Top Prospects: The NHL System Rankings

#20: Colorado Avalanche

Embed from Getty Images

Number of Ranked Prospects: 20

Number of Forwards in the Top 50: 1

Number of Defensemen in the Top 50: 1

Average Rank of Top 10 Prospects in Pool: 223rd

Top Forward Prospect in The System: Calum Ritchie (45th)

Top Defenseman Prospect in The System: Mikhail Gulyayev (20th)

System Score: 3

The early 2010s drafts were good to the Avalanche franchise. The core players of the Stanley Cup champions--Gabriel Landeskog, Nathan McKinnon, Mikko Rantanen and Cale Makar--were all Colorado draft picks. Of course, as those players matured and the Cup team was built around them, the Avalanche more recently have not had the top-of-the-draft picks like they did in the previous decade. However, they did get the since-traded Bowen Byram fourth overall in 2019, and Justin Barron 25th overall in 2020. More recently however, the Avalanche have been able to restock the pool with two first-round picks in the 2023 draft, and they have some talent left over from the 2021 draft, as well.

The Top of The Pool:

There is a temptation to rate the Colorado pool lower than 20th overall, and there can be a solid argument that the Buffalo system could be ranked above them. Despite the depth of the Buffalo system, Colorado has talent up top to equal the Sabres and the best bet is to call the two systems a virtual tie.

Defenseman Mikhail Gulyayev is the top-ranked prospect in the Avalanche system. Gulyayev was selected 31st overall in the 2023 NHL draft. The Russian blueliner fits into the mold of Colorado defenders like Makar and Girard, smaller than average NHL defenders (5'10, 172 pounds) but fast, intense and skilled. At just 19 years old, he already has 85 games of KHL experience and some international experience despite the bans on Russian teams since early 2022. Gulyayev is an excellent puck distributor and transition player. He reads plays well, especially with the puck, finding the best opportunities and exploiting vulnerabilities in opponent coverages. He is a great skater, with speed and agility and immediate change of direction. He will play this season in Avangard Omsk in the KHL, but his contract expires at the end of the year, so he could come to North America as soon as next summer.

Calum Ritchie was also drafted from the 2023 class, a couple of spots before Gulyayev (he drafted 27th, and handful of spots after the Hockey Prophets' draft ranking at 21st). Ritchie looks more and more like a NHL second liner each year, both in his skills development and size (he has grown to 6'2, 187 pounds). His scoring progression is right on track and his goals per game production is improving as his takes more attempts and refines his technique. Ritchie is the type of player who excels in several hockey skill areas without being elite at any of them, but he ties them all together with excellent hockey intelligence. 

One particularly interesting defender in the Avalanche system is Sean Behrens, the 21-year-old defender who signed his first professional contract at the end of last season, after he and his University of Denver teammates were crowned NCAA national champions. Behrens was just 5'8 in his draft year, which meant that several teams were wary of drafting the talented blueliner anywhere near where Hockey Prophets had him ranked (30th overall) and the Avalanche were able to add him with their 61st overall pick in the 2021 draft. Behrens played three seasons and 112 games of NCAA hockey, posting 10 goals and 71 assists for the Pioneers. Behrens is a crafty transition defender in the style that works well in Colorado's aggressive game. He will play at least a full season--perhaps two--for the Eagles at the AHL level.

Return to the Team System Rankings

Below is the full list of the Colorado Avalanche's ranked prospects.

Top Forwards 

Top Defensemen