wing, Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL)

Basha is a player who intrigues me a lot because I have no feel for his draft stock, he’s already really good, but there is still some intriguing projection remaining in his game.

Basha isn’t quite the all-around force that Chernyshov is, but there isn’t a major hole in his game, either. At 6’0″, 185 lbs, he’s already stout and will only get stronger as he gets older, which will help a solid game along the boards get even better.

His physical tools are all there as he’s a strong skater who uses his speed to great effect but also combines quality edgework with good hands and a pass-first mentality. Basha’s first two years in the WHL as primarily a checking winger clearly helped him develop that aspect of his game as he works hard and maintains a high compete level, but his offensive game came a long way this season.

His good skating and attack mentality make him a quality transition player but he isn’t much of a goal-scoring threat at this point in his career. His willingness to drive the net and get into the dirty areas for goals is important because he isn’t going to score much from distance.

I think Basha likely ends up as a wing but I am curious if Medicine Hat might be willing to give him some reps at center next year. If he can make that work, that would be great, but even if he remains purely a wing, he would instantly be a great fit in Colorado’s system.