Ranking the Top 10 Prospects in the Colorado Avalanche System
Last year, the Colorado Avalanche won the Presidents' Trophy, and while it didn't turn into a Stanley Cup Finals appearance, their Stanley Cup window remains wide open thanks to the likes of Cale Makar and Nathan MacKinnon.
At the 2026 trade deadline, the team went all in on a Cup, and for the most part, they bought players with term, meaning their team heading into 2026/27 is absolutely loaded with talent, but unfortunately, that cost them a steep price.
Heading into the deadline, Colorado parted ways with prospect Max Curran and significant draft capital, and while it makes sense for the team to go all in, in the long-term, that may come back to haunt them.
This past year, the team also added T.J. Hughes and graduated Gavin Brindley from prospect status, so clearly, it's not all doom and gloom for the long-term future in Colorado.
There are still some very intriguing prospects in the organization, and on the back of the 2026 NHL Draft, we'll break down the top names in the system as the Avalanche look for sustained success in the long term.
Honorable mentions: Linus Funck, Sean Behrens
10. Christian Humphreys - Center
Christian Humphreys may be one of the most overlooked prospects in the hockey world, and while his development hasn't been perfect, after his first full season in the Ontario Hockey League, the former seventh-round pick is showing true upside.
Originally picked No. 215 in the 2024 NHL Draft, Humphreys has gone from the USHL to the University of Michigan and now to the Kitchener Rangers, and in 63 games a year ago, he dominated with 27 goals and 85 points as they would go on to win the Memorial Cup. There's still hope for him to be a future NHLer, and while he was 20-years-old when he dominated for the Rangers, development is never linear, and Humphreys is a perfect example of that.
Despite scoring 27 goals, Humphreys profiles more as a playmaker at the next level, and given his physical limitations, he'll likely be a bottom-six player at best, but right now, given how he bounced back in 2025/26, it's hard to ignore the development.
9. Fabian Lysell - Right Wing
Fabian Lysell was a player drafted and developed by the Boston Bruins, but after getting no opportunities in the NHL on a consistent basis, he joined the Avalanche this off-season as a big free-agency pickup. At 23 years old, he's on the cusp of graduating from prospect status, and despite showing immense potential in Boston, he appeared in just 12 NHL games for the team in 2024/25.
Last season in the AHL, Lysell was once again a top contributor, tallying 17 goals and 42 points in 57 games for the Providence Bruins, and if there's an injury in the NHL early in 2026/27, expect Lysell to be one of the first players to get a chance.
While he was a first-round pick once upon a time, Lysell hasn't dominated the game the way that one would hope from a player of his draft status, and that likely means he won't ever be a dominant NHLer, but with good skill and potential, he could play a significant role for the Avalanche this season.
8. Nikita Prishchepov - Center
The mark of a good GM and scouting department is finding players late in the draft, and in the seventh round of the 2024 NHL Draft, they found a very intriguing name in Nikita Prishchepov. The Russian center spent three years in the QMJHL with the Victoriaville Tigres, and in 2025/26, he got his first opportunity in the NHL. While he didn't tally a point in 10 games played, he showed that he can hang at the next level.
In the AHL, he showed he can dominate games as well, and after posting 3 goals and 12 points in 22 games played, the 22-year-old appears ready to take the final step towards being a genuine contributor in the NHL.
It's unclear if he'll get that opportunity in 2026/27, but after the team moved out some players in their bottom-six, the 6-foot-1, 195 pound center could certainly find his way into the lineup full time if he hits the ground running with the Eagles.
7. Axel Elofsson - RHD
The Colorado Avalanche have had to make do with their late round picks in recent years given their aggressive trade strategy, and again, another player on this list was one drafted in the third-round or later, and this time, it's 2026 fourth-round pick Axel Elofsson.
In Elofsson, the team gets a player that has dominated the Swedish junior ranks for the past few seasons, with a combined 18 goals and 73 points in 70 games played, and given his size at 5-foot-10, 164 pounds, he needs to be excelling offensively to stand out. Much like many other late-round picks on this list, the Avalanche have swung for future potential in Elofsson, but if he can add some size and continue his offensive development, this is a player that could play a very specific role in the NHL one day.
6. Mikhail Gulyayev - LHD
Back in the 2023 NHL Draft, the Colorado Avalanche used a first-round pick on defenseman Mikhail Gulyayev, and given his size at 5-foot-10, 171 pounds, the hope was that he could develop as an offensive defenseman.
This past season however, he tallied just 1 goal and 3 points in the KHL across 54 games played, and over his past three years, he's managed just 30 points with Omsk, not the type of production that the team would have hoped for from a former first-round pick. As of right now, he won't make it to North America until at least 2028/29 after signing a two-year extension in the KHL, but if he can develop, the talent and potential are still clearly there.
5. Francesco Dell'Elce - LHD
Francesco Dell'Elce is one of the more unknown names in the Avalanche organization, but after two productive seasons at the NCAA level, he's showing the type of versatility that this blue line will need when their aging pieces move on.
With the University of Massachusetts, Dell'Elce posted 12 goals and 45 points over the past two years in 76 games played, and at 6-foot-1, he's got the physical tools to make an impact at the NHL level. Right now, Dell'elce is very raw as a defender, and while nothing stands out about his game, there are no major flaws either, and if he develops as a defender, he could be a player who plays plenty of games in the NHL.
It's likely that he'll play another year at UMass before turning professional after the 2026/27 season, and with both Brett Kulak and Brent Burns on the Avs blue line currently, there's space for him in the NHL if he can push hard in what may be his final college season.
4. Tobias Trvznik - Goaltender
Tobias Trvznik is one of two goaltenders on this list for the Avalanche, and while he's still got a long way to go, it's easy to see why Colorado used their fourth-round pick on the 19-year-old in the 2026 NHL Draft.
The native of Czechia played a full season in the WHL with the Wenatchee Wild, and in that time he showed his dominance, posting a .913 save percentage and a 3.10 GAA across 39 games played. At 6-foot-3, he's got the size to go along with the skills at the next level, but after being drafted in the fourth round, it's clear that he's got plenty of developing left to do.
That will likely mean another season in the WHL before several seasons at the minor league level, but if the team can be patient with his development, this is a team that could be set in net for a long, long time to come.
3. Beckett Hamilton - Center
The third round of the NHL Draft is a time for teams to take big swings on players with good size or great skills, and in Red Deer Rebels center Beckett Hamilton, the Colorado Avalanche may have gotten both. Hamilton may not be the most well-developed player yet, but clearly he's got upside, and after taking a leap that saw him tally 62 points in 67 games a year ago in the WHL, the Avalanche believe his skill and speed could play well at the next level.
While his skill could use some work before becoming NHL ready, it's the speed that could play immediately at the NHL level, as he uses that pace and energetic style of play to push the pace in transition and open up opportunities for his teammates.
Hamilton is much more of a project than other players taken in the third-round, but given the talent they've already got in the NHL, they can afford to be patient with Hamilton, who has potential as a top-six contributor in the NHL.
2. Egor Shilov - Center
The Avalanche may have traded several first-round picks over the next few years, but in making moves ahead of the 2026 NHL Draft, they got themselves a second-round pick, and there, they landed a player that many believed was a first-round talent heading into the draft.
That would be Egor Shilov, the Russian center who spent his 2025/26 season with the Victoriaville Tigres of the QMJHL, and while he's been criticized for his lack of high-end speed, it's hard to deny his hockey IQ and production. Across 63 games played, Shilov tallied 32 goals and 82 points, and given his size at 6-foot-1, 180 pounds, there's potential for him to grow into a middle-six role in the NHL.
In terms of NHL readiness, there are a few names ahead of Shilov on this ranking, but purely based on potential at the next level, there's no reason why he can't develop into a very good player at the next level over the next few years.
1. Ilya Nabokov - Goaltender
The Colorado Avalanche are set in the NHL with Mackenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood between the pipes, but in the prospect system, it's perhaps their biggest position of strength as well. Their best prospect is former second-round pick Ilya Nabokov, who is coming off his third straight dominant campaign in the KHL, and in 2026/27, he's finally expected to make the jump to North America, as he'll play a key role with the AHL's Colorado Eagles.
His path to the NHL is currently blocked by Blackwood and Wedgewood, but given that goaltenders don't usually hit their prime until their late 20's, the team have more than enough time to develop Nabokov.
Across three seasons in the KHL, Nabokov has appeared in 120 games for Metallurg, and in that time he's posted GAA's of 2.15, 2.22 and 2.74 to go along with save percentages of .930, .923 and .901, solidifying himself as the KHL's most exciting young goaltender. Right now, Colorado have very few holes on their roster, but if they need to clear more salary cap space in the next 18 months and fill a hole with a young prospect, there's no better fit that Nabokov, who should be in the NHL sooner, rather than later.
Nathan Smith is a Sportswriter from Australia, currently residing in Canada with over a decade of experience. In that time, he has covered the MLB, NHL, NBA and NFL with various publications, with a particular focus and passion for Baseball and Hockey. Highlights • Working as a Trending News Writer with Athlon Sports, covering the latest news stories in the National Hockey League • Working as a Site Expert with FanSided for Flame For Thought, covering all things Calgary Flames • Consistent coverage of all four major North American sports with H&L Media, SportsKeeda, PFSN and other FanSided publications Experience Over 10 years of experience writing Evergreen content, list based articles, news stories, predictions and analysis of the NFL, MLB, NHL and NBA, reaching millions of sports fans worldwide in the process.